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We just got our first Instant Pot; the Crisp 9-in-1 which is supposed to be the same as the Duo Crisp but without the sous-vide and dehydrator.
Being totally new to pressure cooking entirely, we want a basic introductory level recipe book. So I've been looking at some options on Amazon, where all of them (so far) seem to be highly rated, at least 4.5 stars. But when I read the four or five percent of one-star reviews, I get the idea that the four- and five-star reviewers were totally off base, because the one-star reviewers bring up complaints that seem very much justified. Here are some examples; most of these are found for some or all of the books I've looked at so far.
Seems like the work of an amateur.
Page numbers in contents don't match up with the actual pages; totally confusing until you figure out the "offset".
Did anyone proofread this before they printed it?
Many of the recipes call for unhealthy ingredients like canned soups and sauce mixes.
No illustrations at all. (This is very common)
No index.
Instructions are vague and/or minimal.
Can anyone recommend something? Or at least, what's the best of the bad?
Sorry, I don't have an instant pot cooker, but my suggestion is that you use recipes from online until you can find a good cookbook.
Once upon a time we had book stores where you could go in and pick up a book and look at it. My criteria for cookbooks was to open the book three places at random and if one of those three recipes made me want to try the recipe, I would buy the book.
Is the instant pot basically a pressure cooker? If so, also look at recipes for pressure cookers and you should be able to adapt those.
I haven't bought a cookbook in decades - since the internet started providing tons of recipes. (Probably too many)
I can easily compare multiple recipes for the same dish and see the differences and similarities, which helps me select the one that will fit our tastes (typically, the one with the most garlic .
I can easily save the recipe and easily find it later. I can add my own notes. I don't have to print it out (save a tree). I can easily share it with friends who ask for it. (Another shout out to one of my very very favorite apps - Copy Me That. It's brilliant and FREE!)
I can read the comments from others who may have prepared the dish. Those comments sometimes point out issues with the recipe, like 'too much salt,' 'not enough sauce,' 'needs more garlic'
I'll also add that I've found cooking with an IP to be very different than other methods. It took me awhile to get the hang of it and realize that some stuff just doesn't belong in an IP. Which may explain why so many of them turn up on various sites for sale "like brand new - only used a few times - still in the box." (That's how I bought my little 3 quart IP for $25. And I use it more often than the 8 quart.)
Neither of the ones I own have the crisper function. If that worked well, it would allow me to use the IP more often. (I think I'll start a new thread on that topic!)
If you have an Ollies, or a Big Lots, or anything like that near you I would run down and take a look at their cookbooks. Instapots have been around long enough that you might be able to find a book to get you started.
I agree with those who suggested looking online for recipes. I just google the dish I am thinking about making & add pressure cooker to it. I will skin through 2 & that will give me an idea of the time needed. I really only use it for stews or pot roasts.
What a delicious sounding recipe, think I'll try it for dinner tonight!
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