Setting Up Your New Instant Pot

How to set up your new instant pot! We are setting up the Duo Plus 60.

Here are step-by-step instructions, from taking your new pot out of the box, to making shredded chicken breasts!

We definitely think every home cook should own an Instant Pot for a variety of reasons, but what happens after that box arrives at your door?

Some people are a little intimidated to take the Instant Pot out of the box for fear it’s going to be difficult to setup.

Well, fear not!  We are here to help you set up your very first Instant Pot!

We will go step-by-step to show you how easy it is to set up your Instant Pot and have it working and ready to go in about 20 minutes!

STEPS TO SETTING UP YOUR NEW INSTANT POT:

Step 1.  Take your Instant Pot out of the box and lay it on the counter. Remove everything that comes inside the pot.  Inside the pot you will find the following:

• Instruction Manual
• Recipe Book
• Quick Reference Guide
• Rice Paddle
• Measure Cup
• Condensation Collector
• Steam Rack

 

 

STEP 2. There are 3 pieces to the Instant Pot.  Take the Instant Pot apart and take a look at the 3 main parts:

• The Lid (Contains the Steam Release Valve that you turn to  – SEALING or VENTING.)
• The Inner Pot  – lightweight and stainless steel. This holds food and liquids.
• The Cooker Body with Control Panel – smaller than a crockpot and easy to read.

The Lid – The lid to the Instant Pot is important. Before you can start the pressure cooking process, you need to turn the steam release valve to “SEALING.” This will ensure the pot is sealed properly and the food will be pressure cooked quickly. If  you do not turn this valve – the pressure cooking will not work as intended.

Once the food has cooked and you hear the timer go off, you can do two things – 1. Carefully turn the steam release valve to “VENTING” and let the pot quickly vent of steam. This is what is called a “quick release.” This takes about 30 seconds.  You will hear a “hiss” sound as the steam is released.  2. Or – leave the pot alone and it will slowly vent on its own. Do not put your hand directly over the valve when venting.

Always remember to gently wash the inside of the lid with warm soapy water after each use.

The Inner Pot  – We love the inner pot because we love cooking with stainless steel. The pot is clearly marked so you can’t overfill or overflow. The pot cleans quickly without any problems and can also go right into your dishwasher. It’s dishwasher safe!

The pot is light enough that you can easily carry it around the kitchen. Just make sure you always have oven mitts or a towel nearby because the pot can get very HOT after the cooking process.

Instant Pot Cooker Body – At first as you peek into the body of the Instant Pot, you might wonder if you put water in there to steam?  NO!  Only food and liquids go into the stainless steel pot.

The body of the Instant Pot is where all the action is as far as settings  – so take a look around and get familiar.

 

STEP 3.  Now we are ready for some action! Attach the Plastic Condensation Collector Tank to the Cooker Body.  This is located in the back of the Instant Pot Body.

 

Step 4. Wash the stainless steel pot with warm soapy water and towel dry. Put the pot into the cooker body and go ahead and plug in the Instant Pot.

Step 5.  We are ready to test your pot!

Do A Test Run of Your Instant Pot –

Before using your Instant Pot for the first time, you’ll want to do an actual test run to ensure everything is in proper working order.

1.  Add 3 cups of water into the inner pot. (Note: The pot should never be filled beyond the ⅔ mark as excess pressure may develop, the steam valve may clog, or personal injury may occur. For expandable foods, such as rice or beans, the pot should not be filled beyond the ½ mark.)

2. Close the lid by lowering it onto the rim of the pot and turning clockwise.

3. Turn the steam release valve to the “SEALING” position.

4. Press the “STEAM” button and adjust the +/- keys until you reach a set time of 2 minutes.

After 10 seconds, the preheating cycle will start and the display will show “On.” Traces of steam will release until the float valve pops up. Once a working pressure is reached, the steam program will commence. When finished, the cooker will beep and switch to keep warm mode if the warming function has been selected.

(One of the nice features of the warm mode is once the pot enters the warm mode function, it will start to count up so you know how long your food has been left in this mode.)

After the cooking process has started, you may cancel it at any time. To do so, simply press the cancel button and the pot will switch to standby mode.

Your cooker will naturally release the pressure in 10-40 minutes if allowed to sit. You will know it is depressurized once the float valve drops down.You may also manually release the pressure on your Instant Pot by turning the release handle to the venting position until the valve drops down.

(Note: Steam will release in a quick burst. Do not lean over the cooker or place your hand directly over the valve. Steam will be hot and may cause injury.)

Once your pot has been depressurized, you may safely remove the lid by turning it in a counter-clockwise motion.

 

Here is a little example on how this Instant Pot works so you know what to expect…

EXAMPLE RECIPE  – Let’s say you want to make Instant Pot Shredded Chicken breast in your new Instant Pot. First you add the boneless chicken breast to the pot, a little salt & pepper and small amount of broth. The next step is to secure the lid on the pot. You do this by turning the lid so it easily locks into place.  You will see arrows on the lid for which way to turn and lock. You will hear a slight “click” and know that it’s safely sealed.

Once the lid is locked in place you will reach in the back of the lid and set the valve to “SEALING.”

GREAT! NOW YOU’RE READY TO GET COOKING!

Here’s the amazing part –  just hit the “PRESSURE COOK” button –  then use the + OR – buttons to set your correct time – and THAT’S IT!

For our chicken dish, we are going to set the time for 7 minutes.

Once you set the time to 7 minutes you do not need to do another thing. You do not need to push start, nor do you need to worry about anything else.

The pot will take a few seconds and then turn itself to “ON”. Once the pot heats up (or preheats) to its proper temperature, it will beep to let you know, and then it starts the countdown time from 7 minutes.

After 7 minutes is up, you will hear another beep to let you know your food has finished cooking.

At this time you can carefully turn the Steam Release Valve to “VENTING” and do a “Quick Release” of the  steam.

That’s it .. remove the chicken and enjoy!

 

 

Happy Insta-Potting!