February 1, 2021

I Finally Purchased An Instant Pot But I Don’t Know How To Use One

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If nothing else 2020 was the year I learned to cook better. I really committed to it too! I did some online Jamie Oliver Cookery classes and even did a Gordon Ramsey MasterClass which disappointed me because some small part of me expected him to yell while I cowered behind a frying pan in fear. Why doesn’t Nick Stellino have a Masterclass? I’d pay big money for him to teach me to cook as he told me stories about his family. Which reminds me wouldn’t you drop major cash to watch Julia and Jacques cook together? What a hysterical duo! It always felt like Jacques was correcting what Julia did.

Anyway…non makeup ramblings ahead!

It was a long weekend! Like 25 years long! Between being safe due to COVID cases rising and the snow storm I had the worst cabin fever this weekend. I’ve re-arranged both the pantry and the butler’s pantry about 1500 times between 2020 and 2021. I’m one of those people that you can eat a full meal off my wood floors because I’m constantly polishing and cleaning everything. That’s why I got so bored this weekend because aside from decorating for Valentine’s Day and doing some laundry I didn’t have any other chores to keep me busy. Thanks to everyone who amused me endlessly on Instagram! I adore talking to you all. Everything here at home is absolutely clean and organized to the max and I found some relief from my boredom in speaking to all of you on Instagram. Some of the stuff you sling at me is wildly funny.

When you’re bored in the house you’re bound to make some dumb purchase online. Mine was the Star Wars The Child Little Bounty Instant Pot Duo Pressure Cooker. I texted my friend a few weeks ago saying I wanted to buy a slow cooker and I had my eye on the the Hearth & Hand with Magnolia Slow Cooker from Target ($39) and the The Pioneer Woman Vintage Floral 7-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker ($45). The Hearth & Hand doesn’t really go with my French Country Kitchen downstate but does go with my Modern Farmhouse decor upstate but I don’t cook as much upstate. Still that was the one I had my eye on because I’m a complete Magnolia h0r. The Pioneer Woman one was just pretty and that had my eye too. You know picking kitchen appliances is sadly not like makeup. I mean, if I see two blushes and they both look pretty I just buy both! I really had to sit back and adult this one out because I’m so weird I’d go and buy two slow cookers because they are pretty to look at!

Last night though….! Last night was the night I purchased an Instant Pot and it wasn’t because I wanted to learn to cook in it. It was because it had Baby Yoda on it! I regret nothing. I have no idea how to use an Instant Pot but Grogu will show me the way! This is why lock down and snowstorms are dangerous! You got people like me running around bored buying kitchen appliances they don’t know how to use.

As a long time Star Wars geek I needed this in my life.

Throw your Instant Pot recipes my way and also, can you tell me how to use this thing?

Where to buy

William Sonoma

36 Comments

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About the Muse

Isabella MuseIsabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.

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Comments

  • LS

    https://pressureluckcooking.com/

    He has a recipe for anything you can think of to make in the instant pot. His page and videos and recipes are what helped me get over my fear of the instant pot. Now I am comfortable enough on my own to modify stovetop recipes to the instant pot!

    Note: My pot is not nearly as cute as yours, as it isn’t covered in Grogu, but it is the same model.

    • Isabella Muse

      Oh do you have the boxlunch one? I saw that one and it was in my cart until this one popped up in search and I ended up with it because it was cuter! THANKS! My friend just sent me a recipe for spaghetti in 7 minutes and I was like damn, 7 mins? Waaaa! I could use all the help I can get though ;-D Checking his site now!

  • Paige

    I LOVE my Instant Pot, and I am a terrible cook. There are a million sites with recipes and instructions. Use it for hard boiled eggs (shell never sticks); steel cut oatmeal, any sort of stew, chili, soup. You can make roasts, etc in it, but again, b/c I’m not a very good cook, I tend to mess those up and cook them in the traditional way. I hope you love yours as much as I LOVE mine.

    • Isabella Muse

      Paige, you’re preaching to the queen of burning boiling water over here! ;-D I really couldn’t cook either until last year! Quarantine and Lockdown has made me a master chef lol! Boiled eggs? Seriously? Whoa! I can’t wait to get it and start trying out recipes 😀

  • Courtney

    Nov 2019 is when I started learning how to cook (I’ve been baking since I was like 8 but sucked with everything else). I spent the majority of 2020 learning how to make some of my favorite foods either in an Instant pot, Ninja Air Fryer, or Ninja Blender. I use the Instant pot almost every night for dinner. You can also do things like make hardboiled eggs in it, too.

    • Isabella Muse

      You know me, I can’t cook at all! But I def learned in 2020! I’m not some sort of master chef over here! thank god for the Internet! There’s no shortage of good recipes! I can’t believe you can make boiling eggs in an instant pot!

  • Alli A

    This is not a recipe but at some point you’ll need to open the valve on the lid to release the steam before opening. When doing a quick release, I throw a tea towel over the valve and push it open with either a chopstick or the handle of a wooden spoon. The towel will catch/disperse the steam so you don’t end up giving the paint on your cabinets a steam bath.

  • Colleen

    That’s absolutely adorable. I have been looking at instant pots and debating if I need one. this might push me over the edge.

  • Lauren

    That Grogu is adorbs. I don’t muck much with the multistep sautee and etc recipes, I mostly just do some made-for IP recipes and then to shortcut my soups to get that simmered all day taste in like 20. I like some of the recipes that come right in the recipe book with my IP, the Kalua pork one is fail safe and very versatile as leftovers. As is Melissa Clarks’ yukon gold potatoes in butter, that is one of those recipes that is so simple to throw together and is so insanely good in only 20 mins. Steams great whole beets too if you are into that, chill and put on a salad with goat cheese and vinagarette, tre fancy. If all else fails, it makes great rice. And hard boiled eggs in bulk! The tea towel on the steam valve when releasing is a must. You may want to buy extra o rings to go under the lid, those are the first part to wear out or get gross.

    • Isabella Muse

      slow down! LOL this sounds complicated! I’m still trying to wrap my head around boiling eggs in here and making pasta in 7 mins!

    • Jennifer F

      Hi Lauren,
      Omg, yes, I was gonna say the best for making beets. (We love the epicurious pickled beets recipe!)

  • kjh

    Same drill, different appliance. Like Phyrra, ninja air fryer. (Hugs to best standards on the net.) Amazon days. Now I constantly look for AF directions on foods (like TJ’s) and get pissed. I’m even afraid of the obvious stuff, like the breaded chicken or fish. The convenience foods will catch up. Meanwhile, thank god for the internet.

    • Isabella Muse

      air fryers are sort of scary LOL! I never understand how everyone gets perfectly fried foods with them! I have two and I’m def doing something wrong when I use them!

    • Randi Macdonald

      These air fryer french fries( from scratch) are amazing and so worth making.
      GATHER YOUR INGREDIENTS
      1� pounds russet potatoes, peeled
      2 tablespoons vegetable oil
      Salt and pepper

      VIEW INGREDIENTS
      View Nutritional Informationi
      KEY EQUIPMENT
      KEY EQUIPMENT – Air Fryers
      Air Fryers
      KEY EQUIPMENT – Kitchen Tongs
      Kitchen Tongs
      KEY EQUIPMENT – Chef’s Knives
      Chef’s Knives
      KEY EQUIPMENT – Measuring Spoons
      Measuring Spoons
      *
      BEFORE YOU BEGIN
      Frequently tossing the potatoes ensured the most even cooking and the best browning. We found tossing the fries in a bowl, rather than in the basket, yielded the best results and the fewest broken fries. Do not clean out the tossing bowl while you are cooking; the residual oil helps the crisping process.

      1
      INSTRUCTIONS
      Cut potatoes lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick planks. Stack 3 or 4 planks and cut into 1/2-inch-thick sticks; repeat with remaining planks.

      2
      Submerge potatoes in large bowl of water and rinse to remove excess starch. Drain potatoes and repeat process as needed until water remains clear. Cover potatoes with hot tap water and let sit for 10 minutes. Drain potatoes, transfer to paper towel-lined rimmed baking sheet, and thoroughly pat dry.

      3
      Toss potatoes with 1 tablespoon oil in clean, dry bowl, then transfer to air-fryer basket. Place basket in air fryer, set temperature to 350 degrees, and cook for 8 minutes. Transfer potatoes to now-empty bowl and gently toss to redistribute. Return potatoes to air fryer and cook until softened and potatoes have turned from white to blond (potatoes may be spotty brown at tips), 5 to 10 minutes.

      4
      Transfer potatoes to now-empty bowl and toss with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Return potatoes to air fryer, increase temperature to 400 degrees, and cook until golden brown and crisp, 15 to 20 minutes, tossing gently in bowl to redistribute every 5 minutes. Transfer fries to large plate and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

  • Christina

    Well, Baby Yoda. You don’t need any other reason to buy it. LOL! But, seriously, once you try out your Instant Pot a couple of times, you’ll love it. It’s pretty simple to use for pretty much everything. Sautee? Sure! Rice? No problem! Soups, stews, and everything in between? Absolutely! I use it mostly to speed up my cooking time with meats that I normally would roast/stew for hours.

    • Isabella Muse

      absolutely! I mean I may never even use it but it’s cute and that’s all I need right? LOL! I’m excited to try it out!

  • Rina

    Just don’t use it as a slow cooker! The heat source is only from the bottom, whereas a slow cooker heat source is bottom and sides (at least mine does). It just doesn’t work as well…

    • Isabella Muse

      I think this does both?! maybe!? I need the google before I use and burn down the neighborhood!

      • Rina

        It does, it just doesn’t do it as well as a dedicated slow cooker… IMHO.

        • Jennifer F

          Hi Rina,

          I totally agree with you. I even bought the slow cooker lid and was so disappointed. BUT. I am glad I had the lid for covering leftovers in the frig.

  • Linda Whitener

    I LOVE IT!!! Muse, I had no idea that item even existed. Grogu on an Instant Pot…now, that combines two of my favorite things in this world!

    You’re going to love your IP. It radically reduces cooking time; it doesn’t heat up the kitchen; and it makes healthy cooking quick and easy: lean cuts of meat come out fork-tender (really!), and you can cook dried beans in a fraction of the usual time without soaking them. My Significant Other is a heart patient, and he’s supposed to eat those items – as well as brown rice, which I’ve never been able to cook on the range without producing a sticky, flavorless mess. When I cook it in the IP, it comes out perfectly. (I buy the Della Organic Brown Basmati Rice at Costco.) The ratio is 1 cup of brown rice to 1-1/4 cups of liquid (water/stock/broth). Select Sauté on the pot, and brown the dry rice briefly in about a tablespoon of olive oil, stirring often, until it smells toasty. Add a little salt and the liquid; stir well; switch setting to Pressure Cook; cover (making sure vent is closed); and set cooking time to 22 minutes. When cooking time ends, I usually let the pressure release naturally until the valve drops, but for rice a manual release is also OK. Fluff and serve!

    This is a great source of recipes: https://www.pressurecookingtoday.com/ Have fun!

  • Jennifer F

    http://Www.pressurecookrecipes.com

    It’s a web site by an husband and wife team. They have FANTASTIC recipes! They are literally pros. They work with Instant Pot and restaurants so their recipes WORK! I don’t think I’ve had a “fail”� with any of their IP recipes. Plus they troubleshoot for ya. Check them out

  • Randi Macdonald

    I purchased my pot in Sept 2018. I took it out of the box last week!! I bought it to make starbucks sous vide egg bites. I was so afraid to use it. I’m glad I overcame my fear. I’ve made wendy’s copycat chili and a coconut lentil curry. So easy. I wish I would have used it years ago. I love Amy and Jacky instant pot recipes. A bit more complicated, but way more flavorful than dump and go.