Instant Pot. Multi-function cooker (Part 1)

Anna N · August 30, 2015

Issues with Manitoulin or with the Instant Pot? I would be so, so sorry if there were no Manitoulin.

Never fear. There WILL be a Manitoulin. The hospital has already scheduled Kerry. I am the question mark. But we have overcome that in the past by doing a "home and away" tag team type adventure. Certainly the fall on Manitoulin cries out for soups and stews so the IP would make a fine addition to the batterie de cuisine up there.

Anna N · August 30, 2015

You're like a little kid, just can't wait to play with their new toy
I'm glad you chose the poached eggs as your first "experiment" (which was a success) as your barely edible Chinese dish would have been a disappointing introduction to this machine. I have a Zoji ricemaker as well and it makes great rice, but the time is just too much. I haven't tried rice in the instant pot, but was it too sticky compared to the Zoji?
I guess your post person may be in for a little treat come Christmas time, that was considerate of him/her (I hate being politically correct)
I hope all issues are resolved successfully regarding your trip, I look forward to your Northerly excursions, I might even contemplate a visit, but l'd have to bring my lady-friend (a Shih Tzu called Missy, we could share a couch ha ha!)
Btw you never answered...so much did you save on the notebook? Ha ha!
p

I am unashamedly like a little kid with a new toy. I have no other hobbies than cooking and spend a great deal of my time alone so toys are imperative to keep me somewhat sane.

I would not call the rice sticky by any means just not quite as nice as when done in the rice cooker. I have further experiments to do with rice since this was using the pressure function but there is a rice function on the IP.

The days of knowing one's postal person are long gone here. We have community mailboxes which means there is almost never any contact. Shame really.

I would happily invite you to come up to Manitoulin but it is not up to me to make such an offer as I am myself a guest. I can tell you that we are both dog lovers and would have no issue with your lady friend.

Still cannot answer about the notebook since I was completely unable to track one down here in Ontario.

Anna N · August 30, 2015

If you want to use your electric pressure cooker on a table that is lower than the kitchen counters, you can plug it into a "heavy duty appliance extension" I have one that has 3 outlets and is 12 gauge - 36" and rated for use with air conditioners, roasters, electric grills and "heavy duty fans".

I set my pressure cooker on my bread board which is several inches lower than the regular counters and it makes it much easier to look down into the vessel. The closest power outlet is 5' away so I use the 36" extension. With the length of the appliance power cord it works fine.

Thanks, Andi

I have been eyeing a small kitchen cart that currently is the home of the Thermomix and the Bosch mixer. It is a couple of inches lower than the kitchen counters. I may have to stop playing long enough to rearrange things. Either that or submit to being put on the rack until I'm a few inches taller!

Anna N · August 30, 2015

"" A far better plan would be to take a familiar recipe that you have cooked in another way and change it to be compatible with the IP. ""

excellent thinking, as usual.

For once I almost followed my own advice. For dinner last evening I made the pork with prunes and cream from Laura's book. Those are very familiar flavours and I have probably made a dozen or more variations. I recall that the very first Graham Kerr recipe that I made was pork loin stuffed with prunes. This really ages me since it was a time when he was still a lot of fun and barely able to stand up on set!

Back to the IP. Here's the mise:

The pork Chop has already been seasoned and dredged with flour.

The chop is browned on one side using the saute function (I'm still very impressed) and set aside. Then the onions are sauteed. The prunes are placed on top of the sautéed onions, the chop on top of the prunes, liquids are added and then everything is cooked on high-pressure for eight minutes with quick release. The chop is removed, The sauce is reduced if necessary, puréed with a Bamix and then cream is added.

Very satisfactory.

Deryn · August 30, 2015

Bravo. Your dinner (pork with prunes) looks wonderful. I am so glad it worked as expected. I was beginning to worry that you would starve after your first experiment.

That 'moo shoo pork' ... I don't even understand why there was a recipe for same for a pressure cooker since (in my experience) it is a stir fry dish with little to no hoisin actually IN the dish - that is smeared mostly on the rice pancakes it is usually served with (but which you didn't even use). I can see just using the sauté function to make it all but you must have also closed it up and pressure cooked it too? It definitely came out looking very sad and brown ... too bad it wasn't, at least, delicious.

Edited August 30, 2015 by Deryn (log)

rotuts · August 30, 2015

I have the "Hip P.C." from my library.

I looked up the Pork Chop Rx and was pleased that the times for Electric PC's are included.

Indeed this book has plenty of useful info on E.P.C.'s in the early "basics" section.

Anna N · August 30, 2015

I have the "Hip P.C." from my library.

I looked up the Pork Chop Rx and was pleased that the times for Electric PC's are included.

Indeed this book has plenty of useful info on E.P.C.'s in the early "basics" section.

For the most part I appreciate this book very much but at the same time it sends my blood pressure into the stratosphere! I have a great deal of respect and admiration for Laura but her choice of "normal" or "natural" to describe how the pressure is released seems to me to be unnecessarily obscure. We have two perfectly good English words which cannot be confused -- fast and slow. I will have to develop a mnemonic so I can figure out whether I want to use "natural" or "normal" and that should not be necessary.

Anna N · August 30, 2015

Bravo. Your dinner (pork with prunes) looks wonderful. I am so glad it worked as expected. I was beginning to worry that you would starve after your first experiment.That 'moo shoo pork' ... I don't even understand why there was a recipe for same for a pressure cooker since (in my experience) it is a stir fry dish with little to no hoisin actually IN the dish - that is smeared mostly on the rice pancakes it is usually served with (but which you didn't even use). I can see just using the sauté function to make it all but you must have also closed it up and pressure cooked it too? It definitely came out looking very sad and brown ... too bad it wasn't, at least, delicious.

Yes, I apologize for failing to document a couple of steps in this recipe. I was thrown off my game by visitors. I did explain that I served it over rice because that's what I had even though I know it is normally served with pancakes.

rotuts · August 30, 2015

how do you find PC meat compared to either SV at braise temps or a braise itself ?

do you feel the higher temps contact the protein leaving the meat 'dry' ?

also if you get the chance, in Laura's " Hip" book

the top one :

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=hip+pressure+cooking&tag=googhydr-20&index=stripbooks&hvadid=46601493963&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13774788443693176627&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_4vbxnrb1m0_b

on pp 80 there is a simple potato salad Rx. Red Bliss 7 minutes on what I call 'pressure steam' then a 10 minute natural release.

on pp 15 the 10 minute natural release is discussed. " turn off the heat and wait ten minutes. if the cooker hasn't opened release any remaining pressure using Normal release "

for electric its mentioned that involves unplugging the cooker or pushing off on and electric model.

is this what you would do with the EPC as you have experience with a regular PC ?

this makes sense to me, and Im guessing keeping notes on various basic Rx's to get (say the potatoes ) what your are cooking ' just right '

Im again fortunate that my library system as all the books that are listed under "hip" at amazon.

thank you again for putting the EPC through its paces.

P.S.: I was writing this as you were adding your thoughts about Natural and normal.

I agree that the book might be clearer on these points with regard to the EPC. I think all the info is there,

but takes some 'digestion' re the EPC.

Edited August 30, 2015 by rotuts (log)

Deryn · August 30, 2015

Anna - I knew you couldn't use the pancakes. I think the suggestion of flour tortillas in the recipe was a bit far fetched, and to my mind, rice was a much better option but that was not my (implied) question.

I don't have your 'recipe' but you pictured a LOT of dark 'liquid' in that measuring cup. Did ALL that 'liquid' go into the pork mixture? And how long and at what pressure did you finish cooking it?

Most recipes for moo shu/shoo pork that I am familiar with involve very little soy or hoisin in the pork mix - so it just seemed to me that if you put all that into the mix and then also pressure cooked it (for more than a minute), it was bound to come out brown, mushy and looking like a very poor imitation of a cheap westernized Chinese takeout meal. I find that if something looks like that dish you pictured I lose my appetite before I even taste it. I am not surprised you found it barely edible. It definitely was the recipe - not your cooking or the IP.

Again I am glad your second meal was much more delectable.

palo · August 30, 2015

I did not mean to put you on the spot about visiting, I was just sort of kidding, it would require major pre-planning on my part.

By my count you've done 5 or 6 things already in less than 2 days, that's a lot of washing up! Can you get by with a rinse & dry, or is it soap and water? Depending on what you plan to cook next, you could just "deglaze" and use the liquid in the pot in the next recipe or to steam some potatoes or vegetables.

I live "out in the country" part of Orillia, on a short dead end road with little or no traffic, the nearest grocery is 15 minutes away. I know my postman well and usually when we meet have an enjoyable conversation about fishing or what's going on in town. I'm fortunate and am not looking forward to his retirement in a few years as his replacement may have a more modern approach to his duties. I'm also on a first name basis with my Ups driver, thanks to Amazon

p

rotuts · August 30, 2015

Of Note ( esp. to me ) :

and

note the dates.

if you have not taken a look at the manual, here they are :

http://instantpot.com/benefits/specifications-and-manuals/instant-pot-ip-duo-series-specifications/

:biggrin:

Anna N · August 30, 2015

how do you find PC meat compared to either SV at braise temps or a braise itself ?

do you feel the higher temps contact the protein leaving the meat 'dry' ?

also if you get the chance, in Laura's " Hip" book

the top one :

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=hip+pressure+cooking&tag=googhydr-20&index=stripbooks&hvadid=46601493963&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13774788443693176627&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_4vbxnrb1m0_b

on pp 80 there is a simple potato salad Rx. Red Bliss 7 minutes on what I call 'pressure steam' then a 10 minute natural release.

on pp 15 the 10 minute natural release is discussed. " turn off the heat and wait ten minutes. if the cooker hasn't opened release any remaining pressure using Normal release "

for electric its mentioned that involves unplugging the cooker or pushing off on and electric model.

is this what you would do with the EPC as you have experience with a regular PC ?

this makes sense to me, and Im guessing keeping notes on various basic Rx's to get (say the potatoes ) what your are cooking ' just right '

Im again fortunate that my library system as all the books that are listed under "hip" at amazon.

thank you again for putting the EPC through its paces.

P.S.: I was writing this as you were adding your thoughts about Natural and normal.

I agree that the book might be clearer on these points with regard to the EPC. I think all the info is there,

but takes some 'digestion' re the EPC.

I am a fan of sous vide meat and don't think there is anything to beat it for many cuts. Certainly thick cut pork chops turn out amazingly using sous vide. But cooking, like life, is a series of compromises. While I believe I would get more "perfect" pork chops using SV, I might swoon from hunger waiting for them to cook. This pork Chop, as I hope I showed in the photograph, remained moist and flavourful.

As for the 10 minute slow release followed by opening the valve to release any remaining steam, I have never heard of it before and I'm not sure that it adds anything at all to the process. I have tried it a couple of times with the IP and there was no further steam released. However, I have only just begun so I won't jump to too many conclusions too soon.

I do tend to think that Laura's recommendation that meat pulled from the cooker needs to be tightly wrapped in foil to prevent drying out is a good one and perhaps the best tip so far I have gleaned from her book and website. However, my contribution to that idea is to put the meat into a bowl and cover it with a silIcon lid. Much faster and reduces waste.

Anna N · August 30, 2015

Anna - I knew you couldn't use the pancakes. I think the suggestion of flour tortillas in the recipe was a bit far fetched, and to my mind, rice was a much better option but that was not my (implied) question.I don't have your 'recipe' but you pictured a LOT of dark 'liquid' in that measuring cup. Did ALL that 'liquid' go into the pork mixture? And how long and at what pressure did you finish cooking it?Most recipes for moo shu/shoo pork that I am familiar with involve very little soy or hoisin in the pork mix - so it just seemed to me that if you put all that into the mix and then also pressure cooked it (for more than a minute), it was bound to come out brown, mushy and looking like a very poor imitation of a cheap westernized Chinese takeout meal. I find that if something looks like that dish you pictured I lose my appetite before I even taste it. I am not surprised you found it barely edible. It definitely was the recipe - not your cooking or the IP.Again I am glad your second meal was much more delectable.

Meat and vegetables were cooked on high-pressure for three minutes with a quick release. The recipe then called for adding the hoisin and the cornstarch slurry and cooking for a further two minutes not under pressure. I did not use the slurry because there was not enough liquid to warrant it and it was already quite syrupy. Your description of it as the worst kind of westernized Chinese takeout was exactly what occurred to me. But remember I was limited in the ingredients on hand and that recipe at least was doable. In my defense had I not been so excited about my new toy I would've read the recipe with a much more critical eye and my bullshit detector turned on and shunned it from the beginning.

**andiesenji** · August 30, 2015

Thanks, Andi
I have been eyeing a small kitchen cart that currently is the home of the Thermomix and the Bosch mixer. It is a couple of inches lower than the kitchen counters. I may have to stop playing long enough to rearrange things. Either that or submit to being put on the rack until I'm a few inches taller!

I'm 5' 6" and even for me some appliances on regular counters are too high for comfortable use. One of the reasons I long ago got an AEG (Electrolux) mixer was because it was much easier for me to add ingredients to the bowl which, even though it is larger, sits lower than the Kitchenaids.

The same with my Thermomix. I have my "pastry" benches where I knead and form dough, decorate cakes, etc., lower than regular counters because it became too uncomfortable for me to work at that height. The lower ones are 31 inches and my regular counters are 36 inches. I also have what was a cart, heavy wood with a butcher block top that with the wheels removed and "skids" under the legs, is also 31" and with the skids or sliders, it is easy to push it around to where I need it. It also had an electric recepticle but I didn't think the cord was heavy enough so I bought one of the multi-socket ones with a heavy duty cord and attached it to the skirting under the top at one end. It has a breaker on it that will trip if overloaded and it has a surge protector - I learned the hard way that kitchen appliances with digital controls can go wonky if there is a power outtage and an electricl surge when the power returns.

One of my bread machines was plugged in to a wall socket but not turned on. We had a lightning strike nearby, power off and back on a few minutes later. Fried the controls on the bread machine. I bought surge protectors for all the kitchen outlets.

Anna N · August 30, 2015

Of Note ( esp. to me ) :

epc.jpg

and

pot.jpg

note the dates.

if you have not taken a look at the manual, here they are :

http://instantpot.com/benefits/specifications-and-manuals/instant-pot-ip-duo-series-specifications/

Cannot get your link to the book to work. I do have the manual and the recipe book that came with the IP.

rotuts · August 30, 2015

here is the book link again, amazon :

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=hip+pressure+cooking&tag=googhydr-20&index=stripbooks&hvadid=46601493963&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13774788443693176627&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_4vbxnrb1m0_b

I like having operator manuals on my computer as the some of the ones that come with the Toys seem to walk away, even though I try to keep them all

in the same drawer under the Espresso Machine.

those of us still thinking about the Pot can DL the manuals and take a Pre-Peek.

Anna N · August 30, 2015

I did not mean to put you on the spot about visiting, I was just sort of kidding, it would require major pre-planning on my part.
By my count you've done 5 or 6 things already in less than 2 days, that's a lot of washing up! Can you get by with a rinse & dry, or is it soap and water? Depending on what you plan to cook next, you could just "deglaze" and use the liquid in the pot in the next recipe or to steam some potatoes or vegetables.
I live "out in the country" part of Orillia, on a short dead end road with little or no traffic, the nearest grocery is 15 minutes away. I know my postman well and usually when we meet have an enjoyable conversation about fishing or what's going on in town. I'm fortunate and am not looking forward to his retirement in a few years as his replacement may have a more modern approach to his duties. I'm also on a first name basis with my Ups driver, thanks to Amazon
p

No apology needed. And I certainly didn't feel at all put on the spot.

You want to know about washing up? I once tested 300 recipes for Indian cookbook in 90 days while living in a small apartment with no dishwasher! Compared to that this is a doddle. I have a dishwasher although I try to run it when the electricity rates are low but it works to keep the kitchen organized if I just put the dirty dishes in there. That is huge in my opinion. For the most part unless something has been in contact with raw meat I am quite happy to put a drop of dish soap in it or on it followed by a quick scrub from my IKEA long handled dish brush, a quick rinse under the hot tap and let it drain in the second sink.

The pot itself is a breeze to clean in the same manner.

Anna N · August 30, 2015

I'm 5' 6" and even for me some appliances on regular counters are too high for comfortable use. One of the reasons I long ago got an AEG (Electrolux) mixer was because it was much easier for me to add ingredients to the bowl which, even though it is larger, sits lower than the Kitchenaids.
The same with my Thermomix. I have my "pastry" benches where I knead and form dough, decorate cakes, etc., lower than regular counters because it became too uncomfortable for me to work at that height. The lower ones are 31 inches and my regular counters are 36 inches. I also have what was a cart, heavy wood with a butcher block top that with the wheels removed and "skids" under the legs, is also 31" and with the skids or sliders, it is easy to push it around to where I need it. It also had an electric recepticle but I didn't think the cord was heavy enough so I bought one of the multi-socket ones with a heavy duty cord and attached it to the skirting under the top at one end. It has a breaker on it that will trip if overloaded and it has a surge protector - I learned the hard way that kitchen appliances with digital controls can go wonky if there is a power outtage and an electricl surge when the power returns.
One of my bread machines was plugged in to a wall socket but not turned on. We had a lightning strike nearby, power off and back on a few minutes later. Fried the controls on the bread machine. I bought surge protectors for all the kitchen outlets.

You have 6 inches on me, Andi, so you must know how I struggle. I also I'm quite sure I am still shrinking and my doctor agrees. I am still debating my options in my very tiny galley kitchen!

Anna N · August 30, 2015

So this morning I was much less interested in testing the IP much more interested in making sure I didn't go hungry at lunchtime! But for the sake of those kind enough to read along I did my best to combine the two things. Somewhere along the line of reading so many cookbooks and so many recipes my stomach said what I really wanted was a simple chicken soup. I am perfectly capable of making chicken soup without any sort of toy or any sort of recipe but that was not the name of the game.

Once more I chose a recipe from the Hip Pressure Cooking. I more or less halved most of the ingredients but otherwise followed the recipe… Okay up to a point.

The mise.

The onions are sautéed until translucent then the rest of the ingredients put into the pot, the lid is locked and eight minutes cooking time is manually programmed in. I am sure I didn't think up this all by myself but it occurred to me that before I programmed in the pressure cooking time I should turn the sautee function back on high and bring the contents to a boil to reduce the time it would take to come to pressure. I did time it and took seven minutes but I'm not sure what that means since I have never tried with 2 cups of water to determine how long it takes. After the eight minutes are up the pressure is released quickly, the size are removed and the meat taken off the bone and returned to the pot.

You will notice in the final soup there are things that did not appear in the mise. I just felt like I needed more veggies in there and I broke up some cappellini pasta and added it at the end. After adding the frozen vegetables and the pasta I cooked it on high sauté for three minutes.

What would I change? The chicken was perfectly cooked but I felt the carrots were overcooked. I like a bit more bite in my carrots. This could be easily remedied by simply cutting the carrots larger. Was it any better than any other chicken soup I have made? Don't think so but it was certainly faster.

**andiesenji** · August 30, 2015

No apology needed. And I certainly didn't feel at all put on the spot.
You want to know about washing up? I once tested 300 recipes for Indian cookbook in 90 days while living in a small apartment with no dishwasher! Compared to that this is a doddle. I have a dishwasher although I try to run it when the electricity rates are low but it works to keep the kitchen organized if I just put the dirty dishes in there. That is huge in my opinion. For the most part unless something has been in contact with raw meat I am quite happy to put a drop of dish soap in it or on it followed by a quick scrub from my IKEA long handled dish brush, a quick rinse under the hot tap and let it drain in the second sink.
The pot itself is a breeze to clean in the same manner.

I have and use quite a bit of cookware that is not dishwasher safe. The vintage Pyrex, colors and patterns tend to be degrades severely if put through the dishwasher with the harsh detergents. (For cleaning dusty ones that have been displayed I do put them through a dishwasher cycle "quick was" but without any detergent.)

I also do this with my copper pots - but I dry them by hand as soon as the cycle has finished.

However, all those things that I was by hand - I put them in the dishwasher to drain - which gets them out of the way and means I have more room on the counter next the sink and both sinks are free.

Edited August 30, 2015 by andiesenji (log)

Deryn · August 30, 2015

Your soup looks great, Anna.

I cannot tell you (and maybe I should have mentioned that when I first began talking about mine) that one can get 'better' taste/results from anything cooked in the IP than one might get from cooking the same item in a regular pressure cooker or perhaps even in a regular pot on the stove - just faster than the latter and less trouble/having to watch over it, etc. than the first (once one gets the hang of how the IP 'thinks'/works).

I can say that I think you will find it terrific for stews and soups this winter - and I really loved the stock I made in mine too. I am not super discriminatory about most rice dishes either so those work great for me (though I have made the mistake of putting in too little or too much water at times - serves me right since I don't use recipes much).

I too am height challenged (and in my case that also means too short for my weight). Conventional height countertops are too high for me to stand at for long or to allow me to get a proper look down into tall pots. I tend to use my table instead of the counter for mixing anything that requires me to be 'over top'. I don't have one yet but I am determined to build on a 'pastry/bread height' counter at the end of the taller one - but I suspect it will be where most of my 'appliances' end up sitting and being used.

palo · August 30, 2015

I think we need a short people's forum, i'm 5'5" and i'm debating taking the legs off my island to reduce the height to about 29". I find i'm almost reaching up to chop. Upper shelves in cabinets require a stepstool.

I've made chicken stock in my IP and it was good and fast. A lot of people when they first think of PC cooking, think of a warm, homogeneous mixture served in a bowl that resembles a stew than anything else, not true!

p

Anna N · August 30, 2015

I have and use quite a bit of cookware that is not dishwasher safe. The vintage Pyrex, colors and patterns tend to be degrades severely if put through the dishwasher with the harsh detergents. (For cleaning dusty ones that have been displayed I do put them through a dishwasher cycle "quick was" but without any detergent.)
I also do this with my copper pots - but I dry them by hand as soon as the cycle has finished.
However, all those things that I was by hand - I put them in the dishwasher to drain - which gets them out of the way and means I have more room on the counter next the sink and both sinks are free.

One of the strengths of eG is we can start out testing a new toy and suddenly ways to organize or operate within our own kitchens. My system falls apart when I fail to put away the drained and now dry dishes and start putting just rinsed and therefore wet dishes on top of them!

Anna N · August 30, 2015

I think we need a short people's forum, i'm 5'5" and i'm debating taking the legs off my island to reduce the height to about 29". I find i'm almost reaching up to chop. Upper shelves in cabinets require a stepstool.
I've made chicken stock in my IP and it was good and fast. A lot of people when they first think of PC cooking, think of a warm, homogeneous mixture served in a bowl that resembles a stew than anything else, not true!
p

I am looking forward to making stock in my IP but I also intend to get a little more adventuresome. I have my eye on a lemon cheesecake done in the IP. I've added cream cheese to my shopping list. I think having a variety of tools at your disposal opens up the world of cooking to all kinds of new experiences not all of them good though!

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