11 Clever Instant Pot Hacks You Need To Know

A quick tip to make grocery shopping easier, a swap that will make your soap last longer, and more. December 30, 2021 [View Online]( Good morning! Whether you just unwrapped one a few days ago or have been using yours for years, anyone can benefit from brushing up on Instant Pot tips and tricks. Today’s Good Thing features 11 of them that make everything from cooking to cleaning up faster, easier, and more delicious than ever. Also in today’s newsletter, another OGT reader is sharing their own brilliance with us in Your One Good Thing. Find out how Tawnya settled a worry that many of us share with a visit to her local pet store. Jillee DAYS UNTIL 🎊 New Year's Day: 2 TODAY'S GOOD THING 11 Clever Instant Pot Hacks You Need To Know [Photos of various Instant Pot hacks.]( Use these 11 genius-level hacks to speed up the cooking process, make cleanup easier, and more. At this point, my Instant Pot is such a key contributor in my kitchen that it feels as though it’s always been there. I can certainly remember feeling a bit intimidated by it when I first pulled it out of the box, but once I got more comfortable using it, I quickly realized just how useful an electric pressure cooker can be. And like most Instant Pot users, I also started picking up various “tricks of the trade” that made the Instant Pot easier to use, quicker to clean, and more versatile as a small kitchen appliance. Discovering some of them on my own inspired me to seek out more tips and tricks from Instant Pot users, and I found plenty of them. When all was said and done, I ended up with a list of 11 brilliant Instant Pot hacks that can save the operator (i.e. you and me) a lot of time and effort. All of these tips have become second nature to me from using my Instant Pot so regularly, but it occurred to me when I was using it over Christmas that there are a lot of people out there who either haven’t ever had the chance to learn them, or may have forgotten about them and could use a reminder. Plus, there are likely some folks out there who got an Instant Pot for Christmas and are eager to start making the most of it. No matter which group you belong to, I’m confident you’ll find these Instant Pot hacks as indispensable as I (still) do—check them below! [11 Clever Instant Pot Hacks You Need To Know ➜]( Related • [Everything You Need To Know About The Instant Pot]( • [This Is The Best Cooking Times Cheat Sheet For The Instant Pot, Period]( ⚡️QUICK TIPS⚡️ • Make a tender, flavorful tri-tip roast using my simple oven-roasted method that’s perfect for any night of the week. [Read more ➜]( • From medication reminders to voice messages, learn 11 ways that smart speakers can be especially useful for seniors. [Read more ➜]( • If your little ones’ stuffed toys are in desperate need of cleaning, find out how to wash them without doing any damage. [Read more ➜]( WHY DIDN’T I THINK OF THAT? Snap A Photo Of The Inside Of Your Fridge [A photo of someone taking a photo of the inside of a fridge.]( Why struggle to remember what you have on hand when your phone can remember it for you? Try as I might, I can never seem to consider everything we might need at the store while I’m still at home. I can be reasonably sure that I’ll remember what we’re out of since I tend to write those on my list as they occur to me, but for some reason, I often forget to consider what we’re low on until I’m already at the store. This has led to countless instances of me calling Dave from the store to ask how much milk we have or how many eggs there are in the fridge. But sometimes he doesn’t pick up right away because he doesn’t have his phone on him, which means I either have to call Sten or just make a wild guess. Luckily for me, I eventually realized there was a much, much simpler way to eliminate the need for those mid-grocery run phone calls. Before I leave the house, I just snap a photo of the inside of my fridge. That way if I have questions, I can just reference the photo on my phone instead of wasting time playing phone tag. SWAP THAT 🔄 FOR THIS Make Your Hand Soap Last A Lot Longer [Photos of a standard soap dispenser and a foaming soap dispenser.]( As surprising as it sounds, swapping out your soap dispenser can be a great way to save money. I originally started buying foaming hand soap simply because I liked the rich, creamy lather they produced. Not only does it make for a more enjoyable hand washing experience, but it also rinses more cleanly down the drain—in my experience, standard hand soap is prone to leaving soap drips in and around the sink. But it wasn’t until I got my first refillable foaming hand soap dispenser that I realized how many advantages foaming hand soap has to offer. The secret to “making your own” foaming hand soap solution is watering down standard hand soap at a ratio of 1 part soap to 4 parts water. When I fill up [my favorite foaming hand soap bottle]( I just eyeball those amounts by filling about 20% of the bottle with soap, then I add water until it reaches the top of the bottle. You end up using a fraction of the soap you normally would to get your hands just as clean, which makes your soap last longer and saves you money. JILLEE'S PICK Home Envy With Architectural Digest On Instagram [An image of two smartphone screens displaying the Architectural Digest Instagram account.]( Did anyone else watch [Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous]( back in the late 80s and early 90s? That used to be one of my favorite “guilty pleasure” shows, as I could rarely resist an opportunity to glimpse how the other half lived back then. While I did eventually grow out of my fascination with the actual lifestyles of celebrities, I still find myself fascinated by their homes. But these days it’s less about who owns the home as it is about what the home looks like. A beautiful and thoughtfully designed home is a joy to look at, no matter who happens to reside there! If you also enjoy exploring beautiful homes, you should definitely check out the Instagram account for the magazine Architectural Digest ([@archdigest](. While they do feature homes owned by notable figures and celebrities, the homes and designs are the real stars of the show here. While some of the homes they feature do inspire envy, others are so artsy and modern that it reminds me of how I feel when I look at modern art. (And by that I mean it's interesting and enjoyable to look at, despite the fact that have have little to no idea what I’m actually seeing!) [Check out their account]( and let me know what you think. YOUR ONE GOOD THING Put An ID Tag On Your Keys Tawyna M. has a tip for anyone nervous about losing their keys: "I was always afraid of losing my keys when I was out shopping or on vacation, so I went to our local pet store and purchased a large pet tag in the shape of a pink heart. I had ‘Please return me’ engraved on one side and both my cell number and my husband's engraved on the other. Now I'm worry-free!" I love Tawnya’s idea for several reasons. First, it’s a simple solution to a very common worry about how you’d find your keys again if you accidentally lost them. Second, it’s an inexpensive solution, since you can usually get pet tags engraved for around $10. (It’s certainly cheaper than putting one of those bluetooth trackers on your keys!) And finally, it’s a convenient option. Most pet stores have engraving machines that can make a tag like this on the spot in just a couple of minutes, meaning that you have a “key ID tag” of your very own by the end of the day. Thanks for sharing such a practical and creative idea with us, Tawnya! Have a great tip or trick of your own? [Share YOUR “one good thing” here]( for a chance to see it featured in a future newsletter! A FEW MORE THINGS... Bacon Lovers Rejoice: It’s National Bacon Day, not to be confused with International Bacon Day (September 5), as if we need an excuse to celebrate one of humanity’s favorite pork products. Make a few slices of bacon today to celebrate using either of these [2 methods for making crispy bacon]( or join me in making one of my favorite sandwiches of all-time: the BLT. Happy Birthday: If you’re celebrating a birthday today, then happy birthday from me and the rest of the OGT Team! Feel free to brag about sharing a birthday with these notable names: Davy Jones (1945), Meredith Vieira (1953), Tiger Woods (1975), Laila Ali (1977), LeBron James (1984), and Ellie Goulding (1986). What did you think of today's email? [Not good]( | [Just okay]( | [Loved it!]( 🏠[Visit the By Jillee Shop]( 🤗 [Join OGT Free]( Let's connect! [facebook]( [instagram]( [pinterest]( [youtube]( If you have thoughts, comments, questions or a tip or trick you'd like to share, I'd love to hear from you! My inbox is always open, so just hit "reply" and let me know what's on your mind. See you tomorrow! Sending you bright ideas and simple solutions to help you create a home and life you love. My mailing address is: One Good Thing by Jillee 841 S. Main St. Heber City, UT 84032 If you're not happy please reply to this email to tell me why, or you can [update your preferences]( or break my heart and unsubscribe [here](. View our privacy policy [here](.