Do you feel overwhelmed by all the settings or buttons on your Instant Pot? You are not alone! Regardless of your Instant Pot model or make, learn EVERYTHING you need to know about how to use the Instant Pot Settings.
Once you learn the basics of using an Instant Pot, you may be wondering what all the buttons do, and which setting is best. This guide will walk you through exactly what each function does and which ones you should use. Spoiler Alert: Most of the settings on the Instant Pot are USELESS!
Many Instant Pot Models have multiple buttons. There is often a surcharge on models with extra functions. However, the reality is that only a few functions are needed to make delicious instant pot recipes.
Reasons Most Instant Pot Buttons are Useless
At first glance at your electric pressure cooker, it looks like you can cook just about anything with a simple touch of a button.
It may be tempting to put the chicken in the instant pot, hit the button labeled poultry, and walk away. However, relying solely on the pre-set cooking functions, could very well result in over-cooked chicken, under-cooked rice, or dried-out beef.
These settings are programmed with a cook time based on the AVERAGE cooking time and are just a starting point and don't know what you are actually pressure cooking. The Instant Pot settings for poultry, meat, stew, eggs, beans, and grain are completely useless functions and are almost guaranteed to cause you to ruin dinner if you rely on the pre-set cooking time.
What Instant Pot Functions You Need
In my opinion, the only thing you need to look for in an electric pressure cooker is one with the capability to saute and manually control the cooking time. If you have the desire to make Instant Pot yogurt, I strongly suggest purchasing a model with a yogurt setting.
Instant Pot Buttons Explained
Below the detailed explanation of settings, you will find a printable cheat sheet that will explain when to use an Instant Pot function and how to adjust each setting on the Instant Pot.
Manual/Pressure Cook Function
The manual or pressure cook setting allows you to set the cooking time to whatever you would like. This is by far the MOST utilized function of the instant pot. Stated simply, this function allows you to set a specific cooking time and if you cook on low or high pressure. This means YOU control the outcome!
How To Use the Manual Button:
- Hit Manual.
- If you need to adjust pressure, hit the pressure button until high or low pressure is lit up. Note, if you have an Instant Pot Lux it only cooks on high pressure.
- Hit the plus or minus sign to adjust time.
Saute Function
This function is great for browning meat when making things like Instant Pot Chili, sauteing vegetables when making things like Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup, or thickening up a sauce at the end of pressure cooking such as Instant Pot Butter Chicken.
How To Use the Saute Button:
- Press Saute.
- Select a temperature by hitting saute again OR hitting the adjust button to adjust between less, normal, or more. If compared to cooking on a stovetop, normal is comparable to medium heat, more is comparable to high heat, and less is similar to low heat to high heat.
- After heating, some models will display "Hot” on the screen. and you can start sauteing.
- One full session using the saute function will run for 30 minutes.
Yogurt Button
The yogurt function is mainly used to make homemade yogurt, although some people like to use it for proofing dough as well. If you plan to make Instant Pot Yogurt, I STRONGLY suggest investing in a model that has the yogurt setting.
The yogurt button can be adjusted by hitting the "adjust" button until it says "boil" or 8:00 or 10:00. These functions are unique to yogurt recipes.
Pressure Setting
This function adjusts pressure from high to low and is RARELY used! Most recipes are designed to be cooked under high pressure. But it is important to pay attention to this because if you accidentally hit a button that causes the pressure to drop from high to low, your results will be drastically impacted.
How to Adjust the Pressure:
- After you hit manual, hit pressure to adjust to high or low pressure.
- Set your timer on for manual cooking as needed.
Adjust Button
The adjust button is used to adjust the temperature of the instant pot when using the slow cooking, yogurt, or saute functions between less, normal, and more. Simply hit the button to change the temperature.
Timer Button
The timer function is used to delay the cooking time. This is great when making Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats or Instant Pot Brown Rice. You can prep the rice in the morning and set it to be ready at dinner time or prep oats and wake up to warm oatmeal!
There are two things to keep in mind when using the delay start option. You don't want to leave anything raw or that could spoil in your Instant Pot for an extended amount of time. So perfect for cooking oats in water or rice in water, but NOT using for Instant Pot Pot Roast or cooking oats in milk.
The second thing to keep in mind is you are setting the timer as to when you want your pressure cooker to START, not when the cooking time will start. The delay start does not account for the time it takes to come under pressure. Therefore, if want dinner ready in 2 hours but the recipe takes 20 minutes to come to pressure, 20 minutes to cook, and 20 minutes to release pressure set your timer for just 1 hour so that it begins the cooking process in 1 hour and 2 hours it will be completed.
How to Use the Timer Function:
- Select either manual (pressure cooking) or slow cooker mode, as these are the only two modes compatible with the timer function.
- Set your cooking time.
- Within 10 seconds of setting the cooking time, press the ‘timer’ button.
- Use the +/- keys to set the desired delay time.
Slow Cooker Button
The Instant Pot Slow Cooker function is not equivalent to the temperatures on a slow cooker. I have a guide on how to use your Instant Pot as a Slow Cooker. Spoiler Alert: It DOES NOT work like a regular slow cooker!
Click here or on the picture for the download to be able to be printed!
Click on Picture to DOWNLOAD printable directions for Instant Pot Functions.
Other Instant Pot Functions
Depending on the instant pot model you have, your electric pressure cooker may have settings for meat, chicken, rice, cake, eggs, sterilize, steam, and/or soup/stew. These are functions that I do not use or recommend. It is much better to cook on high or low pressure and manually adjust the temperature yourself based on what you are cooking.
Claire
If you are not following a specific recipe, how can you determine an exact cook time using the manual method you just discussed. Is there a chart or formula to calculate cook times for various foods?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Claire! While not an exact science, this tips for how to convert recipes for your Instant Pot may help.
Shirley Smith
My son gave me the $99.99 IAIQ instant pot for Christmas. I am trying to make yogurt now. There are no directions for setting the pot to boil. I press yogurt twice but all the display says is 8:00. The directions show a milk container contents being poured into the inner pot saying pour in warm milk. It does not have an adjust button but everything else including a multigrain button (?). I heated my milk in a pot on the stove and am now waiting for it to cool on the countertop. Do you have any directions for this make instant pot. I don’t know how to communicate with the manufacturer. Thanks for any help you can give.
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Shirley! This is one model I am not familiar with and I can not find the user manual anywhere online, so I unfortunately I am not sure how to troubleshoot for you. I think since it says add warm yogurt right to the instant pot, this model does not boil for you. Sorry about that!
Dennis M Kane
What about the Keep Warm function. This function is confusing to me?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Dennis! The keep warm function is the default to keep food "safe" if you were to forget about it. If you don't want the keep warm to stay on, you need to manually hit cancel once cook time has elapsed. Pressure will still come down naturally.
Stephanie Womack
What does a recipe mean turn ur instant pot on main course
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Stephanie! I have never heard to turn onto "main course." I do not know of a model that features that function. Let me know what model you have and I can try to help further.
Tanya
But if you pressure cook eggs they will explode, won't they? You can use the "steam" function to make hard-boiled eggs.
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Tanya! Pressure cooking eggs is my favorite way to make hard boiled eggs...your eggs will not explode. But I do recommend letting your eggs come to room temperature frost to minimize cracking.
And
I am new to your website. So excited to try your recipes, they look awesome. Thank you for taking the mystery out of “instapottimg.” Now I understand why some of the things I have cooked in the instapot didn’t turn out as well as I expected.
Kristen Chidsey
I am so happy you found these tips helpful and hope many more tips inspire you 🙂
Lavoy Masters
Thank you for your very good info! I am 86 and had my doubts about using the instant pot! Your advice has made it so much easier. We had your Mongolian beef the other night and my husband thought it was delicious. We celebrate our 70th anniversary in
July, it is time for me to spend less time in kitchen!
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Lavoy! I am so honored you found my site and are enjoying my recipes. It is a huge blessing to me whenever I hear that I helped others! I wish you an your husband many more years!! And happy early anniversary!
Janell
Thank you for putting this together! The instructions that came with my Instant Pot left a lot to be desired; I just couldn't figure out what each button was supposed to do, and how I was supposed to adjust a recipe to work. This clears things up; just wish we had known all the "extra" buttons weren't worth it!
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Janet! I am so happy this post helped to clear up some of your questions! And yes, frustrating that those functions are made to be so enticing!
Ruth Hervey
Have 8 qt Duo and did water test but nothing else. Have thawed chicken breasts and always bake or crockpot using Golden mushroom soup. How do I proceed using this soup? Thanks
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Ruth! I am do not have experience using canned soup products in the pressure cooker, as that is not something we can eat at our house. However, most dairy products (or products with flour or cornstarch) can not be cooked right inside in the inner pot as they will cause your instant pot to give you a burn warning. Instead, I would place your thawed chicken and golden mushroom soup in an oven safe dish and cook using the pot in pot method. Hope that helps! I cook my chicken for 6-8 minutes on high pressure depending on thickness of chicken breasts--here is my recipe for chicken breasts: https://amindfullmom.com/instant-pot-chicken-breasts/
Betty
This is my first time and I am following your cooking frozen chicken breasts recipe. I followed the instructions, but it has been 30 minutes and the float is still in the up position, which I think means it is still pressurrized. I did the two releases. What did I do wrong? When can I open the pot?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Betty! If I understand you correctly, the chicken cooked and it has been 30 minutes pass cook time has elapsed. If that is the case, it should never take more than 20 minutes for this particular recipe for pressure to release. It may be that the float valve is stuck. Be sure your vent knob is moved from sealing to venting (it sounds like you have) Then use the handle of wooden spoon to try to knock it down. Sometimes it can get stuck. Hope that helps
Marilyn crain
I have a instant pot ulta . Looking at a recipe it said hit the manual button only thing this instant pot version did not have a manual button. So if a recipe calls for a manual button what button do I use. Thanks
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Marilyn, on the Ultra the Pressure Cooker function is the same as the manual button. Hope that helps!
Robert Joyner
My little red float valve does not pop up. Why not? It did the first time I used the instant pot but not since.
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Robert, so sorry for your hassle! If your Instant Pot is not sealed or you don't have enough liquid that can cause your float valve to not float up. I have a list of reasons why the Instant Pot may not seal and how to fix it, and this may help you. https://amindfullmom.com/instant-pot-not-sealing/ If those reasons don't explain your issue, contact Instant Pot Customer Service, they are great 🙂
Rose
Hi I'm just really confused about one thing and I have not been able to get a direct yes or no answer and I'm hoping you can answer it. Am I supposed to have the steam valve to close on everything I do in this machine including slow cooker,rice, and yogurt programs?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Rose! It can be confusing.
You need to keep the steam valve closed for everything BUT yogurt, and slow cooker.
It needs to be closed for the rice function, to clarify as well.
Judi Puckett
Thank you so much for this site. I just got my instant pot ,( it is the small one since there is only two of us), and the directions included were so confusing. I am terrified to use it. After reading your information, I might really be able to use it. I am excited to try it out soon. Again thanks
Kristen Chidsey
Oh Judi, it makes my heart SO happy to help you conquer your fear of pressure cooking. Please reach out anytime with any questions! xo, Kristen
Cheryl Baker
Thank you, thank you, thank you for this much-needed information! I am so glad I live in the age of the internet where one can find info on anything — especially when the user manual is practically useless. My Instant Pot arrived yesterday, but I started looking up recipes as soon as I ordered it. I happened across your blog and bookmarked it immediately. Doing so helped me make successful dishes right off the bat. Thank you again for sharing your knowledge with the rest of us.
Kristen Chidsey
Oh Cheryl, I am so happy that you found my site! The Instant Pot overwhelms so many people and it is my goal to help you be successful at pressure cooking. I am blessed to be able to help you!
Merry
Hello!
Please help! I am sooo confused about times! For example, if a recipe says the pressure cook time is 30 minutes,, does that include the coming up to pressure time? Does the instant pot automatically come up to pressure and then the 30 minutes timer starts?
Or how do I set the timer for a 30 minutes recipe?
Thank you so much!!
Kristen Chidsey
Hey there! So a lot of the recipes are not clearly written and that can be tricky. When a recipe states pressure cook time, it means cook time of 30 minutes--so that does not include time coming to pressure, release of pressure etc.
To set 30 minutes for cook time--hit pressure cooker and then adjust time to 30 minutes. That will cook the recipe for 30 minutes under pressure. The instant pot will first come to pressure BEFORE it begins the 30 minute timer. Hope that helps
Sheila
Just used my IP for the first time tonight. The “burn” error came on. I took the lid off and stirred it around but not sure if the entire amount of time had to begin over or not. Any help would be appreciated.
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Sheila! It can be intimidating for sure to start using your instant pot, especially if you get a burn warning. There are so many reasons you can get a burn warning: If you didn't have enough liquid, if your sauce was too thick, if you used cornstarch or flour--you can check out what NOT to cook in your Instant Pot to help.
Let me know what you were trying to cook and I can help trouble shoot that way too.