Mastering The Art Of High-Pressure Hot Pot Cooking

How to Adjust Hot Pot Pressure to High

Adjusting the pressure level on your hot pot is a simple process. First, plug in your hot pot and wait for the LED screen to display Off, indicating that it is on standby mode. Then, make sure the condensation cup is in place and the steam valve is set to Sealing instead of Venting.

Now, you can add your desired ingredients into the inner pot and prepare for cooking. It is important to note that the hot pot will preheat before it starts cooking the food.

To cook at high pressure, look for the Manual or Pressure Cook button on your hot pot control panel. This button lets you pressure cook more generally, rather than using the customized options for specific foods. On older models, like the IP LUX, the pressure will automatically be set to high.

Once you select the Manual or Pressure Cook button, you can use the plus and minus keys to input your desired cooking time. The hot pot will then start the preheating process, and the LED screen will display On. After preheating, the cooking process will begin, and the timer will start counting down.

It is important to note that it can take over 30 minutes for your hot pot to preheat, especially for heavier meals. Additionally, remember to test your hot pot with water before using it for the first time to ensure it works properly.

How to adjust the pressure level

To adjust the pressure level on your Instant Pot, you need to press the 'Pressure' button. This button is used to switch between High and Low Pressure settings for pressure cooking programs. It works with all buttons that cook at High or Low Pressure.

• Plug in your Instant Pot and wait for the LED screen to display 'Off', which means that the pot is on but not cooking anything.
• Double-check that the condensation cup is in place and that the steam valve is set to 'Sealing' instead of 'Venting'.
• Place all necessary ingredients into the steel cooking pot and add your food.
• Select the 'Manual' button on older models to cook at high pressure. The 'Manual' button is usually located below the LED screen on your Instant Pot control panel.
• If you have a newer model, choose the 'Pressure Cook' button. This button is usually located on the right side of the LED screen.
• Once you have selected the desired cooking method, use the '+' and '-' keys to input the total cooking time.
• The LED screen will say 'On', which means that the Instant Pot is preheating. The cooking process has started once the screen switches to a cooking timer.
• If you are using the 'Pressure Cook' button, press it again to change the pressure level from Normal to Less or More. Normal mode cooks at 35 minutes on High Pressure. Less mode cooks at 20 minutes on High Pressure, while More mode cooks at 45 minutes on High Pressure.
• You can also adjust the pressure level by pressing the 'Pressure Level' button multiple times to switch between High and Low Pressure.
• If you need to stop a function at any time, press the 'Cancel' button. This button is usually located in the centre of the control panel.

How to cook at high pressure

To cook at high pressure, you'll need to follow a few simple steps. First, plug in your pressure cooker and wait for it to turn on. You'll know it's on when the LED screen displays "Off", indicating that it's in standby mode. Make sure the condensation cup is in place and that the steam valve is set to "Sealing" rather than "Venting".

Next, add your food to the inner pot, ensuring that it's clean and placed inside the pressure cooker before adding any ingredients. You can then select the Manual or Pressure Cook button, depending on your model. On older models, the pressure will automatically be set to high, but on newer models, you may need to press the "Pressure Level" button to adjust the pressure from low to high.

Once you've selected your desired pressure level, you can input your desired cooking time using the plus and minus keys. The cooker will begin preheating, and once it reaches the desired temperature, the screen will switch to a cooking timer. It's important to note that this may take over 30 minutes for heavier meals.

If you need to stop the cooking process at any time, simply press the Cancel button, which is usually located in the centre of the control panel.

Now you're ready to start cooking at high pressure!

How to use the manual setting

To use the manual setting on your Instant Pot, you will first need to plug in your Instant Pot and wait for the LED screen to display "Off", indicating that the Instant Pot is on but not cooking anything. Once you have done this, you can add your food into the inner pot and prepare for the cooking process.

To cook at high pressure, you can select the Manual button on older models or the Pressure Cook button on newer models. The Manual button lets you pressure cook more generally, instead of using the customised options for meat, cake, and other foods. On older models, the pressure will be automatically set to high. Before you start pressure cooking, use the plus and minus keys to input a total cooking time in the machine. Once you select your cooking method and time, the LED screen will say "On", which shows that it's preheating. The cooking process has started once the screen switches to a cooking timer.

You can also choose the Pressure Cook button on newer Instant Pot models. Check for the Pressure Cook button on more updated control panels. The IP-DUO, IP-SMART, and IP-DUO PLUS all have this button, which makes it easy to start cooking. These models also include a Pressure Level button, which lets you seamlessly alternate the pressure from low to high. Press this button multiple times to switch the cooking pressure from high to low.

As with the older models, you’ll have the opportunity to set the cooking time before the device starts pressure cooking. After putting in the desired cooking time, wait 10 seconds for the Instant Pot to beep—this means that the cooking process has begun.

How to use the pressure cook button

The Pressure Cook button is the most important button on the Instant Pot. It is the button that you will use to cook your food at high pressure. To use the Pressure Cook button, simply press it, and then use the [+] and [-] buttons to change the cook time. After a brief pause, the Instant Pot will beep to tell you it’s beginning the pressure cooking process.

The Instant Pot has a Saute button that you can use to brown meats, sauté vegetables, and simmer ingredients in the pressure cooking pot. To adjust the temperature, press the Saute button to cycle through the Less, Normal, and More settings. Less is for simmering, Normal is for sautéing, and More is for browning.

The Keep Warm/Cancel button is used to cancel a function or to turn off your Instant Pot.

How to use the +/- keys to change the cooking time

The +/- keys are used 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.

• Plug in your Instant Pot and wait for the LED screen to display "Off", indicating that it is on but not cooking.
• Place all necessary ingredients into the steel cooking pot and add them to the inner pot.
• Select the Manual button (for older models) or the Pressure Cook button (for newer models) to cook at high pressure.
• Use the +/- keys to input your desired cooking time.
• Once you have selected your cooking method and time, the LED screen will display "On", indicating that it is preheating.
• The cooking process has started once the screen switches to a cooking timer.

Note: It is normal for the Instant Pot to take over 30 minutes to preheat for heavier meals.

You can also use the +/- keys to further customize the cooking time for specific dishes, such as soups, meat, beans, and rice.

Frequently asked questions