Instant Pot Steam Venting: How Much Is Normal?

Instant Pots are a great addition to any kitchen, and they can be used to cook a wide variety of foods. They are particularly well-suited for steaming, which is a quick and easy way to cook food while retaining its nutrients. When steaming with an Instant Pot, it's important to add water to the pot and use a steamer basket or trivet to hold the food above the water level. The Steam function on the Instant Pot is a preset for high pressure, and the time can be adjusted as needed. During the steaming process, the vent should be set to sealing to retain the steam and cook the food more quickly and evenly. Overall, Instant Pots offer a convenient and efficient way to steam a variety of foods with minimal babysitting required.

The Instant Pot steam preset

• Add 1 cup of liquid to the bottom of the Instant Pot inner bowl.
• Add the steamer basket and food.
• Place the lid on top and lock it in place, set the pressure valve to "Sealing" mode.
• Select the cooking program you want to use – it is recommended to select "Pressure cook" (or "Manual") on HIGH pressure, though you can also use the "Steam" function if you like.
• Select the time by using the +/- buttons.
• When the steaming time is up, press cancel, and perform a quick release to open the Instant Pot.

It is important to remember that the Instant Pot will begin heating the water and producing steam while it builds up pressure, and that the food will start steaming during this time. Therefore, there are some foods that have a 0-minute cooking time because they steam quickly and are fully cooked by the time the Instant Pot has reached full pressure.

| Food | Estimated Instant Pot Steam Time |

|---|---|

| Asparagus, whole or cut | High pressure, Quick Release |

| Fresh beans (green, yellow, wax) | |

| Brussels sprouts (whole) | |

| Butternut squash (slices) | |

| Corn (kernels, frozen) | |

| Corn on the cob (fresh) | |

| Frozen mixed vegetables | |

| Potato/ sweet potato cubes | |

| Potatoes (whole, small) | |

| Potatoes (whole, large) | |

| Apples (slices, chunks) | Estimated Instant Pot steam time for fruits |

| Chicken breast (boneless) | 6 – 8 per 1lb/ 450g |

| Turkey, breast (boneless) | 7 – 9 per 1lb/ 450g |

| Fish fillet (frozen) | |

| Shrimp/ prawns (fresh) | Estimated Instant Pot steam time for proteins |

When steaming in the Instant Pot, the vent should be in the "Sealing" position. This allows the steam to be retained in the Instant Pot, steaming the food more quickly and evenly.

It is also possible to steam food in the Instant Pot without using the pressure function. This can be done by using the "Sauté" function, which doesn't use pressure. Add a cup of water to the Instant Pot inner pot, place the food in a steamer basket in the Instant Pot pot, then cover it with a lid. Note that you can't use the pressure cooking lid for this as it will give you an error message, but you can purchase a glass lid for your Instant Pot. This is a convenient way to steam food, as you can check it during cooking, but it will not cook as quickly as if you steamed it using one of the pressure functions.

Venting vs sealing

The Instant Pot is a multi-cooker with a variety of functions, including steaming. The "Steam" function on the Instant Pot is a preset for high pressure for ten minutes, which can be adjusted up to 15 minutes or down to a minimum of 3 minutes.

The Instant Pot has two settings: venting and sealing. The sealing setting should be used when cooking food under pressure. This allows pressure to build as the food inside heats and produces steam. The venting setting is used to release the pressure built up during the cooking cycle.

When steaming food in the Instant Pot, the vent should be in the sealing position. This allows the steam to be retained in the pot, cooking the food more quickly and evenly. However, it is important to release the pressure or let it equalise naturally before opening the lid, as failing to do so can have deleterious effects on certain foods. For example, idlis will not puff up as expected due to the pressure.

If you are using the Instant Pot as a steamer without the steam button, you can use the saute function and convert it into a steamer. Simply pour 1-2 cups of water into the inner pot, place a trivet inside, and a steamer basket over the trivet. Close the Instant Pot with a clear glass lid that fits snugly. Press the saute mode-normal and set the timer to your preferred time.

It is important to note that the Instant Pot will begin heating the water and producing steam while it builds up pressure, and the food will start steaming during this time. Therefore, some foods may have a 0-minute cooking time as they are fully cooked by the time the Instant Pot has reached full pressure.

Additionally, it is crucial to add sufficient water to the inner pot before steaming and to allow the water to boil before beginning the steaming process. Always ensure that the sealing ring is properly aligned with the lid to prevent steam from leaking.

Steaming without a steamer basket

If you don't have a steamer basket, there are still ways to steam your food. The key thing to remember is that you need to find a way to elevate the food out of the water so that it cooks in the steam rather than in the boiling water. Here are some ideas:

• Use the metal trivet or rack that comes with all Instant Pots if the food you are steaming is large enough that it won't fall between the bars.
• For smaller foods, place the food on a plate or in a bowl and place that on the metal trivet.
• If you don't have a trivet, you can use rolled-up balls of tin foil inside the Instant Pot inner bowl to rest a smaller plate or bowl on (try to make it as level as possible).
• Alternatively, you can steam food in a heat-proof bowl placed inside the Instant Pot bowl with no trivet; the bowl just needs to have sides that are high enough to be an inch or two above the waterline to keep the food out of the water.
• You can also use a colander for steaming. Place your vegetables in the colander. Your colander containing the veggies will go over the trivet. Make sure your colander does not touch the walls of the inner pot, as this will make it difficult to remove.
• Or steam using a tall trivet or an egg rack. You can steam broccoli, cauliflower, and vegetables that have been cut into big pieces; butternut squash and pumpkin; whole sweet potatoes; eggs; and even Idlis or dumplings by pouring batter into small cups or silicon muffin liners and placing them over the trivet.

The sauté function

• Star the Instant Pot. Insert the inner pot into the cooker base. Do not use the lid for the next step.
• Select the Sauté button. After 10 seconds, the cooker displays 'ON' to indicate that it has begun heating. When the display switches from 'On' to 'Hot', add the ingredients you want to brown. Note: You can add ingredients before the 'Hot' message appears; if you do, it may not appear at all. This is normal.
• The control panel will display a 30-minute countdown timer as a maximum Sauté time, you can use it for reference if you like or adjust it using the +/- buttons.
• The default temperature setting for the Sauté function is Normal mode. Press the Sauté button again to cycle through for Less and More modes (temperature options). Use Normal for general pan searing or sautéing, Less for simmering, thickening and reducing liquids and More for stir-frying or browning meat.
• Press Cancel to stop the Sauté process. It is recommended to deglaze the inner pot to ensure food items do not scorch during pressure cooking. To deglaze, add some liquid (e.g. water, broth, wine) to the hot pot. Use a wooden or silicone scraper to loosen anything that may be stuck to the bottom of the inner pot. If you brown meat, remove it from the pot first.
• Add any other ingredients and liquids. Stir if needed or leave layered and continue with the manual or smart program settings to pressure cook the food.
• The Sauté function is also useful for finishing the dish after pressure cooking is done. Once the pressure has been completely released, open the lid and then press the Sauté button again. Press the button again to cycle through Less or More for lower or higher temperatures. This is perfect for:
• Simmering the sauce or broth in the dish that needs to evaporate and reduce or thicken.
• Adding more fragile or no-cooking-required ingredients like baby spinach, fresh tomatoes, fruit, cheese, milk or cream.
• Thickening sauce with butter, cream or flour.
• Making non-pressure-cooked dishes like scrambled eggs or quick and easy zucchini noodles.

The manual setting

• Turn on the Instant Pot. It should say OFF on the screen, indicating it is in standby mode.
• Select the Manual or Pressure Cook button. The default settings will be Normal mode (35 minutes cooking time) on High pressure. If you press the button again, it will change from Normal mode to Less or More, which simply changes the automatically programmed cooking time. Less would be 20 minutes, and More would be 45 minutes.
• Use the +/- keys to change the cooking time in each mode. In most cases, you will leave it in Normal mode and simply adjust the time as needed.
• Use the Pressure Level button to adjust the pressure level. Press it to toggle between High and Low. For most recipes, you will use High pressure, except for cooking more fragile foods like fish, seafood, or fast-to-cook vegetables.
• With the manual setting, you can use Natural Release or Quick Release or a combination of both once the cooking is done.
• The Instant Pot will take longer than the actual cook time of a recipe. Before the cook time starts, your Instant Pot will take some time to reach cooking pressure. This usually takes about 10 minutes and varies with the size of your Instant Pot, type and amount of food, and the temperature of the food and liquid in the pot. You also need to account for the time needed to release the pressure after the cooking cycle.
• The Instant Pot manual setting is great for cooking two dishes at the same time. This is called pot-in-pot cooking, where one dish cooks on the bottom of the pot, and then a separate bowl of food can cook on top of that.
• The manual setting is also useful for cooking for zero minutes. This is most commonly used to cook non-starchy vegetables, like broccoli, cauliflower, and zucchini. If you cook them for even one full minute, they will turn to mush!

Frequently asked questions