How the Instant Pot cooker developed a cult following

Re:How the Instant Pot cooker developed a cult following by chrissnell on Tuesday March 07, 2017 @04:41PM (#13815229)

The secret to the Instant Pot, I've found, is using it for things it does well. Beans and bean-based dishes are a home run every time. Chicken broth and beef bone broth are great, too. Slow cooker favorites like pot roast and pulled pork? Not so much, in my opinion. These dishes need more time to break down the collagen slowly without destroying the meat and veggies. I much prefer them in the slow cooker. Oatmeal is great but I can make it faster and better on the stovetop.

I've been working on adapting family favorite recipes to the IP. My favorites so far:

My Cajun mother-in-law's real deal red beans and rice recipe: https://gist.github.com/chrissnell/2ee0a820b7ba7c25a12d1b253...

My grandmother's refried beans from her regionally famous 1960s-era Tex-Mex cookbook: https://gist.github.com/chrissnell/c87a98b7ee3239065737eaf14...

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Re:How the Instant Pot cooker developed a cult following by Zancarius on Tuesday March 07, 2017 @05:02PM (#13815452)

> Oatmeal is great but I can make it faster and better on the stovetop.

Just curious: The OP mentioned steel cut oats rather than traditional oatmeal. Did you mean the same as well?

The reason I ask is because, while I love steel cut oats, cooking a nice sized batch on the stove can be time consuming, and I don't like the 3-5 minute oats (precooked and/or steamed; lacks the same texture IMO, same reason I don't like standard oatmeal). I'm not sure I'd go so far as to use them in an Instant Pot, but it'd be interesting to read a second opinion of how they turn out.

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Re:How the Instant Pot cooker developed a cult following by shostack on Tuesday March 07, 2017 @07:18PM (#13816624)

I posted the 3 Minute Oatmeal recipe straight from the recipe book that comes with the IP below if you're interested [1].

I too am wondering if the parent was talking about precooked/steamed. The recipe that comes with the IP is definitely steel cut and has that great springy bite to it--almost al dente in a way (or QQ as my Chinese friends might say).

And my version is 3 minutes of cook time, but there's several minutes of getting up to pressure time, and then 10 minutes of natural release when it finishes. Still largely "set it and forget it" though.

[1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13816579

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Re:How the Instant Pot cooker developed a cult following by Zancarius on Tuesday March 07, 2017 @07:54PM (#13816835)

That sounds perfect, actually. I love steel cut for the simple reason that their texture is fantastic and the earthier flavor versus regular oats has more complexity and depth. But stove top usually requires persistent attentiveness to avoid boiling over (first 5 minutes) or burning (remaining 15-20). Your post makes me want to buy an IP to try it out, because a mostly hands off cooking process for something like that would be great!

Thanks a bunch!

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Re:How the Instant Pot cooker developed a cult following by shostack on Tuesday March 07, 2017 @10:56PM (#13817764)

It really is hands off once you start it going such that you can start it, go about your morning routine, and go grab it when you're ready. Takes a couple minutes prep to toss everything in it, and then it can sit for quite some time on the warming mode.

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Re:How the Instant Pot cooker developed a cult following by bryanlarsen on Tuesday March 07, 2017 @05:24PM (#13815672)

According to seriouseats, the only thing a slow cooker is best at is keeping food warm, carmelized onions and bread pudding. http://www.seriouseats.com/2016/10/why-pressure-cookers-are-...

I certainly getter results doing pot roast & pulled pork in a pressure cooker than a slow cooker.

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Re:How the Instant Pot cooker developed a cult following by kpil on Wednesday March 08, 2017 @04:02AM (#13818993)

The main problem with slow cookers are that the liquid is not reduced properly which have to be done as a separate step using an ordinary sauce pan.

If you do a 7-hour lamb in a pot in an oven, you have the opposite problem, as it's a bit warmer, and might have to glue together the lid with dough. I think the taste will be better though, as I think there is more caramelisation going on at higher temperatures.

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Re:How the Instant Pot cooker developed a cult following by exclusiv on Wednesday March 08, 2017 @04:10AM (#13819029)

What temp are you doing the pulled pork at?

I get amazing results with a crock pot and pork shoulder with honey and a nice rub. Start it in the morning and it's ready when I get back from work.

Interested in the pressure cooker though for some more versatility. What's the main difference btw your pulled pork in PC vs SC?

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Re:How the Instant Pot cooker developed a cult following by Osiris on Tuesday March 07, 2017 @06:50PM (#13816431)

Chicken and ribs are awesome in the pressure cooker. It only takes about 15 minutes to make really good BBQ ribs.

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Re:How the Instant Pot cooker developed a cult following by shostack on Tuesday March 07, 2017 @07:05PM (#13816529)

Care to share your ribs recipe? The issue with things like that which I noted in my original comment is that they seem to require steps like finishing under the broiler. At that point I'm not sure the IP adds much to the dish and I'm inclined to just grill or broil them to begin with and save myself some cleanup with the IP.

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Re:How the Instant Pot cooker developed a cult following by Osiris on Tuesday March 07, 2017 @07:22PM (#13816653)

I'll have to ask my wife. As far as I know it's basically fatty beef ribs covered in BBQ sauce. We don't broil them afterwards. I suppose it just depends on if you want that caramelized flavor or not.

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