instant pot terminology

If you are new to the Instant Pot, or other electric pressure cooker, some of the terms used may leave you scratching your head.

Below is a list of some things that might help make your IP cooking a little easier.

Term	Notes
Water Test	Follow the instructions that came in the manual of your Instant Pot to test the functionality of your new appliance. If it doesn't function according to your manual, you may have a defective appliance on your hands. Contact IP to determine your next steps. Taking this step can also help new users with those "I hope this doesn't blow up in my face" jitters.
Manual or Pressure Cook	Depending on the model you have, the function is the same. So if your recipe calls for using the Manual button, you can use the Pressure Cook button with confidence, or vice versa.
Keep Warm	This is a really helpful feature, even if you never use it for its intended purpose. Once the cooking process has stopped after counting down to zero and your alarm beeps, the keep warm feature will begin. It starts counting up from zero and may be stated in terms of L0:05 (meaning it has been in the keep warm feature for five minutes). It helps to know how long you've been doing an NPR. However, the keep warm feature itself does not cut in until the internal temperature of the IP gets down to 140°F.
NPR	Natural Pressure Release - can be for a specific time or just left until the pin drops naturally. Meats should always be NPR for at least 10 minutes. It is advisable to set a timer to ensure you don't forget about the IP because there is no built in alarm for this feature.
QR	Quick Release - once the cooking cycle has stopped, immediately, flip the valve from sealing to venting. Be careful to ensure you don't burn yourself as the pressure within the IP is high.
Controlled QR	This is especially important with things like rice or pasta. Controlling the valve by flipping it back and forth from sealing to venting helps prevent the milky liquid in the IP from coming through your valve and making a mess in your IP. It will also fill up your condensation collector on the back of your IP if you aren't careful. So be sure to attach your condensation collector before you do this. It will help catch a lot of the mess. And yes, I am speaking from experience.
Saute	Never put the lid on the pot during the saute function. A maximum of 30 minutes is set as a safety precaution.
Deglaze	After adding liquid to your Instant Pot, using a wooden spoon, scrape any stuck bits of food from the bottom of the pot. This helps distribute the flavours those bits contain to your meal, but also may help prevent the dreaded burn notice. Be sure to get ALL the stuck bits up.