Do you feel overwhelmed by all the functions or settings on your instant pot? You are not alone! Regardless of your model or make, learn EVERYTHING you need to know about each Instant Pot Setting and how to use them!
Once you learn how to use your Instant Pot, you may be wondering what do all these 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!
When my Instant Pot first came in the mail, I was a bit baffled at where to begin.
I had purchased the Instant Pot Duo model and there were SO many buttons!!! Even after completing the initial water test, It took me a bit of time (and a few mistakes) to realize that there is really only a few functions I need to utilize when pressure cooking to make delicious instant pot recipes.
Instant Pot Settings
At first glance at your electric pressure cooker, it looks like you can cook just about anything with a simple touch of a button.
Manual/Pressure Cook Setting
The manual or pressure cook setting allows you to set the cook time to whatever you would like. This is by far the MOST utilized function on the instant pot. Basically you are just setting a specific cook time on high pressure. This means YOU control the outcome!
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 (unless you have the 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, sauteing veggies or thickening up a sauce at the end of pressure cooking. I use this function for my Instant Pot Mongolian Beef and Instant Pot Chili.
To use Saute Function:
- Press the “Saute” button.
- Select a temperature with the “Adjust” key for “Normal”, “More” or “Less”.
- When Instant Pot reaches the given working temperature, it displays “Hot” and you can start sauteing.
- One full “Sauté” session will run for 30 minutes.
- Normal is like medium heat on a stove top and More is like high heat on a stove top and less is like low heat on a stove top.
Yogurt Button
The yogurt function is only used only to make yogurt.
The yogurt button is able to be adjusted by hitting the “adjust” button until it says “boil” or 8:00 or 10:00. These functions are unique to yogurt recipes.
If you plan to make Instant Pot Yogurt, I STRONGLY suggest investing in a model that has the yogurt setting.
Pressure Setting
This function adjusts pressure for high to low–not an option on the Instant Pot Lux. And is RARELY used! Most recipes are designed to be cooked on high pressure. But it is important to pay attention to because if you accidentally hit a button that causes the pressure to drop from high to low, your results will be drastically impacted.
To use the Pressure Button:
- 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 to adjust the temperature of the instant pot when using the slow cooking, yogurt, or saute functions between less, normal, and more.
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 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.
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 cook time will start. The delay start does not account for the time it takes to come 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 in 2 hours it will be completed.
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 your 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!
Other Instant Pot Buttons
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.
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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!
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!
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!
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!
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
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/
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?
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
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
Hi Marilyn, on the Ultra the Pressure Cooker function is the same as the manual button. Hope that helps!
My little red float valve does not pop up. Why not? It did the first time I used the instant pot but not since.
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 🙂
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?
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.
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
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
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.
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!
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!!
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
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.
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.