An instant pot is an electronic pressure cooker that you can use for multi purposes as it offers many features. It can prepare daily meals, as well as vegetables and different kinds of meats. You can use it to saute, air fry, and even steam. Instant pots are really good for cooking your meals faster. You can pour all the ingredients inside this pot and have your meal ready within an hour. Instant pot can easily replace your slow cooker when it comes to preparing tasty slow-cooked recipes for the family, like venison roast or shredded chicken.
Can you use an instant pot instead of a slow cooker?
You can use an instant pot as a slow cooker as it offers you a slow cooking setting as well. When it comes to appearance both of them look similar. However, they are entirely different. They offer also different features..
Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker
What is the difference between a slow cooker and an instant pot ?
Before we get to know how to use an instant pot as slow cooker, we must know the differences between these two appliances.
Safety
These two cooking appliances are extremely safe if used properly. Although, getting comfortable with the usage of these appliances might take a while for a few people. Slow cookers are very easy to operate and it does not mess your food up. A slow cooker can be very suitable for you if you do not have time for learning the operation of an instant pot. However, if you are a busy person and want to cook your meal as fast as possible, then an instant pot might be great for you.
Cooking Volume
If you’re looking forward to making huge pots of soup or stew then a slow cooker might be good for you. Although, for a fast and hot meal, an instant pot might be the best option. You can go for bigger instant pots to cook foods in large quantities.
Speed
If you are looking forward to cooking your meal in the morning & have it cooked for the rest of the day, or want to have your meal right after cooking, then you must go for an instant pot. In this case, a slow working cooker does not serve much. It takes much more time than an instant pot to cook one meal.
Cooking process
If you like to check your meal frequently and make sure that it is cooking properly or adjusting the seasoning, then a slow cooker is best for you. It lets you remove the lid and check the food while it is cooking your meal. In the case of an instant pot, you won’t get this same facility. Once you place the lid, there is no way to peek or check.
Energy use
When it comes to saving your electricity or minimizing energy, an instant pot is always the right choice. It helps to speed up the cooking time and consumes less energy. Whereas, a slow cooker takes a lot of time to cool your meal and, in turn, consumes an excessive amount of electricity.
How to use an instant pot as a slow cooker?
If you do not know how to use an instant pot as slow cooker, then go through the given steps to know how:
Get a glass lid
The lids that you will usually get with your instant pot are made in a way that seals the pot under pressure to provide you with a meal within some minutes. whereas, slow cookers come with a glass lid which lets steam & moisture released while it is preparing your food.
You can easily use the slow cooking feature of an instant pot with the lid it offers, however, you can also get a glass lid for better results.
Prepare the recipe you want to cook
If you are familiar with the general application of an instant pot, then you are aware of the importance of adding liquid like water or broth for cooking in this appliance. You want to make sure that there is enough liquid in the recipe before it sets the appliance for slow paced cooking. However, you don’t need to add additional liquid to the pot while using the slow cooking setting.
However, if you are not familiar with the usage of an instant pot then you can follow the below steps to adjust your slow cooker recipe for an instant pot.
- prep all the ingredients: the first thing you need to do is prepare all the ingredients as per the recipe, like cutting, chopping, and seasoning.
- place the glass lid on the pot: in the next step, you need to drop all teh ingredients into the pot and cover it with the glass lid. You must remember to use a glass lid while using an instant pot as a slow cooker for better results.
- Press the button: after placing the lid, you need to turn on the button for slow paced cooking. In case you have a three-quart version, then you can easily find the button for slow paced cooking under the steam button on the right-hand side.
- Set the cooking time: after turning on the button, you need to set the needed time so it does not overcook your meal. You can always set the duration between thirty minutes to 20 hours.
- Activate the button for adjustment: you can easily find the adjustment button in the middle if you are using a three-quart version. There are three types of options to choose from, “more”, “less”, and “normal”.
- Cook: Instant Pot will start cooking your meal within ten seconds of pressing the adjustment button. Once it is done cooking your meal, it will beep and automatically activate the “keep warm” option so that your food stays hot for up to ten hours.
Now that you know how to use an instant pot as slow cooker, why waste time? Go get your hands on this multi-purpose appliance from your nearest store.
Wrapping Up
The instant pot is an extremely fast and safe cooking appliance. It not only offers several features and functions but it also helps to save your time and consume less energy. With this, you can cook your meal at any time and keep it hot for up to ten hours, which makes it an excellent choice.
