Can You Use Slow Cooker Liners in an Instant Pot?

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Can You Use Slow Cooker Liners in an Instant Pot New

I love how easy it is to use my instant pot. All I need to do is load it, set it, and have dinner after it is done. 

However, I’m not too fond of the cleaning-up part afterward.

I have noticed that when I use my instant pot as a slow cooker, the food gets stuck to the base. Sometimes, food also gets burned at the bottom.

It takes up a lot of my time to clean the instant pot and get the gunk off.

Then I discovered slow cooker liners. It is now one of my favorite things and I want to share this with you.

Can You Use Slow Cooker Liners in an Instant Pot?

Yes, slow cooker liners can be used in your instant pot.

However, slow cooker liners are only meant for slow cooking. It would be best if you used them ONLY while you using your slow cooker function in the instant pot.

Allow me to tell you all about slow cooking in the instant pot, slow cooker liners, and how it works in the instant pot.

Let us first briefly understand slow cooking in the instant pot.

How to Use your Instant Pot as a Slow Cooker?

Almost all instant pots have a separate button for slow cooking. After tossing in your ingredients, press the slow cook button.

Your instant pot will automatically set it to 4 hours. Depending on your recipe, you can increase or decrease the time manually by pressing the + or – button on the control panel.

When it comes to the temperature settings, there are three settings of slow cooking in the instant pot.:

  • Less (170° C)
  • Normal (200° C)
  • More (210-215° C)

When you press the slow cook button, your instant pot sets the temperature on ‘More’ by default.

You can change the temperature setting to ‘Less’ by pressing the slow cook button again. The temperature ‘Less’ will be displayed on the digital panel.

Pressing once more will display a ‘normal’ temperature setting. 

  • The ‘Less’ setting on the instant pot is equivalent to the ‘Keep Warm’ setting of the slow cooker.
  • The ‘Normal’ setting works just like the low setting on a traditional slow cooker.
  • ‘More’ setting of the Instant pot is equivalent to the Medium High setting of the slow cooker.

The pot will sound 3 beeps after which you can close your instant pot and let the cooking process begin.

Once the cooking is completed, the instant pot automatically switches to the ‘keep warm’ mode. The display panel will flash the time since it’s warming up.

For example, if it is displayed at 1:07, it means the instant pot has been warming up your food for an hour and seven minutes.

Now that you know how to use your instant pot as a slow cooker, let us proceed with how to use a slow cooker liner in your instant pot.

Using Slow Cooker Liner in Instant Pot

Slow cooker liners are mostly made up of silicone. They are designed to be used for slow cooking and can withstand high temperatures.

As they are heat resistant, they do not burn or melt inside the pot up to 450 degrees F.

You can find slow cooker liners in different sizes starting from one up to seven quartz. Choose the one that fits your model.

Follow the steps below to line your instant pot with a slow cooker liner:

  • Make sure your inner pot is clean and dried up
  • Open the lid and place the inner pot inside.
  • Open up the liner. It will be sealed at the bottom and the sides. The mouth will be wide open. Size it up inside your pot so the open side is around the rim of the pot. The body of the liner will cover the inner pot surface on the sides and the bottom.
  • Make sure the liner is not blocking the vent or any other important parts.
  • Toss in your food ingredients.
  • Place the lid on top of the instant pot. You can also use an instant pot glass lid if you have one.
  • Turn the slow cook function and set the settings according to your recipe.
  • Once done, open the lid and spoon out your food.
  • Wait for 10-15 minutes allowing the liner to cool down.
  • Carefully collect the liner from all corners and lift it out from the instant pot. Discard.
Also read: Can You Put Uncooked Rice In Crock Pot

Pros of Using a Slow Cooker Liner in Instant Pot

  • It saves time as you don’t need to scrub and clean the instant pot after cooking.
  • The food does not stick to the bottom or sides of the pot.
  • Due to high heat resistance, food does not burn inside the liner.
  • It helps to cook food evenly and lock in the food flavors.
  • You can easily transfer food from the pot to the plate.
  • The Instant Pot is always ready to use as it is always clean
  • If at all cleaning is required, it is a breezy process requiring just a wet wipe followed by a dry wipe.

Cons of Using a Slow Cooker Liner in Instant Pot

  • Slow cooker liners are safe only for single use. If you reuse them the quality of the liner is compromised. The chemicals may leach over time. The material will thin out and may tear or get holes.
  • Slow cooker liners are not biodegradable. As they cannot be recycled, they are an environmental hazard.
  • You cannot boil water or make rice using a slow cooker liner.
  • Slow cooker liners made of nylon contribute to global warming. This is because greenhouse nitrogen oxide gas is emitted during the production of nylon.
  • Some liners are not BPA free and can leach toxic chemicals into your food
  • There are high chances of plastic tearing or burning when exposed to hot temperatures for a long time.
  • The food or the pot might start smelling of plastic.

Types of Slow Cooker Liners to Use in the Instant Pot

Let us now look into the liners that can go in the instant pot.

Silicone Liners

Silicone liners are the best quality liners for slow cooking in the instant pot. They are heat resistant up to 400° F and food-grade safe.

Silicones are sturdy and durable and do not tear easily. Use them for all slow-cooking recipes in your instant pot

Nylon Liners

Slow cooker liners are also made from nylon. These are equally safe for slow cooking in the instant pot. However, they are not very sturdy.

Plastic Liners

Although plastic liners are available in the market, I do not recommend you use plastic liners for slow cooking in your instant pot.

They may melt, leak, and leach toxins into your food. Many plastic liners are not BPA free.

Best Slow Cook Liners for Instant Pots

Sharing with you three good-quality slow cooker liners you can consider getting:

What are the Alternatives to Slow Cooker Liners?

Here are some alternatives of slow cooker liners to use for slow cooking in your Instant Pot :

Aluminum Foil

You can use aluminum foil for slow cooking in the instant pot. They are easily available in the local store and quite economical.

However, they may tear when roughly handled while placing or removing from the instant pot.

Parchment Paper

Parchment paper has similar characteristics to a slow cooker liner. You can use it for slow cooking in your instant pot.

An important thing to remember is that parchment paper will burn when the temperature goes beyond 450F.

Keep this in mind while choosing your slow-cooking recipes in the instant pot.

Cooking Spray

Cooking Spray is a natural liner. It forms an oil coating all around the inner pot. This prevents food from sticking and burning.

Just spray the inner pot all over with a cooking oil spray before placing your ingredients.

Tips on Using the Liner in the Instant Pot

  • Be gentle while placing and removing the liner from your instant pot. Do not burn yourself.
  • Spray the inside of the instant pot with cooking oil spray before placing the liner. In case the liner melts, it will not stick to the base of the pot.
  • Don’t use liners for boiling water or making rice. The hot water will lighten the liner material and it will easily melt.
  • Always use high-quality liners to prevent them from tearing or melting.
  • Read the instant pot instructions for slow cooking and the liner instructions by the manufacturer.

Let us now look at the pros and cons of using a slow cooker liner

Conclusion

You can use slow cooker liners in your instant pot. But it should only be used for slow cooking inside your instant pot.

Although they are heat resistant, they are designed for slow cooking. Never boil water or make rice with a slow cooker liner.

Use a slow cooker liner to avoid cleaning and scrubbing. Cleaning up is much less of a hassle thanks to the slow cooker liners.

Follow the steps above to use the liner for slow cooking inside your instant pot.

However, test your liner before cooking food in it. Make sure it is safe and does not melt or tear. It is better to be safe than sorry. All the best!

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I’m Jueria and I am a regular contributor on cookeryspace.com. In my articles, I share time-saving techniques, appliance wizardry, and health-friendly recipes to bring taste and wellness to your table. So raise a glass (or a spatula) with me, to good health and good food, made easy!