What are the best tools to use with your Instant Pot that you will actually use? We talk of egg bite molds, bamboo steamer baskets, an extra pot, lids, and everything in between. We only include accessories we think will be great options for you.
Also learn what basic kitchen tools , like a spatula (great for deglazing), work best with the Instant Pot.
Newly added tip - Learn what you can use to easily remove a whole chicken without burning yourself.
This post includes affiliate links. This means that, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. These are products and services I recommend because I use or trust them. Cookies will be used to track the affiliate links you click.
I know I am not the first person to come up with the idea of doing a lot of accessories to use with your Instant Pot, but what I lack in an original idea, I think I make up with a different perspective.
What I recommend to cook in the Instant Pot are foods that will benefit from being in the Instant pot in some way, whether that is taste, texture, cooking time or convenience.
I don't want to figure out how to cook something in the Instant Pot to say hey i can cook this in the Instant Pot. If it's better to do in the oven, then I am going to do it in the oven. I don't expect bakeries to abandon their ovens for Instant Pot anytime soon - hint you won't find a springform pan on my list!
Jump to:
Instant Pot Tools
Here is a list of tools that will make your life with your Instant Pot easier and more fun! The items are all meant to go with a 6 quart model as that is what I have and what all my friends have.
All of these items have worked when I had an Instant Pot Duo and now with my Duo plus.
I do not include anything on this list that I would not use myself. That is just how we roll here! All of these items you can find on Amazon. Alot of the Official Instant Pot brand products are available at stores like Sam's Club.
- Replacement Sealing Rings - Instant Pot Brand Replacement Sealing Rings
- Glass Lid - Instant Pot Brand Glass Lid
- Lid for Leftovers - Instant Pot Brand Silicone Lid
- Silicone Sling - Instant Pot Official Bakeware Sling
- Additional Pot - Instant Brand Stainless Steel Pot
- Additional Pot - Instant Pot Brand Non-Stick Pot
- Firm Spatula - OXO Wood Turner
- Mason Jars - Verones Mason Jars 6 Ounces
- Large Steamer Basket - Hartigo Steamer Basket for 6 Quart Instant Pot
- Food Mill - Oxo Food Mill
- Egg Bites Molds - Websun Silicone Egg Bites Molds
- Slotted Spoon - Newness Skimmer Slotted Spoon
- Stackable Insert Pans -Azoita Stackable Insert Steaming Pans
- Bamboo Steamer Baskets - Zoie + Chloe 100% Natural Bamboo Steamer Baskets
Now that you have seen the list, let me go through each one and tell you why I would use each of these.
💡 Tip - The Instant Pot Brand Silicone Lid is the accessory we used the most in our house. It forms a perfect fit over the inner pot.
Sealing Ring
The silicone ring that is in the lid of the Instant Pot may need to be replaced after a while. Some recommendations I have seen say to do it every 18 to 24 months. Another reason to do it - smell.
Yes smell.
Let's say you are making a beef stew with onions in your Instant Pot. Then next thing you make is homemade yogurt. There is a good chance that yogurt is going to pick up the beef and onion flavor. Yuck!
What I like about the Instant Pot Brand Replacement Sealing Rings is that you can get them in different colors - vivid red and blue. Use one color for cooking savior dishes and another for yogurt or any sweets.
I had a friend contact me telling me her Instant Pot was not working anymore. I suggested she replacing the rings. It worked. She was happy to not have to buy a whole new pot. Not saying it will fix all the problems, but it's something you will want to troubleshoot when your pot isn't functioning right.
Glass Lid
A glass lid for your Instant Pot is nice to have when you aren't pressure cooking in your Instant Pot. If you want to use it more like a slow cooker, having a glass lid makes it easier to check on your food.
It's also nice to have the glass lid when you are serving food directly out of the pot. Easier to take off. If you want to try making popcorn in the Instant Pot which I have seen a lot of people do, then a glass lid is what you will need.
I recommend just getting the official Instant Pot Brand Glass Lid and not a knock off as it will fit the best.
You also could check to see if any lids that you already have fit your Instant Pot. I have gotten lucky a few times and had pot lids that I could mix and match pretty closely.
Lid for Leftovers
If you have a lot of leftovers or are just tired from cooking, you may have put your Instant Pot in the fridge before with leftovers (don't put the pot in the fridge until it has cooled). The lid is kind of bulky in the fridge and it is not locked on unless you put the whole Instant Pot in the fridge.
I purchased the Instant Pot Brand Silicone Lid and it is perfect for leftovers. The seal on it is really tight so it shouldn't spill, even if you knock it over. This lid gets more lid in my house than the glass one, so if you are only going to get one, make it the silicone one.
Silicone Sling
In our family, we live to cook whole chickens in the Instant Pot to turn into soup. The biggest struggle has always been getting the chicken out of the pot without it falling apart or burning ourselves.
The Instant Pot Official Bakeware Sling is the perfect solution. Sure it was designed to remove bakeware from the pot, but we have never baked anything in the pot. If you put it in the bottom of the pot, then add the chicken, you can easily remove it when done. It has made life easier for sure.
We also use it to remove our egg bite molds from the pot. It's become one of our most used Instant Pot accessory, definitely worth it.
Watch this short video to see how it works:
Additional Pots
While not necessary I have had a few times when I wish I had a second inner pot. Especially if I am cooking back to back things in my Instant Pot, it would be nice to make a quick transition without having to clean the pot.
There are two options you can choose from the Instant Brand Stainless Steel Pot or
Instant Pot Brand Non-Stick Pot.
The stainless steel pot is the same one that came with your Instant Pot. I have not had much issues which food sticking to it. I would rather sear in the stainless steel pot. However if you cook a lot of sticky things like oatmeal and rice in your Instant Pot then I could see spending the money on a non-stick pot.
Firm Spatula
A lot of the times when I am cooking meat the Instant Pot I want to sear it first. Searing equals flavor and I want as much flavor in my food as possible.
Once I finish the searing, I remove the meat and deglaze the pan. Then I add stock or some kind of liquid and scrap the brown bites off the bottom.
Not only does this make the pot easier to clean up afterward, you are adding all those flavorful brown bites to the liquid. Yum!
The best way to do this is with a firm spatula like the OXO Wood Turner. You don't want one that is flexible, that won't get the job done.
Mason Jars
I have seen a lot of yogurt cups that you can buy for the Instant Pot to make yogurt in.
I think all of them are a waste of money. Why? You can just use mason jars that you stack inside. Mason jars are cheaper and more versatile. You can pick whatever size you want. For yogurt I would go with 6 ounce jars like these Verones Mason Jars 6 Ounces
Large Steamer Basket
A large steamer basket is great for steaming food. But where it really shines is for making your own stock. When the stock is done, you just pull the basket out and all the solids are removed. You don't have to risk getting burned by dumping the liquid out and through a strainer or sieve. One step and done.
This is a good sized steamer basket for a 6 quart Instant Pot - Hartigo Steamer Basket for 6 Quart Instant Pot
Oxo Food Mill. This allows me to cook the apples with the skins on.
Food Mill
I love food mills. They make making applesauce and tomato sauce so much easier. And those are two things I love making in the Instant Pot.
A food mill allows you to cook foods with their skins. Foods that normally you would want the skin off before cooking. There is a crank that you use to mash or sieve the food through the holes in the bottom. A food mill has "feet" that are used to balance it on top of a bowl or pot.
The Oxo Food Mill I bought a year and half ago is the best. It's super easy to clean, and fits over any pot or bowl I have.
Egg Bites Molds
Thanks in part to Starbucks, egg bites have become all the rage. I see a lot of listings on Amazon for Sous Vide egg bite molds that are meant for the Instant Pot and not really Sous Vide cooking. These molds are NOT meant for Sous Vide as they are not water tight. So let's call them what they are - Presure Cooked Egg Bites.
The ones I own are the Websun Silicone Egg Bites Molds.
I recommend getting two of them so you can cook twice as many. If you are cooking for any sized crowd you will need two, at least. The good thing about these molds is that they are oven safe. So you could also make mini muffins in them or try putting brownie batter in them. You also could make ice in them or use them to store fruit in the fridge. They do have multiple uses besides being for egg bites.
Slotted Spoon
Whenever I cook beans for refried beans in the Instant Pot I have excess water. Or if I am making chickpeas for hummus. A good slotted spoon helps me to remove the beans from the pot so I can dump out the excess water, before adding the beans back in to mash.
A slotted spoon is also good for skimming out broth or soup. Or if you want to remove meat from the pot that you are going to shred. The Newness Skimmer Slotted Spoon is a good one to use. Its nice and wide so it can hold a lot. It's not too big to fit into a 6 quart pot.
Stackable Insert Pans
Have you ever wanted to cook two different things in your Instant Pot at the same time?
With these Azoita Stackable Insert Steaming Pans you can do just that. I also like them for reheating food. If you are going to a party you can bring your Instant Pot and put the pans in the bottom to keep your food warm or heat the food up. Great for storing leftovers as well.
Bamboo Steamer Basket
For steaming nothing beats bamboo. Since it can absorb a bit of water unlike meat, water doesn't drip down on your food making the top of your food too wet. The first time I steamed dumplings in a bamboo steamer I was amazed at how they turned out.
For a 6 quart Instant Pot use this 8 inch Bamboo steamer - Zoie + Chloe 100% Natural Bamboo Steamer Baskets
The bamboo steamer will fit down far enough into the Instant Pot. It is totally ok if it is sticking out the top because you are not pressure cooking, so you don't need a lid.
You can use the the trivet that came with the Instant Pot to lift it out of the water, however I found that to be too unstable so I just used a traditional collapsible metal steamer basket on the bottom to keep the bamboo above the water.
The reason I like steaming in the Instant Pot is that I can free up the stove top to cook other things. Plus I don't like steam in my face when I am trying to cook. I can place the Instant Pot on the counter top away from the stove an out of the way.
What is your favorite tool to use with the Instant Pot? Do you use any of the above or do you have something different to share. Leave a comment below. We would love to hear from you.
Recipes
Here are some Instant Pot recipes from the site that you'll want to try out:
Leave a Reply