@thumper1 Awesome. I just bought a stick blender on sale in a whim. Now I have a plan.
Stick blender is the best! My soup was awesome…but the timer definitely is NOT working. Hope they have one in stock for me to get.
@thumper1 – are you sure you are using the correct buttons? Sometimes people make the mistake of pushing the “timer” button instead of the “manual” – “timer” is for when you want to put the food in but set a delayed start time. (At least on the DUO model). (Buttons can be labeled differently on different models)
But when I want to cook something without using a preset , then I will click “Manual” and set the time. Then nothing is displayed until the pot comes to pressure – then it counts down from whatever I set,and when done it counts up in “keep warm” mode.
It sounds like you are able to cook with it, but the display can be confusing – so I just thought you might want to double-check.
I don’t have a manual button. I’m pushing the pressure cook button…it beeps…and comes on and my time shows…then it goes away…and says ON. Time never displays again…and I’ve waited and waited. Never beeps or sings when done. I set my kitchen timer. Not what I should need to do!
I’ve read the directions more than once…and had them out both times I used it. Even my husband says…not working right (he’s an engineer…and also followed the directions).
@BunsenBurner, sorry to hear about the lid being damaged. I would suggest not replacing the lid due to the cost. Instead, buy a new IP. Use the old one as a slow cooker or use its inner pot as a spare when your new inner pot is in the dishwater.
That’s exactly my thoughts, thanks, @4beardolls! 
A new ss insert is $20, a lid is $45. A new pot on sale was $70 or so… maybe I will upgrade.
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I’m pushing the pressure cook button…it beeps…and comes on and my time shows…then it goes away…and says ON. Time never displays again…and I’ve waited and waited. Never beeps or sings when done. [/;quote]
What happens with mine is I push the Steam button (for pressure cooking) and the time shows. Then I adjust the time. and make sure the steam vent is closed. Then I see ON. The timer will start once the machine gets up to pressure, which, if there is a lot of liquid, can be a long time.
@BunsenBurner Upgrade. You deserve it.
@thumper1 , it does take a while to come to pressure. Watch the little pressure disk. Does it “come up”, ie seal? It will say “ON” for a while, until the disk comes up, and THEN comes to proper pressure. After that, the timer should count down.
I did a pot full of potatoes for Thanksgiving and it felt like it took forever to begin the countdown, so I totally get your concerns! (I think I held my ear to the pot a couple times to make sure I heard cooking going on).
Did you do the “water test” where you just cook some water in it to see what happens? And yes, like CF says, make sure the valve is pointed the right way.
@thumper1 My Instapot did the same thing, it would never fully pressurize, I had to replace the silicone ring.
Also make sure the area around the pressure sealing disk is clean. Take off the cover from the inside and make sure it has been thoroughly cleaned. Mine sometimes sticks and I give a little nudge so it pops up.
@ollie113 my instapot is brand new! Shouldn’t need a new gasket already.
@JustaMom5465 yep…the little thing came up…but the timer never went to the minutes. I used the pressure setting…chose ten minutes. Little th8ng popped up after about 5 minutes…I waited 10 more minutes and no time appeared…still said “on”. No little jingle when it was done.
And the contents were plenty soft…potatoes once and winter squash the other time.
Anyway…I have a brand new one to try. Very odd.
Oh…and when I exchanged, there was a V3 and a V2. Apparently the V3 is the newer model of the V2…both 6 quart. Or at least that is what they told me!
@thumper1 Can you do the water test with the new one? Glad you got a new one. Post a review after on Amazon because the inventor reads every review apparently.
I’ll do the water test this time too…and just wait…and wait!!
update on pressure cooking the tamales - it works great!!!
From uncooked and refrigerated, 5 or 6 minutes. Haven’t done them from frozen yet but my friend says 10 minutes.
I have a Fagor multicooker. Our tamales aren’t as huge as some that I have seen in the markets (actually the parking lot where a woman sells them out of her trunk.)
I used to spend HOURS with big steaming pots on the stove obsessively checking to see if the water was running out and if the tamales were done. I am really happy.
So I started to read this thread, but it is 43 pages long now. D1 has asked for an Instant pot for Xmas, and also asked for a cookbook of recipes for it. I figure you guys would know of good titles if anyone would! We realize there are a lot of recipes on the internet, but she does like cookbooks, so asked for one. Any suggestions would be welcome. (Sorry if this info is somewhere up above in the thread already!)
I love the recipes in The Test Kitchen’s book called Pressure Cooker Perfection. The recipes are for a standard pressure cooker, but every recipe has adjustments for electric pressure cookers. Really delicious recipes.
@intparent , definitely get her a cookbook if she is asking for it but please also tell her to search “Instant Pot Community” on Facebook - you can search the page for recipes or just scroll through the HUNDREDS of recipes in the feed. Tried and true, real people cooking in live time.
My brother who is quite a cook but loves his Instant Pot has recommended this one - some of the recipes are a bit more upscale than your typical weeknight meal: https://www.amazon.com/Dinner-Instant-Recipes-Pressure-Multicooker/dp/1524762962
Ok…so I returned my first instapot and got number two. Happy to report…made beef stew tonight…perfection! And the time came on and counted down just fine once the pressure was up. Woohoo.
I think the first one was a return because none of the plastic bags inside were sealed closed, and all of these were.
So…now I’m on the quest for all the perfect recipes!
Starting off with my old pressure cooker cookbook!!
I made this recipe tonight— BUT…https://www.pressurecookingtoday.com/pressure-cooker-beef-and-broccoli/. At the end it says that ou can cook/steam the broccoli in the instapot rather than the microwave, but it has a typo- it says “for 0 minutes”. What should the number be?