WillG wrote:Question about the corn. when I have good fresh farmers market corn, I boil it for 2-3 minutes at most. It seems to me that between the heat up time and the pressure, 2 minutes in the instant pot would way overcook it. What am I missing?

Thanks, Will (proud owner of an instant pot for almost 2 years and have used it 3 times)

You've lost sight of the fact that the InstantPot is magic, lol.

In all seriousness, I don't find that 2 minutes on high pressure overcooks the corn but give it a try and see what you think (maybe try 1 minute if you're especially concerned). Since you already own the InstantPot, your barrier to entry is pretty darned low.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:

WillG wrote:Question about the corn. when I have good fresh farmers market corn, I boil it for 2-3 minutes at most. It seems to me that between the heat up time and the pressure, 2 minutes in the instant pot would way overcook it. What am I missing?

Thanks, Will (proud owner of an instant pot for almost 2 years and have used it 3 times)

You've lost sight of the fact that the InstantPot is magic, lol.

In all seriousness, I don't find that 2 minutes on high pressure overcooks the corn but give it a try and see what you think (maybe try 1 minute if you're especially concerned). Since you already own the InstantPot, your barrier to entry is pretty darned low.

p.s. the whole deal from start to finish usually takes around 11-12 minutes.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:You've lost sight of the fact that the InstantPot is magic, lol.

Funny, I was going to post something along the same lines. My corn pic above tasted as good as it looked with the added benefit of an intensely corny aroma when I quick-released the steam after 2-minutes (an important point in the process)

G Wiv wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:You've lost sight of the fact that the InstantPot is magic, lol.

Funny, I was going to post something along the same lines. My corn pic above tasted as good as it looked with the added benefit of an intensely corny aroma when I quick-released the steam after 2-minutes (an important point in the process)

Yes, quick-releasing of the steam is probably one of the keys to not overcooking the corn. I would have mentioned it earlier but it's actually mrs_suburban who usually drives the InstantPot. I had to consult with her on this one.

=R=

Holy cow. Grabbed some corn over the weekend and did the IP 2-minute thing tonight. Easy, reliable, no guesswork, perfect corn. Ignore the "leftovers burrito" to the side - although it too was pretty darn tasty.

Thanks for the tip. I sometimes am accused of undercooking corn on the cob, but this is a foolproof way to get a great result.

bobbywal wrote:Thanks for the tip. I sometimes am accused of undercooking corn on the cob, but this is a foolproof way to get a great result.

As I mentioned on another thread (and probably above, as well), corn on the cob is probably one of the two best uses for the Instant Pot, the other being hard-boiled eggs. For the eggs, six to seven minutes on low pressure and the yolks are gently set and perfectly yellow, with no greenish exteriors. But even better, they are an absolute dream to peel.

=R=

Was planning to give it a shot tomorrow with some corn from the Libertyville farmers market (which is the best around here I think and has Katic Bread). I had assumed that no one on LTH would be in my dad's camp. "Of course 20 minutes is the right time to boil corn....just make sure it is already boiling before you put it in."

Thanks, Will

WillG wrote:Was planning to give it a shot tomorrow with some corn from the Libertyville farmers market (which is the best around here I think and has Katic Bread). I had assumed that no one on LTH would be in my dad's camp. "Of course 20 minutes is the right time to boil corn....just make sure it is already boiling before you put it in."

Thanks, Will

If you like it, I'll take full credit. If not, you can blame mrs_suburban!

=R=

I bought an Instant Pot Ultra last year on Amazon (Cyber Monday) after buying and returning the Instant Pot Costco sells (Ultra has more features and a nice digital graph to show progress). I will try the corn soon (a couple cups of water, throw in the corn on the elevated tray, high pressure 1-2 minutes, quick release, done). I've used mine as a rice cooker and overall couldn't be easier - set it and forget it. I also made a Cacio e Pepe pasta dish when I first got the pot that was really good. I haven't used it as much as I wanted but I am sure this fall I will get back into it.

Some people mentioned the dreaded BURN message. There's been one go-to dish that I made many times, but the dreaded BURN message usually comes on. Here's how I deal with it. I do a pseudo chicken parm. I put in maybe 1 1/2 - 2 cups of marinara sauce (Rao's is our favorite), a few seasoned boneless chicken cutlets (partial to Bell and Evans), and some Parmesan cheese mixed in the sauce. Going by memory but I believe it's 3 minutes high pressure. As soon as it gets to temp, it almost always says BURN. Since I now expect it to happen, I open it up after quick release of the steam and I will scrape off the burned parts with a wooden spoon. Then I close it back up and continue. I never get the BURN message again after that. I actually find that the burnt sauce adds some nice flavor to the dish so instead of it ruining the meal it helps it. When it's done (natural release), I throw in mozzarella and more Parmesan on top and let it melt via the heat of the pot for 5 minutes. I have also transferred it to a dish to broil cheese on it in the oven, but that defeats the purpose of the pot doing it all. Anyway, it's a fairly simple comfort dish that always comes out great even though you have to usually deal with BURN! I'll keep researching ways around the burn because even though I can work around it, I'd still rather not have to at all.

Ram4 wrote:I bought an Instant Pot Ultra last year on Amazon (Cyber Monday) after buying and returning the Instant Pot Costco sells (Ultra has more features and a nice digital graph to show progress). I will try the corn soon (a couple cups of water, throw in the corn on the elevated tray, high pressure 1-2 minutes, quick release, done). I've used mine as a rice cooker and overall couldn't be easier - set it and forget it. I also made a Cacio e Pepe pasta dish when I first got the pot that was really good. I haven't used it as much as I wanted but I am sure this fall I will get back into it.

Some people mentioned the dreaded BURN message. There's been one go-to dish that I made many times, but the dreaded BURN message usually comes on. Here's how I deal with it. I do a pseudo chicken parm. I put in maybe 1 1/2 - 2 cups of marinara sauce (Rao's is our favorite), a few seasoned boneless chicken cutlets (partial to Bell and Evans), and some Parmesan cheese mixed in the sauce. Going by memory but I believe it's 3 minutes high pressure. As soon as it gets to temp, it almost always says BURN. Since I now expect it to happen, I open it up after quick release of the steam and I will scrape off the burned parts with a wooden spoon. Then I close it back up and continue. I never get the BURN message again after that. I actually find that the burnt sauce adds some nice flavor to the dish so instead of it ruining the meal it helps it. When it's done (natural release), I throw in mozzarella and more Parmesan on top and let it melt via the heat of the pot for 5 minutes. I have also transferred it to a dish to broil cheese on it in the oven, but that defeats the purpose of the pot doing it all. Anyway, it's a fairly simple comfort dish that always comes out great even though you have to usually deal with BURN! I'll keep researching ways around the burn because even though I can work around it, I'd still rather not have to at all.

In all my dozens (if not hundreds) of times using the Instant Pot, I've never received the BURN message. I guess I've never put easily-burned items (like tomato sauce) into the pot. I too love Rao's marinara but I've never used it in the IP. As for the chicken parm, do you brown it or season it first, or just throw it in the pot naked?

=R=

I agree with Ronnie; the IP does corn on the cob and hard-boiled eggs much better than any other method. The ease of peeling alone is enough reason to never again do hard-boiled eggs any other way except in a pressure cooker.

I have a long way to go to learn how to use mine (a 3-qt mini) more; my other recipe attempts have so far been one-time experiments. I have enjoyed using it repeatedly for corned beef (a Wolfgang Puck recipe), beef ribs, potatoes, and, to some extent, beans (although I did get the dreaded BURN warning on a chili recipe once), but I so far am not sold on cranking it up for many things that cook in 2 minutes under high pressure but could be cooked in just a few more minutes on the stove in a way that I could keep an eye on them.

I make a dozen hard-boiled eggs in the IP for a neighbor once or twice a month. My sister likes taking them to work for lunch. Another neighbor dropped off a bag of sweet corn this afternoon because I helped her jump her car this morning. So, sweet corn in the Instant Pot tonight. Another point in favor of using the IP in the summer: cook eggs, corn, potatoes without boiling water on the stove or heating up the kitchen at all; use them in cool salads on hot days. Come to think of it, I've made quite a bit of Instant Pot potato salad this summer too. Trying to remember the last time I turned on the oven.

Sorry, but I just don't get it.
I did my corn last night. It was small young farmers market corn, so I did 1 minute on high, and released the steam (not sure how much my overhead light enjoyed the power steaming). It was actually pretty good, but definitely overcooked for my taste. If I had been boiling it, it would have been in for 1 minute. Had it been more normal (larger) corn it would have probably been fine. Once cooled it was all shriveled up so not sure how useful the leftovers are going to be. The part I dont get is that it takes about 12 minutes all in, which really only saves about 10 minutes over the 20 or so it would take to bring a pot of water to boil. Boiling water gives me much more flexibility with different sized corn, and a regular pot is much easier to clean since I dont have to wipe out all the nooks and crannies.

On to hard boiled eggs.


-Will

If you are interested in continuing to experiment, you can do zero minutes, and the pot will come to pressure and then switch to warm. If you quick release at that point I find most veggies are cooked the way I like them.

AmyBailey wrote:If you are interested in continuing to experiment, you can do zero minutes, and the pot will come to pressure and then switch to warm. If you quick release at that point I find most veggies are cooked the way I like them.

I use this method for broccoli (with varying success) but find it doesn't get corn all the way there for me. Sorry it didn't work out for you, Will. You're the first person I know for whom the 2-minute corn method didn't satisfy.

=R=

If I had bought bigger ears, I suspect it would have cooked them perfectly. My issue is more that it doesn't really save much time. Same thing when I make steel cut oats.
Instant pot ends up being 30 minutes compared to 40 minutes in a pot so I only save 10 minutes and and any stirring effort saved is offset by a harder cleanup. If I used the instant pot often for many different things and it was a core part of my kitchen, I might feel differently.

-Will

WillG wrote:If I had bought bigger ears,

Oh man am I going to have fun at next week's lunch.

Instant Pot farmers market corn, was outside with the grill and dropped the corn ball, after 2 minutes at high pressure passed they went almost 4 minutes before I quick released.

Still delicious, kernels were not as "perfectly taut and plump" as if I had been closely monitoring.

ronnie_suburban wrote:

Ram4 wrote:I bought an Instant Pot Ultra last year on Amazon (Cyber Monday) after buying and returning the Instant Pot Costco sells (Ultra has more features and a nice digital graph to show progress). I will try the corn soon (a couple cups of water, throw in the corn on the elevated tray, high pressure 1-2 minutes, quick release, done). I've used mine as a rice cooker and overall couldn't be easier - set it and forget it. I also made a Cacio e Pepe pasta dish when I first got the pot that was really good. I haven't used it as much as I wanted but I am sure this fall I will get back into it.

Some people mentioned the dreaded BURN message. There's been one go-to dish that I made many times, but the dreaded BURN message usually comes on. Here's how I deal with it. I do a pseudo chicken parm. I put in maybe 1 1/2 - 2 cups of marinara sauce (Rao's is our favorite), a few seasoned boneless chicken cutlets (partial to Bell and Evans), and some Parmesan cheese mixed in the sauce. Going by memory but I believe it's 3 minutes high pressure. As soon as it gets to temp, it almost always says BURN. Since I now expect it to happen, I open it up after quick release of the steam and I will scrape off the burned parts with a wooden spoon. Then I close it back up and continue. I never get the BURN message again after that. I actually find that the burnt sauce adds some nice flavor to the dish so instead of it ruining the meal it helps it. When it's done (natural release), I throw in mozzarella and more Parmesan on top and let it melt via the heat of the pot for 5 minutes. I have also transferred it to a dish to broil cheese on it in the oven, but that defeats the purpose of the pot doing it all. Anyway, it's a fairly simple comfort dish that always comes out great even though you have to usually deal with BURN! I'll keep researching ways around the burn because even though I can work around it, I'd still rather not have to at all.

In all my dozens (if not hundreds) of times using the Instant Pot, I've never received the BURN message. I guess I've never put easily-burned items (like tomato sauce) into the pot. I too love Rao's marinara but I've never used it in the IP. As for the chicken parm, do you brown it or season it first, or just throw it in the pot naked?

=R=

I season the raw chicken first then put the cutlets in the pot on top of the sauce. I haven't done a lot of research on it lately (as far as getting around the BURN message to not appear) but I would think putting everything in a smaller vessel inside the pot would prevent the BURN message from coming on. My issue with that is a little less room for the food. That being said I will try that another time and see if it bypasses the message.

Ram4 wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:

Ram4 wrote:I bought an Instant Pot Ultra last year on Amazon (Cyber Monday) after buying and returning the Instant Pot Costco sells (Ultra has more features and a nice digital graph to show progress). I will try the corn soon (a couple cups of water, throw in the corn on the elevated tray, high pressure 1-2 minutes, quick release, done). I've used mine as a rice cooker and overall couldn't be easier - set it and forget it. I also made a Cacio e Pepe pasta dish when I first got the pot that was really good. I haven't used it as much as I wanted but I am sure this fall I will get back into it.

Some people mentioned the dreaded BURN message. There's been one go-to dish that I made many times, but the dreaded BURN message usually comes on. Here's how I deal with it. I do a pseudo chicken parm. I put in maybe 1 1/2 - 2 cups of marinara sauce (Rao's is our favorite), a few seasoned boneless chicken cutlets (partial to Bell and Evans), and some Parmesan cheese mixed in the sauce. Going by memory but I believe it's 3 minutes high pressure. As soon as it gets to temp, it almost always says BURN. Since I now expect it to happen, I open it up after quick release of the steam and I will scrape off the burned parts with a wooden spoon. Then I close it back up and continue. I never get the BURN message again after that. I actually find that the burnt sauce adds some nice flavor to the dish so instead of it ruining the meal it helps it. When it's done (natural release), I throw in mozzarella and more Parmesan on top and let it melt via the heat of the pot for 5 minutes. I have also transferred it to a dish to broil cheese on it in the oven, but that defeats the purpose of the pot doing it all. Anyway, it's a fairly simple comfort dish that always comes out great even though you have to usually deal with BURN! I'll keep researching ways around the burn because even though I can work around it, I'd still rather not have to at all.

In all my dozens (if not hundreds) of times using the Instant Pot, I've never received the BURN message. I guess I've never put easily-burned items (like tomato sauce) into the pot. I too love Rao's marinara but I've never used it in the IP. As for the chicken parm, do you brown it or season it first, or just throw it in the pot naked?

=R=

I season the raw chicken first then put the cutlets in the pot on top of the sauce. I haven't done a lot of research on it lately (as far as getting around the BURN message to not appear) but I would think putting everything in a smaller vessel inside the pot would prevent the BURN message from coming on. My issue with that is a little less room for the food. That being said I will try that another time and see if it bypasses the message.

Got it. I guess I should consider myself lucky that I've never experienced this BURN issue. Sounds like a major PITA.

=R=

I use my Instant Pot regularly--at least a couple of times a week--and have never gotten any kind of "burn" message, nor have I ever burned anything in the pot. And I was a bit puzzled by WillG's post above, about the IP being harder to clean up--one of my favorite aspects of the IP is that it cleans so easily, particularly for a surface that also browns so thoroughly (as opposed to, say, a non-stick skillet).

So far, my favorite uses/dishes are:
1) stock--seriously--stock-making is so easy and it's soooooo good. I mostly make chicken stock and it's unbelievably "chicken"y--better than any I've made in a traditional pot. And it's as simple as dumping in a chicken or chicken parts (I use the meat after for my very spoiled dogs' daily food supplement--chicken, rice, pumpkin, veggies) and hitting the Poultry setting.

2) "roasted" whole chicken--rub the bird with oil, salt, granulated garlic, paprika and pepper thoroughly inside and out, hit Saute', add olive oil to the pot, get it good and sizzling, put bird in, turn it over halfway through, once the Saute' cycle ends, add a couple of cups of water (or 1 cup water, 1 cup white wine) and hit the Poultry setting. Wait til the pressure is released and you'll have a bona fide Costco rotisserie-style chicken. And sauce. I sometimes add onion slices before the chicken. I do this with skin on thighs as well--but I use the manual setting on HP for 10 minutes v. the 20 minute poultry cycle.

3) Curries--again, the saute'/pressure cook combo is so great for anything that you want to "toast" or brown then steam/roast/etc.--I love toasting spices and then adding meat/veg--whatever's in the fridge that I want to use up. Last week, I made a green eggplant curry and used up some extra kimchi, laikom's spicy cabbage/carrot condiment, some zucchini flesh that I'd frozen, a handful of green and long beans from the garden, onion, garlic, thai basil, lemongrass, chilis, etc. Toasted the curry powder and a few other spices for a couple of minutes, then added a couple of packages of frozen thighs, the veg, the condiments, the herbs and a container of chicken stock, hit "Poultry" and came back a few hours later to a gorgeous curry/soup. And it took about 10 seconds to clean up after.

Now that I've moved, and have minimal take-out/delivery options available here in the wilds of NWI, I expect to really get my money's worth out of it this winter.

boudreaulicious wrote:I use my Instant Pot regularly--at least a couple of times a week--and have never gotten any kind of "burn" message, nor have I ever burned anything in the pot.

That's because you haven't cooked things that normally will give you that message. Now you will get the chance to see it. Do a recipe with a marinara of your choice and pressure cook it.

I posted a few of my favorite uses--not everything I've ever cooked in the thing. I've had it for several years. And I've used marinara/tomato sauce in it. I've never gotten a Burn message because I've never burned anything in it.

Perhaps you should check the recipe sites/books designed for the IP and see what settings are recommended for using tomato sauce. I don't recall what I made but right off the top of my head, I'd suggest using the Saute' setting for the chicken breast to brown on both sides, then adding the sauce with a bit of additional liquid (wine, stock or water would all work), cheese, herbs, etc. and using the manual setting for 6-8 minutes, and letting the pressure release normally. My guess is your stuff is burning because you don't have enough liquid in it. Same as if you put it in a skillet with just the sauce and blasted it on high heat.

boudreaulicious wrote:My guess is your stuff is burning because you don't have enough liquid in it.

Yeah, that'd be my theory, too. Or that whatever liquid is present is too viscous. But you're right. If you're going to dilute it, best to use stock, wine or some other flavor-conveyor.

=R=

For what it's worth, I had a 3-quart Instant Pot for about a year and never got a BURN message on anything (including curries and a variety of soups). I got a 6-quart pot a few months ago and immediately got the dreaded BURN on something I'd cooked successfully many times in the other pot (lentil, coconut milk, and tomato soup). I researched it online, and some claim that newer IPs are more prone to this message.

FWIW = 6 quart is on sale at Walmart for $49.

I have avoided buying an Instant Pot up until now, thinking that the last thing I needed was an unused appliance taking up space in my tiny kitchen. But I saw this article this morning, and am beginning to rethink:

https://www.epicurious.com/expert-advic ... en-article

I eat and use plain yogurt so much and am not adverse to making my own. I've never been good about making stock, but if it were more convenient, maybe? I practically live on oatmeal and would definitely use dried beans over canned if it didn't require an overnight soak that I always seems to forget about during meal planning!

But most importantly (to me), my well used rice cooker is on it's last legs. Looks like a 6 Quart Instant Pot may be +/- $20 more than a new rice cooker.

So, my question is - Do any of you end up using the Instant Pot for some of the more mundane kitchen tasks? Is it worth the extra $ over buying a new rice cooker? To those of you that have been using an Instant Pot for a while now, do you find it redundant or a good add?

Thanks for any feedback while I continue to overthink my decision!

Does anyone use an IP to cook dried beans?

Al Ehrhardt wrote:Does anyone use an IP to cook dried beans?

That's what the article mentions! Has me wondering too...

I read back thru this thread, and it looks as though some tried it, but I wonder if it's something that anyone has ended up doing on a regular basis.

TSmitty wrote:

Al Ehrhardt wrote:Does anyone use an IP to cook dried beans?

That's what the article mentions! Has me wondering too...

I read back thru this thread, and it looks as though some tried it, but I wonder if it's something that anyone has ended up doing on a regular basis.

Yes, frequently. I know I've posted about it here at least a few times (maybe upthread, maybe on the Rancho Gordo thread). After dozens of batches, I've come to the conclusion that IP beans are not quite as satisfying as more traditionally cooked beans. This is especially true of smaller beans because cooked in an IP, they tend to lack any textural variation. I think larger beans fare better. That said, the IP does a very good job with dried beans, especially when you don't have time to soak (and/or you're cooking beans that have been in your pantry a while).

I also think the IP shines on corn on the cob and peel-and-eat (aka hard-boiled) eggs. After that, it's pretty much a B-grade version of everything . . . but it is a time-saver, and that can be a valuable trade-off.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:

TSmitty wrote:

Al Ehrhardt wrote:Does anyone use an IP to cook dried beans?

That's what the article mentions! Has me wondering too...

I read back thru this thread, and it looks as though some tried it, but I wonder if it's something that anyone has ended up doing on a regular basis.

Yes, frequently. I know I've posted about it here at least a few times (maybe upthread, maybe on the Rancho Gordo thread). After dozens of batches, I've come to the conclusion that IP beans are not quite as satisfying as more traditionally cooked beans. This is especially true of smaller beans because cooked in an IP, they tend to lack any textural variation. I think larger beans fare better. That said, the IP does a very good job with dried beans, especially when you don't have time to soak (and/or you're cooking beans that have been in your pantry a while).

I also think the IP shines on corn on the cob and peel-and-eat (aka hard-boiled) eggs. After that, it's pretty much a B-grade version of everything . . . but it is a time-saver, and that can be a valuable trade-off.

=R=

Thanks!! That's great feedback.
OK - I'm SURE I'm splitting hairs here, but you mentioned that IP beans don't fare quite as well as those traditionally cooked. How about IP vs. canned? Who wins that smackdown?!?