Slow & Pressure Cooker users thread.

Purchased my budget slow cooker in July 19 and the box is still unopened. :D:facepalm:

Think i might open it up Sunday and try and cook the easiest slow cooker meal possible to start with lol.

Go for it!
My slow cooker is the most budget model around, I think. It was about a tenner from The Range years ago, but it's one of my most used aplliances. Not much beats the smell of a nice beef stew cooking away. I stick mine on first thing on a Sunday morning and it's ready for dinner dinner time, just needs the dumplings chucking in about half hour before eating time.
It's so quick and easy to prepare.
 
:( Oh well, you gave it your best shot.
Thanks for the update.

Replacement just arrived (the old one is still here too, gotta love Amazon'd return policy). Putting bomb disposal kit on and going in
 
Good luck :)
 
Which Instant Pot for around three people?
 
Which Instant Pot for around three people?

We have the 5.7L and although it may appear large, it is perfect for us (2 people) and can also be used to batch cook for later.
Takes a whole medium chicken for example.

 
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I've found through trial and error that it is sometimes better to saute in another pan first and then add to the IP, which can be a real bugger at times with things that have a habit of burning with ease.

For me the machine comes into it's own when using the Stew function to tenderise long cook beef for use in Far Eastern dishes. Placing the meat in a metal dish, raised on an egg holder, above a cup or so of spiced water.
 
Anyone tried lamb shanks in the Instant Pot? Want to do kleftiko style shanks sitting on top of potatoes like they do in Greek restaurants, to soak up the lamb juices,

I’m thinking pressure cooking is no good as I don’t want them sitting in liquid, so would slow cooking without much liquid work ok? (Not done too much slow cooking with minimal liquid). Also don’t want the potatoes to over do & turn to mush. They will be whole/halved large potatoes, peeled. They need to stay that shape but be perfectly soft to eat.

Any advice would be appreciated, including timing & settings.

thanks

ps. I have the Duo 8 Litre. I need to cook for 6 people, so 6 shanks + 3-4 potato halves each.
 
If you can raise the food above the liquid then you can steam under pressure. Might be worth trying when it isn't mission critical if it doesn't work :)
 
Ah yes, I’ve read that somewhere now. So what do you use to raise it, that’s safe in an Instant Pot pressure?

This is mission critical but I have this weekend for a trial run. Do you think a long slow cook (10 hours....ish) is OK with minimal liquid?
 
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For the umpteenth time I’m looking at the Instant Pot, this time in a bid to be more healthy and become less reliant on ready meal-type stuff, which we’ve been more guilty of since having children.

I’ll admit to being a bit baffled by the (roughly) 7,291,245 different models/sizes. I think 5.7-litre would be right for two adults? Also two small children – they eat dinner much earlier than us so not counting them but guess they will be a factor in a year or two.

But then there’s the Duo, Duo Plus, Duo Evo Plus and Duo Crisp + Air Fryer, and probably more, as well as being 7-in-1, 9-in-1, 11-in-1 models, etc. I have no idea what any of this means in real terms or what the additional numbers are for or whether I’d want/need them.

Not fussed by air-frying (or the £180 price tag) so that rules out the Crisp. Would the bog-standard Duo 7-in-1 do me?
 
I have the Duo 7 in 1 and it does me fine, the 9 in 1 duo plus adds cake, eggs, and sterilise (that's 3 isn't it?) which may or may not be of interest and the Plus interface is neater and easier to use (according to Instant Pot).
 
I have the Duo 7 in 1 and it does me fine, the 9 in 1 duo plus adds cake, eggs, and sterilise (that's 3 isn't it?) which may or may not be of interest and the Plus interface is neater and easier to use (according to Instant Pot).
Thanks. No real need for the extras, not for another £20. Time to convince the wife...
 
Just one thing: If I read it right the duo plus allows you to change parameters "on the fly" so if you put it on say "low slow cook", you can change it to med or high in mid cook. On the duo you have to cancel the cook and set it up again. Which to be honest only takes a couple of extra button presses.
 
For someone struggling to justify spending £20 for the plus model over a £75 one that may be a bit over budget. :)
 
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ah sorry didn’t read all pages! Before we had a cheap slow cooker and cooked some amazing things just got to plan it.
 
For full clarity I changed my duo 7 in1 for a JML Power Quick Pot when they had a ridiculous half price offer on, so got it for silly money. The only reason for doing so was because it offers a sous vide mode, which, predictably I haven't tried yet :facepalm: . I may live to regret this as I assume the spares and repairs market is far better for Instant Pot as opposed to a JML product that may not exist next year.

The bottom line is that getting a 7, 9,10,11 all in one pot with 12, 14, 28, 34, infinite programmable features is a bit like buying a washing machine with 18 programmes when you only ever use it on daily quick. Decide which features you need and buy one that does that.
 
I use the stainless steel pot out of my IP 6lt for sous vide, but only because I have a wand.
At the time the IP did not come with a sous vide function, but if it did I would have probably bought it.

One thing I did look at when buying a pressure cooker was what would I use it for mostly and what would be functions that look great but do not get used.
 
Thanks, all.

I think the basic Duo will do us. Until I get the hang of it, it’ll be for things like chilli, stew, Bolognese, macaroni cheese, etc. Basically healthier, cheaper, homemade versions of some of the stuff we eat already. Like the idea of doing a whole chicken simply, too.

Even like the idea of making yoghurt, even though I can’t stand the stuff.
 
The yoghurt function is weird, it boils the milk, then you have to let it cool down enough to add a yoghurt starter. So it's not a one part process.
 
The yoghurt function is weird, it boils the milk, then you have to let it cool down enough to add a yoghurt starter. So it's not a one part process.
Sounds like a right faff for something I don't eat. Suspect that's one of many functions I'll never even explore!
 

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