Instant Pot. Multi-function cooker (Part 4)

[ElsieD]

Just read that the IP people are coming out with a steamer set.  This consists of a silicone trivet with long handles, silicone steamer basket designed to fit on the trivet and a silicone broiler pan which will have a gloss finish and which stacks on either the trivet or the steamer basket.  Available for pre-order on Amazon with a release date of  Dec. 1.

Edited September 23, 2016 by ElsieD
added release date (log)

[rotuts]

@ElsieD  

 

do you have a ref ?   URL ?

 

thabnks

[Anna N]

20 minutes ago, rotuts said:

@ElsieD  

 

do you have a ref ?   URL ?

 

thabnks

I am not Elsie but here you go

 

Click

[rotuts]

thanks

 

'  no image '

 

 

im sure we will see he image first here.

 

 

 

[blue_dolphin]

14 hours ago, ElsieD said:

Just read that the IP people are coming out with a steamer set.  This consists of a silicone trivet with long handles, silicone steamer basket designed to fit on the trivet and a silicone broiler pan which will have a gloss finish and which stacks on either the trivet or the steamer basket.  Available for pre-order on Amazon with a release date of  Dec. 1.

 

Interesting.

I look forward to seeing it when they get around to publishing some images.  This led me to some Amazon browsing that turned up a couple more observations: 

Amazon has an Instant Pot-branded circulator listed for using the IP as a sous vide vessel.  I think we all know that @Anna N published that application here some time ago. Perhaps royalties are in order??? 

 

Amazon is presently offering the Instant Pot replacement silicone rings (for $6.99) and the little red silicone mitts (for $5.21/set of 2) listed as "add-on items" for Prime members.  I find the mitts very helpful.  I probably use them as much for the Cuisi steam oven as the IP.

 

Finally, I noticed Instant Pot has a blog post on their web site titled, "Unapproved Sealing Rings Sold By Unauthorized Dealers." I have no idea whether there is any actual risk in using them or not.  Instant Pot could be trying to protect their market or felt they needed to issue a CYA statement but I thought it was interesting.  

 

 

 

 

Edited September 23, 2016 by blue_dolphin
to add link (log)

[ElsieD]

10 minutes ago, blue_dolphin said:

Interesting.

I look forward to seeing it when they get around to publishing some images.  This led me to some Amazon browsing that turned up a couple more observations: 

Amazon has an Instant Pot-branded circulator listed for using the IP as a sous vide vessel.  I think we all know that @Anna N published that application here some time ago. Perhaps royalties are in order??? 

 

Amazon is presently offering the Instant Pot replacement silicone rings (for $6.99) and the little red silicone mitts (for $5.21/set of 2) listed as "add-on items" for Prime members.  I find the mitts very helpful.  I probably use them as much for the Cuisi steam oven as the IP.

 

Finally, I noticed Instant Pot has a blog post on their web site titled, "Unapproved Sealing Rings Sold By Unauthorized Dealers." I have no idea whether there is any actual risk in using them or not.  Instant Pot could be trying to protect their market or felt they needed to issue a CYA statement but I thought it was interesting.  

 

 

 

 

 

I came across the IP circulator as well and if I didn't already have one, I'd buy that one.  I really like those little red mitts.  I used to have a similar pair but they weren't nearly as flexible.  These are great and I use them with my BSO also.  One interesting thing about the steamer set is that it is shown on Amazon.com but not on the Canadian Amazon.  What's up with that?

[rotuts]

Yikes !  I just got two rings from AwsomeChoice :

 

 

oh well  .....

[kayb]

Curious -- has anyone tried anything in the IP that they just like better if it's cooked the "old fashioned way," either braised in the oven or simmered on the stove for hours? I have found only one thing -- carbonnades a la flamande, one of my favorites for cold weather. I find that, made in the IP, it tastes too "beery," while when braised in the oven or simmered atop the stove, the alcohol taste dissipates and leaves behind that marvelous residual flavor. I guess it's because the IP is so tightly sealed.

 

But that smells so good when cooking, it's no real hardship to make it the old way.

 

 

[MelissaH]

6 minutes ago, kayb said:

Curious -- has anyone tried anything in the IP that they just like better if it's cooked the "old fashioned way," either braised in the oven or simmered on the stove for hours? I have found only one thing -- carbonnades a la flamande, one of my favorites for cold weather. I find that, made in the IP, it tastes too "beery," while when braised in the oven or simmered atop the stove, the alcohol taste dissipates and leaves behind that marvelous residual flavor. I guess it's because the IP is so tightly sealed.

 

But that smells so good when cooking, it's no real hardship to make it the old way.

 

 

Have you tried opening the IP and letting it boil, open, for several minutes? @rancho_gordo is a proponent of doing that for beans in the pressure cooker, and it might also make sense in this instance.

[rancho_gordo]

What a coincidence! 
I just got a memo from the retail staff who cook beans everyday for our stores to sample. 

 

this was their impression::

 

Quote

Hello, All! Ana and I experimented with a pressure cooker known as the "Instant Pot."
It took around 23 minutes for the beans to cook (Christmas Lima). 
The biggest differences between the crock-pot and the pressure cooker was 
•    Texture- In the pressure cooker the texture of the beans was amazing! They did not fall apart at all or split and all were cooked evenly. Sometimes in the crock-pot the beans tend to split.
•    Flavor- The flavor of the beans in the pressure cooker was nothing compared to the great flavor of the crock-pot. The pressure cooker gave the beans a slight metallic flavor (could be because it was new?) and the smell and flavor were not enhanced as much as in the crock-pot. 

 

I cook beans often in my stovetop PC I do think they taste a little dead unless you let them simmer with the lid off. 
You still can have good cooked beans within an hour of thinking of them. 20 minutes cooking, about 10 slow release and then another 20-30 minutes simmering with the lid open. 

I believe in making life as difficult as possible so my preferred method is an unglazed clay pot.

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Last night I reduced my leftover RG beans a little too much on the stove top.  Not the beans fault.  I love looking at the clay pot but I turn to the pressure cooker for my RG beans.

 

I don't have an IP but I cook my RG beans in a glass canning jar inside my Fissler.  Yum.

[Shelby]

IP "has expanded their family with the introduction to the Accu Sous Vide Circulator".  

 

 

[Smithy]

9 minutes ago, Shelby said:

IP "has expanded their family with the introduction to the Accu Sous Vide Circulator".  

 

 

 

That's a heck of a price.

[Shelby]

Just now, Smithy said:

 

That's a heck of a price.

Goes on sale for $99.99 tomorrow.  

 

I don't need another

I don't need another 

I don't need another

[rotuts]

@Shelby  

 

you would have to pair it with another IP.    not necessarily a bad idea .....

 

however , I don't see how this combo adds anything as the IP would ' run ' dumb.

 

Im sure we all have a dumb pot or two.

 

but it might add to the SV crowd ...

Edited September 25, 2016 by rotuts (log)

[rotuts]

Im very pleased that the IP has helped many of us here and elsewhere  ( a bazillion Amazonions can't all be wrong ) easily move

 

to pressure cooking.   Im hoping the company continues to be very successful.

 

however ,  unless this circulator connects with IP'rs that have never heard of SV  :

 

"""     

• Convert your Instant Pot electric pressure cooker to a precision sous vide cooker with the Instant Pot Accu and make high-end restaurant quality food at home 

 

""

I don't see tying up the IP for SV.

 

Id like to see the company expand a few basic items , which many of us have found elsewhere :

 

Key :   a basket that's easy to remove from the IP while hot, for closed 'pressure ' steaming    i.e. above the 1 cup of water 

 

that had a maximum capacity.  

 

I was fortunate to be gifted one  , and other members have found nifty items they have modified.

 

I am pleased IP continues to expand.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[rotuts]

here it is :

 

 

 

as you can see , IP might make this a bit larger , more beet and potato goodness for Me !

 

 

 

 

[Maison Rustique]

I've been following along this thread occasionally, thinking seriously about getting either an IP or the one that has the clay insert. Well, I was at Aldi this week and they had their Ambiano version for $39.99. I decided to go for it--will be a good test to see if I like it and will use one enough to invest in something better. I figure that I've spent more than that on a bottle of wine, so I could certainly go for this little test. It is washed, but I haven't used it yet. Need to figure out a good first thing to try. Probably something with Rancho Gordo beans since I've always got those on hand.

[kayb]

Made vegetable soup earlier this week with the leftovers from the pot roast. RG beans cooking now, with some diced Black Forest ham from Aldi.

 

 

[Shelby]

Made a really good dinner last night mostly in the IP.  Beef and broccoli with jasmine rice.

 

First I did about 1/2 a pound of broccoli.  I really really like using the IP for this.  If you do it this way it comes out perfect.  Tender but with a bit of bite.  NO mush at all.  

 

1 cup of water

place broccoli on trivet or put in steamer type basket

manual

low pressure

0 minutes

quick release

 

Then I removed the broccoli, dumped the residual water and did the jasmine rice right in the pot

1 cup of water

1 cup of rice ( I didn't rinse it)

manual

high pressure

8 minutes

quick release

 

I used this recipe with a few minor changes.  I used a lot more hot pepper flakes.  I added shiitake mushrooms.  I used a little less brown sugar.  Oh and I added a good glug or two of oyster sauce.

 

Will make this again for sure.

 

 

[rotuts]

does a panade in the IP  ' work ?'

 

one of many refs on panade :

 

http://www.jessicagavin.com/panade-the-secret-to-keeping-ground-meat-tender/

 

Im thinking of making a ground turkey ragu in the IP.  when I make a meat sauce conventionally on the stove top I use a panade after the meat is lightly

 

browned for the above reasons. ignoring the interesting question ' does a panade really make a difference with stove top cooking '

 

any idea if a panade works at IP temps ? refs ?

 

in " Hip " its mentioned several times to save your starchy thickeners for after the IP does its initial work , as the higher IP temps turn the starchy mixture to glue.

 

thicken after release at normal thickening temps.

 

thoughts ?

 

have you Panaded in the IP at HP ?  did you make Meaty Glue ?

[Anna N]

I cannot imagine using a panade in a ragu but my imagination can often fail me.  I most certainly would not make meatballs without one and I'm sure if I made meatloaf one would appear but burgers and ragu? Inwill be interested to hear other opinions. 

[rotuts]

the panade for a ground meat sauce came to me a zillion years ago on the first season of America's Test Kitchen  when they made a meat sauce using ground beef etc 

 

for the meat portion.   the panade was said to keep the ground meat clumps tender , even thought they were small clumps.

 

the sauce always turned out excellent so Ive always done that w ground meat.

 

this gives you an idea :

 

http://www.food.com/recipe/easy-meat-sauce-americas-test-kitchen-357363

 

click on the ' more' to see  well , more !

 

the original Rx used cream in the meat mixture on low heat to form a panade-ish bonds   I can't ref that Rx as its behind their pay-wall

 

then there is this re : starch.and pressure cooking

 

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/249481502_High_Pressure-Cooking_of_Chicken_Meat_Batters_with_Starch_Egg_White_and_Iota_Carrageenan

 

three is also one interesting work re Potato starch and the IP :

 

http://www.hippressurecooking.com/pressure-cooker-potato-nutrition/

 

note this transformation , if you are after that sort of thing , is after cooling.

 

 

Edited October 1, 2016 by rotuts (log)

[rotuts]

another issue to consider with the ground meats  :  the degree of browning   panade - heavy cream versions say no browning or lightly browning

 

thats what ATK said in the show from the first season  which used heavy cream, mixed it up w the ground meat , then 'reduced'

 

the MeatBall and the MeatLoad w panade only has an outer browned surface. its the inner bits that remain noticeably tender  and are not browned.

 

I do know that heavily browning ground meat     which Ive done for flavor  will result in ChewyBits even after simmering that meat in a sauce for ' a while '

[ElsieD]

We went to a farm gate today and bought,  among other things, a bunch of squash, specifically, buttercup, sweet dumpling and delectica.   Does anyone have any experience cooking any of these in the IP?  I need to start cooking them up tomorrow and am hoping the IP will let me do this a lot faster than the way I have done it other years.  After cooking, the squash will be frozen.  We love squash.