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Every once in a while, I stumble across brilliant Instant Pot hacks that I tuck away for later use. My collection of Instant Pot tips has reached double digits, so it’s high time I shared them here!
In this post, you’ll find 11 brilliant Instant Pot hacks, from useful cooking tips to keeping everything clean, including my favorite Instant Pot trivet hack. I know these genius hacks will enrich your Instant Pot experience!
For tons more info about cooking with the Instant Pot, be sure to check out my e-book Everything Instant Pot! You can buy it in my shop, or get it for free if you’re an OGT Plus member!
11 Instant Pot Hacks You Need To Know About
1. The Handle Doubles As A Lid Rest
Wondering what to do with the lid after removing it from the Instant Pot? There’s a convenient place to rest the lid built right in! Look for rectangular notches in the handles on either side of the Instant Pot — they perfectly fit the rectangular protrusions on either side of the lid.
Just slide the edge of the lid into one of the notches in the handle, and it will hold the lid upright until you’re ready to clean up.
2. Branch Out With Pot-in-Pot Cooking
I’ve recently begun experimenting with the “pot-in-pot” cooking method, which allows you to cook two or more foods at once in your Instant Pot. Once you get the hang of pot-in-pot cooking, you’ll be amazed at what you can do with it!
My guide to pot-in-pot cooking includes everything you need to know about this method, plus easy recipes to try. (It’s also a great place to learn about the best Instant Pot trivet hack: cooking a main dish in the bottom of the pot while a steamer pan of rice (or another side dish) cooks on the trivet above it!)
3. The Ladle Doubles As A Pressure Release Tool
Steam will immediately shoot out of the release valve when you use the Quick Release method to depressurize your Instant Pot. Turning the valve can be a little nerve-wracking, but there’s a simple way to do it without worrying about steam burns!
Just use the end of the ladle that came with your Instant Pot to turn the release valve to “Venting.” The end of the ladle is curved to grab onto the valve easily, and you can stay safely away from the shooting steam.
4. Never Overcook Anything In Your Instant Pot
It’s easy to overcook delicate foods like fish and veggies when pressure cooking them. But there’s a simple Instant Pot hack you can use that will make sure you never overcook anything again!
When you start the cooking process, set the timer to “0.” This tells the Instant Pot to stop cooking immediately after it comes to pressure. Then use Quick Release to depressurize, and fetch your perfectly cooked food out of the pot.
5. Make Ready-To-Reheat Leftovers For Your Instant Pot
To make leftovers Instant Pot-friendly, freeze your leftovers in round containers. With this Instant Pot hack you can easily dump the food into the inner pot to reheat it!
And if you freeze your leftovers in an oven-safe container like glass, you can reheat the whole thing in your Instant Pot. Just set the container on a trivet in the inner pot, pour some water into the bottom, and cook. (Make sure to let the glass come up to room temperature first!)
6. Cook Frozen Food In The Instant Pot
Did you know you can use your Instant Pot to heat up leftovers, thaw frozen vegetables, defrost soups, and more!? Read my post about everything you need to know about cooking frozen foods in your Instant Pot.
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7. Deodorize The Silicone Sealing Ring
The silicone ring that sits inside of the lid of your Instant Pot is crucial for forming an airtight seal during the cooking process. But one of the drawbacks of silicone is that it tends to absorb the odor of the foods you cook in your Instant Pot. But there’s an easy Instant Pot hack you can use to deodorize a smelly sealing ring!
Pour 1 cup of water, 1 cup of vinegar, and a few slices of lemon into your Instant Pot. Put the lid on as usual, and cook on “Pressure Cook” for about 3 minutes. Use Quick Release to depressurize, and your sealing ring should be much less smelly afterward. (I also recommend getting an extra sealing ring, so you can use one for cooking savory foods and one for cooking sweet foods!)
8. Wash The Instant Pot Lid In Your Dishwasher
The lid of the Instant Pot doesn’t contain any electronics, so it’s safe to wash it in the top rack of your dishwasher. Just make sure to remove the small parts from the lid before doing it. Place the small parts in a zippered mesh laundry bagbefore putting them in your dishwasher so you don’t lose track of them!
9. Use Hot Water To Jump Start Your Instant Pot
The hotter the contents of your Instant Pot are, the faster it will be able to come up to pressure. So when you add water to your Instant Pot, boil it on your stovetop or in a kettle before pouring it into the pot. You can also use the Sauté function to heat up the water before pressure cooking. It’s an easy way to shave a few minutes off your cooking time!
10. Take Your Instant Pot With You
Traveling or going camping? As long as you have access to an outlet or power source, you can use your Instant Pot to prepare food! Make your favorite Instant Pot recipes, even when you’re far away from home.
11. Make A Sling Out Of Aluminum Foil
Removing hot foods or pans from the Instant Pot can be tricky. But I recently stumbled upon a brilliant Instant Pot hack that makes it so much easier! Before putting your food, steam basket, or other accessories into the pot, make a simple tin foil “sling.” (Just fold up a long piece of tin foil so that it’s long and narrow.)
Place the tin foil sling in the bottom of the pot first, making sure the edges will be easy to grab. Then place your food or accessory over the top of the sling. After cooking, you’ll be able to pull out the hot food with the sling easily, and without burning yourself!
Conclusion
The Instant Pot makes putting great meals on the table fast and easy, and there are a lot of tips and shortcuts that make it even more enjoyable to use. These 11 genius-level Instant Pot hacks are clever ways to speed up the cooking process and make your Instant Pot even more convenient.
What’s your best tip for cooking in the Instant Pot?
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