Accessories

INSTANT POT ACCESSORIES

There are hundreds of things out there for your Instant Pot. Which ones are worth the price? 

Here are the ones I have tried. 

The Egg Rack

This comes as single layer or with a second stackable layer. I use this for eggs and anything else I want to steam. It lets me have space below for the water or whatever else I’m cooking. I will put beans in the pot and then put this rack into the beans with a metal bowl on top for the rice. (more on this in the recipe for rice and beans)

The Glass Lid

I bought this when I bought the Instant Pot. It seemed like a good idea. I use it for slow cooking or when I’m holding something on warm.  It isn’t as useful as the egg rack, but I have used it. 

The Silicone Lid

This is one I bought recently. It is just a plastic lid for holding food that is cooked or you have prepared to cook later.  I didn’t get a silicone lid for my smaller pot because I just didn’t use it enough. 

Replacement Sealing Rings

Ok, these are kind of a must. If you haven’t found out yet you will – the silicone sealing rings take on the aroma of anything you cook in the pot. Especially if you cook really spicy things like Indian dishes.  If you think your pot smells like the last thing you cooked and you have drained the drip container and wiped everything down, it is probably the ring.  

I haven’t found that the smell of the ring effects the next thing I cook, but many people recommend having a ring for sweet dishes and a ring for savory dishes. They are widely available and simple to replace. You can get multiple colors if you want to keep them straight. The rings do wear out after a while, so you will need to order this at some point. 

Bowl

This is not really an Instant Pot accessory, it is just a metal bowl. You could probably use glass, too, but I preferred metal. The one I had is just under 8 inches wide. It fits into my big pot with a little space around the edge for steam. I bought it at Ikea for a double boiler. 

I use it for steaming anything I don’t want mixed with what is cooking below. Most of the steaming accessories have holes to let the steam in. This doesn’t work if you want to cook rice in it! Just measure your pot and find a metal bowl the right size. 

I had to order something special for my 3 qt pot. 

Non-Stick Liner

I really like having the second liner. I can cook something, put the silicone lid on it, then have the second liner to do another dish. 

Steamer basket

The steamer basket is great. I use it for boiling eggs, for broths and for steaming. I have one for each of my pots. 

Egg Bite Molds

I have a set of these for my larger pot, but I just don't use them that often. The ones I bought came with lids that aren't safe to use in the pot. This means I have to wrap them in foil before I steam, and the water still gets in. They have these available with silicone lids that you can use to cover the molds while they cook. This would be a much better idea.