7 Unexpected Things to Make in Your New Instant Pot

7 Unexpected Things to Make in Your New Instant Pot
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If you didn’t get an Instant Pot as a gift this holiday season, it’s probably because you already have one (or you because you don’t cook that much and didn’t ask for one). The tabletop pressure cooker has been quite popular for several years now, which means the internet is full of related recipes, but I’d like to think I have a few your probably haven’t seen, and I think you should see them right this instant.

[referenced id=”1041250″ url=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2020/12/the-first-9-unexpected-things-to-make-with-your-new-sous-vide-circulator/” thumb=”https://www.gizmodo.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2020/12/29/gvdt3ddu5yas862pyt8l-300×169.jpg” title=”The First 9 Unexpected Things to Make With Your New Sous-Vide Circulator” excerpt=”The immersion circulator is no longer the “it girl” she once was. Her status as the most buzzed-about and sought-after appliance has faltered, and some might say she’s been replaced by the Instant Pot and air fryer (even though they do completely different things). But I’d bet more than a…”]

Korean sauna eggs

Photo: Claire Lower
Photo: Claire Lower

These “toasted” eggs usually take about seven hours to reach this nutty, tender state, but you can get there in two with the Instant Pot. All you need is eggs, water, and a little salt. Put it all in the pot, cook for 90 minutes under high pressure, then peel away the shell to reveal a toasty, browned white and fluffy yolk.

[referenced id=”868752″ url=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2019/08/make-korean-sauna-eggs-in-your-pressure-cooker/” thumb=”https://www.gizmodo.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2018/12/20/yfzundkig8ricpaf4l6t.jpg” title=”Make Korean Sauna Eggs In Your Pressure Cooker For Breakfast” excerpt=”I am forever surprised by how many different ways you can cook and eat eggs. Within the scrambled genre alone, I have three favourites (super slow, whipped with a blender, and blended with cheese). Recently, I’ve been really into the hard bois. I love devilling them (obviously), and wrapping them…”]

Flaky finishing salt

Photo: Claire Lower
Photo: Claire Lower

Pyramid-shaped salt crystals add flavour and texture to your food, and you can use the Instant Pot to DIY them. Make a saturated saline solution (aka really salty water) with kosher salt, pour it in your Instant Pot, and hit the “Slow Cooker” button. Leave the lid off and walk away. After about an hour, you will see crystals forming. Leave them alone, and let the water continue to slowly evaporate until you have a pile of flake salt. Let dry on paper towels. (You can also use a regular slow cooker, though you will have to make the saline solution in a separate pot.)

[referenced id=”870334″ url=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2019/01/make-flaky-finishing-salt-in-your-slow-cooker-or-instant-pot/” thumb=”https://www.gizmodo.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2019/01/11/rnrckmr3du8tcbwee3yb.jpg” title=”Make Flaky Finishing Salt In Your Slow Cooker” excerpt=”As of two minutes ago, I have 17 different types of salt in my kitchen, including a Jacobsen sampler (which I am methodically working my way through) and a packet of THC-infused stuff (which I have not tried). I love all of my salty sons dearly, but the Diamond Crystal…”]

An easy kimchi pork roast

Photo: Claire Lower
Photo: Claire Lower

Pork shoulder is not an “unexpected” thing to cook in your Instant Pot, but this recipe is unexpectedly easy (and one of my favourites). Kimchi, vinegar, soy sauce, and sugarcoat the pork, creating a sticky, flavorful sauce for the mass of tender meat. I love it more than is decent, particularly over a scoop of mashed potatoes.

[referenced id=”859818″ url=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2018/10/this-kimchi-pork-roast-will-warm-you-to-your-bones/” thumb=”https://www.gizmodo.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2018/10/16/hcj6sqr7brn0vx0o6vsn-300×169.jpg” title=”This Kimchi Pork Roast Will Warm You To Your Bones” excerpt=”When I think about comfort food, a warm and tender, falling apart mass of roasted meat is high on the list. Chuck roasts are great, but pork shoulders have recently been starring in my dreams. Due to the amount of time needed to braise a big chunk of fatty meat,…”]

Grits

Photo: Lynne Ann Mitchell, Shutterstock
Photo: Lynne Ann Mitchell, Shutterstock

Do you love grits but hate stirring? Use your Instant Pot’s porridge setting to cook them. Worried about clumping? Bring the water (and the grits) to a boil before closing the pot, so they’re constantly moving, even as they come to pressure. Serve with lots of butter and a little hot sauce.

[referenced id=”934718″ url=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2020/07/how-to-cook-grits-in-your-instant-pot/” thumb=”https://www.gizmodo.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2020/07/22/uuzaapba2inja3j7yhbe-300×169.jpg” title=”How to Cook Grits in Your Pressure Cooker” excerpt=”I will never understand people who don’t like eating grits, but I do understand people who don’t like making grits. Like preparing risotto and polenta, the process usually involves a good bit of stirring, and I simply hate standing still in front of a stove. The good news is you…”]

Hot pot

Photo: norikko, Shutterstock
Photo: norikko, Shutterstock

While it’s not quite the same as a pre-pandemic hot pot night, you can use the Instant Pot’s “Sauté” function to keep a pot of broth very hot — hot enough to cook piles of thinly sliced meats, vegetables, and noodles. Other than the food you wish to cook in a swirling pot of broth, you’ll need some dipping sauces and some very long chopsticks (look for them at your local Asian grocery store).

[referenced id=”929534″ url=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2020/06/make-hot-pot-in-your-instant-pot/” thumb=”https://www.gizmodo.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2020/06/18/tjldmlyqrnjbbiuosrpc-300×169.jpg” title=”Make Hot Pot in Your Pressure Cooker” excerpt=”Whether you call it “hot pot” or “steamboat,” the Asian cooking method of simmering thinly sliced meat, seafood and a wide variety of vegetables in a pot of broth makes for a fun and delicious familial eating experience. The literal hot pot of broth is placed in the centre of…”]

Proofed bread

Photo: Claire Lower
Photo: Claire Lower

Hot bread is a wonderful thing, particularly on a cold day, but getting the dough to proof in a chilly kitchen can be a challenge. Luckily, the Instant Pot’s “Yogurt” setting creates the exact warm and damp environment your yeast needs to thrive. Just keep an eye on it, as it may rise even faster than you’re accustomed.

[referenced id=”1031635″ url=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2020/10/you-can-proof-bread-in-your-instant-pot/” thumb=”https://www.gizmodo.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2020/10/02/b5x8pfxdtmyx802uvzjn-300×169.jpg” title=”You Can Proof Bread in Your Pressure Cooker” excerpt=”It’s a bit ironic that the best time to bake bread (a cold, dark day) is the worst time to proof (or prove) bread. Bread yeast needs a warm, kind of humid environment to thrive, and it can be hard to find such conditions come October. A microwave makes a…”]

Steamed hams (cheeseburgers)

Photo: A.A. Newton
Photo: A.A. Newton

Steamed hams (aka Instant Pot cheeseburgers) are more than a Simpsons reference — they’re the easiest, beefiest burger you can make on a weeknight. They’re like fast-food burgers, but better, and they require little clean up (all you have to do is throw out the foil packets).

Want to add an Instant Pot to your kitchen collection? Grab one from Amazon here.


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At Lifehacker, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you'll like too. We have affiliate and advertising partnerships, which means we may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. BTW – prices are accurate and items in stock at the time of posting.

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