@abasket - I feel the same way. Life has been super busy. I finally took it out of the box yesterday AM and started looking at the instructions and thought I need to be focused when reading this. My D came over an noted that the instructions looked like a book. The opposite of most manuals you get these days.
I didn’t know where to start and realized I had some small red potatoes on hand. I found several videos posted on Utube on cooking potatoes in the Instapot. I suggest UTUBE as a good place to start. I found it easier to have a visual in addition to just the manual. The potatoes were very easy and cooked nice and even. After I sliced them in half and added a bit of butter and rosemary and grilled them to give it a bit of texture.
I need more time if I’m going to make something more elaborate but I’m just happy I actually used it.
It is pretty large. Next step is figuring out where to store it.
Mine are too busy to be stored. I use at least one (of my two IP’s) nearly everyday. One stays on the counter as I use it as my rice cooker (got rid of the rice cooker when I bought the IP). The other stays on top of a special shelving/cabinet (similar to a microwave cart/cabinet) I bought for this purpose.
I think I will keep mine on the counter. Clutter!!! 
Well I’m 2 for 3.
Succeeded on the water test - Score: 1-0
FAILED on steaming red potatoes - Score: 1-1
SUCCEEDED on swiss steak!! - Score 2-1!!!
The potatoes. I put a one cup of water in the bottom, the trivet and then filled a pyrex glass bowl with baby red potatoes. Recommendation was to steam for 10-12 minutes. I did them for 11. They were not done. So I put on for 6 more minutes. Still not soft. I posted on the FB page - recommendations were :
- cut the potatoes.
- Forget the bowl - pyrex especially is hard to heat - it resists heat apparently.
Next time I’ll place the potatoes right in the bottom of the cooking bowl/unit.
Any other thoughts??
Swiss steak. I cut round steak in pieces, heat a little oil in the bottom of the cooking bowl and browned the meat on saute. Then I added a small can of tomato juice (or V8), strips of onion, green pepper and some carrots and celery and spices. Sealed and cooked on “meat” for 50 minutes. Looks DELICIOUS (really made it for H more than me!) - meat is VERY tender. Veggies look and smell great.
THAT was satisfying!!!
I think I will really like doing soups in this thing in the cooler weather. But also appreciated not heating the kitchen up - and I threw it in the pot and then went out and gardened for an hour not worrying or needing to check it at all! That was cool. 
@abasket,
You can use a steamer basket that opens up like a flower. Put the potatoes into the steamer and put water under the steamer. I am including a link below as an example of the steamer, hopefully you can see the picture.
^^ I had one of those probably 25 years ago!!
YES! That is it! I am using my 25 year old one and it works perfectly.
Except I don’t have one anymore! I’ll bet my mom still has one - I’ll ask her.
Cooked beans from drier than the desert sands state to perfectly al dente (sp?) texture. Added bacon and onions. The whole thing took me less than 40 minutes.
Abasket is right - this pot boils watched or not, so I ran around doing other household business while the beans cooked, unwatched.
For the eggsummer I used 1 cup of water, ran it for 6 minutes, I now don’t remember but I think I did the quick release. Then I just ran them under cold water and the shells came off really easy.
I bought a bag of pinto beans last night and would like to try cooking those - but with some flavor - @GertrudeMcFuzz how did you do yours? Did you soak the beans first? How long did you cook them? (I need step by step - Instapot for Dummies!) And, did you season them at all - I want flavor!!!
@abasket -here’s what I did:
Soak 1 bag (1 lb?) white beans overnight
Use Saute setting in IP to cook 2 slices bacon.
Remove bacon but leave in drippings. Cook 1 chopped onion, 2 stalks celery until soft. Add 2-3 cloves chopped garlic in the last 30 seconds
Add soaked beans and water to cover (I might use some chicken broth next time)
Cook on Bean setting, followed by natural pressure release
Open IP & use a potato masher to mash beans to desired consistency
Add 1 tsp salt (or more to taste), thyme, any other seasonings & put on Slow Cooker setting until ready to eat.
I pretty much winged this so I’m sure there are improvements that could be made. That being said, the beans were wonderfully creamy!
@abasket When I have done potatoes I put them in a stainless steel colander https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B001U0O2UI/ref=twister_B001U0O32U?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1 or put them right on the rack that came with your instant pot Hope this helps!
Aack - I just noticed that you asked about the pinto beans, not the white beans. OK - here’s that recipe:
http://www.hippressurecooking.com/frijoles-not-re-fried-beans-mexican-pressure-cooker-recipes/
They were very good, but next time I would start them with bacon, as in the soup recipe above, just to give them a little more depth.
Thanks all ^^^ - you’re the best!!!
I’ve started a Pinterest board for all these recipes and linked tips - like a squirrel storing away for winter!!!
I steamed my red potatoes on the rack that came with the Instapot. I cut the larger potatoes but left the smaller ones whole. 1 cup of water in bottom of pot. Used the steam button and cooked for 10 minutes. They were perfect for what how I wanted to serve them. I might up the time if I wanted to mash them.
I bought a pack of skinless,boneless thighs. I usually only use chicken breasts but I know thighs will be better in the Instapot. I’m not sure how I want to prepare them. I’m on Pacific time so I hope I see some suggestions on this thread before dinner time.
Pinterest board is a great idea.
I did pork chops last night - dredged with egg & bread crumbs, browned a few minutes on each side, removed the chops & sauteed some onions & garlic in the drippings, then put the chops back in & steamed 5 minutes. They were really good - I probably could have gone 1 minute less & they would have been even better. After the chops were done, I added some flour/water roux to the drippings/onions/garlic & made gravy - served with mashed potatoes. Yum!
Gertrude, you are quickly becoming the InstaPot Queen!!! I’m so impressed! My H would love you as his wife - haha!
Abasket, I cooked my pinto beans from dry: added chopped bacon and onions, sautéed, then dumped in the beans (a package from Target, about two large cups), then water to cover the beans, and set the beans timer to 25 min. Then let the pot depressurize (NPR) for 15 min. As I mentioned earlier, the beans were not mushy, but cooked through, which is what I like. Added some BBQ sauce, and this is going to be our side dish tonight.