My first thought when reading your question was "why"? To hold other vegetables and spices or liquid? Just put them in the canner with the meat - same result.

But my second thought was "not unless you want the plastic oven bag pressure wrapped onto the roast - literally cooked onto and into it." Those bags are heat resistant but not pressure resistant so I don't think there is any way those bags would hold up to the pressure.

But then I got to wondering why you use glass or stoneware too? Because we use jars when canning?

All pressure cookers, even new ones, are aluminum and all are intended for the food to be cooked directly in the pot itself just as you would in the oven or on top of the stove, not in another container. Is it the difference between pressure cooking and pressure canning that makes you feel you need another container?

Dave

I was wondering the same as Dave, is it that you don't want the foods exposed to the older aluminum?

I'm not that cautious with it. I have two older Mirro's, the largest (22 quart) 40 years old, and I both cook and can in it without fears I might get a trace of aluminum in the food.

As for the bags, I haven't used one (oven) for a long time but I know it's not supposed to be touching a lid or oven sides, I can't imagine squishing one into a pressure cooker. They are intended for unimpeded space in dry heat...pretty much anti-pressure cooker as I see it.

If I were worried about the aluminum construction of the pressure cooker, I'd use my oven, not risk my safety release valve - or my roast.

Have you read the instructions on your box of bags? My guess would be they are meant for ovens and microwaves (dry cooking) only.

is it that you don't want the foods exposed to the older aluminum?

Good question. I hadn't thought of that but then I don't worry about aluminum either since it is in so many things. But the simple solution is to just buy a new stainless steel rack for the cooker. That is all the food comes into contact with anyway.

Dave

Hello again,

Trying to make a sensible post at 3AM was probably not such a good idea :-((

My canner has a tendency to leave dark grey and/or black sediment on foods that cook unless they are in a dish or container of some sort. I do get white sediment on the bottom of canning jars in this canner. I have tried several different methods of cleaning the inside of the canner. Even when the canner looks sparkly clean it still leaves "sediment" on jars and food. I did not want to purchase a stainless steel pressure cooker if I could use oven bags in this canner. Looks like no one has heard of using an oven bag inside a pressure cooker. I guess I will be on the hunt for a stainless steel pressure cooker for foods.

Thanks,
DL

Even when the canner looks sparkly clean it still leaves "sediment" on jars and food.

That is usually from the water, the minerals in it, not the canner itself. 2T of vinegar added to the water when canning prevents it. Can't add it when cooking I know but you can use distilled water for cooking.

Dave

PS: it would be much less expnsive to just buy a SS rack for the canner than to buy one of the SS cookers.

I often cook rice or beans in a light weight stainless steel bowl with a folded band of aluminum foil under it to lift bowl when food cooked.
Water is added to the bottom of the pot, a rack inserted, and foil covers bowl and contents. If the rice bean calls for 2 cups water to one cup rice or beans, I add that to bowl before covering it with foil. I also season bowl before doing this.
Reason - I am a 2 person family. If I want to cook rice or beans for one meal, I cannot cook this small amount in my 6 quart Presto cooker. Cooking it in a bowl means I can still cook my rice or beans in 7 to 15 minutes, remove the stainless bowl and present for serving, and dump and rinse out the Presto in half a minute. No chances of drying out or burning small quantities of food on the bottom of my Presto.
This higher and better use of a pressure cooker comes from Miss Vickie. Her cookbook on pressure cooking is wonderful. Her advise is given freely and well thought out also (on her website).
Just my observations based on implementation.
Jim in So Calif

We are truck drivers we use an instant pot in our truck but clean up can be daunting. So this question sparked my interest. Any suggestions on how to make this easier?

Could you describe what makes the clean up so daunting? When used properly only the bowl itself needs to be cleaned and that should be easy to do assuming water is available. If you have badly stuck on food then first be sure you are using sufficient liquid to begin with or are spray coating with PAM. Then if necessary just add more water and run a 10 min scalding cycle on it.

The whole idea behind Instant Pots was the ease of clean up. They came about from all the bowl-within-a-bowl discussions that sought to eliminate having to clean up the whole cooker.

Dave

HELP!!!

I want to know if I can use the bake bag so I can continue using my expensive new pressure cooker without consuming its non stick covering.

I've had my pressure king pro les than 6 months and have use it 5 times without scratching it but the non stick covering has come off in 3 places - my fault I read the reviews and thought i'd be ok

"HELP!!!"

I honestly don't think it is possible that the bag would hold up to the high temp and pressure. but only the bag manufacturer could tell you for sure.

On the other hand any non-stick covering you might consume from using the canner would be so infinitesimal that it is of no real concern. Just think of all the people using non-stick coated cookware for decades. I'd be more concerned with why such a new and limited use cooker was peeling off its coating so soon and would contact its manufacturer with that complaint.

Dave