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If you haven’t heard about the Instant Pot, it could be time for a kitchen revolution. Hailed as a ‘gamer-changer’ by fans, this all-in-one multicooker combines a pressure cooker, slow-cooker, rice cooker and yogurt maker in one single, useful machine, and can be used to perfect anything from pulled pork to cheesecake.
First developed in 2009 to provide busy people with delicious, home-cooked food at the push of a button, current models can also self-regulate pressure and temperature, and are bluetooth-friendly, so they can be programmed from your phone.
Because the Instant Pot does so many things, it can be difficult to know where to start, which is where a good cookbook can be invaluable. We’ve compiled a list of some of our favourites, which combine delicious recipe ideas with some great hints and tips on how to get the best out of your Instant Pot.
For Beginners
If you’ve never used the Instant Pot before, Daniel Shumski’s How to Instant Pot is a great starting point. Clear and informative, this book talks you through each of the Instant Pot’s key functions in a simple and accessible way, and contains over 100 recipes designed to take advantage of its many uses, as well as advice on how to convert your favourite recipes.
How to Instant Pot: Mastering All the Functions of the One Pot That Will Change the Way You Cook is available to buy from Amazon.
The Essential
The Essential Instant Pot Cookbook is a compilation of tried-and-tested recipes by Coco Morante, who runs the popular Instant Pot Recipes Facebook page, and is authorised by the makers of Instant Pot. With a how-to section featuring advice on using the Instant Pot and converting your favourite recipes, this book has an approachable style, and covers everything from pantry staples like broth or applesauce to Thanksgiving turkey. The recipes are well-loved classics, made simpler by the Instant Pot, and there is a good balance between big dinner party meals and midweek dinners.
The Essential Instant Pot Cookbook is available to buy from Amazon.
Fast and Healthy
The Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook by Laurel Randolph focuses on wholesome ingredients and speed of preparation, with many dishes taking less than 15 minutes to prepare. The book features over 100 healthy recipes, including vegetarian, gluten-free and Paleo-friendly options, plus helpful tips and techniques for using the Instant Pot and an at-a-glance cooking-time chart for different ingredients.
The Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook: Easy Recipes for Fast & Healthy Meals is available to buy from Amazon.
The Instant Pot Bible
The Instant Pot Bible, by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarborough contains an impressive 350 plus recipes, and has also been authorised by the people at Instant Pot. Recipes are ordered both according to dish and according to Instant Pot function, which can be useful if you’re in a hurry and want to select a pressure cooker recipe, for example.
The Instant Pot Bible: More than 350 Recipes and Strategies: The Only Book You Ever Need For Every Model of Instant Pot is available to buy from Amazon.
Gluten-Free
If you’re gluten-intolerant, coeliac, or simply cutting down on grains to lose weight, The Gluten-Free Instant Pot Cookbook by Virginia Campbell is the book for you. With an emphasis on whole foods, these recipes aim to be healthy, quick, and family-friendly, with many recipes requiring just seve ingredients and 15 minutes to prepare.
The Gluten-Free Instant Pot Cookbook is available to buy on Amazon.
Vegan
If you’re vegan, or trying to cut down on animal-based foods, you’ll love The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook for Your instant Pot, by bestselling vegan cookbook author Kathy Heston. There is a good selection of simple but flavorful plant based recipes on offer, along with a section dedicated to troubleshooting, and a cooking-time chart featuring key vegan ingredients.
The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook for Your Instant Pot: 80 Easy and Delicious Plant-Based Recipes That You Can Make in Half the Time is available to buy on Amazon.
Indian Recipes
Lovers of Indian food are in for a treat with Madhur Jaffrey's Instantly Indian Cookbook, by multi-James-Beard-Award-winning icon of Indian cooking, Madhur Jaffrey. Full of beloved Indian classics made simple, plus some new recipes created especially for the Instant Pot, this book has been hailed ‘one of the best cookbooks to come out of the Instant Pot craze,’ by Bon Appetit’s Priya Krishna, and also features 13 bonus, no-cook recipes for various chutneys and relishes to go with your Instant Pot meal.
Madhur Jaffrey’s Instantly Indian Cookbook: Modern and Classic Recipes for the Instant Pot is available to buy on Amazon.
Mexican Recipes
The Instant Pot also makes great Mexican food, and The Everyday Mexican Instant Pot Cookbook by Leslie Limón shows you how to make Mexican classics, with easy-to-find ingredients, and simple, step-by-step instructions. The book also features a useful chapter on how to make the basics, from rice and bean dishes, to authentic salsas, and comes with a handy how-to guide for using the Instant Pot, along with cooking time charts.
Everyday Mexican Instant Pot Cookbook: Regional Classics Made Fast & Simple is available to buy on Amazon.
Dinner
Dinner in an Instant: 75 Modern Recipes for Your Pressure Cooker, Multicooker + Instant Pot is a collection of recipes by food writer Melissa Clark, who specialises in recipes for the pressure cooker. The book features a good selection of simple, well-tested recipes, although not all are specifically for the Instant Pot.
Dinner in an Instant: 75 Modern Recipes for Your Pressure Cooker, Multicooker + Instant Pot is available to buy on Amazon.
Weight Loss
Instant Loss, by Brittany Williams is a selection of healthy recipes used by the author to lose 125 pounds. The recipes feature easy-to-source ingredients and simple instructions, but again, these are not all for the Instant Pot.
Instant Loss Cookbook: Cook Your Way to a Healthy Weight with 125 Recipes For Your Instant Pot, Pressure Cooker, and More is available to buy on Amazon.
For Couples
The Ultimate Instant Pot Cookbook for Two, by Janet A. Zimmerman contains over 80 recipes, all proportioned for two to share. There is also a useful overview section, with advice on how to use the Instant Pot and how to scale recipes up or down.
The Ultimate Instant Pot Cookbook for Two: Perfectly Portioned Recipes for 3-Quart and 6-Quart Models is available to buy on Amazon.
Instant Pot Recipes
If you’re hungry for some Instant Pot recipes right now, we’ve brought together our favourite 10 instant pot recipes from across the internet. Watch these simple video guides to learn recipes from hearty beef stew, to a 10-minute crème brûlée.
The Instant Pot has so many functions that it can seem overwhelming at first, and buying an Instant Pot cookbook, or following some simple online recipes, can be a great way to familiarise yourself with this time-saving piece of equipment. With the popularity of the Instant Pot on the rise, there are plenty of great books on the market, so it shouldn’t be hard finding something to suit your lifestyle and diet.
