Best Instant Pot Cookbooks
If you are familiar with an Instant Pot, then you know the benefits of cooking with this electric pressure cooker. If you’ve never used one, then you may be missing out on discovering a quick and easy method of making delicious meals. But either way, you will certainly benefit from finding and using a good Instant Pot cookbook.
The trademarked Instant Pot is not to be confused with other electric pressure cookers, since this specific brand offers a variety of models, functions and features that will determine the kind of Instant Pot cookbook you choose.
Plus, when choosing an Instant Pot cookbook, keep in mind your specific needs like the foods you like to eat, how much time you like (or dislike) to spend in the kitchen, as well as the type and model of Instant Pot you use.
To help you figure it out, we feature a few cookbooks specifically geared toward the Instant Pot brand that you can buy online. Read on to find the one – or two – that best suit your needs.
1. Best for Meal Prepping: Healthy Meal Prep Instant Pot Cookbook
If you are a busy person with a lot of hungry mouths to feed, being able to meal prep in advance and in batches to have ready-to-go meals during the week is the best way to handle the load. To do it will ease, you might want to consider this branded Instant Pot cookbook.
The 206-page cookbook combines the speed and ease of an Instant Pot with a ton of meal prep hacks to help you cook good food that’s good for you and your family in no time at all. Plus, you’ll also have plenty left in the pot to have ready-to-go meals all week long.
The cookbook has a lot of helpful kitchen tips, such as how to store food properly, and a step-by-step guide to prep food, portioning it out in advance to cook later, plus a five-recipe meal-prep plan. There is information on using and getting the most out of your Instant Pot, which recipes are gluten and dairy-free, and how some recipes can be modified to be vegetarian, vegan, gluten- or dairy-free.
But it’s all about the food, right, and this cookbook does not disappoint. The 75 recipes range from spicy sausage and potato hash to lemon-garlic shrimp scampi, sweet and sour Brussels sprouts and chocolate banana chia pudding.
Pros:
- Meal prep for the week
- 75 recipes
- Gluten- and dairy-free options
Cons:
- No dessert recipes
2. Best for Air Fryer Attachment: The Instant Pot® DUO CRISP Air Fryer Cookbook
There are many models of Instant Pot and while each one acts as a basic electric pressure cooker, some have special features and functions. The recipes in this cookbook are geared for an Instant Pot Duo Crisp Air Fryer, which is an instant pot that has all the regular functions of a pressure cooker but with an air fryer attachment.
In the cookbook, you’ll find a whole new set of cooking techniques and tips to enhance your culinary skills because of the air fryer attachment. However, the book also covers the regular features of the Instant Pot, including pressure cooking, slow cooking, sous vide, steaming and warming.
Then it covers the added functions of the air fryer that will allow you to expand your cooking skills to quickly air fry, roast, bake, broil and dehydrate food. Think healthier versions of crispy chicken wings, French fries, onion rings and battered fried vegetables with the air fryer attachment, as well Parmesan roasted lemon chicken and Oreo biscuits.
The 142-page cookbook has 75 recipes that are simple enough so it’s easy for anyone to follow – from novice cook to experienced chef – to prepare great healthy meals quickly and efficiently.
Pros:
- Recipes geared for the Instant Pot Duo Crisp Air Fryer
- Expands the cooking possibilities of the Instant Pot
- Pleasant layout with colorful photos
Cons:
- Not suitable for a regular Instant Pot
3. Best Kosher: The Instant Pot® Kosher Cookbook
If you live in a kosher home and are looking for recipes for your Instant Pot that reflect the dietary restrictions that come with eating kosher, this cookbook not only offers up traditional recipes, but also has great recipes for holidays and special occasions.
The great thing about an Instant Pot and cooking kosher is that many meals can be prepared before the Sabbath and kept warm overnight into the next day to enjoy. While using a slow cooker will have similar results, using an Instant Pot does it all quickly and more efficiently.
The recipes in this cookbook include favorites like stuffed cabbage, Israeli cooked salads, corned beef, brisket, cholent, Yemenite and Persian beef and lamb stews, chicken soup, beet soup, and even apple cake. You will find suggestions for weeknight meals, recipes for holidays such as Rosh Hashanah and Passover, as well as kosher versions of international dishes such as lasagna, sesame noodles, arroz con pollo, Asian noodle soups, and risotto, all adapted for the Instant Pot.
The 242-page cookbook also has gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan choices and also an introduction that covers the basics of how to use your Instant Pot safely and effectively.
Pros:
- 100 recipes
- Recipes follow kosher dietary laws
- Offers a wide range of traditional and contemporary recipes
Cons:
- No recipes with dairy ingredients
4. Best Gluten-Free: The “I Love My Instant Pot®” Gluten-Free Recipe Book
People with Celiac disease have to be so careful to stay away from gluten, including foods that might have an element of cross-contamination, since even the smallest amount of gluten can cause serious medical issues. And for anyone who is gluten sensitive or intolerant, ingesting the protein can cause stomach and digestion issues. That’s why it’s so great to find an Instant Pot cookbook with recipes dedicated to being 100 percent delicious AND gluten-free.
This is not about adopting a paleo lifestyle or eating regime or adapting regular recipes to be gluten-free. Instead, the 175 recipes in this 224-page book have been developed to be non-paleo and gluten free. The recipes cover how to make everything from breakfast to dinner including snacks and desserts in your Instant Pot.
For Instant Pot newbies, there is an easy-to-understand comprehensive overview of how the Instant Pot works, what all the buttons do, how to release the pressure when the cooking time is up and how to keep the Instant Pot clean. You’ll also find information on pot-in-pot accessories to use and a primer on gluten-free breakfasts and breads, as well as a section on gluten-free pasta recipes.
Pros:
- All recipes are gluten-free
- Overview on how an Instant Pot works
- 175 recipes cover all meals, snacks and dessert
Cons:
- May not be enjoyed by anyone prefers recipes that include wheat and gluten
5. Best Indian Cuisine: Indian Instant Pot® Cookbook
There’s something special about Indian cuisine, with its exotic mix of spices, thick sauces and textured dishes. But often, when it comes to an Instant Pot, cooking traditional Indian dishes does not immediately come to mind.
If you love Indian food and want to be able to make dishes like Chicken Tikka Masala and Basmati Pulao in your Instant Pot, or experiment with lesser-known treats such as with Marathi Kadhi (tangy yogurt soup), Murgh Makhani (butter chicken), and Masala Chai (spiced tea), then you should check out this cookbook.
In this Instant Pot cookbook you will find a fast and easy take on 50 authentic and traditional Indian recipes, all specifically designed to be cooked in your electric pressure cooker.
The recipes are simple with a limited number of ingredients, perfect for the novice cook or the expert who is looking to delve into new culinary experiences. At the top of each recipe you will find the timing broken down into sections to reflect the different stages such as prep time, sauté time, cooking time and release time, with the total time mentioned at the end. This really takes a lot of the guesswork out of the cooking process.
There is a section on how to use, clean and maintain your Instant Pot as well as helpful tips on the ingredients and equipment you will need for success. Finally, the cookbook is also available in a spiral-bound edition, which makes it easy to lay flat the open pages when you are following a recipe. It’s also available on kindle and in paperback.
Pros:
- Features authentic Indian recipes
- Explains how to use an Instant Pot
- Simple, easy to follow recipes
Cons:
- Not ideal if you don’t enjoy Indian flavors and spices
What to look for when looking for an Instant Pot cookbook to meet your needs:
There is no doubt that using an instant pot is a quick and healthy way to prepare your favorite meals all in one pot. The Instant Pot brand is an electric pressure cooker that is also tailored to replace other kitchen appliances including a steamer, rice cooker, food warmer, yogurt maker and sautéing vessel. As well, there are different models and sizes under the Instant Pot brand umbrella that have a range of capacities and functions, so when choosing a cookbook, you have to take these basic factors into consideration.
A good Instant Pot cookbook will start out outlining the basic, and not so basic functions of the appliance, plus have a section that covers the different models, features and bells and whistles, and how that affects cooking times. Since the Instant Pot is an electric pressure cooker, it does cook slower than a stovetop model, mainly because an Instant Pot works at a pressure of 12 psi, rather than 15 psi, which is typical for one that works on the stovetop. Nonetheless, while it will make a difference in the timing of the recipes, it will still cook food a lot faster than using traditional methods.
And even when you’ve mastered the art of making meals in your Instant Pot, using a cookbook will only enhance that knowledge and introduce you to recipes that you may have never otherwise considered.
Once you have decided what kind of Instant Pot you will be using, there are some other factors to consider when choosing the right cookbook, although keep in mind that when it comes to cookbooks of any kind, having more than one or two will make the end result that much sweeter.
Education: An important factor to look for in an Instant Pot cookbook is a section that clearly and easily explains how this appliance works, and the different models and features that it offers. This is especially important if you are new to the Instant Pot game. If you bought the Instant Pot brand, then the cookbook should reflect that and should include the different models and functions, as well as how the pressure and release system works, the terminology and the right-sized pressure cooker for the recipes and any added functions or pre-sets the Instant Pot may have.
Eating style: While we all might own an Instant Pot, or wish to purchase one, that’s where the similarity ends. That’s because we all enjoy different kinds of food and follow different diet regimes. Vegan, carnivore, vegetarian, pescatarian, keto, paleo, Indian, Italian, Kosher – well, you get the idea. So when it comes to an Instant Pot cookbook, look for one that reflects your eating style, because when it comes down to it, it’s really all about the food.
If you don’t like the ingredients or the recipes, you’re not going to use the cookbook. The best thing to do is to find an Instant Pot cookbook that reflects your tastes with easy-to-follow steps, a reasonable amount of ingredients and colorful photographs to illustrate the final product to make your cooking experience more enjoyable. As well, the recipes should reflect your cooking style with 15- or 30-minute options and less complicated options with five ingredients if you are a busy cook on the run.
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