Instant Pot, What a Machine


 
Yep, Pat (and Chris), love my instant pot!! Stock, rice, beans, chile verde, chile colorado, oats, carnitas, just to name a few things that can be done well in this little machine. Try this one:

Chicken Chile Verde

R
 
My latest batch of stock.....for this one, I used half of a $.99/lb chicken, and a couple of leftover carcasses. Easy, and simply delicious. After another straining, then a night in the fridge, I'll scoop off the layer of fat, and it will be ready to use, freeze, etc! Love this little machine!

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"Instant" is somewhat misleading isn't it? Takes a half hour to "start cooking" and then another half hour to "cool down" so the lid can be taken off. Really, how much time is "instant"?
 
"Instant" is somewhat misleading isn't it? Takes a half hour to "start cooking" and then another half hour to "cool down" so the lid can be taken off. Really, how much time is "instant"?

Yeah, I think they meant instant in a geological sense, Len! :) Ignoring the hype, though, a pressure cooker is a good tool in the kitchen, and these newer ones with their "fuzzy" logic make them much easier to use than grandma's! The stock above involved me plugging in the pot, tossing in chicken, veggies, and seasoning, filling with cold water, setting it to 30 minutes and walking away. An hour or so later, I had stock......and I got some work done during that hour! :)

.....I know your comment was somewhat tongue in cheek, but with a nugget of reality, too! :)

R
 
.....I know your comment was somewhat tongue in cheek, but with a nugget of reality, too! :)

R

As some folk say "true dat". The term instant conjures up cutting a lot of time off cooking something. Although the "actual" cook time is reduced (I do agree 100% with that aspect), that extra hour is well, it's an hour that "instant" doesn't quite work for me.

I guess (as you say) the "logic component" is what makes this good ol' pressure cooker better (depending on who you ask). On the other hand, when it's computer brain gets fried because of the heat (and it will, believe me-->ask me about my "computerized" stove that has the control panel right above (I mean 3" above) the vent where the the oven heat escapes), it'll be useless. Whereas the non-computerized pr cooker will still be chuggin' along.

I am not a luddite by any stretch--built two high end gaming computers and not afraid to repair/replace/upgrade parts if needed. Just don't think that computers belong in the kitchen.

Pure madness (computerized kitchen--like an ipad built into the fridge to tell you when you've run out of milk duh) but a story for another day.
 
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As some folk say "true dat". The term instant conjures up cutting a lot of time off cooking something. Although the "actual" cook time is reduced (I do agree 100% with that aspect), that extra hour is well, it's an hour that "instant" doesn't quite work for me.

I guess (as you say) the "logic component" is what makes this good ol' pressure cooker better (depending on who you ask). On the other hand, when it's computer brain gets fried because of the heat (and it will, believe me-->ask me about my "computerized" stove that has the control panel right above (I mean 3" above) the vent where the the oven heat escapes), it'll be useless. Whereas the non-computerized pr cooker will still be chuggin' along.

I am not a luddite by any stretch--built two high end gaming computers and not afraid to repair/replace/upgrade parts if needed. Just don't think that computers belong in the kitchen.

Pure madness (computerized kitchen--like an ipad built into the fridge to tell you when you've run out of milk duh) but a story for another day.

I hear you, Len. Not all "progress" is progress! :) BTW, DCS used the same poor design on my oven. The control pad at the top gets heat damaged, destroying the LCD display. So, while the control pad works just fine, the LCD readout is blank. I replaced it once, but the second time, I decided I'd just forgo the visual cues on temperature, mode, timer, clock, etc.... :)

Rich
 
Rich, from what I've found (and a fix--for my GE Profile at any rate), it's a common defect but can surprisingly be fixed with a piece of paper. Mine shuts down sporadically but once it cools down, comes back on. Usually. Sometimes have to click off/click on the circuit breaker to get it to turn back on.

If you're interested.............
 
I was going to get an Instant Pot but I can cook the same way with my 30 year-old stove top pressure cooker.
 
BTW, DCS used the same poor design on my oven. The control pad at the top gets heat damaged, destroying the LCD display. So, while the control pad works just fine, the LCD readout is blank. I replaced it once, but the second time, I decided I'd just forgo the visual cues on temperature, mode, timer, clock, etc.... :)

Rich

Sent you the info
 
Rich, I saw that in one of your earlier posts and it is on the short list.

Me too - gonna have to try that chicken chile verde.

If I hadn't bought a rice cooker that looks almost just like the ip, I'd get one (still tempted). I don't use my pressure cooker all that often but I bet the IP is less likely to burn on the bottom, along with functioning as a crock pot, rice maker, etc.

I've been lucky with kitchen electronics so far - had a mr coffee automatic maker flop after 2 weeks but that was around 1997.
 
Interesting, Clint, thanks! I've been reading the Serious Eats stuff on eggs sous vide......haven't tried it yet (hard to beat fried and scrambled!) :)

R
 
I used my pressure cooker to make hard boiled eggs for Easter eggs. Had a couple crack, but they turned out great otherwise. The yolk was nice and uniform in consistency. Easy to peel too.
 
I love mine. I make yogurt in it every week - with milk under a buck a gallon and whole milk greek yogurt costing about $7 a quart tub, that was a no brainer. I can make 2 quarts from a gallon of milk and about 10 minutes worth of work. Hard boiled eggs are fab too - 5 minutes of pressure, 5 of natural release, quick release the rest and an ice bath and you are done.

"Instant" is something of a misnomer, I agree. But what I do enjoy is the "set it and forget it" aspect of it, which I never had with my stovetop PC. I can walk away and do some laundry, make a salad, take a nap, walk the dog and it will be ready and waiting for me.

To speed it up a bit, I do tend to use the saute function on high to warm the ingredients as they will come to pressure faster if they are hot rather than cold. OTOH, on an 'oh ****' day when I forgot to thaw something for dinner, I can toss in frozen chicken thighs, crushed tomatoes, , peppers, onion, garlic, wine, herbs and S&P and within 45 minutes have a cacciatori that tastes like I'd been braising it all day and the chicken is falling off the bone. Plus I can leave the house and pick up my daughter from track or wrestling practice while it's cooking. Works for frozen chubs of ground beef as well - put them on the rack, 10 minutes of pressure with one cup of water and it's completely defrosted and partially cooked. Drain off the water and pull the rack, then brown a little onion and garlic in it, pop the ground beef back in and break it up, adding that nice browned flavor and then add in your beans and tomatoes and chili seasonings (or tomatoes and herbs for meat sauce, or whatever) and you'll go from "uh , dinner?" to homecooked deliciousness in under an hour. I'll take that!!
 

 

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