9 Things You Didn’t Know About the Instant Pot–once you get the hang of using the manual/pressure cook, saute and keep warm buttons you might want to learn some other things about the Instant Pot. Did you know all of these Instant Pot hacks?
Get the SLOW COOKER version here
9 Things You Didn’t Know About the Instant Pot (Video)
FYI: In the video and in this article I used my 6 quart Instant Pot Duo 60 7 in 1*. Other models of Instant Pots might work differently. Refer to the manual that came with your Instant Pot.
In case you’d rather read the information than watch the video here is the information…
#1: The slots in the handles are to hold the lid
The Instant Pot lid has little fins on the side handles. And if you want to take the lid off while cooking, you can just stick that fin into the matching tab on the side of the Instant Pot. They’re the same size and fit right together. The Instant Pot even comes with a little plastic cup that clips to the back and catches any condensation that drips down.
#2: How to Disable the Keep Warm Setting
Usually after food has been cooked the Instant Pot automatically switches over to the KEEP WARM setting. However, you can set the keep warm function to NOT come on after a cooking program is over. Just press the cooking program two times instead of just once. For example if you press the manual button for pressure cooking then press the manual button a second time. The light on the keep warm button will toggle on and off as you press the program button several times. If the light toggles off it means that the pot will not go to the keep warm setting when it is done cooking.
#3: Turn Off the Sound
The beeps and sounds on the Instant Pot are satisfying to some but to others they may be annoying. Especially if you have a sleeping baby. Or if your yogurt is set to finish at 5 in the morning. You can turn off the sounds of the Instant Pot. Just hold the – button down for 3 seconds until the display says S OFF. If you want to turn the sound back on then you can hold the + button for 3 seconds and it will say S ON.
#4: Reset to Factory Settings
The previously used cooking settings, including time, pressure and temperature are stored once the custom settings are defined, even after the Instant Pot is unplugged from power source. To reset to factory default settings, press and hold the “Adjust” button for 3 seconds when the Instant Pot is in the OFF mode.
#5: L Stands for Lapsed Time
When the pot is done with a cooking cycle it switches over to the keep warm setting and starts counting up. The display will start with an L. For example it will say L0:05, meaning it has been done for 5 minutes. The L stands for Lapsed Time.
#6: Timer button is for a delayed start
You can set food to cook on a delay. I would not recommend using this feature for meats, however, as that could cause foodborne illness. To delay cooking just set your Instant Pot to the time that you want it to cook using the manual button (or other button) and then press the button called Timer. Set the timer for how long you want the Instant Pot to delay cooking using the + or – buttons.
#7: Saute settings
Did you know you can adjust the saute setting to different heat settings? Use the adjust button to set the saute to LESS for simmer, NORMAL to sauté and MORE for browning.
#8: There’s a plastic cover on the display
When you get a new Instant Pot there will be a invisible plastic cover on the display. You probably won’t even know that it’s there until it starts to bubble up in a few weeks. Just peel it off and discard.
#9: You can use the yogurt setting to proof bread
I love making bread but on a cold granite countertop it can take way too long to raise. That’s where your Instant Pot comes in handy. Squirt a little oil in the bottom of you pot and place the dough inside. Flip the dough so that both sides are oiled. Now cover the pot with a glass lid, a plate or even plastic wrap works. Do NOT use the normal Instant Pot lid as the dough can raise, push the valve and get the lid stuck. Press the yogurt button and use the adjust button to turn it to the less setting. It will take about 30 minutes.
What Pressure Cooker Did You Use?
In the video and in this article I used my 6 quart Instant Pot Duo 60 7 in 1*. Other models of Instant Pots might work differently. Refer to the manual that came with your Instant Pot.
*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
My 3 quart doesn’t hold my lid im very disappointed wish i had paid more attention when ordering it thinking going up to 6 quart just have that feature
A 6 quart is my favorite!
I just received my 6 quart instant pot and never used one before. The manual seems like it’s written in a foreign language (it isn’t), and I’m scared to use it!! Has anyone felt this way when they first got theirs?
Hi Barb, watch this! It will help you: https://youtu.be/EJd6dC5d62U
I know just how you feel. I look at it, it looks back. With all the different models, it seems to need a math degree in order to work it. Ive done the water test..keep warm message came on and no mention of what to do. Am thinking ive made a mistake, but refuse to be beaten
Hi Karen. I have IPDuo60 but it doesn’t have Adjust button. Would you please advise me how to reset factory settings with other buttons. I’d be very grateful for your reply.
Kind regards,
Christine
Hi Christine if you go here you can find your exact model and the manual that will direct you what to do: https://instantpot.com/english-manuals/
Thanks so much, Karen. I found it, thanks to you. It was press and hold the Cancel button.
Yay!!!
Yes and I took mine back to the store may try later just not right now.
I have the instant pot viva 9 in 1 and there is no steam button on it,
what button do I need to use if I need to steam something?
Thank You:
Dale Pelot
You can just use the pressure cook button.
Great tips, I knew most of them but the saute function I just figured it out (going from low to high) so glad too because it gets food HOT which is great for reheating soups etc, the pot does it fast! I am really a fan our your site and when I get into a instant pot conversation I always recommend it. I have cooked so many things not just soups or stews. Today I made a key lime cheesecake in the pot got my fingers crossed cause I hate making cheesecake in the oven! Also appreciate the links you give for accessories. I have purchased many of them so I am always ready for new recipes. Thanks Karen
My daughter made a Key Lime Pie last week and you would think it had been made on the island it was sooooo good. Hope yours turns out as good we are ready for another one. This stay in place ( for the virus has made all of our clothes start to shrink.
I love it! Tell us if your key lime worked out 😊
9 Things You Didn’t Know About the Instant Pot
By Karen Peterson at 365 Days of Slow + Pressure Cooking
#1: The slots in the handles are to hold the lid
The Instant Pot lid has little fins on the side handles. And if you want to take the lid off while cooking, you can just stick that fin into the matching tab on the side of the Instant Pot. They’re the same size and fit right together. The Instant Pot even comes with a little plastic cup that clips to the back and catches any condensation that drips down.
#2: How to Disable the Keep Warm Setting
Usually after food has been cooked the Instant Pot automatically switches over to the KEEP WARM setting. However, you can set the keep warm function to NOT come on after a cooking program is over. Just press the cooking program two times instead of just once. For example if you press the manual button for pressure cooking then press the manual button a second time. The light on the keep warm button will toggle on and off as you press the program button several times. If the light toggles off it means that the pot will not go to the keep warm setting when it is done cooking.
#3: Turn Off the Sound
The beeps and sounds on the Instant Pot are satisfying to some but to others they may be annoying. Especially if you have a sleeping baby. Or if your yogurt is set to finish at 5 in the morning. You can turn off the sounds of the Instant Pot. Just hold the – button down for 3 seconds until the display says S OFF. If you want to turn the sound back on then you can hold the + button for 3 seconds and it will say S ON.
#4: Reset to Factory Settings
The previously used cooking settings, including time, pressure and temperature are stored once the custom settings are defined, even after the Instant Pot is unplugged from power source. To reset to factory default settings, press and hold the “Adjust” button for 3 seconds when the Instant Pot is in the OFF mode.
#5: L Stands for Lapsed Time
When the pot is done with a cooking cycle it switches over to the keep warm setting and starts counting up. The display will start with an L. For example it will say L0:05, meaning it has been done for 5 minutes. The L stands for Lapsed Time.
#6: Timer button is for a delayed start
You can set food to cook on a delay. I would not recommend using this feature for meats, however, as that could cause foodborne illness. To delay cooking just set your Instant Pot to the time that you want it to cook using the manual button (or other button) and then press the button called Timer. Set the timer for how long you want the Instant Pot to delay cooking using the + or – buttons.
#7: Saute settings
Did you know you can adjust the saute setting to different heat settings? Use the adjust button to set the saute to LESS for simmer, NORMAL to sauté and MORE for browning.
#8: There’s a plastic cover on the display
When you get a new Instant Pot there will be a invisible plastic cover on the display. You probably won’t even know that it’s there until it starts to bubble up in a few weeks. Just peel it off and discard.
#9: You can use the yogurt setting to proof bread
I love making bread but on a cold granite countertop it can take way too long to raise. That’s where your Instant Pot comes in handy. Squirt a little oil in the bottom of you pot and place the dough inside. Flip the dough so that both sides are oiled. Now cover the pot with a glass lid, a plate or even plastic wrap works. Do NOT use the normal Instant Pot lid as the dough can raise, push the valve and get the lid stuck. Press the yogurt button and use the adjust button to turn it to the less setting. It will take about 30 minutes.
Thank you Eric Steiner
Is there some way we can print your “Nine things you didn’t know about your instant pot”?
Thanks
Copy and Paste the entire document to a Word Processor program and save it or print it.
Hi-light the nine things – click-copy – open a word document and paste – save to your desktop or make a file for things like this and paste – and Bob’s your uncle.
And remember
if the women don’t find ya handsome
they should at least find ya handy
Yer Welcome
the Commodore
Hello Karen. This is Allie I’ve wrote several times. I have a brand name “Insta Pot” but it does NOT have the yogurt function, what do i/can I do, anything? Allie
Since not all Instant Pots have the same settings or messages, here are a few different ones for the Duo Evo Plus:
– The sauté setting goes from 1 to 6. Some people have gotten a burn message at 6.
You can’t set the time to zero! The equivalent, though, is to set the time for 1 minute, and when It comes to pressure and starts cooking, Just press Cancel and you can turn on Keep Warm if desired. It beeps when the timed cooking begins and you can see the timer start counting.)
There’s no L for elapsed time when on Keep Warm. There’s a little Keep Warm icon though. But you know it’s a max of 10 hours.
And it’s Instant Pot, not Instapot. 😉
Well excuse me for leaving out a letter but thank you for the info, Allie
Hi, sorry you won’t be able to proof bread in your pot without the yogurt function.
You said once that the slow cooker of the instant pot was not that great. Please tell me how to use it. Thank you
Monique
Use the highest setting on the slow cooker setting when using the Instant Pot. The lower setting is like warm, not low.
So the High setting is like the low setting on a regular slow cooker ?
Monique
I’d say the middle setting on the instant pot is like the low setting on a crockpot and the highest setting on the instant pot is like the high setting on crockpot.
Hi Karen
I’m on my second Instant Pot and on both of them I noticed the high setting seems like low setting on the slow cookers I have. I have made stews and pot roasts and noticed that even on high the sauce took MUCH longer to cook than on the Crockpot.
Also, an unrelated question. I noticed recently that the “Keep Warm” light goes on every time I start the “Pressure” cook setting. I may be mistaken, but I seem to remember that it used to come on at the end of the cooking. Can you let me know? Thanks!
Hi Dave, what version of Instant Pot do you own?
Hi Karen
I have the same one as you use: Instant Pot Duo 60 7 in 1.
So I asked my facebook group this question and they stated that it is totally normal and a lot of them said the same thing happens to them. I think it depends on the model. My older one doesn’t do this but my newer one does.
The IP Lux is not built to hold the lid and does not have a drip cup 🙁 . Is there a way to proof dough with this model?
Not that I know of Carol!
You have a wonderful site. When I go to my emails I look for yours before any others. I have to go to a bible study and take a main dish. What would you suggest?
Hi Lanie thank you so much!
Here are some ideas:
https://www.365daysofcrockpot.com/instant-pot-cajun-sausage-potatoes-and-green-beans/
https://www.365daysofcrockpot.com/instant-pot-bbq-beef-sandwiches/
https://www.365daysofcrockpot.com/instant-pot-homemade-hamburger-helper/
https://www.365daysofcrockpot.com/instant-pot-no-peek-chicken/
https://www.365daysofcrockpot.com/instant-pot-hawaiian-chicken/
https://www.365daysofcrockpot.com/10-instant-pot-mac-and-cheese-recipes/
https://www.365daysofcrockpot.com/instant-pot-slow-cooker-chicken-salad/
https://www.365daysofcrockpot.com/instant-pot-cheesy-chicken-broccoli-rice-casserole/
HI Karen,
When I use my instant Pot I set the timer and it does not beep after the set time. Can you help me?
Did you set the “timer” button or the “manual” or “pressure cook” button?
To set the time I just push the pressure cook and then adjust the time accordingly.
Have you tried resetting to default settings?
OK, I will try that thank you so much, for all of your help. Have a great Saint Patrick’s Day!
You too!
If resetting the instant pot does not work what should I do about the timer? My instant pot does not have a timer button or a manual button.
My Instantpot no longer shows “L” for lapsed time, When the time is up the clock just counts up with no L in front. How can I get it back?
What model do you have Dana?
I have the DUO Plus 60. The L was there then it wasn’t, I tried to reset but it didn’t bring it back.
so weird! I really am not sure what is happening with that.
The same thing happened to me .. I have a 6qt Nova Plus from Costco. The L used to be there and now it’s gone! I tried turning off Keep Warm and then tried with it back on and still no L.
You asked what pot I used. My name is Allie, I have the 6 qt IP-LUX. It does not have the slots on the handles for the lid nor does it have the Yogurt setting, but I have fallen in love with it. Use it at least once a week or more. I don’t mind not having the yogurt setting as niether my wife or myself eat that stuff. Just bought this just before Christmas and have already made at least eight recipes in it some several times. Looking forward to seeing your recipes but no surger, we are both diabetics. Your friend, Al
Welcome! So glad you’re here 🙂
I was hoping that pressure cooked chicken breasts would come out as tender as slow cooked chicken and just practically fall apart, I’ve tried several recipes and the chicken is really not tender at all. Any thoughts?
I like to cook them in broth for 12 minutes, usually. This recipe always comes out great for me: https://www.365daysofcrockpot.com/instant-pot-seasoned-shredded-chicken/
Excellent Instant Pot Sharing…. How much meat can I cook in this Duo Mini?
Well it’s 3 quarts and you can fill it about 2/3 full. What type of meat are you looking to cook in it?
Been trying to learn about my IP by reading all your articles, haven’t seen the answers to some of my questions. Do you remove the seal and wash it each time? Will this damage it? Do you oil the inside before cooking in it? What do you mean by deglazing?
Here’s a quick video on deglazing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NGInSlbtGc
I don’t remove the seal every single time but every now and then. It won’t damage it. Just pop it out and put in back in securely when you are done. I don’t oil the pot.
Thanks for answering my questions and also the video link, there were several videos I watched. I am really trying to learn how to use my IP and you are a big help. I have done eggs and did chix breasts to make shredded chix sandwiches and that was delicious.
So glad I could be helpful!
I have an 8 and 6 qt. The best kitchen invention yet. I use one almost every day and love your recipes. Thank you so much for the recipes and tips. I’m going to bake bread today to try out proofing in the IP.
HOORAY!!! Thanks Barb!
Your recipes are awesome! My favourite is the Tuscan Chicken Pasta. I’ve passed on the recipe to a few friends and they’ve all loved it. Merry Christmas! 🙂
Thanks Joanne! Merry Christmas to you too!
You can use the “saute” function to sterilize Mason jars. Just put it on high temperatures for about 5 minutes. The water will be a rolling boil!
I also use the low saute function to produce hot water for washing dishes.
Good idea!
Good info! I’m a bit intimidated by mine so this really helped! Looking forward to you 365 days of InstaPot recipes too! THANKS!
Once you get going you’ll love it!
I have been meaning to try and figure out if I could disable the sounds. My poor 11 year old lab was traumatized by our smoke alarm, and every time my IP beeps she frantically tries to get outside. I was feeling so guilty every time I used the pot since it upset her so much! Thanks from Lexie, and for the other info too!
Glad I could help!
My dog too! 🙁
Karen, I love All your recipes. Thank you!!!
Thank you so much Rosemary!
Wow, I think I only knew about the handles and the plastic protector sheet on the front of the machine. Thanks so much for all your tips here and in your emails.
I’m so glad this was helpful to you Christina!
I don’t get the slots on the handles are to hold the lid. Could you list a picture of how this works?
You can see in the video! It’s with the Duo so if you have a Lux that’s probably why you’re confused.
Wow I didn’t know you could proof dough on the yogurt setting! Thanks!
You’re welcome Heather! I’m glad it was helpful to you 🙂
My IP does not have a yogurt setting, so how could I
1) make yogurt?
2) proof bread?
I really enjoy all your IP hints.
I’ve never tried making yogurt without the yogurt button but here is an article that might help you: https://www.theferventmama.com/pressure-cooker-yogurt/
And I’m not sure about the proofing! I would maybe put it on the slow cook setting (the lowest setting).
Thanks for these hints..I didn’t know about a lot of the ideas you posted! I wish I could print them and save in my cookbook!
Oh I should make a printable to go with this! Thanks for the idea!
Thank you for the info! It was very helpful! Looking forward to much more help and tips! 😄
I’m so glad it was helpful to you Marlene!
Great post! Question tho… If you can reset to factory settings, how can you change the defaults? I didn’t know that was possible.
Every time you do a cooking program and change the settings, for example if you cooked something on manual for 5 minutes, the next time you go to push manual it will start at 5 minutes until you adjust it to something else. Does that make sense? It just stores the latest thing that you did.
thanks! So helpful!
I’m so glad Cathy!