Depending on your Instant Pot® model there are variety of pre-programmed buttons for easy use. Here is a listing of the programs which may be available depending on your model.
COOKING PROGRAMS (Up to 15 Presets)
PRESSURE COOK/MANUAL – This is the setting you’re likely to use the most. The temperature, pressure levels, and cooking times can be controlled through the operation keys on the control panel. Here, press the Pressure Level key to adjust the pressure level and the +/- keys to change the cooking time
SOUP/BROTH – Brings soups to a slow simmer, and results in a clear broth. For meatless soups, use the Less mode; for soups with meat, use the Normal mode; for soups that requires longer cook times, such as rich bone broth, use the More mode.
MEAT/STEW – Best for cooking large cuts of meat at high pressure. For a soft texture, use the Less mode; for a very tender meat texture, use the Normal mode; for fall-off-the bone texture, use the More mode
BEAN/CHILI – Using this program results in different doneness levels for beans. For a firmer bean texture, use the Less mode; for a softer bean texture, use the Normal mode; for a very soft bean texture, use the More mode.
CAKE – This high-pressure mode creates a very moist, dense cake. For a lighter, moister cake, use the Less mode; for a denser cake, use the Normal mode; for a really dense cake, such as a New York Style cheesecake, use the More mode
EGG – This program is designed for cooking extra-large eggs, so you may need to adjust the time for smaller eggs. For a soft-cooked egg, use the Less mode; for a medium cooked egg, use the Normal mode; for a hard-cooked egg, use the More mode
SAUTÉ – Yes, you can sauté food in your Instant Pot® just as you would in a pan.
Use Less mode for simmering, thickening, reducing liquids and for foods that may burn easily; use Normal mode for searing; use More mode for browning and stir-frying. Remember, the maximum time for sauté is in 30 minute intervals as a safety precaution
SLOW COOK – Use the Less to correspond to a low (8 hour) slow cooker setting; use the Normal mode to correspond to a medium (6 hour) slow cooker setting; use the More mode to correspond to a high (4 hour) slow cooker setting
RICE – This program cooks on low pressure, and is best used for white rice. For rice with a firmer texture, use the Less mode; for rice with a normal texture, use the Normal mode; for rice with a softer texture, use the More mode.
MULTIGRAIN – Includes a presoaking time, and is best for brown rice, wild rice, and tougher whole grains. For a firmer texture, use the Less mode; for a normal texture, use the Normal mode; for a softer texture, use the More mode. The More setting includes the pre-soak prior to pressure cooking
PORRIDGE – Use the Less mode for Oatmeal; use the Normal mode for making rice porridge (congee); use the More mode for a porridge / congee that contains a mixture of beans or tougher grains
STEAM – For steaming vegetables, use the Less mode; for seafood and fish, use the
Normal mode; for meats, use the More mode. Always use the steam rack to elevate food above the water and use the QR (Quick Release) method to prevent overcooking the food
STERILIZE – This program is designed for sterilizing baby bottles, jars, and utensils. Use the Less mode to pasteurize dairy products; use the Normal mode for low pressure sterilization and canning of acidic fruits and vegetables; use the More mode for high pressure sterilization and canning of acidic fruits and vegetables
YOGURT – The Less mode is designed for Jiu Niang, a sweet fermented rice dish; the Normal mode is for fermenting milk when making yogurt, while the More mode is for pasteurizing milk
KEEP WARM – 3 temperatures to maintain food at different serving temperatures
COOKING PROGRAMS OPTIONS CHART
Program | Model | Setting | Cooking Option | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bean/ Chili | All Series | Less | Firmer texture | Choose setting based on bean texture desired, or adjust cook time manually. When cooking beans or legumes, always use NR to release pressure. |
| Normal | Soft texture | |||
| More | Very soft texture | |||
| Cake | Lux, Duo Plus, Ultra (6 & 8 quart), Viva 6 quart | Less | Lighter moist cake | Adjust cook time as directed in recipe. |
| Normal | Denser moist cake | |||
| More | Cheesecakes | |||
| Egg | All Series | Less | Soft -boiled eggs | Pre-set times are intended for extra large eggs. Adjust cooking time to account for different sized eggs. Plunge eggs into ice bath to prevent overcooking. |
| Normal | Medium -boiled eggs | |||
| More | Hard-boiled eggs | |||
| Meat/ Stew | All Series | Less | Soft meat texture | Choose setting based on meat texture desired, or adjust cook time manually. Allow meat to “rest” for 5-30 minutes, depending on size. It will reabsorb cooking juices for tender, succulent meat. |
| Normal | Very soft meat texture | |||
| More | Fall-off-the-bone meat texture | |||
| Multigrain | All series (6 & 8 quart) | Less | Brown rice, wild rice, black beans, chickpeas, etc. | Select “Less” or “Normal” based on type of grain and desired texture. Ensure dry beans are completely submerged in water. |
| Normal | Brown rice, wild rice, mung beans, etc. | |||
| More | Tough grains or a mixture of grains and beans | Begins with 45 minutes of warm water soaking time prior to 60 minutes of pressure cooking. Ensure dry beans are completely submerged in water. | ||
| Porridge | All Series | Less | Oatmeal steel cut or rolled | Adjust time as directed in recipe. Always use NR to release pressure when cooking foods that expand. |
| Normal | White rice porridge/congee | |||
| More | Rice porridge/congee with a mixture of various grains | |||
| Poultry | Duo (6 & 8 quart), Nova Plus 6 quart | Less | Soft texture | Choose setting based on meat texture desired, or adjust cook time manually. Allow poultry to “rest” for 5-10 minutes, depending on size. It will reabsorb cooking juices for tender, succulent meat. |
| Normal | Very soft texture | |||
| More | Fall-off-the-bone texture | |||
| Pressure Cook or Manual | All Series | Manual programming | Press Pressure Level to toggle between High and Low pressure. Use + / – keys to adjust cook time. Adjust according to recipe or preferred cooking habits | |
| NA | ||||
| Rice | All Series | Less | Tender but firm to bite | For cooking medium and long-grain white rice. Use 10-Minute Natural Release after cooking for perfect results. |
| Normal | Normal texture white rice | |||
| More | Softer texture white rice | |||
| Sauté | All Series | Less | Simmering, thickening, and reducing liquids | The display switching from “Hot” to “On” indicates cooker is maintaining temperature. If recipe ingredients are added before “Hot” message appears, it may not appear at all. As a safety precaution, maximum time is 30 minutes and cannot be adjusted. |
| Normal | Pan searing or sautéing | |||
| More | Stir-frying or browning meat | |||
| Slow Cook | All Series | Less | Corresponds to LOW on most temperature controlled slow cookers | Follow recipe directions for slow cooking. For best results, use the Instant Pot tempered glass lid. If using the stainless steel lid, ensure steam release handle is set to “Venting” position. |
| Normal | Corresponds to MED on some temperature controlled slow cookers | |||
| More | Corresponds to HIGH on most temperature controlled slow cookers | |||
| Soup/ Broth | All Series | Less | Soup without meat | Liquid remains clear due to lack of boiling motion. Due to high liquid content of most soups, always use NR to release pressure. |
| Normal | Soup with meat | |||
| More | Rich bone broth | |||
| Steam | All Series | Less | Vegetables | Use steam rack provided to elevate food from cooking liquid. Use QR to prevent food from overcooking. |
| Normal | Fish and seafood | |||
| More | Meat | |||
| Sterilize | Duo Plus, Ultra (6 & 8 quart), Viva 6 quart | Less | No pressure steam sterilization | Suitable for tempered glass and heat-resistant plastics. |
| Normal | Sterilization of baby bottles, jars, utensils and water-bath canning of acidic fruits and vegetables. | Low pressure hot water bath canning. | ||
| More | Sterilization of baby bottles, jars, utensils and water-bath canning of acidic fruits and vegetables. | High pressure hot water bath canning. | ||
| Yogurt | Duo, Duo Plus, Ultra, Viva, Nova Plus, Smart Bluetooth | Less | For Jiu Niang, a sweet fermented glutinous rice dessert | Default fermentation time is 24:00 hours.Adjust time based on recipe. Default fermentation time is “08:00” hours Adjust as desired up to “99:30” hours. |
| Normal | Fermenting milk after culture has been added | ‘Yogt’ will be displayed on the screen when completed. | ||
| More | Pasteurizing milk | ‘boiL’ will be displayed on-screen while Smart Program is running ‘yogt’ will be displayed on the screen when completed |
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