The "Insta-Pot"

I

impish

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I have been away from the forum awhile, I am sorry to admit, all time spent on technical forums helping others keeps their wheels turning. :o_o:

Today while relaxing a bit, I asked my wife why she was so pensive. She was deliberating over the thought of buying an Insta-Pot, which she went on to describe, asking my opinion. These are made by a number of makers, range in price from about $70 to well over $100. Wound up ordering one brand new on Ebay for thirty bucks:

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As she tells it, these things are basically pressure-cookers which are electrically-heated, instead of stove-top. My questions remain unanswered: how do they regulate pressure, what is highest pressure, what sort of safety valving is present to prevent bursting? My one objection to the value of pressure-cooking is that one cannot easily remove a lid to view cooking progress. As a result, if insufficient moisture is present, burning will result without the chef's knowledge, until too late. Also, how does one gauge "done-ness"?

Has anyone experience with them? Wife said they are a relatively new item in the popularity market. There were many opinions voiced. One lady said she throws a whole chicken in, and cooks it very quickly and satisfactorily.

I expect this old hard-headed curmudgeon will continue to love his micro/convection oven!
 
impish said:
Has anyone experience with them? Wife said they are a relatively new item in the popularity market. There were many opinions voiced. One lady said she throws a whole chicken in, and cooks it very quickly and satisfactorily.
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I think this has been mentioned elsewhere on the forum - I'll see if I can post cross links if I can find the posts. From memory @MrsDangermouse has one that she uses a lot.
 
Yes I have had an Instant Pot pressure cooker/slow cooker for years - my review of it is here, its probably my absolute favourite kitchen gadget and if it ever broke then I'd be straight out to buy another one! A number of companies make similar products - I'm sure each have their pros and cons but I do like how easy the Instant Pot is to use, the build quality is great and the inner pot is stainless steel.
impish said:
My questions remain unanswered: how do they regulate pressure, what is highest pressure, what sort of safety valving is present to prevent bursting? My one objection to the value of pressure-cooking is that one cannot easily remove a lid to view cooking progress. As a result, if insufficient moisture is present, burning will result without the chef's knowledge, until too late. Also, how does one gauge "done-ness"?
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Most of the technical specs can be found on the manufacturer's websites (though you'll need to search for Instant Pot, not Insta-Pot - I've seen that abbreviation before, but no idea where it came from?).

In general though, they have a pressure sensor and a heating element. The heating element applies heat until the pressure sensor says its at the right pressure, then the heating element switches off and on to maintain the pressure for however long the user has programmed it for. The Instant Pot has a burn sensor so will cut out and tell you if it thinks your food is burning (presumably works by sensing the temperature of the base of the inner pot). Though I've never had that particular problem - if you follow the instructions and make sure your recipe has enough liquid then it shouldn't be an issue.

In terms of safety I think electric pressure cookers are probably safer than stovetop ones, though I've never thought the stovetop ones were particularly dangerous either. Electric pressure cookers are certainly much easier to use though.

Yes, you can't take the lid off to test done-ness when using it as a pressure cooker - this is where online recipes and recipe reviews, plus your own experience really helps you to learn. I guess you could say that cooking with a pressure cooker is just another cooking technique that needs to be mastered :happy: Same as making sauces, or baking cakes. When you use the Instant Pot as a slow cooker you can take the lid off as many times as you like.
 
MrsDangermouse said:
Yes I have had an Instant Pot pressure cooker/slow cooker for years - my review of it is here, its probably my absolute favourite kitchen gadget and if it ever broke then I'd be straight out to buy another one! A number of companies make similar products - I'm sure each have their pros and cons but I do like how easy the Instant Pot is to use, the build quality is great and the inner pot is stainless steel.

Most of the technical specs can be found on the manufacturer's websites (though you'll need to search for Instant Pot, not Insta-Pot - I've seen that abbreviation before, but no idea where it came from?).

In general though, they have a pressure sensor and a heating element. The heating element applies heat until the pressure sensor says its at the right pressure, then the heating element switches off and on to maintain the pressure for however long the user has programmed it for. The Instant Pot has a burn sensor so will cut out and tell you if it thinks your food is burning (presumably works by sensing the temperature of the base of the inner pot). Though I've never had that particular problem - if you follow the instructions and make sure your recipe has enough liquid then it shouldn't be an issue.

In terms of safety I think electric pressure cookers are probably safer than stovetop ones, though I've never thought the stovetop ones were particularly dangerous either. Electric pressure cookers are certainly much easier to use though.

Yes, you can't take the lid off to test done-ness when using it as a pressure cooker - this is where online recipes and recipe reviews, plus your own experience really helps you to learn. I guess you could say that cooking with a pressure cooker is just another cooking technique that needs to be mastered :happy: Same as making sauces, or baking cakes. When you use the Instant Pot as a slow cooker you can take the lid off as many times as you like.
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@MrsDangermouse

Wonderful! I am liking the device more and more! You could have been an Engineer........I had not thought about the several points you made: pressure sensing allows heat source to turn on and off, and "slow cooking", which must employ low pressures, makes opening the lid much less fearsome than the old on-stove pressure cookers. I thank you!
 
impish said:
@MrsDangermouse

Wonderful! I am liking the device more and more! You could have been an Engineer........I had not thought about the several points you made: pressure sensing allows heat source to turn on and off, and "slow cooking", which must employ low pressures, makes opening the lid much less fearsome than the old on-stove pressure cookers. I thank you!
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I can't quite tell from the picture what model you have (the functions you have available will depend on the model) but I believe all of them have my favourite programmes: Saute (for browning meat and reducing sauces), Slow Cook (works exactly the same as a standalone slow cooker, no pressure involved here), Steam (either with or without pressure) and Manual (pressure cooker). If I recall correctly, the instruction manual that came with mine was pretty good at explaining how the different programmes work.

If you're new to pressure cooking in general, then I really recommend the Hip Pressure Cooking website for tips and recipes - its a great resource for anyone wanting to learn more about pressure cooking.
 
I haven't made up my mind to get the Instant Pot or anything like it. Since I have a good solid SS pressure cooker & a good solid slow cooker, I see no need to get one of these. They cook just as good!!

Guess that I'm old school!! :wink:
 
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Now tell me;

What do I need with the Insta Pot when I got these 2 big appliances that can do the work of the Insta Pot?!! Hmmm? They can handle the job!! Like I said, I'm old school. I've been doing it this way for many, many years!! Hah!! :wink:
 
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oddduck said:
I can attest that the instant pot tells you when something starts to burn...the error code plainly says "burn".
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But who wants to wait until the food would burn in it before they know the results?!! Almost like waiting for your house to catch fire before the alarm sounds off!!!
 
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Shermie said:
But who wants to wait until the food burn in it before they know the results?!! Almost like waiting for your house to catch fire before the alarm sounds off!!!
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But your pressure cooker could be burning your food and you don't even know cause you have no readout and it will keep on burning.
 
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