The Instant Pot Sous Vide Function: Everything You Should Know
The Instant Pot has come in handy to aid in cooking a variety of meals with minimal stress.
With just the press of a button and you can prepare meat, porridge, cake, and a variety of meals.
The great thing is that the innovativeness of the brand does not stop. We now have Instant pots with the Sous Vide Function.
In simple terms, this allows you to prepare meals in a vacuum. This cooking technique is not new.
However, it’s becoming more popular as it’s easier to accomplish with the function introduced in Instant Pots.
What Is Sous Vide?
Sous Vide comes from the French, meaning cooking under a vacuum. The process involves placing the food to be cooked in an airtight bag or container and immersing it in temperature-controlled water.
The cooking temperature in Sous Vide is usually much lower than the normal cooking temperature. It’s normally between 55 to 60 degrees Celsius.
There are two ways to accomplish Sous Vide cooking.
The simplest method is using an Instant pot while the other is utilizing thermal immersion circulator machines.
In this article, we’ll focus on using the Instant Pot. However, you can check out how to use circulator machines here.
Is A Sous Vide Worth It?
Yes, Sous Vide is worth it. This is because it gives you control over what you’re cooking. The likelihood of over and undercooking using this method is close to zero.
It guarantees that you’ll prepare perfectly done meals, especially meats and vegetables. The method also allows you to control the rate of cooking for fast-cooking meals.
Finally, there’s also less hassle when using this method. You’ll not need to keep on checking on the temperature, the rate of cooking, and all activities involved with traditional cooking.
You’ll just need to seal the food, immerse it in water and switch on the Instant Pot.
The only disadvantage when using the sous vide is the longer cooking times. Sometimes, you can get inconsistent results depending on the method or recipe used.
How Does Sous Vide Work on Instant Pot?
The Sous Vide function on the Instant Pot is quite straightforward.
Full disclosure, although using an instant pot gives great results, it’s not fully Sous Vide as water does not circulate in the pot.
If you need the full experience of Sous Vide, you may need to use an immersion circulator.
When using an Instant Pot with the Sous Vide function, use the following process:
1. Add water to the Instant Pot
The first step is filling the inner pot with water.
The quantity of water you use will depend on what you’re preparing. You have to ensure that the food is fully covered when placed in the pot.
You can add the heated water to the pot to speed up the process.
Monitor the temperature using a thermometer to ensure it does not exceed the required cooking temperature.
2. Set up your Instant Pot
It involves programming the Instant pot.
The procedure varies depending on the model you have. However, it is simple- press the Sous vide button, set the temperature and time using the + and – buttons.
Next, press the start button. After a few seconds, the display will change to on.
Once the right cooking temperature is reached, the pot will beep and start showing the countdown and cooking time.
Again, remember your cooking time and temperature is determined by what you’re cooking. Ensure that you’re following a recipe to get the best results.
3. Prepare the food
Place the food you want to cook in airtight Ziploc bags.
Make sure that you squeeze out as much air as possible from the bag. Finally, seal the bag and make sure to leave an opening of about 1 to 1.5 inches.
4. Cook
The final step is to add the food in the Ziploc bag to the instant pot. Ensure that the bag is submerged. Close the lid of the instant pot and let the food cook.
Once the time of cooking has elapsed, you can remove the food, and let it sit for a few minutes before enjoying your meal.
Some recipes might require you to cook your meal further using additional methods. This is usually done for some meats to give them a better outer crispy feel.
Read what to do when your Instant Pot Doesn’t Have a Poultry Button
Which Instant Pot Has Sous Vide Function?
There are about seven Instant Pot models with the Sous Vide Function. They include The Instant Pot Duo Plus, Pro Crisp, Duo Crisp, Max, Pro Plus, Duo Evo Plus, and Pro.
For many of these models, the pot should be 6 quartz or larger except for the Instant Pot Duo Plus. Below is a table showing the Instant Pots with the Sous Vide function and the sizes.
No. | Instant Pot Name | Size With Sous Vide | Dimensions |
1. | Instant Pot Duo Plus | 8, 6, 3 Quart | 8 – 14.8 x 13.5 x 14.5 inches 6 – 13.4 x 12.2 x 12.5 inches 3 – 11.5 x 10.2 x 11 inches |
2. | Instant Pot Pro Crisp XL | 8 Quart | 8 – 15.35 x 12.57 x 14.78 inches |
3. | Instant Pot Duo Crisp | 8, 6 Quart | 8 – 14.76 x 13.58 x 15.28 inches 6 – 13.58 x 13.58 x 12.99 inches |
4. | Instant Pot Max | 6 Quart | 6 – 12.2 x 12.6 x 13 inches |
5. | Instant Pot Pro Plus | 6 Quart | 6 – 15.2 x 15.2 x 15.2 inches |
6. | Instant Pot Duo Evo Plus | 8, 6 Quart | 8 – 15.9 x 15 x 15 inches 6 – 15.75 x 14.45 x 14.37 inches |
7. | Instant Pot Pro | 8, 6, Quart | 8 – 14.4 x 13.9 x 14.2 inches 6 – 13 x 12.7 x 12.8 inches |
If you’d prefer not to use an Instant pot, a great electric pressure cooker alternative with sous vide is the Coocheer Electric pressure cooker.
Does The Instant Pot Duo Have Sous Vide?
No, the Instant Pot Duo does not have the Sous Vide function.
The main functions of this instant pot are soup, broth, meat, stew, bean, chili, poultry, rice, multigrain, porridge, steam, slow cook, sauté, yogurt, keep warm and slow cook.
Instant Pot Duo comes in three different sizes 6, 8, and 3 quartzes.
Does Instant Pot Ultra Do Sous Vide?
No, the Instant Pot Ultra also doesn’t have the Sous Vide.
Although it’s a stylish electric pressure cooker, it only offers soup/broth, meat/stew, bean/chili, steam slow cook, sauté, warm, rice, porridge, multigrain, cake, egg, sterilize, yogurt and ultra.
It’s also available in three sizes, 6,3, and 8 QT.
Does Sous Vide Make Meat More Tender?
Yes, sous vide makes the meat tender. The cooking time using the process is longer with lower temperatures than the traditional cooking method. This gives the meat adequate time for the enzymes to break down tough protein.
The lower temperature also gives time for the meat to cook without drying it out.
It’s also recommended to let the meat sit out after cooking using sous vide. Resting helps to retain moisture in the meat.
Do Restaurants Use Sous Vide?
Yes. Many restaurants around the world use sous vide. It’s a popular cooking method that has been around for more than 50 years.
The sous vide cooking method is popular in casual kitchens and high-end restaurants.
The only reason you may not recognize the use of the method is that chefs like to combine cooking methods to create a given outcome.
Conclusion
Sous vide is a popular cooking method that has been around for decades.
It gives you control over the food you’re cooking by enabling you to cook at a lower temperature for longer periods.
Moreover, it makes meat tender and moist. Using the sous vide is straightforward when using an Instant Pot.
There are about seven instant pot varieties that have this function. This gives you options depending on your needs.
In case you’re new to cooking using sous vide, try it out today and let us know your experience.
Find out how long Instant pots last here.