An instant pot performs a variety of functions in your kitchen. With technology bringing about the invention of WiFi and Bluetooth enabled instant pots, cooking is now easy. Homeowners have resulted buying this multitasking appliance to ease their kitchen struggles.
The pot functions as a sauté pan, food warmer, and pressure cooker for different foods. The pot is also used for cooking rice, steaming food, and making yogurt.
For this article, we will focus on your instant pot as a slow cooker.
Conversions Available In An Instant pot
The first conversion on your instant pot’s slow cooker function is the Low function option. The purpose of this conversion is to keep food warm before or after you serve. In a traditional slow cooker, Low is equivalent to the Keep Warm function.
The second conversion is Medium. This conversion is usually on the slow cooker function of your instant pot. The equivalent of Medium in a traditional slow cooker is Low.
High is the last conversion available in an instant pot. To access it, set your instant pot to the slow cooker function. On the traditional slow cooker, High’s equivalent to Medium-high.
Using an Instant Pot As a Slow Cooker
Are you ready to prepare a mouth-watering, slow-cooked meal using an instant pot? If you have previously used a traditional slow cooker, you are familiar with the process. The only difference is the few adjustments you will have to make.
First, prepare the ingredients you are going to use for recipes you get at corrie cooks or other resources. Place your freshly prepared ingredients in the inner pot. Place that pot inside the housing of your instant pot.
Attach your pot’s lid and make sure it is firmly sealed to avoid losing vital cooking steam. When releasing the lid’s handle, you must do it in a venting position. The alternative is using a glass lid that is tempered.
Move your pot closer to a power source where you will plug it in. Now, press the button indicated as Slow Cook. This action adjusts your instant pot to perform the work of a slow cooker without overcooking your food.
If you want to set your pot to a specific cook time, use the keys indicated as + or -. The plus key increases the cooking time according to the number of times you press it. Minus key reduces cook time when you discover the set time is likely to overcook the recipe you are preparing.
Whenever you want to change the cooking mode, use the Adjust button. If you have a smaller model of the instant pot, use the Slow Cook function. You will have to press the button indicated as Slow Cook when changing your pot’s settings.
The cooking settings in an instant pot are three; Less, More, and Normal. These cooking settings correspond with Low, High, and Medium when you use a traditional slow cooker.
To start cooking, press the final button, and wait for about ten seconds. Your food will slow cook for the duration you have set the timer. Immediately after the desired slow cooking time has been achieved, your instant pot automatically switches to the Keep Warm function.
The convenience of using the pot is that you don’t need to worry about your food getting cold. You have a ten hours window to get ready for the prepared meal. Use that time to complete your other tasks or study.
Tips For Slow Cooking in an Instant Pot
Slow cooking a meal to perfection in an instant pot demands that you have sufficient liquid in your recipe. One cup is enough for most recipes that are meant to be slow-cooked. To avoid undercooking food, ensure you have this full cup of liquid before you begin the cooking process.
Slow cooking in an instant pot needs to be done using the Slow Cooker function. If you use any other function, you will not achieve the desired outcome. You may end up pressure cooking or steaming your food unintentionally.
Adjust your pot’s settings to either high or normal on the Slow Cooker function.
The recipes prepared using Low function settings on a slow cooker require you to set the pot’s slow cooker to normal. This setting will enable you to prepare a similar or better meal like you would when using a traditional slow cooker.
For recipes that require the High settings on a standard slow cooker, set your instant pot’s slow cooker to High. Ensure you set your timer to the time demanded by your recipe. Allow an additional fifteen minutes for every cooking hour.
Conclusion
An instant pot is efficient in preparing a slow-cooked meal for a healthy lifestyle. All you have to do is make the necessary adjustments. You will also need to observe the required time for preparing specific recipes.
The instant pot maintains a steady low temperature, facilitating a smooth slow cooking process. You have several hours to perform other tasks as you wait for the food to be ready. The food will also remain warm for up to ten hours after preparation, provided the lid stays adhered.
