instant pot slow cook setting

February 25, 2026

The Instant Pot’s slow cook setting can work well, but it behaves differently from a traditional Crock‑Pot, so recipes usually need small adjustments.

Basic slow cook setup

Select Slow Cook , then choose a heat level: Less, Normal, or More, and set a time (from about 30 minutes up to 20 hours on most models).

Keep the lid on but venting (valve turned to “Venting”) or use a glass lid, because the slow cook mode is not meant to build pressure.

When the timer ends, the pot typically switches to Keep Warm automatically for several hours so food stays hot until serving.

What the settings roughly mean

Less ≈ very low / keep‑warm range and can run cooler than a standard slow cooker “Low”.

Normal ≈ closer to a classic slow cooker “Low” and is a better default for most all‑day recipes.

More ≈ near a slow cooker “High”, but still often a bit cooler, so some cooks add extra time when using it.

Adapting slow cooker recipes

For recipes written for a regular slow cooker on Low , many home cooks use Normal on the Instant Pot and keep the same or slightly longer cook time (often adding 1–2 hours if food seems underdone).

For recipes written for High , using More on the Instant Pot and extending time a little (for example ~15 extra minutes per hour) often brings results closer to a standard slow cooker.

Dense dishes like roasts and thick stews are the most likely to need extra time because the Instant Pot’s slow cook mode heats more gently and more slowly.

Tips from recent forum and blog discussions

Some users report disappointing results (undercooked food) when they use Less or follow slow‑cooker times exactly; switching to Normal/More and preheating helps a lot.

A popular trick is to start on Sauté to bring the pot to a simmer, then switch to Slow Cook so it reaches a safe, steady temperature faster and mimics traditional slow‑cooker behavior better.

Community posts in 2024–2025 still note that the Instant Pot is slightly cooler than many Crock‑Pots, but many home cooks now use it successfully by adjusting settings and time instead of abandoning slow cook mode altogether.

TL;DR: Use Slow Cook on Normal (or More for “High”), vent the lid, and expect to add some time—especially for big roasts or thick stews—to get results closer to a classic slow cooker.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.