Re: Instant pot!
 

You know, on a related note I actually do have a bigger crock pot that I used regularly and felt I needed the bigger size.

The reason I don't feel that i Need the bigger size for the Instant pot is that things cook quickly. So while with the crock pot, when I made something like dry beans or bone broth I would make big batches because those take hours (and sometimes days). With the instant pot I never feel the need to cook things in big batches because everything takes such a small time frame. :yes

So one thing to consider when choosing size.

Re: Instant pot!
 

I cooked a whole, frozen solid chicken in my Instant Pot tonight.

Last week, I failed at cooking beans in it as a slow cooker. Anyone want to coach me? I thought the instructions said 30 minutes :scratch The water wasn't even hot at that point. I'd like to make a black bean soup tomorrow.

Re: Instant pot!
 

Don't do it as a slow cooker. Set the timer and do manual if you need them done by a certain time and don't want to forget. I usually do pinto beans and add in all the seasoning and salt and lots of water and let it go for an hour. By that time, the beans are really nice and soft. And if I forget that they are in the pot, they stay nice and warm.

Re: Instant pot!
 

30 min is the time frame for cooking beans at prusher.

Re: Instant pot!
 

Does the slow cooker function actually work like a slow cooker? Or a slightly faster slow cooker? I'm not sure the soup would be as good on speedy cook.


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Re: Instant pot!
 

Soup is just as good. We used to do red hots cider in the crockpot for 2-3 hours. Now I do it in the IP manual 10 minutes, npr, then put into the crockpot to keep warm and serve from.

The IP slower cooker low is like crockpot keep warm. The IP slow cooker high is like crockpot low.

Re: Instant pot!
 

I've never used it as a slow cooker and we don't eat beans. I do cook a 2 in thick chuck steak with potatoes and carrots at least once a week and in 40 min it tastes like it was cooked 4-8 hours in a crockpot.

Fwiu it works fine as a slow cooker but you would have to use slow cooker times.


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Re: Instant pot!
 

Oh, I use it as a slow cooker all the time! I LOVE that function of it. I find that it works the same heat wise as my old skool slow cooker. The reason I prefer using it to my old skool slow cooker is because of the lid. I know lots of people LOVE when their house is filled with the delicious aroma of cooking dinner all day long, but I'm home all day and having such a food filled aroma tempt me all day is too hard. :shifty So i prefer that lid because it holds in more of the smells. :yes

That said, I do use the pressure cooker function more often. :yes

For beans, I always presoak overnight. I know with the IP you don't *have* to but it's easy and plus presoaking increases the nutritional value of beans (or more specifically makes the nutrients more accessible to your body).

Then I do the manual setting (I've never done the bean setting) for between 20 and 25 minutes depending which bean I'm cooking.

They always come out great.

If your water isn't even hot something went awry. :think Did the lid seal? Have you had problems with any other dishes or just this one?

Re: Instant pot!
 

I find the directions it came with to be super confusing. It says to cook beans for 30 minutes in slow cooker.

Anyway, I have the soup on slow cooker for 7 years. If I check it at that point and it's not done, I can pressure cook it for a few minutes.


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Re: Instant pot!
 

Wow! Really? 30 minutes in a slow cooker isn't nearly enough. It took about 12 hours for me to cook dried beans (presoaked) when I used the slow cooker.

30 minutes pressure cooker sounds more right. Maybe there is a typo?

I use this table as a guideline:

http://instantpot.com/cooking-time/d...e-and-lentils/

Re: Instant pot!
 

I've made this thread a sticky since the instant pot is popular. Hopefully it will make it easier for people to find. :)

Re: Instant pot!
 

I've added this back to my list at Amazon. :shifty I think it would help tremendously, since I spend more than 1.5 hours actively cooking every night.

Is the 6 quart size big enough? Can you do a LOT of bone broth, whole chicken, big pot roast in that size? Would anyone recommend the 8 quart instead? :think

Re: Instant pot!
 

Personally I have been very happy with the 6 qt. :yes It cooks more than enough for my family of 6. I didn't want the 8 qt for a few reasons, one being the additional storage space in my kitchen and the 2nd being that too big can also work against you when making smaller batches of things, which I like the option of too. :yes

Here's the biggest thing to keep in mind when choosing sizes. Because everything cooks so quickly, you really eliminate the need of doing massive batch cooking. :shrug3 So for example, I used to use the big crock pot to make a huge batch of dry beans since they take SO. LONG. And then use them up in recipes. Now that I can make them in 25 minutes or so, I don't have the need to make huge batches of beans, but only what I'd use for that meal.

In my 6 qt I make bone broth regularly (one of my most made items in the IP), and have made whole chicken and whole roast with no problems.

That said, if you tend to be a large batch cooker, and prefer to cook extras with leftovers for the next meal or two, you may want to go bigger. :yes I actually prefer to cook just enough for that meal with just the possibility of a little leftovers. :yes I find that the speed of the IP more easily allows me that.

Re: Instant pot!
 

That makes perfect sense, 2Sunshines. Thank you. :) I think the only thing I'm interested in making large amounts of is bone broth, but....since my freezer is also small, that's not ideal either. :giggle

Re: Instant pot!
 

I have the 6 quart and it's really ideal for our family size. :yes