Instant Pot / Pressure Cooker Time Converter
Estimate Instant Pot pressure times from a regular recipe.
- Pressure-cook time
- 20 min
- Come to pressurevaries with how full the pot is
- ~10 min
- Releaserecommended: Natural
- Natural (~15 min)
- Total time to table
- ~45 min
- Pressure-cook times are food-specific — this is a starting estimate, not an exact figure.
- Total time includes coming up to pressure and releasing. Beef roast / stew usually does best with a natural release.
- You need enough thin liquid for the pot to reach pressure — Instant Pot specifies 1 cup for a 3 qt, 1½ cups for a 6 qt and 2 cups for an 8 qt. Thick sauces don’t count and can trigger a burn warning.
Saved setups
Save your settings to reuse them later. They’re stored only on this device — nothing is uploaded.
What is the Instant Pot Time Converter?
Pressure cooking is dramatically faster than the oven or stovetop, but the times don’t map one-to-one. This converter gives a sensible high-pressure estimate from a conventional cooking time, adjusted for the type of food — roasts and beans behave very differently. Use it as a starting point when adapting a slow recipe to your Instant Pot, then fine-tune to your own machine. Remember to allow extra time for the pot to come up to pressure and release.
How to use the Instant Pot Time Converter
- 1 Enter the cooking time from your conventional recipe and the food type.
- 2 Pick your release method and altitude band.
- 3 Read the pressure-cook time and the total time to table.
- 4 Make sure you have enough liquid for the pot to reach pressure.
Frequently asked questions
How much faster is an Instant Pot? +
For most braises and stews, pressure cooking takes around a third of the conventional time — but it varies a lot by food, which is why this tool adjusts by category.
Do I count the time to come up to pressure? +
Yes — and this tool does it for you. The “total time to table” adds roughly 10 minutes to reach pressure plus your release time on top of the cook time, so you can plan the whole meal.
Do I need to adjust for altitude? +
Above about 2,000 ft (600 m), water boils cooler so pressure cooking takes longer — roughly 5% more time per 1,000 ft. Pick your altitude band and the estimate adjusts automatically.
How accurate are the results? +
The figures come from standard, tested references (USDA FoodData Central and King Arthur Baking) and are excellent starting points. Ovens, ingredients and equipment vary, so treat the numbers as a reliable guide and adjust to taste and doneness.
Is this calculator free, and does it send my data anywhere? +
Yes — it’s completely free and runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you type is uploaded or stored on a server; the maths happens on your device, even offline once the page has loaded.