With our Guided Cooking recipes on the CHEF iQ App, it’s easy to achieve successful results on your very first try. But with these few handy tips, you can make the experience even smoother.

Use fresh, high-quality ingredients 

No matter how helpful the Smart Cooker is at cooking food to perfection, your dish will be impacted by the ingredients you start with. We recommend investing in high-quality, fresh ingredients to allow for the best results.

Prep all of your ingredients before you begin

Set yourself up for success by preparing all of your ingredients as directed on the ingredient list before beginning. As you become more familiar with a recipe, you may find that there’s time to chop and slice while your Smart Cooker comes to pressure. But for your first few recipes, be sure to practice proper mise en place, which is a French way of saying that all of your ingredients are cut and prepped beforehand. 

Try the recipe once as-written before customizing 

It's encouraged to take our recipes and make them your own. However, we suggest trying each recipe as-written before making ingredient swaps or additions to ensure your food is cooked fully and perfectly. That being said, feel free to season every dish to your liking.

Use cooking times as a guide, not a law

While our recipes include suggested timing, as well as a timer to keep track, it's important not to go by time alone. This is because cooking times can vary. Maybe your chicken was frozen to start, or you prefer your vegetables more thoroughly cooked. Because of these variables, use our times as a guide. Utilize visual, audible, and tactile indicators, such as “until well-browned,” as well as your own preferences to make the call on timing.