Will look those up, Dol. My experience is that there are a lot of bad/boring/bland slow cooker/crockpot recipes!!

I cooked our traditional steamed chocolate pudding in the instant pot (I have a special steamed pudding container that has a lid), I put about 1” of water in the bottom, the steamer rack, and then the pudding container, and left the vent open - so it was NOT quicker, but it did free up a burner on the stove. (It’s something I normally steam in a the large spaghetti pot on the stove) It worked great. I also cooked the smashed potatoes ahead of time, because I didn’t want to be messing with them and the gravy right at the end, and once they were done, I transferred them to the other (3 quart) instant pot and pressed “keep warm”. That was nice too, because it freed up space around the stove/oven.

Well - tried the steel cut oat meal - and another disappointment. Our rice cooker does a much better job.

We've never been a fans slow cooker food. A friend raved how it transformed her life - but the food seemed pretty bland to us.

We eat a lot of chicken and fish - an occasional roast or burgers. Carol makes soups - but again, I don't know there is any advantage. Making hard boiled eggs in it doesn't excite me.

Wondering what you didn’t like about them? I’ve done steel cut oats twice and they were perfect. Ratio of 3 water to 1 oats. 3 quart insta pot. Pressure cook set for 3 minutes let it depressurize on its own. (Which takes very little time)

Recipes matter. If you have a boring recipe, the instant pot won’t make it better. Just faster! Advantage is 1) how fast it is. You cannot saute in a slow cooker. You can sauté in the instant pot. For stews and soups cooked the traditional way - they need lots of time for the flavors to blend well. Often chili is better the second day (done in a slow cooker) But I find I get that “cooked all day” flavor in less than an hour in the instant pot.

I was wondering the same thing about the oats. I found that they come out pretty much the same in the Zojirushi fuzzy logic rice cooker or the IP.

jodi is so right about recipes; they matter a whole lot. That said, we are definitely fans of soups and stews and one pot kinds of meals, so the IP is right up our alley.

It's too bad it's been a disappointment...

quote:

Originally posted by well-tempered gardener:
The IP has a slow cooker setting, too...

Thanks for the recommendation on the cookbook, dol. For some reason it says the Kindle version is not available for sale, but I did find Ricardo's website and there seem to be a lot of recipes there. I think I'll try some of them out...as a bonus, the recipes use US measurements, no conversions required!

Slow cooker recipes: https://www.ricardocuisine.com.../slow-cooker-recipes

Oops - that may be a country issue. We really liked the meatloaf recipe (we were surprised), and I find that his recipes for things like pulled pork solve all the problems that I’ve found with other slow cooker versions. The Butter Chicken was delicious. The pineapple chicken and beef stroganoff were also really yummy.

Today I made a batch of the lentil and spinach soup that AM posted a recipe for earlier in this thread.

Was traipsing around the same blog and spotted this recipe for Slow Cooker Quinoa, Sweet Potato, & Black Bean Vegetarian Chili.



https://www.kitchentreaty.com/...an-vegetarian-chili/

Looks nummy. I'll post results....

eta: Anyone got any thoughts on how to convert this to pressure cooker instead of slow cooker? I haven't made pressure cooker chili but I'm sure there are recipes out there...

Look what I found!

https://sweetpeasandsaffron.co...ea-chilli-with-lime/

https://www.centercutcook.com/...ot-vegetarian-chili/

https://www.cookincanuck.com/i...tarian-chili-recipe/

I've cooked steel cut oats in the IP on the porridge setting. Here's someone who cooks them on high pressure and has experimented with different proportions of oats to water:





I tried #4 and they came out perfect.

https://www.pressurecookrecipe...-pot-steel-cut-oats/

OK you instant pot peeps--my son is expressing a desire for something like this, or possibly a Crock Pot. BUT... an instant pot can also be a slow cooker, right?

He also says there is a model that can be remotely controlled via app. I've been looking through all the models on Amazon and I see a lot of programmables, but nothing that specifically says you can control it via app. Does anyone know if such a mythical item exists? What he claims is that you can load all the ingredients in the morning, then remotely fire it up as you're coming home from work and voila! Dinner ready as you walk in the door. Again he says the food doesn't spoil if left out all day....?

Thanks for any help you all can provide.

Yes, the IP has a slow cooker setting.

I think Quirt has the bluetooth model of which you speak. Looks like Amazon may be out of stock, which is why they don't show up in a search.

https://instantpot.com/portfol...tem/smart-bluetooth/

I think bacteria are bacteria, and I would be concerned about spoilage. But I'm no microbiologist.

Yes, we have the Bluetooth model. No, I have never used the Bluetooth function. I don’t need to control my Instant Pot remotely.

I just thought of something...since it's Bluetooth, it has fairly limited range. I mean, Nina's son could start the IP when he got to the front door, but that's not much of a jump start...

Original recipe


So I made the Quinoa, Sweet Potato, & Black Bean Vegetarian Chili. It was delish. A more "fresh" taste than a long-simmered chili; it may have a different profile after it sits overnight. The quinoa is a really nice thickener.

It called for a couple of cans of black beans; I used one can of black beans and one of a tri-bean mix (kidney, pinto, and black).

I used a poblano pepper instead of regular green pepper and left out the cocoa. I diced up some avocado as a topping, along with shredded cheese and a little TJ's habanero hot sauce. Mr WTG skipped the avocado but included sour cream on his.

The original recipe is for a slow cooker. I cooked it a high pressure for 10 minutes and then let it sit for another ten before releasing the pressure. The sweet potatoes were nicely done but not mush.

Definitely a winner. I think I may include some corn kernels next time, and some chilis in adobo sauce might be a nice addition too.

Here's the original recipe for the slow cooker with my notations for the Instant Pot and ingredient modifications:

Slow Cooker Quinoa, Sweet Potato, & Black Bean Chili

An unbelievably easy, protein-rich, and hearty chili to warm up the coldest of winter nights.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed well in cool water
3 cups cooked black beans (about 2 [15-ounce] cans, drained) [vary the bean mix to your taste]
2 cups vegetable broth [I used water plus some Beef Better Than Bouillon]
2 (14-ounce) cans diced tomatoes [I used Muir Glen diced fire roasted tomatoes]
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced {poblano pepper]
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced*
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons cocoa powder [optional]
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Additional salt and pepper to taste

Topping ideas:

Cilantro
Greek yogurt, sour cream, or vegan sour cream
Shredded cheese
Chopped green onions
[Avocado or guacamole]
TJ's habanero hot sauce]

Directions:

[Set 6 quart IP to saute and cook onions for five minutes]

Add all ingredients (except additional salt and pepper and toppings) to a 3-quart or larger slow cooker [6 quart Instant Pot] . Cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 5-6 hours. [Set IP to high pressure cook and set for 10 minutes. Allow to sit for another 10 or 15 minutes, then depressurize] That’s it! Taste and add additional salt and pepper if desired. Serve with assorted toppings. Keeps refrigerated in an airtight container for about 3 days. It freezes well, too!

* Because jalapeno peppers can vary greatly heat-wise, I like to take a quick taste and see how hot it is. If it’s fairly mild, I’ll add seeds along with the flesh. If it’s pretty spicy, I’ll discard the seeds and even sometimes use only half of the pepper. Go with what you’re comfortable with!
Meat option:

Add cooked diced chicken or browned ground turkey to the batch or to individual portions.

Tried an insta-pot pressure cooker setting for broccoli and califlower... Essentially put a steamer basket in, toss cut-up hunks in and set it to HIGH for 0 minutes. Release steam right away.

I got side-tracked and missed releasing the steam... The "mushy veggie" folkes loved it!!

Easy. I can cook these.

The Greek chicken is popular. I add kalamata olives and a chopped tomato to four chicken breast. I add a little feta cheese to the mix and more after it goes on the plate.