Instant pots work by trapping heat inside a tight lid, allowing the heat to rise above the boiling temperature of the water and preventing vapor from escaping.
Other than that, chopsticks, handy tongs, sizable colanders, cutlery, deep plates, as well as medium-sized bowls for sauces are other equipment you’ll need.
Can You Do Chinese Hot Pot In Instant Pot?
Yes, you can do Chinese hot pot in an instant pot. You can make the broth in the Instant Pot beforehand, and keep it warm in the center of the table so anyone can dip and cook their meal.
And besides, the bottom of the Instant Pot has a heating coil that you may use with the “Sauté” feature. Put the equipment in the center of the table, pour in your boiling pot of broth, and afterward press the “Sauté” and “Adjust” buttons.
Once the broth has reached a boil, reduce the heat to maintain a moderate simmer, then add the other ingredients and swish them about.
Pros For Using Instant Pot For Chinese Hot Pot
Time-saving
The Instant Pot could save you time since it is a pressure cooker, but it also features slow cook, steam, and sauté settings. You can use the Instant Pot to boil water.
It performs the same duties as a stove burner or oven without heating the entire kitchen. You can prepare a meal without having to supervise the pot.
Practice with your Instant Pot numerous times, understand the settings, and monitor how long it takes for various foods to come to pressure.
Less energy.
An Instant Pot is comparable to a pressure cooker. You have perhaps heard of them because they have become increasingly popular in recent years.
They seal in moisture, which changes to water as the temperature rises, much like a pressure cooker. The pressure would have accumulated sufficiently to begin cooking after a few minutes.
Because of the heating and steaming process, they can cook meals up to 70% faster than a standard oven. As a result, 70% less electricity is used, which results in lower utility bills.
There’s no need to defrost.
You could thaw meat or other items in the refrigerator overnight, but if you forget or decide to prepare something on the spur of the moment with just frozen ingredients.
Normally, you would thaw your food in the microwave before cooking it, but you don’t have to do that when using the Instant Pot. It’ll gladly cook frozen food. This eliminates the need for you to use the microwave, saving you both time and money.
Cooking requires less water.
Because the cooker is completely sealed, it utilizes a fraction of the amount of water that steaming does. Unlike traditional steaming, when the water physically evaporates, the Instant Pot keeps everything inside, requiring only a fraction of the steaming requirements.
This approach uses around 75percent less water than steaming and leaves the kitchen even more pleasant.
Heating time is reduced.
The Instant Pot’s cooking technology is intelligent enough to keep track of the pressure within. It just needs to get the inner pot up to pressure, which implies that if you cook for an extended period, the heat will be turned off for over 40% of the time.
Heat-efficient insulation
Even when compared to traditional pressure cookers, the instant pot is more efficient. The heat is concentrated in the inner pot, where it is needed.
This is fully insulated, with two air pockets that keep the heat in. Unlike some cookers, the Instant Pot stays cold or lukewarm on the outside, wasting minimal heat in regions where it isn’t needed.
Cons For Using Instant Pot For Chinese Hot Pot
Bulky and difficult to clean
The Instant Pot is a large appliance that takes up a lot of counter space in the kitchen.
This is particularly relevant if you’re a stickler for sanitation, as the sealing region has several cracks and holes, and the binding rings, in particular, can trap odors.
Recipes can be confusing
You’ll need a small amount of liquid, and it shouldn’t be too thick or syrupy, to get the pot to come to pressure.
How To Make Hot Pot In An Instant Pot
Ingredients
- Water (6 cups)
- Miso paste (about 2 tbsp.)
- 2 cups of mushrooms (fresh)
- 2 cups of spinach (fresh)
- 2 servings of ramen noodles
- 1/2 acorn squash
- 1/2 extra firm tofu
- 1/2 onion, red
- Soy sauce
Procedure
- Water should be added to the Instant Pot insert.
- With the lid off, set the Instant Pot to the Saute setting on normal heat for 30 minutes. As needed, extend the time.
- Stir in the miso paste and wait for the soup base to come to a boil.
- Prepare the hot pot ingredients while the soup base is heating up.
- Clean and slice the mushrooms.
- Wash the spinach, Amass ramen noodles and cut into ribbons.
- Extra-firm tofu should be sliced into the required shape and size.
- After cutting the acorn squash in half, slice one-half into about 2x1x1 inch chunks.
- Place a couple of each of the ingredients into the Instant Pot after the Hot Pot miso soup base has started to boil.
- Allow items to simmer for a few minutes before straining them out using a straining ladle.
- Enjoy after dipping in soy, tamari sauce or pour the soup liquid into a dish with the cooked items and consume it. Continue to add ingredients to the Instant Pot until you’ve had your fill.
The Key Difference Between A Hot Pot Cooker And An Instant Pot
The key difference between a hot pot cooker and an instant pot is that Instant Pot cooks meals up to 70% quicker than a traditional hot pot cooker and consistently produces wonderful results every time.
The tough fibers in the meat are broken down significantly faster in the Instant Pot, resulting in soft roasts and briskets in half the time. While a hot pot might explode, resulting in a mess and possibly injury, instant pots have enhanced safety measures that make them safer to use and significantly more user-friendly.