The Instant Pot Ultra is one of the most popular multi-use pressure cookers on the market. It has a variety of settings that allow you to pressure cook, slow cook, sauté, steam, warm, make yogurt, and more. One of the settings on the Instant Pot Ultra is the manual or pressure cook setting.
What Does the Manual Setting Do?
The manual or pressure cook setting allows you to customize the cooking time and pressure level. When you use this setting, you can input the exact amount of time you want the Instant Pot to cook at high pressure. You can set the time anywhere from 0 to 120 minutes. The manual setting gives you complete control over the pressure cooking process.
On other settings like the soup, meat/stew, bean/chili, and poultry programs, the Instant Pot Ultra automatically determines the cooking time and pressure level based on the program you select. But with the manual setting, you decide how long to cook the food and whether to use high or low pressure. This makes it perfect for following recipe cooking times or cooking foods not covered by the preset programs.
How to Use the Manual Setting
Using the manual setting on the Instant Pot Ultra is easy. Just follow these steps:
- Add your ingredients to the Instant Pot inner pot and secure the lid.
- Press the Manual or Pressure Cook button.
- Use the +/- buttons to set the cooking time. You can set times from 0 to 120 minutes.
- Press the Pressure Level button to toggle between High and Low pressure. High is the default.
- Press Start. The pot will start cooking.
- When cooking is complete, press Cancel and use a quick release or natural release to depressurize safely before opening the lid.
So in summary, set the time, set the pressure, and press start. It’s that easy!
Cook Times for Common Foods
Here are some estimates for cook times on manual/high pressure for common foods:
| Food | Cook Time |
|---|---|
| Chicken breasts (frozen) | 8 minutes |
| Beef stew meat | 20 minutes |
| Chickpeas (dry) | 22 minutes |
| Brown rice (with liquid) | 22 minutes |
| Broccoli | 1 minute |
Of course, cook times can vary a lot depending on the specific recipe, amount of food, and your own preferences. Refer to reliable Instant Pot recipe sources for additional food cook times.
Tips for Using Manual Setting
Here are some handy tips for using the manual setting successfully:
- Use at least 1 cup of liquid for pressure cooking to create steam.
- You can open the lid safely at any time on the manual low pressure setting.
- Cut large pieces of meat and vegetables into 1-inch chunks to ensure even cooking.
- For tough cuts of meat, use high pressure and natural release to make them extra tender.
- Pre-soak beans 6-8 hours before cooking to reduce gas and shorten cook time.
- Adjust cooking time up or down as needed based on your preferences.
- Use a quick release for vegetables and delicate seafood. Use natural release for large cuts of meat.
Benefits of Manual Setting
Using the Instant Pot Ultra’s manual setting has several advantages over the preset programs:
- Precise control – You can tailor the cook time exactly to your recipe rather than rely on a pre-set time.
- Cook anything – The manual setting can cook foods not covered by the other presets.
- Experimentation – It’s easy to adjust cook times up or down until you get the texture you want.
- Replicate recipes – You can accurately replicate manual cook times from other recipes.
- High and low pressure options – You have more versatility with both pressure options.
While the presets are convenient, the manual setting gives advanced Instant Pot users more creativity and control over cooking.
Conclusion
The manual setting unlocks the full potential of the Instant Pot Ultra. By being able to set custom cook times and select high or low pressure, you can cook just about any food to your exact specifications. It requires a little more input than the preset programs, but in return it offers superior flexibility and accuracy. For devoted Instant Pot fans, mastering the ins and outs of the manual setting is a must!