I got one for myself for Christmas and it’s still in the box. Not because I don’t want to use it but because between leftovers and visiting friends I haven’t had to cook anything! Love to hear the best cook book!
I’m trying out using the IP as a slow cooker today. My friend passed along a red lentil cauliflower curry recipe. I gave my D one I don’t know if she has tried it yet.
A young fireman I know warned me to be careful with the pressure cooker. I don’t think he thought they were a good idea.
This cooker has a pressure relief valve, just like all of them. You really need to disable that valve to make it unsafe or pack it with something that can create a very sudden rise in pressure so the valve is not going to be able to handle it. When you cook soups etc. the pressure rises gradually…
DH unpacked his present and did the water test this morning. All seems to be in order and just in time, too. We woke up to our fairly new fridge on the fritz–all freezer foods thawed, so we will be testing recipes this week on all the food we can salvage. 
This may be a repeat of an Instapot article I posted before but it came up in my feed today from my favorite kitchen blog! Some very good recipes here! http://www.thekitchn.com/22-recipes-to-make-with-your-new-instant-pot-239233
Thanks for ^ blog link!
@MotherOfDragons – I got mine on Cyber Monday and am still afraid to unpack it. Kinda intimidating.
Any of you who have followed or used Kaylyn’s Kitchen for recipes might be interested to discover she has a number of IP recipes on her website that are healthy. She publishes a lot of recipes that are compliant for people doing the South Beach Diet (SBD) and I’ve used a lot of them, but have not tried any of her IP recipes. I actually belong to a SBD FB page, and asked there where people get their SBD compliant recipes for the IP, and she (Kaylyn) responded to me directly, and provided a link to those recipes.
But, yea, mine’s still in the box. Did pick up a few things at Costco today that I can have on hand for when I finally use it.
Here is my advice for those who are a bit intimidated (I was, too). I pulled out the booklet and read it cover to cover with no intention of cooking anything immediately. I also spent a lot of time reading posts on the FB group page. Just to get a sense of experiences, both good and bad. I did the water test (which, btw, took forever!), and then did hard-boiled eggs. I think it’s important to start with really easy things. Not because the IP is difficult to use or complicated, but just to get a feel for what to expect. Also, failures are less worrisome if you don’t have a ton of money invested in ingredients. After I cooked a whole spaghetti squash in it and nothing bad happened, I got a little more secure about it not blowing up! Then, when you want to be uber impressed with the IP, make some risotto! Sit by a fire and drink a glass of vino while the IP does its magic. Sorry to the SBD people - that’s probably not allowed. If you are low carb, try NomNom Paleo’s Kalua pig or make some ribs. You’ll be impressed with the return on such little effort. And you can sit wine, while the IP does the work. Yes, I like wine!
For the water test, you aren’t supposed to actually fill it to the “3” line. Most folks assume they meant 3 cups. You can use 1 cup, which will take maybe 5 minutes to come to pressure. 3 cups will take slightly longer, but filling it to the “3” line will take a solid 25 minutes to come to pressure. That’s good to know if you are making soup or bone broth but not so useful if you just want to do the water test.
I watched a YouTube video on the water test before using mine. I found the manual- eh, not helpful. The video got me over the fear.
And I love the Facebook page for the Instant Pot. Fast moving page with tons of good advice for whatever you may be cooking.
Here’s the link to the kalua pig-I was surprised it didn’t have Kahlua in it, lol. Now I want to make pork with Kahlua…
http://nomnompaleo.com/post/111934821818/pressure-cooker-kalua-pig
There are a lot of IP demonstrations on YouTube for anyone who is intimidated or finds their owners manual to be confusing.
It took me many months to take mine out of the box, and since then I’ve only made hard boiled eggs, soft boiled eggs, and mashed potatoes, several times each. I should make a New Years resolution to expand to a few more foods.
Thank goodness for YouTube. It took me forever to get the blasted new anti-block shield off before I even got to the water test. All that now done. Now, what to start with…
Easy applesauce. Peel, core and quarter as many apples as you wish 8-12 good. Quantity does not change the time, but don’t go over the max line. Make sure you are putting in the liner. :Use 1/2 cup apple juice or water, a little vanilla and cinnamon to taste. (No more than 1 tsp each). If you like sweet applesauce add some sugar, 1/4 cup. I don’t so I don’t use any. Secure the top, make sure toggle is on closed. Used the manual button and set time for 5 minutes. She it is done leave it and use the natural release for a few minutes so it does not spew out, then release it. Mash up apples to consistency you like.
So, for those who got one recently and need encouragement to take it out of the box, etc., here are some great YouTube videos:
(Instant Pot unboxing)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91NZbcQaqiY
(Instant Pot before first use)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4mIS11DtH0
(Initial Test Run/Water Test)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ef2jDFCqwZ0
To watch all three, it takes about 15 minutes. But I feel much better having watched someone demonstrate what the manual told me to do.
I’m worried to make anything with less than 1 cup of liquid. Maybe if the apples are really juicy? But some are not.
I made applesauce last night with seven big apples and a cup of water. It was a little watery, but still delicious. I added cinnamon afterwards.
I never add liquid when I cook ribs in the IP. The ribs contain enough water to generate steam sufficient to generate the needed pressure.
I’m a year late to this game, and as per the story of my life, I bought THE OFF BRAND, really because I didn’t know any better. My Crockpot doesn’t heat up anymore, so I went to buy a new one. I saw the Farberware 7 in 1 Pressure/Slow cooker on sale at Walmart and thought what the hey, I’ll try this. Only after i bought it did I see this thread.
Anyway, I have used it once for a soup I didn’t really care for, but tonight I’m going to try a pot roast recipe I saw on YouTube. It has a lot of ingredients, but I’v done all the chopping and measuring, so I won’t have much to do tonight when I’m ready to start it. It called for 1/3 cup of red wine, so maybe I’ll have a glass while it’s cooking. 
I’ll report on how it turns out.
@nrdsb4 I’m very happy with my off brand that only does pressure cooking! I did buy an IP® for DD on BF, couldn’t resist the price!
I’ve been able to adapt my current recipes (used for slow and stove top cooking) instead of using new ones and pleased they turned out almost identically, just in a lot less time! Sometimes I use a little more water but that’s about it.
Did a really easy pasta tonight.
Use a nice spicy Italian sausage (we used chorizo) or ground meat seasoned well:
1 onion
1 tsp minced garlic (I used the jar stuff)
1 Lb meat
1 jar pasta sauce
1 box pasta (I used penne)
2 cups water
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Set pot on sauté and add meat, onion, garlic. Cook until onion and meat are done. Pour pasta on top, then sauce, then water. Do not stir. Cancel sauté and set pot for meat. Use “-” button to set time for 6. Close pot lid, make sure lever is on closed. Pot will do its thing. When done release the steam carefully and then stir in cheese. We had it with a nice big salad.