Each version is probably a little different. I'm sure you already have a silicone scraper spoon or wooden spoon which won't scratch. Maybe tongs long enough and sturdy enough to lift heavier things in and out. Before accessories, I think you need to make recipes that use the various functions so you really get to know how it works. Beans are a great starter. You can brown the meat, soak the beans, sliw or pressure cook them, etc., all in the pot.

You need the red silicone pincher style finger protectors for lifting the liner out when it is hot. There isn't much of a lip to the pot so hotpads are too thick. Long tongs are handy...You probably already have those.

www.allrecipes.com has all the recipes you need.

I found that I use it less (sadly) than I did before since now my DH can't eat red meat that I had used for those luscious beef and pork stews and so on -- BUT it is wonderful for "hard" boiled eggs, tons of rice, real baked beans, Chinese dumplings, Mexican tamales, cooking potatoes for old fashioned skins-on potato salad, and for making chicken soup, besides lots of chicken or vegetable broth without the wait and endless stirring. What I found so useful is the basket and a little collapsible steamer thingy from the $ store. I do have a stainless steel bowl from years ago that fits in with about a 1/4" all around that works for delicate things like fish fillets that cook so quickly so that the fine juices can be collected easily. I use two plastic coated tongs to lift everything out and so don't need the silicone pot holders. I had to put the instant pot on the counter so I would remember to use it.

I have an instant pot and love it. I belong to a few IP groups on line and users there are truly fanatical! I've always used a stovetop PC so was very familiar with pressure cooking. The IP is easier because it takes monitoring out of the equation.

Unless one doesn't have a stove, though, I don't understand the insistence on using the IP for things like eggs and rice and even yogurt when it is easier and usually quicker to use the stove. The IP takes plenty of time to come to.pressure and then to release pressure after the cooking is done. As for peeling eggs, it is a rare occasion when I cannot peel a dozen perfect stove cooked eggs, and from fridge to peeling takes about 20 minutes, no ice bath needed.

Rice, too. Put equal amounts of rice and water in a pot with a lid, in 20 minutes you have perfect rice. I don't know how long It takes in the IP because I've never done it.

I would like to make yogurt in mine, but after several attempts I just get cooked milk. I'm sure it's user error, but I can't figure out the problem so I just use the stove.

The IP is terrific for things like stews, soups, beans, potatoes, whole chickens, short ribs and baby back ribs, etc. I've never made a cheesecake in mine so I can speak to that. You'll find lots of good recipes and advice on line. I don't have any special equipment beyond a steamer basket I seldom use and a trivet I use often. I hope you enjoy using yours.

You asked about accessories. I recommend the an extra silicone gasket, a glass cover for when you use it as a slow cooker and if it did not come with the rack for steaming, get the rack.

Recommend that you also get a ceramic (very good non-stick) inner pot for the Instant Pot. They have them on Amazon. Also recommend that, if you don't already have, you buy some silicone kitchen utensils (tongs and spoons for sure). You will love your Instant Pot. I use mine nearly everyday.

A very stupid tip for using an IP (or pressure cooker):

Your kitchen sink brush, after a while the bristles get all bent out of shape and disorganized.

Tie a rubber band around the bristles and cook in a IP or PC for a few minutes. Let the pressure cool down slowly. You will have your brush back in useful condition again. You can also put your brush in bleach overnight. The discoloration will be gone the next day.

dcarch

Welcome to IP cooking! An extra seal is good to have as they tend to trap odors of the last meal in them. A good washing and lying in the sun for a few hours takes care of the smells. Keeping the lid open or upside down helps also.

A good spring form pan is very handy for cakes, taco pie, meatloaf and lasagna. A steamer basket is handy for vegetables. Smaller, oven proof casserole dish is good for "pot in pot" cooking for oatmeal and rice's.

If you go to Amazon, search for IP accessories and you will find sets to start you off. Also, Facebook has some good groups dedicated to the Instant Pot for tips tricks and recipes.

Start slow and work your way up. If a recipe calls for browning meat, do it in a pan on the stove to avoid a burn notice. If making a tomato based pasta sauce, be sure to have the sauce on the top as the sugars in the tomatoes can burn. And pasta is done in half the time.

I made a pork loin roast last night. I browned it in the pot, removed it to a trivet, added my stock and scraped all the brown bit loose. Put the roast back in and it was a perfect 145 in 17 minutes plus a 10 minute natural release.

Read the posts, look over recipes and ask questions.

I'm confused, pkramer. Did you brown The pork roast in the IP, not a pan on the stove? I've heard of the burn notice, but I've never gotten one. I always brown in my IP. Saves washing another pan.

Does the IP automatically turn off when a burn notice occurs?

you can cook eggs and most things on the trivet that came with the IP. I bought a trivet with handles too - makes it easier to lift things into it and back out (like the egg bite mold).

I also bought a steamer basket that is mostly metal (not mesh) and has a flat bottom with feet under it. I use that to make meat loaf and dressing. I mold them as a ring (like a bundt cake) and put a piece of parchment paper under them. I cut a hole in the center of it (so steam/heat can come up the middle and any grease can drain down. I also punch holes in the parchment bottom (for steam and draining). I use the corners of the paper to lift them out of the steamer. I bought an Aozita egg bite mold (4 bites - I have a 3 qt) and I don't have to spray it first and it's easy to clean and has no smell. I've read reviews of many that stick, don't clean up easily and have a chemical smell. I love that mold. I use it for egg bites, freezing cubes of pumpkin, salsa, spaghetti sauce, v8 juice, broth, sweet potato (for my dog). I haven't yet tried making muffins, cake, brownies in it.

I have a small ceramic pot with a handle from my 3 qt air fryer that I use for PIP. one like it will show up on amazon if you search AF accessories or those for the 3qt IP.

I just recently got a silicone sling and a push pan to use to make cheesecake and probably lasagna. I haven't tried either of those yet.

you can get a ton of info on the IP FB page. sign up and read. you'll get tons of recipes. to start stick with those from well known IP sites like Amy and Jacky and Jeffrey's 'pressureluck', this old gal - great recipes. I like to cook my chicken (sliced thin) in water/broth in the bottom of the liner - no trivet. set to cook for '0' min. will cook while pressurizing and depressurizing. but check the temp when you open it. from Amy / Jacky site.

Great tips! Many I would not have thought of. Please keep them coming.

I'm not on Facebook so sadly I can't see what's in the FB groups.

WalnutCreek, why a ceramic inner pot?

The ceramic inner pot is good, IMO, when preparing dishes that have sugar content, such as using pre-made jarred, purchased spaghetti sauce. Many Asian-style dishes also contain sugar, as does BBQ sauce. Again, this is my opinion, that the ceramic pot prevents the burn notice because it is non-stick.

Sheesh, I browned the pork in the IP but for beginners, I recommend stove top until they get the hang of thoroughly scraping the bottom of the pot. I believe the IP does turn itself off with a burn notice.

I'm not on Facebook so sadly I can't see what's in the FB groups.

sign up and then sign up on the IP FB page. I have a FB page, but I never go to it. I've not ever posted anything on it. I haven't been to it since I signed up. the IP FB page was my 1st 'use' of FB last Nov. I only use FB for the IP and contact with my HS FB page.

I don't brown in the IP liner. I use my Curtis Stone skillet for that. It's non stick and so easy to clean!

No Facebook for me. I have a very security-conscious husband. The "sadly" was not really sad. But for this one thing, FB would be useful.

But for this one thing, FB would be useful

yes, it would be. then go straight to the well known websites - pressureluck (Jeffrey), pressurecook (I think that is Amy and Jacky), This Old Gal.... I'll pull a few others off of FB and post for you. Each of those are awesome and have lots and lots of good recipes.

Amy and Jacky have the #17 cheesecake that is always posted on the FB page. daily. Amy and Jacky will tell you how to hard boil eggs, cook a whole chicken / poach a chicken and tons more. they test recipes for the IP brand. Jeffrey is a hoot - pull him up on youtube. His recipes are always a hit with those on IP FB.

FB only has the same info that email does - name, address (I guess), ph #. I don't really remember (a lot of yrs ago). I give as little as possible.

yes, it is very useful and the reason I finally gave in and starting using it. I don't even go to FB pages of my sister or my kids (usually). I did scan thru some pics on my sister's after my niece's dd got married last yr.

You don't have to give your personal info to Facebook. Get a free e-mail account and use that. Just leave the personal questionnaire blank.

I can't help you with accessories, the only one we've gotten is a steamer basket and we've never used it.

The InstaPot is Elery's and I don't touch it because the minute I do, it will break. He mostly uses it for cooking the really tough cuts of beef, like neck roasts, for the dog, but he did use it last night to cook some fresh greens. 45 minutes in the InstaPot and they were still tough, but I think that was just the greens, which were fresh from the garden. Elery used the IP a lot when he first got it, but now he almost never does.

Amanda would like to have one because they have a camper. It does have a stove, but it's nice to have something you can just sit outside on the table and plug it in instead of standing over the stove while everyone else is enjoying the outdoors. Her cousin has one and she uses it to heat water to wash the dishes when she takes it camping, but I think it would be useful for more things than that, LOL.

Elery did mention a couple of days ago that we should get an extra silicone gasket, apparently those take on odors that won't wash out.

CC, I don't "do" Facebook either. Elery does but I have no interest, mostly because it's such a time-sucker. I don't "do" Pinterest for the same reason.

Annie

I bought a set of three rings for my IP ... about $10

Also got a cake pan insert and and extra inner ceramic thingie ... I like mine for beans, rice, roasts and the like. It does take time to come up to pressure. It makes wonderful custard. Easy to clean. Rarely use the cooking bottom to brown stuff. I just do that on the stove ... Got an IP for each of the kids. They use it ...

make sure you buy official IP rings. Amazon sells some off brands. some don't work.

also some people report that washing the ring and hanging it out in the sun for a day or 2 removes the smell. I haven't tried that. I did buy extra rings that are IP brand tho.

I don't use mine all that much-- but it's good for stews and such. I think baking a cheesecake in the oven (which I rarely do anyway) is just fine. Cooking large amounts of eggs for hardboiling is the way to go. You can also buy a thick silicone trivet by OXO and a few other accessories designed for the IP. The metal steamer basket and a few other goodies are nice-- also try IKEA for odds and ends. I have a veal stew recipe that DH really likes.

I use it to make broth, beans, yogurt and stews.... I need to try custards and hard boiled eggs.

I joined a Facebook instantpot group but don’t go there very often. But there are knowledgeable helpful if slightly fanatical people there. The one assessory I would like is an extra liner pot.

I've been visiting my daughter and her family. My son-in-law has a favorite cookbook for Instant Pot recipes, so I thought I'd share it with you. It's "Indian Cooking Under Pressure" by Ashley Singh Thomas. She also has a website called My Heart Beets.

Thanks for your thoughts, everyone.