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Have you been wondering what that metal rack is that came with your Instant Pot? It’s a trivet—one of the most useful accessories for pressure cooking. The trivet is made with two handles connected to the rack with side hinges which allow you to easily lift and lower food.
The purpose of the trivet is to hold food or containers of food above the level of the liquid in the pot. Of course, we know that pressure cooking cannot happen without a cupful of liquid, but we do not always want this liquid to get into the food, for instance, when making a cheesecake.
The trivet is especially handy for steaming, pressure-steaming, and cooking with the Pot-in-Pot (PIP) method.
What Is an Instant Pot Trivet Used For?
Most Common Use an Instant Pot Trivet
In most cases, the trivet is not used in the Instant Pot. However, when you are cooking foods like stews or soups, the ingredients, along with the liquid, can be placed directly into the inner pot.
However, when you are going to cook a chicken, bread, or something else that you do not want to rest in the water at the bottom, the trivet will help you keep your meat above your Instant Pot’s surface liquid. Also, the trivet plays an essential role while steaming foods like vegetables or delicate foods like fish.
Furthermore, a trivet will allow you to make bread and cheesecakes that need to be above the liquid’s surface while cooking. Apart from this, the trivet helps you use your Instant Pot quite safely without burning your hands. In addition, the trivet allows you to lift food easily from the Instant Pot.
Moreover, the trivet is functional when you choose to cook more than one item in your Instant Pot simultaneously. It allows you to create different levels, which will enable you to cook other ingredients at the same time.
How To Use an Instant Pot Trivet
An Instant pot trivet is made to cope with a lot of heat. So, these racks are made out of heat-resistant, food-safe stainless steel that helps you cook your food without any danger.
First, put the water into the bottom of the pot. Then put the dish of food onto the trivet and carefully lower it into the pot using the handles. When removing the food, remember to protect your hands from burning with silicone gloves.
What Foods Can I Use a Trivet For?
The trivet is excellent for cheesecake. Put the ingredients into a springform or push-bottom pan and put it onto the rack. Use it when making bread, lasagne, or cakes. The trivet is also so helpful in boiling a large number of eggs at once. The trivet will keep them from cracking.
Your trivet is perfect for steaming vegetables. Steaming, as opposed to boiling, preserves many of the nutrients in your vegetables. For example, this method has been shown to preserve as much as 40% of the vitamin C. It also preserves a lot of the flavor.
Sometimes you need to cook foods that contain thick liquids. Putting these directly into the inner pot would trigger the Burn message because they cannot produce enough steam for the pressure cooker to work. The pot-in-pot method is perfect for such foods.
First, add at least one cup of water to the bottom of the Instant Pot. Then put the meal into a glass bowl, stainless steel bowl, or other oven-safe containers of the correct size. Place it on the trivet rack, and lower it into the pot.
Can you make a Trivet at Home?
It’s possible that you may not have a trivet for your Instant Pot. When you are stuck in such situations, some easy home remedies will help you make a trivet. Old mason jar lids and a metallic sheet to support your food works well.
The jar lids will help keep your food above the surface, and the sheet will help you position your food correctly. Alternatively, roll up even-sized balls of aluminum foil and place them on the bottom of the pot.
Conclusion
Your trivet is one of the essential Instant Pot accessories. It will extend the range of foods that you can use your pressure cooker for. Extra ones are available from Amazon.