A few years back, Instant Pots reigned as the must-have appliance, due to their ability to expedite the cooking process. Not only that—Instant Pots can slow cook, roast, bake, steam, air fry, and dehydratecountless ingredients, helping to create some of the most tasty and memorable dishes. But just because this versatile gadget can technically do it all, that doesn't mean it should. In fact, there are a handful of foods that just shouldn’t be pressure-cooked.
Among them are dairy and fried foods, as well as burgers and steaks. These foods are not Instant-Pot-friendly for a multitude of reasons. And while Instant Pots are a useful tool when baking cheesecake, custard, or mousse, it's definitely not the best method for other types of desserts. When it comes to cookies and pies, your best bet will always be to trust your oven.
Here are the foods you shouldn't cook in an Instant Pot.
If you’re thinking of making a homemade vodka sauce or broccoli cheddar soup in your Instant Pot, think again. You should always avoid adding dairy to your Instant Pot because the high temperature will cause it to curdle, separate, or clump together. Instead, add cheese to your dish once it’s finished cooking.
When it comes to making healthier versions of your favorite fried foods, it’s best to avoid the Instant Pot altogether. Pressure cookers lock in air and moisture to expedite the cooking process, which simply doesn’t work for foods that are meant to be crispy. Dishes like fried chicken, potato skins, and onion rings are better suited for an air fryer, otherwise, they’ll become a soggy, oily mess.
While you can certainly whip up a batch of Instant Pot burgers, it’s probably not the best cooking method. Plus, there's nothing more idyllic in the summer than a juicy char-grilled burger. And that's the trick—the only way to get that beautiful smoky char is to prepare your burgers on the grill or in a cast-iron pan. Making burgers in an Instant Pot will steam them instead, which isn't the way to go.
Steaks
Similarly to burgers, the best way to achieve that smoky char on a steak is to grill it or cook it to your desired temperature in a cast-iron skillet. Not only will the steak be juicer and more decadent, but it will take half the time to cook, too.
Cookies
The perfect cookie has a soft, gooey center and deliciously crisp edges, which is only made possible by an evenly heated oven. Baking your cookies in an Instant Pot isn't a good idea for a few reasons. For one, there isn't much room to bake a batch of cookies, but more importantly, the moisture from the Instant Pot will make the batter spread out.
Just like cookies, pies thrive when baked in dry heat from an oven. Otherwise, it’s nearly impossible to make a pie with a firm and flaky, crust (which if you ask us, is the best part). However, you can make a delicious and fruity pie filling in an Instant Pot—just be sure to bake the whole treat in the oven for the ultimate pie experience.
Among them are dairy and fried foods, as well as burgers and steaks. These foods are not Instant-Pot-friendly for a multitude of reasons. And while Instant Pots are a useful tool when baking cheesecake, custard, or mousse, it's definitely not the best method for other types of desserts.
Among them are dairy and fried foods, as well as burgers and steaks. These foods are not Instant-Pot-friendly for a multitude of reasons. And while Instant Pots are a useful tool when baking cheesecake, custard, or mousse, it's definitely not the best method for other types of desserts.
"When milk is boiled, the milk proteins coagulate and separate from the water." To prevent this from happening, make sure to add dairy ingredients at the very end, after pressure cooking (or skip the Instant Pot altogether).
They are most commonly used in industrial settings to quickly prepare meat or stocks. However, in most scenarios, Elite Chefs avoid using pressure cookers because they provide less control over the final dish. Chefs often prefer slow cooking techniques that accentuate and pull out the flavors of the food.
In a pressure cooker the temperature is to high due to which the most nutrition in milk will be destroyed and not only this the milk will also came out of the cooker.
With liquids, avoid filling more than half full. Overfilling leads to food being ejected from the pressure release valve – a messy business. If this does happen, you'll need to take apart and clean the parts thoroughly. You also need room in the pot for the steam to build up to facilitate cooking.
Mostly we boil potatoes in a pressure cooker, but like rice, potatoes also contain a lot of starch. This is the reason why boiling or cooking in this pressure cooker is not considered good for health. If you still plan to use cooker for the same, add a lot of water and wash them thoroughly post cooking.
You can still pressure cook leaner pieces – like eye of round and top sirloin – but these work best if they've been stuffed, shredded or rolled (with other ingredients). Best cuts of beef to use: Chuck steak, Round Roast, Shoulder, Pot roast, Ribs, Brisket, Oxtail.
The pressure cooking process breaks down tough meat, making it tender. Put the lid back on, seal the pressure cooker, and cook at high pressure for another 10 to 20 minutes.
If there's only one thing you should know it's that liquid is crucial when cooking with the Instant Pot. It's what enables it to work and make your food taste so gosh darn good. That's why pouring in some sauce instead of liquid is a major no-no. "We recommend you always use liquid—water, broth, anything like that.
The Instant Pot became an unnecessary appliance taking up space in my pantry. The Instant Pot is safe and effective at cooking food thoroughly, but I found that the downfalls of the machine didn't justify its space in the kitchen.
Cooking times: Instant Pots can often prepare food more quickly than air fryers. Food choices: Although both small kitchen appliances can prepare a wide range of foods, Instant Pots offer more recipe options. Ease of use: Air fryers are good for beginners, while Instant Pots have a learning curve.
Ease of use: Crockpots are generally easier to use because you just adjust the time and heat (low, high, and warm). Instant Pots have many more functions and steps, which add more potential points of confusion. Cleanup: This depends on the brand and model.
Disadvantages of cooking food in a pressure cooker
However, starchy foods may form acrylamide, a harmful chemical, when pressure cooked. Consumption of this chemical on a regular basis may lead to health issues like cancer, infertility, and neurological disorders.
Given Instant Pot's popularity, it was surprising to some when last week Instant Brands, the maker of Instant Pot — as well as other household brands including CorningWare, Snapware and Pyrex — announced that it had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, which is frequently referred to as a "reorganization" bankruptcy.
Milk is made up of water, fats, carbs, and protein. When you heat it, the water starts to evaporate, and the other components begin to separate. Bringing it to a boil too quickly can burn the sugars and curdle the whey protein.
With stovetop cookers there's still a small risk of pushing the pressure too high and blowing the thing up, but the Instant Pot doesn't have that danger. And it also has different pressure modes, so you can set it at low pressure for things like soup and high pressure when you're in a hurry.
In general, Instant Pots do so much more than just pressure cooking and can be used as a rice cooker, slow cooker, steamer yogurt maker, sauté pan, and a meal warmer.
Is it worth buying an Instant Pot? Yes, we do think an Instant Pot is worth it, particularly for pressure cooking. There's a reason it's one of the most popular kitchen appliances out there.
Introduction: My name is Saturnina Altenwerth DVM, I am a witty, perfect, combative, beautiful, determined, fancy, determined person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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