Are pressure cookers a substitute for slow cookers?

[quikah]

I did a mac & cheese the other day with multiple kinds of cheeses and it came out super gooey & awesome.

Do you have a recipe for this? My kids love Mac & Cheese (obviously), trying to get away from the boxed stuff.

 

[ControlD]

I made a pot roast in my Instant Pot last night. Pretty cool device. The roast came out awesome, but it is still a pretty time consuming task.

I was amazed that the potatoes only had to cook five minutes to come out perfect.

I'm going to made some soup in it later this week. Once I get a feel for how long things really take, including the unit coming up to pressure, I will start to be more comfortable using it.

 

[Kaido]

Once I get a feel for how long things really take, including the unit coming up to pressure, I will start to be more comfortable using it.

Yeah, their advertised cook-time numbers are misleading because you need:

1. Pressurization time
2. Cook time (at pressure)
3. Natural pressure release

And it's variable because sometimes it will pressurize quick and sometimes it takes a long time, depending on the volume in the IP & how much liquid is in it. Cook time can vary based on how many steps are involved, i.e. if you're sauteing the meat first, or adding veggies in like potatoes after the roast is done. And pressure release can be quick, although for most meat dishes, natural pressure release (~20 minutes typically) is preferred to keep the meat tender by slowing dialing down the pressure.

So really, even if a recipe has a 20-minute cook time, you could be looking at a full hour if it takes 20 minutes to pressurize, 20 minutes to cook, and 20 minutes for a natural pressure release. The big benefit is that if it's a one-process dish (like just "pressure-cook on high for 20 minutes"), then that hour is just a waiting period, because once you dump it in & set the time, it handles the pressurization, cooking, and natural pressure release (and subsequent "warming" mode) automatically.

This is why I tell people to make a recipe a few times before taking it public...once you get it figured out, it's pretty much perfect every time, but you need to figure out how to get the results you want first, which usually takes two or three times (first time to see the initial results & do the tweaking, second time to attempt to get it 100% right, and third time to nail it based on what you've learned so that you can replicate it perfectly every time after that). That way when you have people over, you're not embarrassed because it didn't turn out how you thought it would (not that I would know...from experience...or anything :biggrin.

 

[Kaido]

Do you have a recipe for this? My kids love Mac & Cheese (obviously), trying to get away from the boxed stuff.

Sure, there are tons of variations. Typically takes 4 to 6 minutes, depending on the route you go (the only note here is not to do more than 50% of the pot with dry pasta, otherwise it will kind of bubble up & clog the vent...IP recipes typically have the correct liquid to pasta ratio listed). The basic idea is to cook up the noodles with the liquids & sauces/spices, and then stir in the cheese after you pop the top (melts into the hot noodles). If you want to try a new recipe, check out this one with evaporated milk as the secret ingredient:

http://dadcooksdinner.com/2013/04/pressure-cooker-macaroni-and-cheese.html/

You can optionally add a crumble crust to the top & do a quick bake, which is actually pretty good (makes it a creamy baked macaroni). Also, if you do sauces (red sauce or white sauce, for example), you can cook the noodles IN the sauce, which is a nice timesaver (traditionally you have to cook the noodles plain, then warm up the sauce, then mix them together). Plus you can use the saute feature for stuff like meat, in this recipe:

http://instantpot.com/tims-pressure-cooker-pasta/

Note that he calls for 20 minutes, but one commentor only needed 6 minutes. I haven't figured out why pressure cooking times vary so widely, I suspect it has to do with elevation, but again with the thing about doing the recipe a few times before showing it off for guests - it's good to nail it down so you have a working procedure. Oh, one other thing - if you're not adverse to processed food, I find that tossing in a square or two of flimsy cheese (like Kraft) gives the macaroni an extra creamy boost :thumbsup:

 

[KMFJD]

I've been using the instant pot a lot, it's a great time saver and works great

 

[slag]

Do you use coconut oil at all? I'm trying it tonight with the Flavacol. Supposed to make it more movie theater-like.

I've tried coconut oil and couldn't really tell a difference. I use regular cheap vegetable oil... /shrug.

My wife makes most of the popcorn. She has tons of those shakers to flavor it also which I rarely use.

 

[ControlD]

I'm making meatball and tortellini soup in my IP tonight. I am interested to see how an easier recipe works out. Also, it will be interesting to see how long it takes for a larger liquid volume to pressurize compared to something like a pot roast which has very little liquid.

 

[slag]

I bought spare ribs and rubbed them down with billy bones rub Saturday and let them rest in the fridge overnight.

http://www.billybonesbbq.com/

On Sunday afternoon, I put them in the smoker @ 285 degrees with some hickory chunks. After 90 minutes, I pulled one slab out and put it in the pressure cooker with 1/2 cup of bbq sauce and 1 cup of water and set the pressure to high for 30 minutes. I left the other slab on the smoker, but in hindsight, I should have wrapped it in foil..

After the 30 minute timer went off, I manually released the pressure and checked the ribs. The meat pulled off the bones and was tender and juicy and very easy to eat. It was just about perfect. An hour later, I pulled the other ribs off the smoker and they were a little tough on the ends, but very edible. They were harder and dryer of course, but still good. Overall, I liked the taste of the ones in the pressure cooker better and so did the family, although both were very edible. I'm still eating leftovers today...

 

[who?]

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/trisha-yearwood/crockpot-macaroni-and-cheese-recipe.html

 

[rstove02]

Pulled the trigger and bought an Instant Pot 50 model (1 quart smaller than the 60) and the glass lid for it for slow cooking. Nice to replace two old units with the IP. Am impressed with how little you have to monitor it unlike the stove top models and much quieter to boot. Does take slightly longer due to being lower pressure than standard pressure cookers, but since it is more hassle free I consider it no biggie.