With such a wide array of models available when it comes to Instant Pots and multi-cookers, choosing the right one for you can be confusing.

Next look at the capacity the Instant Pot can hold and whether it's sufficient for the number of people you have to cook for. Multi-cookers with a 6 quart / 5.7-liter capacity and above are ideal for those with a large family to feed, or those that want to batch-cook, while a smaller Instant Pot can hold around 3.2 quarts / 3 liters should suffice for an individual or couple. Slow cookers are great for people who want to come home from work to a hot dinner waiting for them. They're called "set it and forget it" appliances for a reason: Just throw ingredients in the slow cooker in the morning, and it'll cook on low heat throughout the day. You can often set them to cook for a certain number of hours and then have it switch to a keep warm setting. No matter how large your family or how big your needs are, the Duo comes in the right size for you. When preparing side dishes or cooking for 1 or 2 people, the 3L mini is the Duo for you. For families up to 5, go for the 5.7L (our most popular model!), and for larger families, parties, or full-week meal prep, the big 8L is the smart choice. On top of that, look out for Instant Pots and multi-cookers that have inner pots that can be used on the stove, when browning meat before slow cooking and are dishwasher safe to make sure you have as few utensils to wash up as possible. Frequently asked questions about Instant Pots Is an Instant Pot really worth it?

Choosing Your Hot Pot Proteins

This world-famous appliance protects you with 10 proven safety mechanisms and patented technologies to meet the highest safety standards and UL certification and give you uncompromised safety and peace of mind. If you slice the beef yourself, choose a high grade, fatty cut like ribeye or short ribs and pop it in the freezer for 15-30 minutes so it becomes firmer and easier to slice as thinly as possible. When boiling the meat in the hot pot there’s no need for seasoning or marinating the meat (if grilling, yes! it’s delicious that way!) These herbs have health benefits but are also incredibly flavorful. It will certainly elevate any basic soup to the next level, and the flavor matches with any foodstuffs that you cook in the hot pot. 6. The essential hot pot equipment To start, fill the Instant Pot with your broth of choice and select the Sauté setting to heat it up. Once simmering, add your raw ingredients in batches using tongs and a strainer. Swirl them gently until cooked through. Then transfer cooked items to dipping bowls and customize with sauces. Aim for 6-8 cups of broth in your Instant Pot to start. You can freeze extra broth in cubes to add as needed.

A straining ladle (skimmer) is useful for nestling any food morsels to poach in the broth and retrieve it easily once cooked. 7. The popular food cooked in the hot pot Heat the oil in a wok. Add the aromatics and fry over medium heat until they start to turn brown. This step is to let the flavor of the aromatics infuse into the oil. Once the ginger turns slightly brown, remove all the aromatic and leave the oil in the wok. Start Cooking– Have guests cook vegetables first for 1-2 minutes, followed by sliced meats and seafood.Even though an Instant Pot can function as a pressure cooker, they're different. To help clear the confusion, our Kitchen Appliance Lab experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute broke down the differences between these terms: As you might expect, the larger and more feature-heavy appliances from Instant Pot and Ninja Foodi are more expensive, but generally speaking, Ninja models are normally more expensive. Just like traditional tabletop hot pot, it’s important to follow safety measures when using an Instant Pot: Each restaurant and family make it a little different than the other but can be broadly grouped into a few categories.

The types of food for the Chinese hot pot vary considerably between regions. The following items are my favorite and also the common combination at the hot pot restaurants near me. Ultimately, you should select your set of food based on your preference. We also liked the fact that it’s available in multiple sizes, so different sized households can make the most out of this model’s combination of price and performance. However, we do find it a bit light on presets compared to a lot of Instant Pots, though at least they’re easily customizable. Also, be aware that there’s no air fryer functionality on here. So, if you want a multi-cooker to replace all your other kitchen appliances, this might not be the one.Small strainers (one for each diner) for fishing for your ingredients or keeping them contained as they cook. Since the list of food items is quite extensive (the idea is to have many varieties), it is almost impossible to make everything from scratch. I usually buy some items and make some myself.Variety is critical for the food platter, with a little bit of everything for the diner to choose. A: Lightly oil the basket first. Stir and move ingredients frequently while cooking. Immediately remove when done. A portable stove. Since Chinese hot pot is served on the dining table or in an outdoor environment, a portable stove is required to keep the soup base at a constant boil.You can use an electric hot pot or a portable butane burner with any pot that fits.

There’s no denying an Instant Pot is a great kitchen appliance but you may be wondering if it’s really worth it? Or will it simply end up as another kitchen gadget that languishes on your countertop gathering dust? For safety, plug the Instant Pot into an outlet separate from other appliances to avoid tripping a breaker. Prepare the spice blend by coarsely ground the spices with the grinder. The spices are star anise, cinnamon bark, tsao-ko, white cardamom, bay leaves, cumin seeds, cloves, and green Szechuan peppercorns. Tsao-ko and white cardamom are not readily available outside Asia, so you can omit them if unavailable. If there’s one simple cooking method that crosses over nearly every Asian cuisine, the hot pot may be it. Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, Mongolian, and more. Yu zhu (Fragrant Solomonseal Rhizome /玉竹) has a pleasant and sweet taste. It balances the slight bitterness of dong gui.Some of the popular items are freshly sliced fish fillet, shrimp, cuttlefish, fish balls, fish cakes, and stuffed bitter gourd. Still have some questions? Here are answers to 5 common FAQs about making hot pot in an Instant Pot: The Instant Pot Duo Series uses the latest 3rd generation technology with an advanced microprocessor that monitors the pressure and temperature, keeps time, and automatically adjusts heating intensity and duration. Even the volume of food is considered, ensuring that your meals turn out perfectly every time. Note: Different types of chilies are used in Szechuan, but I simplify it with only dry chili. Cooking