I'm a PotHead

paqman

I have been looking into getting an Instant Pot for a year or so and finally pulled the trigger on Boxing Day when the Smart 60 was on sale for 139$CDN.  The regular version was much cheaper at 89$CDN for Black Friday.  @Canugghead posted the deal but I procrastinated hoping that the Smart would come on sale.  Thank god, I was right.

@GrateEggspectation asked me what I was going to cook with it.  I joked that I would be cooking ribs but after reading a blog post describing how good ribs were in the Instant Pot, I decided to try.   Well... I'll use the same words that were used in the blog post, I'm blown away!  Less than 1 hour between the time I started removing the membrane to the time I took my first bite of falling of the bone meat goodness.  Tender and juicy, not dry at all.  Removed membrane and rubbed with Dizzy Dust.  Cooked 20 Minutes under high pressure and then let rest for another 20 Minutes. Remove from the Instant Pot, lay on a cookie pan and baste with BBQ sauce.  I broiled in the oven but I could also have done it on the egg.  The texture was better than the ones I make on the egg but the smoke taste was missing...

I also made delicious homemade yogurt.  Heat milk to 180F.  Let it cool to 110F.  Add/mix about a teaspoon of store bought yogurt to the milk.  Pour in Masson jars in the Instant Pot.  Push a button and wait 6 hours.  I used Masson jars because I wanted to experiment with various incubation times but you can also do everything directly in the Instant Pot bowl.

I am baking beans right now.

I highly recommend it.

They have an online community (Facebook group) and their members call themselves "PotHead".  Ladies over there are posting pictures of themselves with their sugar gliders and I've seen groups forming to collect money for members that burned the base of their Instant Pot on their stove top.  Lovely place.  

paqman

Yogurt

Skiddymarker

Awesome product, we have the LUX-60, it was on sale for under $90. I needed a replacement for my old Presto PC and after my son used the InstantPot, we were sold.

pab

If you are using grocery store bought yogurt for your starter, and then using the yogurt you made for future starter you will find that it loses its potency after a few batches. It will then be necessary to purchase another container of yogurt and start over. I did that for several years and nothing wrong with doing that. A year ago I bought a Greek yogurt starter culture and have been using it since, so in less than a year's time I have saved money. Another thing I learned is if you can't use the starter you made within 7 days, it is better to freeze it. Once frozen it will still start a batch of yogurt for about a month. 

paqman

Skiddymarker said:

Awesome product, we have the LUX-60, it was on sale for under $90. I needed a replacement for my old Presto PC and after my son used the InstantPot, we were sold.

A pressure cooker was on my wish list for a while but he Instant Pot is so much more.  From what I can see, 2 full racks of ribs will fit perfectly by interlocking each other.  I could probably fit 3 if I cut them in half and stacked them.  It is the steam that does the work so I think that it would be OK.

Legume

I bought one during the black/cyber sales and only opened it this past week. I started simply by making borracho beans from dry pintos and then made this ...

http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/04/pressure-cooker-thai-green-chicken-curry-with-eggplant-and-kabocha-squash-recipe.html

which was incredible.  Will probably char the eggplant first next time, but flavor was fantastic.

I'm happy and impressed so far.  Serious eats has some great recipes for pressure cookers.

PlanSB

Me too. 

paqman

pab said:

If you are using grocery store bought yogurt for your starter, and then using the yogurt you made for future starter you will find that it loses its potency after a few batches. It will then be necessary to purchase another container of yogurt and start over. I did that for several years and nothing wrong with doing that. A year ago I bought a Greek yogurt starter culture and have been using it since, so in less than a year's time I have saved money. Another thing I learned is if you can't use the starter you made within 7 days, it is better to freeze it. Once frozen it will still start a batch of yogurt for about a month. 

Thanks for the info @pab .  I haven't found a place to buy starter yet so I used grocery store yogurt made with just milk and live culture.  I guess that I could freeze the store bought yogurt and use that as a starter for a while.  I just used 1 teaspoon per quart so it will last me a while.

SirSquatch

We love ours, ended up buying a second insert and gasket because we use it multiple times a day. Now we buy nothing but dry beans and have them ready to go in 29ish minutes. Done stew, oatmeal all with super short times. We also use it for bone and veggie broth. Right now we are testing out using the yogurt setting for proofing bread dough.

paqman

Legume said:

I bought one during the black/cyber sales and only opened it this past week. I started simply by making borracho beans from dry pintos and then made this ...

http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/04/pressure-cooker-thai-green-chicken-curry-with-eggplant-and-kabocha-squash-recipe.html

which was incredible.  Will probably char the eggplant first next time, but flavor was fantastic.

I'm happy and impressed so far.  Serious eats has some great recipes for pressure cookers.

Thanks @Legume !

paqman

PlanSB said:

Me too. 

@PlanSB Should you advertise this on social media?  

PlanSB

paqman said:

PlanSB said:

Me too. 

@PlanSB Should you advertise this on social media?  

Not much different than advertising an affinity for spirits, imo. Its 2017, it will finally be legal sooner than later.  I am a successful young man, not ashamed of my personal vices.

cheeaa

PlanSB said:

paqman said:

PlanSB said:

Me too. 

@PlanSB Should you advertise this on social media?  

Not much different than advertising an affinity for spirits, imo. Its 2017, it will finally be legal sooner than later.  I am a successful young man, not ashamed of my personal vices.

Im with ya brotha! Smoke on!

texaswig

We've had our Cuisinart pressure cooker for around 6 years. It's a 6 qt.it's been a good one. But needs a new seal.I've been wanting a larger instapot. 

GrateEggspectations

@paqman: I have always known you to be very liberal.... with your advice. Thanks for the write up. You've definitely got my interest peaked. Only thing keeping me from getting one is: (i) kitchen space, and (II) other recent kitchen-related expenditures (including the Yeti Tundra I posted about). 

Glad your purchase is paying dividends. Please keep us posted on future cooks.

paqman

@GrateEggspectations get rid of your slow cooker; problem solved!

CtTOPGUN

 I bought a Fagor multi cooker. I was intrigued with it being a very good rice cooker as well as a pressure cooker and slow cooker. Seemed worthwhile. I have yet to really use it much to date. It's pressure settings are a bit lower than what most recipes call for. I need to do some experimenting. Should have bought the more populat Instant Pot. Seems lots more info is circulating on that brand.

    Jim

jeffwit

Got one for Christmas. I love it! Made black eyed peas, Lima beans, and chicken and dumplings so far. Chili tonight. Counter space is at a premium in our kitchen, but my wife told me that the Instant Pot is staying on the counter for the foreseeable future. 

Angela

paqman said:

pab said:

If you are using grocery store bought yogurt for your starter, and then using the yogurt you made for future starter you will find that it loses its potency after a few batches. It will then be necessary to purchase another container of yogurt and start over. I did that for several years and nothing wrong with doing that. A year ago I bought a Greek yogurt starter culture and have been using it since, so in less than a year's time I have saved money. Another thing I learned is if you can't use the starter you made within 7 days, it is better to freeze it. Once frozen it will still start a batch of yogurt for about a month. 

Thanks for the info @pab .  I haven't found a place to buy starter yet so I used grocery store yogurt made with just milk and live culture.  I guess that I could freeze the store bought yogurt and use that as a starter for a while.  I just used 1 teaspoon per quart so it will last me a while.

Cultures for Health is a great source for yogurt starter cultures. 

caliking

The Instapot is a cool and versatile gadget. 

We have always had pressure cookers in our kitchen. You can make great curry in that, as well as many other things that a pressure cooker is used for. 

paqman

Angela said:

paqman said:

pab said:

If you are using grocery store bought yogurt for your starter, and then using the yogurt you made for future starter you will find that it loses its potency after a few batches. It will then be necessary to purchase another container of yogurt and start over. I did that for several years and nothing wrong with doing that. A year ago I bought a Greek yogurt starter culture and have been using it since, so in less than a year's time I have saved money. Another thing I learned is if you can't use the starter you made within 7 days, it is better to freeze it. Once frozen it will still start a batch of yogurt for about a month. 

Thanks for the info @pab .  I haven't found a place to buy starter yet so I used grocery store yogurt made with just milk and live culture.  I guess that I could freeze the store bought yogurt and use that as a starter for a while.  I just used 1 teaspoon per quart so it will last me a while.

Cultures for Health is a great source for yogurt starter cultures. 

Thanks @Angela !  I live in Canada so the shipping cost will most likely be prohibitive.  I am fairly sure that I can find some locally; I just did not try hard enough.

paqman

@caliking Curry is on the to do list but I don't want to try it until I receive the backup gasket that I ordered.

paqman

Made cheesecake last night for desert tonight:

Legume

paqman said:

@caliking Curry is on the to do list but I don't want to try it until I receive the backup gasket that I ordered.

Why do you need a back up gasket - in case it gets curry flavored?

paqman

Legume said:

paqman said:

@caliking Curry is on the to do list but I don't want to try it until I receive the backup gasket that I ordered.

Why do you need a back up gasket - in case it gets curry flavored?

@Legume yes... I don't want to give curry taste to everything else I will be cooking.  Not sure how much the smell would transfer to other food but curry can be potent...

Legume

Thanks, ordering one.

Little Steven

paqman said:

@caliking Curry is on the to do list but I don't want to try it until I receive the backup gasket that I ordered.

Don't worry about it. I use mine for curries all the time. The stocks are superb as well and you can do a beef stock in an hour and a half or less. In fact the wife made a beef stock today with some roasted soup bones and short ribs and it is almost gelatinous even when it's still warm. I did an eye of the round in the sous vide for three days and doing French dip sandwiches tonight.

Little Steven

Legume said:

paqman said:

@caliking Curry is on the to do list but I don't want to try it until I receive the backup gasket that I ordered.

Why do you need a back up gasket - in case it gets curry flavored?

If it did I would eat the damn thing

paqman

Little Steven said:

paqman said:

@caliking Curry is on the to do list but I don't want to try it until I receive the backup gasket that I ordered.

Don't worry about it. I use mine for curries all the time. The stocks are superb as well and you can do a beef stock in an hour and a half or less. In fact the wife made a beef stock today with some roasted soup bones and short ribs and it is almost gelatinous even when it's still warm. I did an eye of the round in the sous vide for three days and doing French dip sandwiches tonight.

@Little Steven it already picked up an onion smell from when I cooked beans so curry would "stain" it forever.  Do you use yours for yogurt and desserts?

Cheesecake:

paqman

GrateEggspectations

Awesome cheesecake Paqman. 

Might Boîte à grain have yoghurt starters?