TITLE: Nothing new here and not as much fun as "Will It Waffle"

If you like Shumski's other books, like "Will It Waffle", you will probably enjoy this one. I found "Will It Waffle" to be a fun book to read, but over time, I've not used it much. This book is similar, but not quite as much fun. There are a LOT of Instant Pot cookbooks available, so this topic is just not as innovative as using a waffling technique to cook your favorite recipes.

Problem with this book, Shumski does not give us any new material: Same-old, same-old. Every single recipe is just a slight variation on a recipe you've seen before. He's just played the recipes with the Instant Pot technique. And he does not do a good job of it. These recipes seem to be off the cuff, rather than well-tested.

While I indulged myself with a Kindle version of "Will It Waffle", this one from Shumski does not tempt me at all.

*I received a temporary download of this cookbook from the publisher.

This is a good cookbook for owner of Instant Pots. The book starts with a short but powerful introduction to the Instant Pot. It is mostly common sense but there will probably be new things for most people (I learned that I was adding way too much water). There are also instructions for how to convert between slow cooker and pressure cooker recipes.

The recipes are healthier than most cookbooks but not as healthy as my favorites.
The recipes are pretty run of the mill and nothing to write home about.

All in all, a great book for those starting out with cooking on an instant pot (a great way too start), and probably one of the best instant pot cookbooks. On the other hand, if you have a dozen cookbooks you probably won't gain much from this one.

Since I just got my instant pot, this was really timely. It gave quite a bit of basic information about using the appliance that will be useful for first time users. Lots of recipes were included also, along with color illustrations, which is always my preference. There are sections dealing with each setting on the device, as well as recipes and suggestions for use of that setting, such as slow cooker, rice cooker, etc. I found it to be very practical.

This cookbook was so easy to follow and really helped me step up my insta-game! I loved trying some new recipes and this book helped push me outside of my comfort zone of what I thought could be cooked in my instapot. The pictures are lovely and the instructions are well written and very informative. To have this book as a new instapot owner, was a true lifesaver!

I have to confess I didn't know an instant pot was a gadget when I requested an ARC of this book. Now I know! I don't own an instant pot so I didn't get to try out any of the recipes. In the front of the book there is a section with a really great explanation of the instant pot, its various cooking functions, and how to use it. The layout of the book and the recipe pages is clear, easy to read, and convenient. I like that the sections are divided by the cooking functions of the instant pot. Many of the recipes look and sound delicious. I am annoyed that there is not a photo included for each recipe, however.

The Instant Pot craze seized my household several months back. It hasn't let go. From beans to meats to cooking rice, and even making yogurt, Instant Pot can do it all. It's a pressure cooker, slow cooker, multipot. We had toyed with the conventional pressure cooker earlier this year and my husband, who loves lentils, was frustrated with problems gauging temperatures and cooking time. Our first electronic pressure cooker was a dud and we had to spend $25 sending it back to the manufacturer. Taking a leap of faith based on a recent series of articles and recipes in the NY Times cooking section, I ordered the Instant Pot and was an instant fan. It's so easy to use, so fast when you need fast (I've yet to use it as a slow cooker, actually) and the stuff that comes out of this pot is just delicious. But I'm always scouting for more recipes!

One of the benefits of How to Instant Pot is that this book actually teaches you how to use your Instant Pot in practical ways that both the manual and some other cookbooks don't do. There are a fair number of recipes for Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker and Yogurt Maker modes. The ones I've tried (Pineapple Skirt Steak and Fragrant Lamb and Chickpeas) have been delicious. I do have to say that I wish there were more recipes. (For instance, there are only 31 recipes in the Pressure Cooker section, about the same for the slow cooker section, and then substantially fewer for the Rice and Yogurt sections) However, that's actually about the same or more than NY Times writer's Instant Pot cookbook, though that has a bit greater diversity in recipes, including seafood among other options. One of the best things about Shumski's book is that it is well-organized so you can easily choose a pressure cooker recipe over a slow cooker recipe, without having to read through all the recipe details to understand what you're getting into. (Important to note that some books do adapt recipes for either mode.)

This Instant Pot cookbook is the one that will live on my phone's Kindle Reader, because of how well-organized it is and for its clear listing of ingredients and steps. It's a sure bet for the spur of the moment grocery store recipe selection and purchasing.

Excellent book for anyone who is on a plant based diet. Recipes are easy to follow and there is wide selection of meals. Would recommend to anyone who is just getting started out with their pot.

This is one of the best Instant Pot cookbooks I've found so far. I love that the author gives simple base recipes and then goes on to show different applications for each recipe. Definitely a keeper!

I had been thinking about getting an Instant Pot for at least a year when I started dropping some heavy hints to my husband that it was what I wanted for my birthday back in January. Being the good hubby that he is, he immediately went out and got me one! At first glance, this "magic pot" as some fans affectionately call it, can look fairly intimidating, but once you get down how to work the thing, it is a kitchen must have! If all I ever did with it was boil eggs and make baked potatoes, both perfectly done in the pot, it would be worth the cost, but luckily there are so many other meals to be made! How to Instant Pot is full of delicious food ideas, but before it gets down to the recipes there is a section of basics at the beginning. Remember earlier when I said the Instant Pot could be intimidating? These basics will help you to get started and to see that it is actually super user friendly and easy to use! Then come the recipes! Barbacoa tacos, beef stew, and many other mouth watering main dishes are featured, as well as some great side dishes and desserts. This book is the perfect cookbook and manual for any person who is new to the Instant Pot world or fun anyone looking for fun new electric pressure cooker recipes!

Like so many other people, I recently acquired an Instant Pot and wanted to get a great cookbook to explore. HOW TO INSTANT POT by Daniel Shumski seemed like an interesting place to start. Unfortunately, I was really disappointed in the recipes I tried for this review.

First, the good. There is a nice and thorough introduction that explains a lot about how to actually use the Instant Pot. If you have an Instant Pot, you know that the manual that comes with the machine is lacking. This makes up for that. The book is broken up into sections based on the function used (pressure cooker, slow cooker, steamer, etc.). The recipes are not just the basics, which appealed to me. Yes, items such as Meat and Potatoes Beef Stew and Quick Barbecue Pork Shoulder are here, but more “exotic” offerings such as Quick Chorizo and Tortilla Chip Chili and Gingered Sriracha Squash Soup are included, too. Most recipes call for ingredients that can be found at any grocery store. The color photos are lovely; just know that there was not a picture for every recipe.

Now, the bad. I picked out several recipes to try and made them exactly as written.

Lickety Split Whte rice (p.213) I made the basic recipe that is more about technique than ingredients. The rice came out perfectly cooked, though too salty for my taste, and this is now my go-to way to cook white rice.

Thai-Spiced Beef Stew (p.34) I expected this stew to be thick, rich, and full of spicy Thai curry flavor. Instead, it came out very soupy thin and bland. It needs much more curry paste, some veggies to fill it out, and maybe a bit of sugar to balance out the flavors. We did not eat the leftovers.

Curried Acorn Squash Soup (p.83) First of all, acorn squash is difficult to peel; use butternut squash instead. This needed much more seasoning than called for, and it still tasted flat. Leftovers were equally disappointing and not memorable.

Marvelous Basil-Parmesan Meatballs (p.123) I had higher hopes at the onset of making this. However, as I assembled the meatballs, I feared that the meat mixture would be too wet and not keep the meatball’s shape. I was correct, and the meatballs came apart when touched with the spoon. They had an unappealing greenish cast (due to the pesto) and too much bread crumbs, which led to a mushy texture that was unpleasant. In addition, all of the oil from the pesto made gross greasy puddles. Overall, the flavor was ok, but too high in fat to be worth it. We did not eat the leftovers.

There were other recipes that I marked to make, but after three failures out of three tries, I decided not to spend any more money.

I give HOW TO INSTANT POT 3 stars for the information about the machine but only 1 star for the recipes. I cannot recommend this cookbook.

This is one of the best Instant Pot cookbooks and I highly recommend it. Recipes are not so many ingredients that you are intimidated so they are user friendly and doable. Great photographs too,

I bought an Instant Pot on Black Friday 2016 and it remained in its box until last weekend. I was overwhelmed. Joining a Facebook IP group made it even worse as people detailed their disasters and inquired about things that just made no sense to make in an IP. When this book was offered on NetGalley, I decided it was time to pull it out. Mr. Shumski's book is the perfect introduction to an Instant Pot! He holds your hand and gives you a detailed, easy to understand introduction to all aspects of the cooking device. This is followed up by a book full of tasty recipes (including gorgeous photos of some of them) grouped by IP function. This was a bit odd as you had to decide how you wanted to use your IP before finding a recipe. Since I feel I am rather proficient with my crockpots, I tried a pressure cooker recipe (Pineapple Skirt Steak) and the steamer (random vegetables). My favorite part? The recipes include the total time the IP will be involved with your food, not just the actual time it will be cooking. With the time the IP takes to come to pressure, etc, this was really important and it doesn't seem like many recipes include this time! I was impressed that Mr. Shumski's times were accurate within 2 minutes for the two things I cooked. Well, three because after finding out how easy and quick it was to steam vegetables, I did a second serving when we ran out at dinner. This book was great for taking the fear out of cooking with my Instant Pot and educating me so I can avoid the pitfalls I've read about elsewhere.

Back in the 1970s when Rival purchased Naxon and created the Crock-Pot name they revolutionized the way we make dinner. Now in the 2000s, we have the Instant Pot. This startling Canadian innovation is reinventing how we cook. It combines the functions of a covered pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, yoghurt maker, steamer, and other functions like sautéing and food warming.

With “How To Instant Pot” from Daniel Shumski, author of “Will It Skillet?” and “Will It Waffle?“, you can learn how to use the various functions, what the buttons mean, how to decipher the LCD screen, how to convert your recipes, and everything else you need to know about using the Instant Pot.

Rather than arranging the book by recipe type, this book is arranged by function. Each function of the Instant Pot, except the sautéing and warming functions, have their own chapters with recipes and instructions.

With Chapter 1 “Instant Pot Basics” you get the lowdown on the basic functions for the Instant Pot. The chapter begins with a list of included equipment and optional accessories with a description of each.

Setting up your pot includes what you need to make your first test run, or for reassembling after cleaning. Next is a section covering function and button overviews. This is where you find out what each button means, the preset buttons, the function buttons, and the modifying buttons. The explanation of how to sauté comes next, discussing timing, and heat settings. Uses for the sauté setting and things to know are also included. The keyboard function information is next. Very straightforward information about the temperatures related to the “Keep Warm” function including when and when not to use it.

Next, comes how to speak “Instant Pot” which explains how to decipher the LCD readout field on the front of your machine. Afterwards is a few pages on converting recipes to the Instant Pot, with tips on changing a recipe from a slow cooker to a pressure cooker. Lastly is how to clean the machine, some Instant Pot tips and frequently asked questions, with a list of all the recipes included in the book which can be doubled.

Chapter 2 explains the “Pressure Cooker” functions, with recipes of course. This section explains how the pressure cooker works and how pressure cooker recipes work. It then discusses what is different about pressure cooker recipes, the benefits of natural release versus quick release at the end of your cooking cycle, and the difference between an Instant Pot and other pressure cookers.

For the novice and experienced cooks alike there are pressure cooker tips and potential pitfalls explained. For instance, too much liquid, too little liquid, recipe timing, high altitude modifications, and of course the extremely important pressure cooker safety. Finishing up with pressure cooking tips and tidbits, the recipes then follow.

Disappointingly the recipes do not all include a picture of each dish. What pictures they do have are full-page full-colour and beautifully arranged, but there are few. The recipes each include a brief introduction, the total time, active time, number of servings, as well as very clear instructions. The first recipe I read “Beef Barbacoa Tacos” even went so far as to warn to be careful because steam will whoosh up when adding the sauce. The instructions on setting the Instant Pot up once the initial prep work has been completed was very detailed, explaining each setting and how to set the time correctly. The instructions then go on to explain how to cycle down at the end of cooking, how you’ll know when the pressure has been released and even includes how long the food will last in the fridge. I couldn’t be happier with the level of detail in these recipes.

Several of the recipes are marked “Master Method”, which kind of confused me at first. There was no explanation of what “Master Method” meant. Upon further review, I noticed that these were the base recipes for where there were several options to make different flavours. The first recipe I encountered labelled “Master Method” was the “Beef and Butternut Squash Stew”. This recipe was the base recipe for creating all of the variations which followed like the “Thai Spiced Beef Stew”, the “Meat and Potatoes Beef Stew” etc.

Throughout the book, there are pages called “Quick Fix” which give quick tips for creating many recipes which will be used in other recipes, like “Faux-Roasted Garlic” and “Caramelized Onions” etc. I love these kinds of tips and tricks, they add so much value to a cookbook.

With Chapter 3 the “Slow Cooker” function is explained for the Instant Pot. This chapter explains the value of using the slow cooker feature, temperature, and timing, and converting traditional oven-based recipes to slow cooker as well as slow cooker tips and pitfalls. Then it’s onto the recipes. As with most slow cooker recipes, they are very straightforward, but one of the advantages of the Instant Pot is that you can do things like thickening your sauce using the sauté function afterwards. As with the previous chapter, there are several recipes with variations on a Master Method, and additional tips for flavouring or serving throughout. There is even a “Quick Fix” page with an “Easy Cheese Fondue”.

Chapter 4 is a very short one because I guess the “Rice Maker” function doesn’t really really need a lot of explanation. It does explain the rice cycle temperature and timing etc. and includes a discussion on the rice to water ratio and other measurements. The first recipe, “Lickety-Split White Rice”, is the Master Method with three variations in flavour. Other rice recipes include “Thai-Style Sticky Rice”, “Brown Rice with Sesame Oil”, and “Wholesome Wild Rice with Golden Raisins”.

The “Yogurt Maker” function is described in Chapter 5. It too was short and sweet since yoghurt is just a matter of imagination to create the flavour variations. The beginning of the chapter discusses what the real yoghurt function does, and yoghurt making basics. It goes on to describe making yoghurt in containers, as well as yoghurt experimentation and troubleshooting. The simple homemade plain yoghurt is a Master Method with variations for Greek yoghurt and nonfat yoghurt. The “Do-It-Yourself Ricotta” is also covered with various flavour options. The Quick Fix” page for this chapter gives you a “Crème Fraîche” recipe. The rest of the chapter finishes up with savoury yoghurt options and sweetened yoghurt each with its own flavour variations. The last recipe is a “Mango and Pomegranate Parfait” made with the homemade Greek yoghurt variation. It does look delicious.

The “Steamer” function is covered in Chapter 6. This section explains what’s different about this cycle, the valve positioning, quick release, and other uses for the steamer. Recipes in this chapter include the “Lemon Thyme Steamed Shrimp”, “Sweet Potatoes with Parsley and Balsamic Vinegar”, and more, ending with “Simply Steamed Baby Carrots” and “Mixed Vegetables”, both with several flavour variations.

Great For Experienced And Novice Instant Pot Users

Are you a veteran Instant Pot user and need some new recipes? Or are you a novice using the Instant Pot for the first time? Either way, this is an excellent resource for you. The level of detail in the instruction is superb. While the experienced Instant Pot user will not need this level of detail, it is not overwhelming. Even a novice will be able to make some lovely recipes with this book.

See the full review with the “Wheat Berries With Yoghurt And Honey” recipe at RecipesNow! Reviews And Recipes Magazine.

I personally don’t think that there can be too many Instant Pot cookbooks. Especially when they are written by “Mr. Waffle”, aka Daniel Shumski. Along with the de rigeur IP recipes for beef stew, Pinto Beans, No-stir Risotto (a game changer for me) , and stock, there are a few new-to-me ideas, including Caramelized Onions, roasted garlic, and cooked beets, and “baked” potatoes. I'm not a fan of yogurt, or fresh cheese, but if you are, there are some intriguing ideas here for making your own.

Great beginner book for new Instant Potters, a good range of recipes that are easy to follow

I just bought my Instant Pot, this past weekend. So this book is a welcome as it gave me a ton of ideas. I've used it five times already and feel more confident after reading, How to Instant Pot.

Great book about instant pot using and the recipes to make with them......

This is a great resource for anyone with an Instant Pot (or who is thinking about getting one). I'd been looking for ideas for my Instant Pot for awhile, so I was quite happy to have a chance to review this one. Good information about the different features available with an IP and there are tons of good recipes, including breakfast, sides, full meals, etc.

Great beginner Instant Pot Book. The categories were easily placed, recipes were quick and it was fabulous.

I have had an Instapot for over and year and must admit I don't use all of the features. This book, however, changed that. Great easy to follow recipes with complete and easy to follow directions. These recipes have brought my Instapot cooking to a new level. If you have an Instapot, you will want this cookbook.