Instant Pot Mac and Cheese (small batch) | Instant Pot Mini Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Can I use a smaller pot in my Instant Pot? ›

The PIP method allows you to cook food in a smaller pot inside the Instant Pot's inner pot (liner). It's a very useful and helpful technique for a variety of practical applications. It saves time, makes it more convenient to cook or clean, and offers more possibilities on what you can cook.

Luckily, you don't need a tiny Instant Pot to make tiny servings. You can use a large Instant Pot to make smaller portions of food, and we're going to show you how to do it, starting with a single cup of rice.

Though this is not officially sanctioned by Instant Pot, you can use as little as 1 1/4 cups (10oz/315ml)of liquid in mini. As always, a portion of this liquid can come from the ingredients themselves – this MINI Butter Chicken recipe uses just one cup of liquid assuming the other ingredients will release more.

If you are frequently cooking for large parties or any sort of big-batch cooking, an 8-quart Instant Pot might be the right choice for you. If you're short on storage space or only cook for one or two people, then a smaller version could be a cheaper and more practical option.

The Instant Pot comes in 4 different sizes: The 3 qt is the Instant Pot smallest size. The 6 qt is the most popular size, the 8 qt is the next size up and finally, the 10 qt is the Instant Pot largest size. The Instant Pot 5 qt model is no longer being manufactured.

The Pressure Regulator (Jiggle Top)

It is a separate piece from the cooker. Any time the pressure reaches above 15 pounds of pressure per square inch, the pressure regulator will release steam. With the jiggle top variety, this steam release is best known as a whistle.

When adding vegetables, lentils, or rice to the cooker, incorporate a drop of oil to prevent water seepage. Additionally, apply a thin layer of oil around the cooker lid to create a seal that helps retain moisture and prevents water from escaping during cooking.

If the planter is too small for the plant, the plant could become root-bound and this can lead to slow or stunted growth. Trees and other types of large plants might fall over easily if they are in plant pots that are too small.

A smaller pot reduces the chances of root rot, protecting plants from over-watering. Under-watering and less substrate is much safer. Water again too soon or keep substrate too moist, or use a substrate that holds too much water, and that smaller pot could be a life saver.

Don't Size Down (Usually)

There is no benefit to repotting in a smaller pot unless you are propagating and separating the plant into two or more new ones, or you are repotting a plant that has had root rot and as a consequence has very few healthy roots left.