Instant Pot Cooking Time Conversion Calculator
Convert slow cooker, oven, and stovetop recipes into an Instant Pot plan with time, liquid, altitude, and release settings.
The calculator blends the source recipe time with the food profile, then adjusts for pressure level, altitude, release, and batch size.
| Source method | Factor | Typical time | Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slow cooker low | 0.06x | 6-10 h | Roasts |
| Slow cooker high | 0.08x | 3-6 h | Chili |
| Stovetop simmer | 0.22x | 30-90 m | Soup |
| Oven braise | 0.18x | 1-3 h | Covered cuts |
| Oven roast | 0.15x | 45-120 m | Dry heat |
| Steam / blanch | 0.12x | 5-20 m | Veggies |
| Food | Base | Liquid | Release |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beef chuck | 40 m | 1.0 cup | Natural |
| Chicken thighs | 10 m | 0.6 cup | Mixed |
| Dry beans | 25 m | 2.0 cups | Natural |
| Lentils | 8 m | 1.6 cups | Quick |
| White rice | 4 m | 1.3 cups | Quick |
| Potatoes | 8 m | 0.6 cup | Quick |
| Root veg | 3 m | 0.5 cup | Quick |
| Soup base | 12 m | 1.0 cup | Mixed |
| Cooker size | Min liquid | Safe fill | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 qt | 1.0 cup | 5.5 cups | Sides |
| 6 qt | 1.5 cups | 11.5 cups | Family meals |
| 8 qt | 2.0 cups | 15.5 cups | Big batches |
| 10 qt | 2.5 cups | 20.5 cups | Large loads |
| Release | Vent | Texture | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quick | 0-2 m | Firm | Rice, veg |
| Mixed | 5-8 m | Balanced | Chicken, soup |
| Natural | 10-15 m | Tender | Beans, roasts |
| Full natural | 15+ m | Soft | Thick braise |
| Altitude | Add | Band | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-2000 ft | +0% | Base | No change |
| 2000-4000 ft | +3% | Common | Light bump |
| 4000-6000 ft | +6% | High | Longer hold |
| 6000+ ft | +9% | Very high | Most add |
An Instant Pot are a pressure cooker that can be used to cook food quick. An Instant Pot uses high steam pressure to cook the foods. This high steam pressure allow the Instant Pot to cook the food in more less time then would be required using traditional cooking methods for a same recipe.
Recipes that would normally take a long time to cook on a stove or in an oven can be cooked in the Instant Pot. However, it is important to understand how an Instant Pot work differently from method like simmering or braising. Pressure cooking methods uses steam to reach high temperatures that allow the food to cook quick.
How an Instant Pot Cooks and How to Change Recipes
If the necessary cooking time are not set for the food in the Instant Pot, the food could become too tough or too soft. When converting a slow cooker recipe to an Instant Pot recipe, it is important to take into account the effect that the heat have upon the food. Slow cookers uses low heat to cook the food over long period of time.
The slow cook method allow moisture to evaporate from the food. Instant Pot recipes dont allow for moisture to evaporate from the food due to the sealed environment of the Instant Pot, and because the pot reach temperatures of 240 degree F or higher using high steam pressure. Additionally, you cannot divide the long cooking times that are required in a slow cooker by a set number in order to calculate the amount of time that the food would take to cook in an Instant Pot.
For instance, beef chuck require a specific amount of time in the Instant Pot in order to melt the connective tissue in the beef chuck, but rice take only a short time in the Instant Pot to steam the rice. The original cooking method for a recipe is important in determining the method that should be used in the Instant Pot to replicate the cooking process. For instance, if the original cooking method used oven braising, the braising method use covered humidity to cook the food.
The Instant Pot must mimic this humidity in the cooking process. If the original cooking method used stovetop simmering, the stovetop simmering method use an open boil of the cooking liquid. The Instant Pot must account for this difference in the cooking methods.
Additionally, the amount of liquids in the Instant Pot is important. The Instant Pot require the use of liquid in order to create the steam pressure that cooks the food. It is important to make sure there is enough liquid in the Instant Pot for the process to cook the food, but it is also important to make sure the level of liquid are appropriate for the type of food being cooked in the pot.
