Instant Pot Settings Explained

Introduction

The Instant Pot control panel can look overwhelming at first — there are buttons for pressure cooking, slow cooking, rice, soup, beans, yogurt, and more. This guide explains what every common Instant Pot setting does and when to use it, so you can stop guessing and start cooking with confidence.

Instant Pot Settings Explained

Pressure Cook (Manual)

The most-used setting. Cooks food under high or low pressure for a set amount of time. Use this for anything that doesn't have a dedicated preset — meats, vegetables, grains, pasta, and more. You set the pressure level (High or Low) and the cooking time manually.

• High Pressure: Used for most recipes — meats, beans, soups, grains
• Low Pressure: Used for delicate foods like fish, eggs, and some vegetables

Soup / Broth

Pressure cooks at High pressure with a longer default time (30 minutes). Designed for soups and broths where you want to extract maximum flavor from bones and vegetables. The slow build to pressure helps develop a richer broth.

Meat / Stew

High pressure, 35-minute default. Optimized for tougher cuts of meat that need longer cooking to become tender — chuck roast, pork shoulder, lamb shanks, short ribs.

Bean / Chili

High pressure, 30-minute default. Designed for dried beans and chili. Note: always soak dried beans for 8 hours before pressure cooking for best results and to reduce cooking time.

Rice

Automatically adjusts pressure and time based on the amount of water and rice detected. Use the 1:1 water-to-rice ratio (by volume) for white rice. This setting is not ideal for brown rice — use Pressure Cook manually with more water and time instead.

Multigrain

High pressure, 40-minute default with a warm water soaking period. Designed for mixed grains, wild rice, and other whole grains that need longer cooking.

Porridge

High pressure, 20-minute default. Cooks rice or oats into a soft porridge or congee consistency. Uses more water than the rice setting.

Steam

Heats at full power continuously to generate maximum steam. Use with the steam rack for steaming vegetables, fish, eggs, and dumplings. Always add at least 1 cup of water. Note: this setting does not regulate pressure the same way — watch your timing carefully to avoid overcooking.

Slow Cook

Converts the Instant Pot into a slow cooker. Uses Low (170°F), Normal (200°F), or High (210°F) heat settings. Note: the Instant Pot's slow cook function runs slightly cooler than a dedicated slow cooker — use the High setting if your recipe calls for a slow cooker on Low.

Sauté

Turns the inner pot into a sauté pan. Use it to brown meat, sauté aromatics, or reduce sauces before or after pressure cooking — all in the same pot. Three heat levels: Less, Normal, More.

Yogurt

Two sub-functions: Boil (heats milk to 180°F to pasteurize) and Ferment (holds at 110°F for 8–10 hours to culture yogurt). One of the most underused but genuinely useful settings for homemade yogurt.

Keep Warm

Automatically activates after cooking is complete. Holds food at a safe serving temperature (145°F). Can be left on for up to 10 hours, though food quality degrades after 2–3 hours.

Delay Start

Programs the Instant Pot to start cooking at a future time. Only use with non-perishable ingredients — never leave raw meat or dairy sitting at room temperature for hours before cooking.

Pressure Release Methods

• Natural Release (NR): Leave valve on Sealing after cooking. Pressure drops gradually over 10–30 minutes. Best for meats, beans, soups.
• Quick Release (QR): Turn valve to Venting immediately after cooking. Best for vegetables, pasta, seafood. Use a towel — steam is very hot.
• 10-Minute Natural Release: Let pressure drop naturally for 10 minutes, then switch to Venting. A good middle ground for most recipes.

Recommended Instant Pot

• Instant Pot Duo Plus 9-in-1 (6 Quart) — Includes all the settings above plus sterilizer function. Access to 800+ recipes via the app. The most versatile model for home cooks. Check price on Amazon →
• Instant Pot 4QT RIO Mini 7-in-1 — Compact 4-quart version with the core settings. Perfect for smaller households. Check price on Amazon →

Final Thoughts

Most Instant Pot cooking comes down to three settings: Pressure Cook, Sauté, and Slow Cook. Master those three and you can make virtually any recipe. The specialty presets (Soup, Meat, Bean, Rice) are convenient shortcuts that take the guesswork out of timing for common dishes.