Instant Pot

[uncle_bob]

Hi

At least on our trailer, the small version of the IP fits nicely where the way to small "stock" waste basket used to be located. At least for us, a much better use of space.

I've never seen any of our pots go into "error" mode. On ours, there are supposed to be codes that come up along with the error message. Common things flagged by the codes seem to be pressure not building up or temperature to high / low.

Bob

[gypsydad]

Originally Posted by crispyboy

We recently got an instant pot. My wife made cubed steak and it turned out wonderful - best ever.
She tried the same recipe a second time and the pot continually went into "error" mode and shut down.
Any idea why this happened?

We have a 3 qt for our AS, and a 5 qt at home; Also purchased 4 additional for our kids last Christmas...we all love them. Sounds like perhaps your instapont got "confused"?...The instructions are pretty simple for recipes, if you follow them. If your instapot does not have a specific automatic "setting" in the recipe your using, which is not unusual, you may get a bit "concerned' and try a different setting which can confuse the circuitry if you already had started selecting an "automatic button"...just thinking out loud. I have just disconnected, and started over with the electronics and adapted...if you think about it, this isn't rocket science....but if there is a problem with your unit after re-trying, I would contact Instapot.

[Lily&Me]

This is a great side dish, which kids love, and I wanted to try cooking it in my small IP.

It came out perfectly, sautéing the rice and orzo on the Sauté feature, adding the liquid and seasonings and then cooking on Rice.


Orzo Rice Pilaf

1 cup long grain rice
1/2 cup orzo pasta
2 cups good chicken broth
1 tsp dried parsley flakes
1/2 tsp each onion powder and garlic powder
2 tbsp butter or butter/oil mixture

Sauté the rice and orzo in the butter or oil, stirring frequently, until light golden brown.

Turn IP off, add broth and seasonings, stir well, secure lid and press Rice button to cook.

Maggie

[Lily&Me]

In the Washington Post today...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...=.852bad734b3a

[uncle_bob]

Originally Posted by Lily&Me

In the Washington Post today...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...=.852bad734b3a

Hi

There was also an article about how Instant Pot cooking has pretty much taken over Indian cooking. I believe that was back about 6 weeks ago.

Bob

[Lily&Me]

I liked all the cookbooks in this article.

Maggie

[urnmor]

I just read this for those who might be interested. Just not sure it the sale is still on.The 6qt InstantPot is on sale today. I got this from tech bargains.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...2NTF00SVNqAUsx

[KJRitchie]

My wife is hankering for the 3qt model. We have a 6 qt pressure cooker we use on the stove currently. When boondocking you would need to use the inverter. Are you able to run the IP for 1/2 hour on 200ah of batteries. 3qt is 700 watts.

Kelvin

[Rocinante]

Doesn’t seem a good idea. If those are lead-acid batteries, you can only use half that total capacity.

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by KJRitchie

My wife is hankering for the 3qt model. We have a 6 qt pressure cooker we use on the stove currently. When boondocking you would need to use the inverter. Are you able to run the IP for 1/2 hour on 200ah of batteries. 3qt is 700 watts.

Kelvin

How about this SS 4-quart pressure cooker?

https://www.amazon.com/Presto-6-Quar...%2Bcooker&th=1

We all carry tons of propane in the tanks, so not sure why gearing up for a 120-volt device makes much sense when boondocking IMO.

Keep It Simple, Stu.

Peter

[nryn]

I’m definitely bringing our stovetop pressure cooker (which I no longer use at home since we have an Instant Pot). It doubles as a normal large stock pot too (the only extravagance being the heavier kid), and I’m all about multipurpose.

But it’s important to realize that the Instant Pot does more than a pressure cooker does and with a lot less effort/thought. We do use the Instant Pot quite a bit since getting it and it’s really well suited to hands-free, not-even-present cooking (feels safer to me than even the slow cookers). Plus it can be hauled outside if that’s where the kitchen happens to be.

As such I’ll probably get a 3qt Instant Pot (or bring along our 6qt) for the trailer too for when we are plugged in. We’ll see how much space we have.

[Rocinante]

It’s also important to realize the Instant Pot will only be useful when you have shore power.

[Lily&Me]

Or, if you’re running your generator to charge your batteries.

In 30 minutes, you can charge the batteries and cook a full meal in the IP.

Maggie

[uncle_bob]

Hi

All of these gizmos pull a lot of power to get up to temperature (700 watts or whatever the rating is). Once they *get* to temperature, the power backs off. Just how much it backs off is very much a "that depends sort of thing. Thus the rest of this is *very* much a wild guess:

700W => 72A at 12V and 80% efficiency.

If your batteries are good for 100AH (full to stop using) then you have 82 minutes of full power.

Figure something like 10 to 15 minutes at full power to get up to temperature.

Maybe run at 1/2 to 1/3 power for an hour. So 20 to 30 minutes of full power equivalent.

Coast down from there (so no power past that).

We do a lot of stuff that is done in under an hour at pressure ....

Bob

[SCOTTinNJ]

Just so happens I ran a test with my instant pot recently. Here's a picture of it running off the 1000w stock inverter with 300ah of lithiums. It runs either full tilt or hardly at all. So it's full tilt until it reaches temp then cycles between 100% and 0. There is no in between as I thought.

I made steel cut oats and drew down 30ah for the full cook. I used the porridge setting.

[AirstreamCSH]

Originally Posted by OTRA15

How about this SS 4-quart pressure cooker?

https://www.amazon.com/Presto-6-Quar...%2Bcooker&th=1

We all carry tons of propane in the tanks, so not sure why gearing up for a 120-volt device makes much sense when boondocking IMO.

Keep It Simple, Stu.

Peter

Once you own one and start using it, you’ll do whatever is needed to keep it operation. Simply the best thing since the fork.

[OTRA15]

. . . except that a fork works without electricity . . .



"Boondocking" was the premise, for which the Instant Pot is not really the best tool IMO.

[Rocinante]

Exactly. We have 400AH of lithium and a 3000 watt inverter on board, and we still wouldn’t bring an amperage hog like that on a camping trip. Nope, we can put something much more useful in that amount of space when boondocking. [emoji6]

[SCOTTinNJ]

Originally Posted by Rocinante

Exactly. We have 400AH of lithium and a 3000 watt inverter on board, and we still wouldn’t bring an amperage hog like that on a camping trip. Nope, we can put something much more useful in that amount of space when boondocking. [emoji6]

Sounds like you have plenty of headroom with 400 ah.

[Rocinante]

We do, but we’d rather save our AH for more important uses, so we mostly cook with propane. [emoji6]