What size and how many instant pots?

L K

Wed, Nov 22 2017, 12:48 pm

I've read a thread on instant pots and am very intrigued by soup, meat, chicken/side, bean options.

If you use them for many different things, do you manage with one (not talking about milchig)? How does it work if you want to make both soup and meat/side? Taking double time and transferring hot cooked foods; or do you have more than one pot?

What sizes do you recommend for cooking for a small crowd, like 10 ppl; Or maybe 12 for yt.

What size would you use for milchigs, and what can you use it for other than yogurt?

Thanks tonz!!

mha3484

Wed, Nov 22 2017, 12:55 pm

I have a six quart for meat and its perfect for our family of 5. I have a 3qt for dairy.

For a typical shabbos I make the meat or chicken Thursday night and the soup on Friday (I dont make soup every shabbos).

I do like to use it as a rice cooker for a starch side I do that before I make the meat. I make my vegetables in the oven and fish in the oven. I have thought about getting a second insert but have not done it yet.

shyshira

Wed, Nov 22 2017, 12:56 pm

L K wrote:

.

Not sure what you mean by 'double time'. People create efficiencies by purchasing a second 'liner'.

Get a larger size if you regularly cook for 10.

Last edited by shyshira on Wed, Nov 22 2017, 1:00 pm; edited 1 time in total

mha3484

Wed, Nov 22 2017, 12:58 pm

Ill add, last week I made 3 lbs of sweet and sour meatballs Thursday night. I served half and froze half. When I came home from work I made mushroom rice in the IP. I baked gefilte fish in the oven Thursday night and made different roasted veggies also on Thursday night.

My family prefers cholent in the crockpot so that is not a part of my calculation.

mha3484

Wed, Nov 22 2017, 1:07 pm

I keep answering sorry. I use my milchig one to make grains for week night dinners like rice, quinoa, farro. I make hard boiled eggs for my kids for breakfast, polenta, risotto. You can do soups and pasta but I personally dont.

L K

Wed, Nov 22 2017, 1:18 pm

shyshira wrote:

.

Not sure what you mean by 'double time'. People create efficiencies by purchasing a second 'liner'.

Get a larger size if you regularly cook for 10.

Ppl write they save time on cooking in instant pot.
But if you use the same pot for two dishes consecutively - then it takes you just as much time as regular stovetop cooking time in 2 separate pots simultaneously, doesn't it?

L K

Wed, Nov 22 2017, 1:18 pm

mha3484 wrote:

Thank you!

I appreciate your answers ))

SixOfWands

Wed, Nov 22 2017, 1:20 pm

Lot of people own more than one IP. Others have additional liners to make it faster to use it for a second dish. Others just use it seriatum.

I use mine a lot during the week. Eg, last night I made Mongolian beef. The beef and sauce were in the bottom. I added the trivet, and placed a bowl with rice on top. Add some steamed veggies, and the meal was done.

If I'm making a roast and soup for Shabbat, I'll put the roast up first, with potatoes. Remove that, then put up the soup. If any sides need to go in there -- that would usually be risotta or mashed potatoes, it would be between the roast and the soup. Or sometimes they can be done pot in pot.

Not everything is made in the IP. I still roast all my veggies, for example.

SixOfWands

Wed, Nov 22 2017, 1:21 pm

mha3484 wrote:

I just ordered a dairy one mostly to make dairy soups.

L K

Wed, Nov 22 2017, 1:43 pm

SixOfWands wrote:

What size do you use for roast&potatoes?

shyshira

Wed, Nov 22 2017, 1:59 pm

L K wrote:

I think you are assuming that the IP halves the cook time for everything. That's not quite right. Somethings save even more time, some less.

SixOfWands

Wed, Nov 22 2017, 2:48 pm

L K wrote:

What size do you use for roast&potatoes?

6 quart. There's usually only 4 of us, but I've made roast for a dozen, with leftovers, in it.

shyshira

Wed, Nov 22 2017, 2:50 pm

tichellady wrote:

The Instant pot doesn’t really save time but It is convienent And I like using It

We were "sold" after making sweet and sour meatballs... (a rare family treat).

https://www.gourmania.com/reci.....s.htm

I don't have my notes - but I think we cooked them for 15 mins in the IP (so total cook time was probably closer to 30 mins).

Last edited by shyshira on Wed, Nov 22 2017, 2:55 pm; edited 1 time in total

SixOfWands

Wed, Nov 22 2017, 2:53 pm

tichellady wrote:

The Instant pot doesn’t really save time but It is convienent And I like using It

I disagree. It saves me lots of time, depending on what I'm making.

Eg, split pea soup. Including time to come to pressure and time to release, maybe 40 minutes. On the range, close to 2 hours. Mushroom barley soup, about the same. Roast, reduce time by at least 1/3.

mha3484

Wed, Nov 22 2017, 2:53 pm

I agree with Shyshira and SixofWands. I made cornbeef for Rosh hashana in 50 minutes. On the stove it takes 3 hours. I think that sold it for me that this is a really useful appliance. I also really like that when I made meatballs last week they all kept their shape so nicely which doesnt happen for me when I make them in a pot on the stove.

tichellady

Wed, Nov 22 2017, 3:15 pm

SixOfWands wrote:

Fine you are right. I guess to be more clear what I mean is if I want to make a quick meal, I’m not going to touch the instapot. You cant Make a quick meal in there once you count the time to come to pressure and to release. I can broil or roast something much quicker if my goal is dinner in under 30 minutes.
If I want to cook something that takes a long time like braised meat or legumes etc then the instapot will cut the time in about half. It takes me 3 hours to make a brisket in the oven. It takes about 1.5 hours ( total including coming to pressure and release) to make It in the instant pot.

nylon

Thu, Nov 23 2017, 10:43 am

Mostly I agree but I do have a dairy pot and I made macaroni & cheese in there. Put the pasta in with all the sauce ingredients but the cheese, 6 minutes high pressure, quick release and stir in the cheese. I couldn't have made it faster on the stovetop, and all I had to clean was the inner pot.

It saves a lot of time on long cooking items like stews, beans, soups. For quicker cooking items the bonus is that it's foolproof and hands free--no stirring or checking the pot so I can use the time to do something else. Just wait for the beep to release it. And I find the results much better than a crockpot--I always had trouble getting meat just right in the crockpot rather than it going from tough right to mushy, and no crockpot taste.

I have 2 6 qt pots because I got mine when the only sizes were 5 and 6 quarts. If I had the money for a new one I'd get an 8 quart for meat because 6 is really not big enough for soup in my opinion (I like to make big batches of basic chicken stock)