When I first wrote about Instant Pots back in 2017, it was with the ardor of new love. I had fallen hard for my first electric pressure cooker, delighting in the myriad ways it could improve my kitchen life.

All those weeknight meals of dried beans and silky braised meats, the speedy brown rice, the endless flow of soups and homemade stock changed how I cooked in a fundamental way.

The question was, would the habit stick? Or, rather, would my Instant Pot end up like so many panini presses and sous vide wands — on a shelf in the basement, fuzzy with dust?

I’m happy to report that, nearly five years in, it has remained an integrated and well-used kitchen tool. After hundreds of meals, I have learned a few very valuable lessons, whether getting the smell out of the sealing ring or troubleshooting the dreaded burn message.

Here are some of my best practices and tips for getting the most out of your Instant Pot:

Salt Your Beans

Cooking dried beans from scratch on any given weeknight is a triumph of the electric pressure cooker. To get the best flavor, add salt at the beginning. Cooking beans in salted water helps flavor them evenly.

Mind Your Temperatures

The colder the ingredients are when they go into your pot, the longer it will take to reach pressure. Defrosting liquids in the microwave can speed things up. Or if you are adding water and have an electric kettle, you can heat the water while prepping your other ingredients.

Clean That Smelly Seal

The easiest way I have found to get rid of that lingering, slightly sulfurous scent that clings to the sealing ring is making a paste made from baking soda and white vinegar. Spread it all over the ring, and let it sit in the sink for an hour or so (or overnight for really tough cases). Then throw the whole thing into your dishwasher. I do this along with all my other dishes, and everything comes out sparkling.

In the following recipe, these tomato-braised chickpeas make for a complex, satisfying meatless meal, especially when served with warm flatbread for dipping into the sauce. If you are starting with soaked and drained chickpeas, reduce the water to about 1 1/2 cups — just enough to cover them — then cook on high pressure for 13 minutes instead of 35.

Instant pot tomato-braised chickpeas with tahini

Ingredients for the chickpeas:

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 large red onion, thinly sliced

• 2 1/4 teaspoons fine sea salt, plus more as needed

• 4 garlic cloves, grated, pressed or minced

• 1 (15-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes

• 1 (2-inch) cinnamon stick, or 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 bay leaf

• 2 cups dried chickpeas

• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

• 1/2 cup cilantro, mint or parsley, chopped, plus more for garnish

Ingredients for the tahini sauce:

• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste

• 1 garlic clove, finely grated

• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste

• 1/4 cup tahini

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

• Ice water

Directions:

Using the sauté function set on medium, heat oil in the pressure cooker pot. Add the sliced onions and 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are lightly golden brown, 10-12 minutes.

Stir in garlic and cook about 1 minute. Using your hands, break the tomatoes into pieces and add them, along with their liquid, to the pot. Stir in cinnamon stick and bay leaf, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot, and simmer for 2-3 minutes.

Stir in chickpeas, cumin, turmeric, remaining 2 teaspoons salt and 4 cups water. Cover and cook at high pressure for 35 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for at least 20 minutes. Release any remaining pressure.

Make the tahini sauce: Combine lemon juice, garlic and salt in a mixing bowl. Whisk in tahini, then whisk in oil until emulsified. Whisk in enough ice water to make a pourable sauce. Taste and add more lemon juice, if needed.

Stir chopped cilantro into braised chickpeas and taste. To serve, garnish bowlfuls with a big drizzle of tahini sauce and more cilantro.

Total time: 1 1/2 hours, serves 6.

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