Understanding Instant Pot Settings And Instructions

To the uninitiated, the control panel of an Instant Pot multicooker might resemble something you'd find on the bridge of the USS Enterprise. However, you don't have to be Jean-Luc Picard to know how to use Instant Pot settings and instructions to create delicious and healthy meals for you and your crew.

Using our easy-to-follow guide, I'll quickly promote you from red-shirt-wearing-canon-fodder to command-gold-wearing-captain-of-your-kitchen.

So, set phasers to 'bun' as I transport you to exciting new culinary worlds only imaginable by the late great Gene Roddenberry.

That's the last Star Trek reference, I promise.

With the science fiction set to one side and yours truly back on planet Earth, I'm going to take a real-world look at the extensive selection of programs and features you'll find across Instant Pot's massive range.

Whether you're new to Instant Pots and multicookers or just looking to brush up on your skills to get the most out of your appliance, this article contains nuggets of information that almost everyone will find helpful.

That said, not everyone will need to read my whole blog (it's pretty long), so here are some handy quick links to get you the information you're looking for at warp speed (oops).

Make it so!

Jump to:

• Instant Pot Settings
• Instant Pot Features
• Instant Pot Manual Mode
• Instant Pot Instructions
• Instant Pot Soup Setting
• Instant Pot Soup Cooking Tips
• Instant Pot Meat Stew Setting
• Instant Pot Meat and Stew Cooking Tips
• Instant Pot Bean Setting
• Instant Pot Bean, Legume, and Chili Cooking Tips
• Instant Pot Poultry Setting
• Instant Pot Chicken, Turkey, and Other Game Cooking Tips
• Rice Button On Instant Pot
• Instant Pot Rice Cooking Tips
• Instant Pot Multigrain Setting
• Instant Pot Multigrain Cooking Tips
• Instant Pot Porridge Button Setting
• The Water-to-Oats Ratios For Cooking Porridge In Your Instant Pot
• Instant Pot Steam Setting
• How To Steam In Instant Pot
• Instant Pot Slow Cook Setting
• How To Slow Cook With An Instant Pot Multicooker
• Instant Pot Saute Setting
• Yogurt, Keep Warm, Delay Start, and More

Instant Pot Settings

Every Instant Pot multicooker has a bunch of cooking functions and instructions that help you cook fantastic meals more efficiently than ever and will even help you save on your utility bills.

Selecting these features will completely change the way your Instant Pot cooks.

Instant Pot Features

The most common features across the range are:

• Pressure Cook: The electric pressure cooker builds high pressure, and forces steam into your food, cooking it faster and tenderizing tough cuts of meat.
• Steam Cook: Uses boiling water to create steam, cooking food by direct steam contact. Retains more nutrients and ideal for vegetables and fish.
• Slow Cook: Cooks food over an extended period at low temperatures, perfect for breaking down tougher ingredients and enhancing flavors in stews, soups, and roasts.
• Sous Vide: Heats food in a water bath at a precise, low temperature for even cooking. Popular for maintaining the texture and moisture of delicate items like fish and poultry.
• Sauté: Quickly cooks food at a high temperature with a small amount of fat, perfect for browning, caramelizing, and adding flavor before pressure or slow cooking.
• Keep Warm: Maintains a low temperature to keep food warm after cooking, without further cooking it, ideal for serving meals hot when needed.

If you've got an Instant Pot Duo Crisp+ (like me), you'll also have the air fryer function with five additional features to help you air fry like a maniac.

They are:

• Air Fry
• Roast
• Bake/Grill
• Dehydrate

These fundamental settings work in completely different ways and will require a working knowledge of the recipe you're using before you decide which function will be best for your food.

Instant Pot Manual Mode

You don't always have to use the pressure cook button. You can use the manual settings on your Instant Pot to concoct your own cooking cycles or to make minor adjustments to your favorite smart programs or functions.

Instant Pot Instructions

• Start the Instant Pot: Turn it on. The screen should display "OFF," indicating it’s in Standby mode.
• Choose Cooking Function: Press the cooking feature button (Manual on older models).
• Modify Cooking Time: Use the +/- buttons to adjust the time within each mode as needed. Most recipes will use Normal mode with adjusted times.
• Modify Cooking Temperature: Use the +/- buttons to adjust the temp within each mode as needed.
• Set Pressure Level (if needed): Use the Pressure Level button to toggle between High and Low pressure. Use High for most recipes; select Low for delicate foods like fish, seafood, or quick-cooking vegetables.
• Release Pressure (if needed): After cooking, choose Natural Release, Quick Release, or a combination of both, depending on the recipe.

For a more comprehensive look at the veritable cornucopia of useful Instant Pot settings, check out our blog on How to use the Instant Pot foe beginners.

Instant Pot Soup Setting

The general rule of thumb is that the Instant Pot soup setting is pre-programmed to set the pot to cook at high pressure for 30 minutes.

Your Instant Pots soup smart program knows that cooking the most delicious soup takes time. So, this cooking function gently heats your soup ingredients to ensure a tongue-tingling fusion of flavors by simmering your soup instead of boiling it.

Here's how you use the Soup/Broth button on an Instant Pot:

• Turn on the Instant Pot: It will display "OFF," indicating it’s in Stand-By mode.
• Add all ingredients, seasonings, and liquids to the pot and give them a good stir.
• Secure the lid in place: Ensure that the lid is properly sealed and in place.
• Press the Soup button: It will default select Normal mode: 30 minutes at High Pressure.
• Press the Soup button again to toggle between modes: This button lets you select your preferred cooking time.
  • Normal: 30 minutes at High Pressure – ideal for soups with meat.
  • Less: 20 minutes at High Pressure – best for soups without meat.
  • More: 4 hours at High Pressure – perfect for soups requiring longer cook times, like rich bone broths.
• Once cooking is complete, release the pressure naturally.
• Use the − / + buttons to further adjust the cooking time if needed.

Note: You can adjust cooking time at any point during pressure cooking.

Need Some Soup Recipes? Check out our 35 (Yes, thirty-five!) best soup recipes for Instant Pots.

Instant Pot Soup Cooking Tips

Before you start chucking potatoes, carrots, peas, or pasta into your stainless steel inner pot, check out my tasty tips for ensuring soupy success every time.

1. Pressure Cooking Works Faster Than You'd Think

If you like a bit of bite in your vegetables, you won't need to use the full 20 minutes if you cook on high pressure. I found that most veggies (including potatoes) can turn into mush if you pressure cook them for too long.

Five to ten minutes is the sweet spot.

2. Don't Try to Do It All At Once

You know there's a cancel button, right? So why would you try to cook all your ingredients simultaneously if they all have different cooking times?

Cook your foods in two (or more) stages if necessary. Put all your meats and hard-to-cook veggies in Soup/Less mode, release the pressure when they're done, throw in the rest of your ingredients, whack the lid back on, and repeat the process for about five minutes.

Voilà - perfect soup with perfectly cooked ingredients.

3. Natural Release For Super-Natural Soup

While it's tempting to use the quick-release button to get your delicious soups out of your Instant Pot and into some bowls alongside some warm, crusty, buttered bread (I'm salivating now!) let the natural steam release function do its thing.

Because soup is a water-based meal, you don't want to lose too much cooking liquid too quickly, or your soup will become more of a stew. To use the natural release feature, just let your Instant Pot be after the cooking cycle and it'll let the steam out under its own ... well ... steam.

4. To Sauté or Not Sauté?

While pressure cooking can easily take care of your ingredients, you might fancy giving your food a bit of crispiness and color to make your meals more appetizing. Taste with your eyes and all that.

Because the Instant Pot is awesome, you can use its sauté function to fry off some chorizo, onions, garlic, (or whatever you want) in a little butter or oil for 4 or 5 minutes before adding the rest of your ingredients and cracking on with your soup.

For more info on how to sauté, read this: How to Saute in Instant Pot Multicookers

Instant Pot Meat Stew Setting

It shouldn't take a science boffin to work out what this button does. You can cook large or tough joints of meat at high pressure and produce meat pieces that are far juicier than when they went in.

Here's how to use the meat/stew setting on Instant Pot:

Turn on the Instant Pot: The display will show "OFF," indicating it's in Stand-By mode.

Add Ingredients: Place your meat, seasonings, and liquids into the pot.

Secure the Lid: Lock the lid in place.

Select the Meat/Stew Setting: Press the Meat/Stew button. The default setting cooks at High Pressure for 35 minutes, which is ideal for dishes like beef stew or pulled pork.

Adjust the Cooking Mode (Optional):

• Less Mode (20 minutes): Produces a softer texture, suitable for diced steak, pork or lamb, ribs, ground meats, and most stews with diced or ground meat.
• Normal Mode (35 minutes): Yields very tender meat, perfect for larger cuts or tougher meats like beef bourguignon or braised beef cheeks.
• More Mode (45 minutes): This method results in a fall-off-the-bone texture, ideal for pork shoulder, pot roast, or lamb roast.

Customize the Time: Use the + / − buttons to adjust the cooking time further if needed, which you can modify during the pressure cooking process.

Check out these delicious recipes: Hearty Soups and Stews to Warm You Up This Winter

Instant Pot Meat and Stew Cooking Tips

Want to get the most out of cooking galactic-sized cuts of meat in your Instant Pot? Get ready to beam down to some of my best meat-cooking tips.

1. Don't Serve Anemic-Looking Food

Use the "Sauté" function to brown your meat for more attractive meals and deeper flavors before pressure cooking. This step caramelizes the surface and adds richness to your dish, especially in stews or braised meats.

2. Layer Ingredients Wisely to Avoid a Meat Trifle

Place denser ingredients like root vegetables (potatoes, carrots) at the bottom of the pot, with the meat on top. This ensures even cooking, as the denser items take longer to soften under pressure. It also avoids a meaty dessert that only Joey from Friends would eat.

3. Give Your Ingredients Some Personal Space

Never overcrowd your multicooker by filling above the Instant Pot "MAX" line, especially with liquids. Pressure cooking requires room for steam to build, and overfilling can lead to uneven cooking or safety issues. When cooking meat or stew, aim for ⅔ full or less.

4. Your Meat Deserves a Rest, Too!

You're not the only one who needs a break after toiling away in the kitchen. Letting your cut of meat rest for 10 to 30 minutes (depending on how ginormous it is) is the best way to ensure your food is juicy and tender rather than being as tough as old boots.

You can go old school and rest your meat on a plate covered in tin foil, OR ... and hear me out ... you can use your Instant Pot's natural release feature and let your multicooker take care of business without the need for human intervention while you take care of yourself.

Instant Pot Bean Setting

Chili and Tex-Mex are some of my favorite autumn and winter comfort foods, and it just so happens that the Instant Pot Bean and Chili button is almost wearing away from overuse.

The Instant Pot was born to pressure cook beans, chickpeas, and dry legumes. Complementing the pressure cooker with the saute and slow cooker functions transforms your chilis from cozy comfort food to absolute masterpieces.

Here's how:

Turn on the Instant Pot: The display will show "OFF," indicating it is in Stand-By mode.

Add Ingredients: Place dry beans, liquid, and salt into the pot.

Secure the Lid: Lock the Instant Pot lid in place.

Select the Bean/Chili Setting: Press the Bean/Chili button. The default setting cooks at High Pressure for 30 minutes.

Adjust the Cooking Mode (Optional):

• Less Mode (25 minutes): Produces firmer beans, ideal for black beans, dry lima beans, navy beans, black-eyed peas, Adzuki, Anasazi beans, or dry peas.
• Normal Mode (30 minutes): Creates a softer bean texture, perfect for red kidney beans, white kidney beans (cannellini), pinto beans, or softer black-eyed peas.
• More Mode (40 minutes): Results in very soft beans, great for harder legumes like chickpeas and soybeans (extend to 45 minutes for extra softness).

Note: You can also use the Multigrain setting to cook most beans. Check out these mouthwatering Instant Pot chili recipes with a twist.

Instant Pot Bean, Legume, and Chili Cooking Tips

If you want to impress your family and friends with your Instant Pot cooking skills, here are a few more tips that will definitely n̶o̶t̶ dazzle your nearest and dearest.

1. Drunk Beans Take Up More Space

Everyone feels bigger the more they drink. This is actually true of dried beans. When submerged in water, your beans will double in weight and volume. So when pressure cooking beans, ensure you only fill your cooking pot to the halfway mark, lest things will get very messy.

2. Soak Your Beans For Faster Cooking

Cooking pre-soaked beans can drastically reduce your cooking time. Immersing the little critters in four times their volume of water (about 4-6 hours before cooking) will reduce the time they need to cook by half—yes, HALF!

3. The Slow Cooker Is Your Friend

Once you've pressure-cooked the bejesus out of your beans and legumes, fire up the slow cooker, add the rest of your ingredients, and slow-cook your chili to perfection. You can leave that bad boy in there for hours (or until you get home from work), and the longer you leave it (up to a point), the tastier it'll get.

Instant Pot Poultry Setting

It might surprise you to know that one of the best tricks the Instant Pot knows is cooking a whole chicken in 20 to 30 minutes, reducing the cooking time of a traditional oven by 66% (depending on the size of your chicken, of course).

Now you're not limited to cooking whole chickens with the poultry button, you can cook chicken wings, chicken breast, duck, turkey, goose, whatever kind of fowl you fancy.

Here's how to get in the 'game':

Turn on the Instant Pot: The display will show "OFF," indicating it is in Stand-By mode.

Add Ingredients: Place chicken, seasonings, and liquids into the pot.

Secure the Lid: Lock the lid in place.

Select the Poultry Setting: Press the Poultry button. The default setting cooks at High Pressure for 15 minutes, which is ideal for larger pieces of chicken.

Adjust the Cooking Mode (Optional):

• Less Mode (5 minutes): Produces softer chicken, perfect for thinly sliced chicken breasts, diced chicken, chicken and rice dishes, soups with diced chicken, or chicken wings. Use Natural Release after cooking for best results.
  • Normal Mode (15 minutes): Delivers very tender chicken, ideal for whole chicken breasts, thighs, or drumsticks cooked in broth or on a trivet. For chicken breasts, consider reducing the time to 10 minutes to avoid overcooking, followed by a 5-minute natural release.
  • More Mode (30 minutes): Creates fall-off-the-bone chicken, excellent for whole chickens cooked on a trivet (finish in the oven for added color) or for making braised chicken dishes and rich chicken stock.
• Customize the Time (Optional): Use the + / − buttons to adjust the cooking time further if needed. You can modify the time at any point during pressure cooking.

It's worth noting (if you haven't bought your Instant Pot yet) that 'poultry' is available on most IP appliances, but not the mini.

Instant Pot Chicken, Turkey, and Other Game Cooking Tips

Here are some of my favorite tips for cooking beautifully juicy chicken (or other birds) and avoiding food poisoning.

1. It's Time To Take a Stand - Use a Trivet!

Place larger cuts, like a whole chicken or turkey breast, on a trivet above the liquid to ensure even cooking, prevent the meat from becoming soggy, and make it easier to remove the meat when done.

2. Turn Water Into Wine (Or Other Tasty Liquids)

Use broth, wine, or a marinade instead of plain water as your cooking liquid. The pressure cooking process infuses the meat with these flavors, resulting in more decadent, more flavorful chicken or turkey dishes.

3. Don't Forget Your Air Fryer

If, like me, you've got a Duo Crisp, you can make your chicken extra special after pressure cooking. Transfer the cooked chicken to the air fryer basket (or leave it on the trivet if you want), then switch to the lid. Air fry at 400°F (200°C) for 5–10 minutes to achieve golden, crispy skin while keeping the inside tender and juicy.

If you're using an air fryer-less Instant Pot model, you can achieve the same results by whacking your poultry in the oven. Just remember to pre-heat it while you're using the Instant Pot.

Note: Check out some of our favorite Instant Pot chicken recipes for some truly juicy, flavorful dishes.

Rice Button On Instant Pot

If you're anything like me, you'll find cooking rice to be more of a rocket science. Before I got my Instant Pot, no matter what I did, I never got it right. My rice either turned out too soggy or too hard or, worst of all, burned to the bottom of my pan.

Using the Instant Pot rice setting, I cook fluffy medium and long-grain white rice perfectly every time. I use the rice function on low pressure for 10 minutes and finish with a 10-minute natural release.

However, if you're in a rush, you can natural release for 2 to 3 minutes and then quick release the rest of the steam.

Here's how:

Turn on the Instant Pot: The display will show "OFF," indicating it is in Stand-By mode.

Add Ingredients: Place rice, water or stock, and seasoning into the pot.

Secure the Lid: Lock the Instant Pot lid securely in place.

Select the Rice Setting: Press the Rice button. The default setting cooks at Low Pressure for 12 minutes.

Adjust the Cooking Mode (Optional):

• Less Mode (8 minutes): Produces tender rice with a firm texture, ideal for thinner varieties like Basmati or Jasmine.
• Normal Mode (12 minutes): Yields a standard texture, perfect for medium to long-grain white rice or firmer Arborio risotto rice.
• More Mode (15 minutes): Creates a softer texture, great for creamier risotto or softer rice dishes.

Customize the Cooking Time (Optional)

Use the − / + buttons to further adjust the cooking time as desired. You can make adjustments at any time during cooking.

Instant Pot Rice Cooking Tips

While your Instant Pot will take care of your rice cooking, here are a few extra tips to make your rice dishes even more tasty.

1. One Is The New Three

Just one cup of dry white rice yields three cups of cooked rice, which is enough for two people as a side dish.

2. Wash Your Rice

Unless you're making risotto using Arborio rice, always rinse your rice under cold water to remove some of the starch. Trust me, you'll get fluffier rice with a nicer texture.

Check out these risotto recipes: Instant Pot Risotto Recipes You'll Want Every Night

3. Use The Correct Amount of Water

The perfect grain-to-water ratio is 1 cup white rice to 1.25 cups liquid; if cooking risotto rice, the ratio is 1 cup Arborio rice to 2 cups liquid.

Note: Brown and wild rice require longer cooking times. The multigrain and manual settings work better for these types of rice.

Check out our post on How To Cook Rice in Instant Pot for more details.

Instant Pot Multigrain Setting

When I'm on my annual health kick, I always try to incorporate multigrain foods into my diet for a couple of months before reverting to pizza and beer. The Instant Pot multigrain 'seems' ideal for creating healthy meals for a balanced diet.

However, it's worth noting that this Instant Pot cooking function isn't for the faint of heart, noobs, or novices. You need to have good knowledge of the grains you're cooking before switching on your Instant Pot. Because all grains are different, they need different cooking times and temperatures.

In all honesty, you may as well use the manual setting for multigrains unless the default setting just happens to be the one you need.

If you're deadset on using it, here's how:

Turn on the Instant Pot: The display will show "OFF," indicating it is in Stand-By mode.

Add Ingredients: Place the grains, liquid, and seasoning into the pot, if desired.

Secure the Lid: Lock the lid securely in place.

Select the Multigrain Setting: Press the Multigrain button. The default setting is pre-programmed for High Pressure cooking for 40 minutes.

Adjust the Cooking Mode (Optional):

• Less Mode (20 minutes at High Pressure):
  • Ideal for dry brown rice, wild rice, black rice, and similar grains.
  • Produces slightly firmer whole grains with a tender bite.
  • Recommended for making rice porridge (congee), farro, millet, and Kamut grains.
  • Also suitable for dry black beans, lima beans, and black-eyed peas.
  • Allow natural pressure release after cooking.
• Normal Mode (40 minutes at High Pressure):
  • Great for softer-textured brown rice, wild rice, and black rice.
  • Works well for barley, spelt berries, wheat berries, coarse-ground polenta, mung beans, chickpeas, soybeans, and other firm or large beans.
  • Natural pressure release is recommended.
• More Mode (45-minute warm water soak + 60 minutes at High Pressure):
  • Designed for tougher grains or a mix of grains and beans.
  • The pot first heats water for a 45-minute soak before starting 60 minutes of high-pressure cooking.
  • Suitable for larger batches or denser grains like barley, wheat berries, chickpeas, or a combination of wild rice and beans.

Customize the Cooking Time (Optional): Use the − / + buttons to adjust the cooking time. As always, you can make changes to times and temps at any point during the cooking cycle.

Instant Pot Multigrain Cooking Tips

The only real tip here is to use the manual setting for all your multigrain needs and save yourself a lot of heartache.

Instant Pot Porridge Button Setting

There's nothing better than a good old-fashioned bowl of steaming hot porridge on a cold winter's morning. You can use the Instant Pot porridge setting to make oats, steel-cut oats, rice porridge, and congee or porridge-like dishes that use a mixture of grains that expand in liquid.

When cooking with high-starch food in a pressure cooker, I always recommend using the natural steam release feature to:

• Prevent Undercooking
• Maintain porridge texture
• Avoid messy spatter

But if you are in a rush, you can combine natural and quick releases to speed things up a bit. Let the natural release do its thing for five to ten minutes. During this time, the pressure will significantly drop, allowing you to hit the quick-release button without creating a porridge volcano in your Instant Pot.

Follow these instructions to whip up some cockle-warming porridge:

Turn on the Instant Pot: The display will show "OFF," indicating it is in Stand-By mode.

Add Ingredients: Place the grains, liquid, and optional spices or fat into the pot.

Secure the Lid: Lock the Instant Pot lid securely in place.

Select the Porridge Setting: Press the Porridge button. The default setting cooks at High Pressure for 20 minutes. Press the button again to switch between the three modes: Less, Normal, and More.

Adjust the Cooking Mode (Optional):

• Less Mode (5 minutes at High Pressure):
  • Ideal for rolled oats (Old Fashioned oats) or risotto-style porridge.
  • Produces a slightly firmer texture.
• Normal Mode (20 minutes at High Pressure):
  • Best for steel-cut oats or rice porridge with a softer texture.
  • Perfect for making congee.
• More Mode (30 minutes at High Pressure):
  • Designed for porridge or congee made with a mix of beans or tougher grains.

Customize the Cooking Time (Optional): Use the − / + buttons to adjust the cooking time. If you want to make changes at any time during pressure cooking, you know the drill.

Take a look at these Instant Pot breakfast recipes.

The Water-to-Oats Ratios For Cooking Porridge In Your Instant Pot

To ensure you don't end up with porridge soup or concrete-like oats fused to your stainless steel inner pot, here are the best water and oat ratios to get you started.

Rolled Oats (Old-Fashioned Oats): 1 cup oats to 2–3 cups water, depending on your desired thickness. Use Porridge/Less Mode with natural release.

Steel-Cut Oats: 1 cup oats to 3–3.5 cups water. Use Porridge/Normal Mode with natural release.

Arborio Rice: 1 cup rice to 2 cups water. Use Porridge/Less Mode with natural release.

Congee (Rice Porridge): 1 cup rice to 4–6 cups water, depending on your preferred consistency. Use Porridge/Normal Mode with natural release.

Rice Pudding: 1 cup short- or medium-grain rice to 3 cups liquid (water + milk). Use Porridge/Less Mode with natural release. For a creamier pudding, cook with 1 cup water + 1 cup milk, then stir in another cup of milk or cream and some butter at the end.

Instant Pot Steam Setting

I'm not one for steaming my food very often (it's a little bland for my tastes), but when I need to quickly cook some fish, broccoli, or tofu, the steam cooker on my Instant Pot comes in incredibly handy.

The steamer is similar to the electric pressure cooker, but it's far more gentle on your ingredients. The low pressure helps avoid overcooking, and nobody wants over-steamed fish or veggies.

To avoid excess sogginess, you'll need to use a trivet, rack, or air fryer basket to lift your food above the water (or broth) line, and always use quick release to get the steam out of there as fast as possible.

How To Steam In Instant Pot

1. Prepare for Steaming

Turn on the Instant Pot: The display will show "OFF," indicating it is in Stand-By mode.

• Add 1 cup of water to the stainless steel inner pot and place the trivet on top.
• Arrange vegetables, fish, or thinly sliced chicken on the trivet, or use a steam basket or round perforated pan that fits inside the pot.
• A steamer basket is handy for smaller or sliced vegetables to prevent them from falling into the water.

Secure the Lid: Lock the lid securely in place.

Select the Steam Setting: Press the Steam button. The default setting cooks at Low Pressure for 10 minutes. Press the button again to switch between Less, Normal, and More modes.

2. Adjust the Cooking Mode (Optional):

• Less Mode (3 minutes at Low Pressure):
  • Ideal for quick-steaming vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrots, peas, snow peas, bok choy, and asparagus.
  • Works well for steaming fruits like apples, pears, peaches, apricots, and plums, as well as fresh shrimp.
  • Note: Avoid root vegetables like beets, sweet potatoes, or potatoes, as they require longer cooking times.
• Normal Mode (10 minutes at Low Pressure):
  • Suitable for steaming fresh fish (e.g., salmon or white fish fillets), fresh clams, mussels, or frozen shrimp.
  • Great for steaming dumplings—use 10 minutes for frozen dumplings and 7 minutes for fresh or thawed ones.
• More Mode (15 minutes at Low Pressure):
  • Use for steaming cubed or sliced butternut squash, baby potatoes, or cubed beets.
  • Ideal for steaming sliced chicken breast (whole chicken breasts require 20 minutes).
  • Can also be used for making caramel from condensed milk (set to 40 minutes).

Customize the Cooking Time: Adjust the cooking time by using the − / + buttons. I can't remember if I've told you this already, but you can make changes to the times and temps at any point during the cooking cycle ...

For a more in-depth ovrview, read this: How To Use The Instant Pot Steam Feature.

Instant Pot Slow Cook Setting

The Instant Pot slow cooker setting is one of my all-time favorite and most used cooking features on my multicooker. While I initially bought my Instant Pot for efficiency and cooking speed, I love nothing more than prepping my ingredients early in the morning and setting my stews and chilis going before I sit down at my laptop for the day.

Nothing beats the aromas of slow-cooked meats and stews wafting around the house, getting your appetite going while you work.

There are times when slow cooking might work better for specific recipes than pressure cooking. Below are the steps for using the Slow Cook setting on Instant Pots. 

How To Slow Cook With An Instant Pot Multicooker

Add Your Ingredients: Place the food and liquid into the stainless steel inner pot. If your recipe requires sautéing certain ingredients, use the Sauté function first. Once done, press Cancel to stop the Sauté mode before switching to the slow cooker function.

Secure the Lid: Use either the standard Instant Pot lid or a glass lid with a venting hole. If using the standard lid, press the quick-release button until it clicks into the Vent position. For Duo Classic models, turn the steam release handle to Venting. This step is crucial for proper slow cooking.

Select the Slow Cook Function: Press the Slow Cook button. Press it again to toggle between temperature settings:

Less: Equivalent to Low (180–190°F) on a traditional slow cooker.

Normal: Equivalent to Medium (190–200°F).

More: Equivalent to High (200–210°F).

Set the Cooking Time: Use the − / + buttons to adjust the time according to your recipe. For instance, if the recipe calls for "6 hours on HIGH," select the More setting and set the timer for 6 hours.

Start Cooking: After 10 seconds, the timer will appear and start counting down.

Keep Warm Option: The Keep Warm function is enabled by default. You can leave it on to keep the food warm after cooking or press the button to turn it off if unnecessary.

Note: If you happen to have an Instant Pot Lux, it only cooks on high pressure.

Some interesting info: How To Convert Slow Cooker Recipe To Instant Pot

Instant Pot Saute Setting

I can't tell you how much the Instant Pot Saute function changed my mealtime experience, especially when cooking one-pot meals.

Being able to fry off some garlic and onions or brown your big fat cut of beef before (or after) sticking it in your electric pressure cooker without needing to transfer it into the stainless steel inner pot from a frying pan or skillet in an absolute game changer.

Here's how you do it:

How to Use the Sauté Function on Your Instant Pot

Prepare the Instant Pot: Place the stainless steel inner pot into the cooker base and add whatever it is you're about to fry/saute. You do not need the Instant Pot lid this time.

Activate the Sauté Mode: Press the Sauté button. After about 10 seconds, the display will show ON, indicating that the pot is heating.

Add the ingredients you wish to brown once the display changes from ON to HOT.

Tip: You can add ingredients before the "HOT" message appears, but note that it may not appear in this case ... it’s perfectly normal.

Timer and Temperature Settings: The Sauté function has a default 30-minute timer that counts down as you cook. If needed, you can adjust this timer using the + and - buttons.

The default temperature is set to Normal mode. Press the Sauté button again to switch between three modes:

• Less: Ideal for simmering, thickening, or reducing liquids.
  • Normal: Best for general sautéing or pan-searing.
  • More: Perfect for stir-frying or browning meat.

Stopping the Sauté Process: Press Cancel to stop the Sauté mode.

Before you move on to using the pressure cooker (if that's your plan), Instant Pot recommends deglazing the inner pot to prevent food from scorching.

Deglaze Your Pot: To add extra flavor to your meal, check out how to deglaze Instant Pot before continuing. It's really easy.

Continue Cooking: If sauteing is the first step for your meal, add any additional ingredients and liquids now and stir or layer the ingredients as directed by your recipe. Proceed with your desired manual or smart program settings to pressure cook.

Yogurt, Keep Warm, Delay Start, and More

Depending on what Instant Pot models you all have at home, you might have even more cheeky features and functions on top of the more commonly used ones I've already covered.

Here are few brief overviews of how to use them:

Instant Pot Yogurt Setting

Craving homemade yogurt? Your Instant Pot's Yogurt function, designed for fermenting both dairy and non-dairy delights, simplifies the process.

1. Pasteurizing/Heating Milk

• Add Milk: Pour at least 4 cups of milk into the inner pot for a 6-quart Instant Pot (adjust accordingly for other sizes).
• Secure the Lid: Close the lid and set the steam release to 'Venting.'
• Select Yogurt Setting: Press the Yogurt button until 'boil' appears on the display. After 10 seconds, the heating begins. Once complete, the display shows 'End.'

2. Adding Starter Culture

• Cool the Milk: Remove the lid and let the milk cool to just below 43°C (110°F). You can speed the cooling process by placing the inner pot in an ice bath.
• Introduce Starter: Add a starter culture as per package instructions, or use 2-3 tablespoons of plain yogurt with active cultures for every 4 cups of milk.

3. Fermenting Yogurt

• Mix and Secure: Stir the starter into the milk, secure the lid, and ensure the steam release is set to 'Venting.'
• Set Fermentation Time: Press the Yogurt button to select the 'Normal' mode, which defaults to 8 hours. Adjust using the +/- buttons if desired. Longer fermentation yields tangier yogurt.
• Completion: Once done, the display reads 'End.' Transfer the yogurt to containers and chill for 6-8 hours before enjoying.

Yogurt Cups: For individual servings, pour the cultured milk into sealed cups, place them on a steam rack in the stainless steel inner pot, add water until the cups are halfway submerged, and follow the fermentation steps above.

Keep Warm Setting

The Keep Warm function maintains your meal at a serving temperature after you've finished cooking your masterpiece (and from now on, they will be masterpieces).

• Automatic Activation: This setting engages automatically after most cooking programs, except Sauté and Yogurt, keeping food warm for up to 10 hours before shutting off.
• Manual Control: Press the Keep Warm button to toggle it on or off before cooking or after a program ends.
• Adjust Temperature: In Standby mode (display shows 'OFF'), press Keep Warm to cycle through 'Less' (135°F), 'Normal' (145°F), and 'More' (167°F) settings. Your Instant Pot Model will save your chosen temperature for future use.
• Set Timer: Use the +/- buttons to set a warming timer up to 99 hours and 50 minutes.

Take a look at this guide for keeping your food warm: Instant Pot Keep Warm Guide

Delay Start Setting

Delay Start lets you program the Instant Pot to begin cooking later, ranging from 10 minutes to 24 hours.

• Program Selection: Choose your desired cooking program and adjust settings as needed.
• Set Delay: Press Delay Start, then use the +/- buttons to set the hours and minutes. For example, setting 02:00 delays the start by 2 hours.
• Automatic Start: After 10 seconds, the timer begins counting down. Once it reaches zero, the cooking program starts.

Note: Delay Start isn't available for Sauté or Yogurt functions.

Have you pushed the wrong button? This will help: How To Reset Instant Pot - Handy Tips & Tricks

Instant Pot Cancel/Standby Function

• Cancel Operation: Press Cancel at any time to stop a cooking program, returning the cooker to Standby mode (display shows 'OFF').

Additional Smart Programs: Cake, Egg, and Sterilize

Some Instant Pot models offer specialized programs for making egg-based goods and cleaning stuff.

• Cake Setting: Ideal for moist, dense cakes.
  • Less Mode: For lighter, moist cakes.
  • Normal Mode: For standard density cakes (whatever they may be).
  • More Mode: For very dense cakes, like New York-style cheesecake.
  • Tip: Use a trivet and a covered cake pan and opt for Natural Release after cooking.
• Egg Setting: Perfectly cooks eggs to your liking.
  • Less Mode: Soft cooked egg/eggs.
  • Normal Mode: Medium cooked egg/eggs.
  • More Mode: Hard cooked egg/eggs. For cooking extra large eggs, allow them to sit for a minute or two more.
  • Tip: After cooking, place eggs in an ice bath to halt cooking; use Quick Release.
• Sterilize Setting: For sterilizing utensils and canning.
  • Less Mode: Pasteurizes dairy products at 181°F (no pressure).
  • Normal Mode: Sterilizes utensils and acidic foods at 230°F (low pressure).
  • More Mode: Sterilizes at 239°F (high pressure).
  • Note: Not intended for meat canning.

With each new Instant Pot model, the brand adds more weird and wonderful settings to enhance your cooking experience and make life so much easier.

Understanding these functions empowers you to make the most of your Instant Pot, transforming your cooking experience.

Any other questions or need some advice? Hit us up in the comments section below.

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