Whether the CHEF iQ Smart Cooker is your first pressure cooker or an upgrade, it can be tricky learning the ins and outs of a new appliance. To set yourself up for success, check out the following dos and don’ts from our team so you feel more confident while cooking with CHEF iQ.

DO

1. Use some sort of fat in the pot before heating. You should never heat an empty pot, as it’s dangerous and could lead to overheat warnings from your device. It is best to heat the oil before cooking to make sure the food doesn’t absorb the fat and become too oily. This fat also contributes to that nice golden brown coating on your food and puts a stop to it sticking to the pot. 
   
   
2. Put your CHEF iQ Smart Cooker lid on the top rack of the dishwasher from time to time. Before running it through, make sure to remove the rubber gasket around the lid as well as the top venting knob. Although these are also dishwasher-safe, we encourage you to disassemble them for a thorough cleaning. 
   
   
3. Keep your cooker on your countertop. Not only was the sleek, all-black design created to display as a pretty countertop piece, but the pot works best when kept in place on a clean and dry surface. 
   
   
4. Create your own recipes! We love to see our community getting creative, and it inspires our team to keep developing new features and recipes for our users! Be sure to tag us on Instagram @myCHEFiQ or #myCHEFiQ for a chance to be featured on our story. You can also become a member of our Facebook page, the CHEF iQ Community. Enjoy exclusive access to behind-the-scenes content, recipes, and upcoming news. Chat with other CHEF iQ users, share your recipes, and receive direct feedback from our team with any questions you may have. See you there!⁠ 
   
   
5. Experiment with delicious desserts. You’ll never run the risk of burning another cake with our perfectly-timed recipes. Due to the wet pressure cooker environment, every cake comes out moist, which works exceptionally well for cheesecakes!

DON’T 

1. Use metal utensils in the cooking pot! Although we have a strong nonstick surface, using metal tools can scratch and chip away at that base. 
   
   
2. Overfill the cooking pot past the top line. This can lead to a recipe-gone-wrong and a huge mess when it comes to pressure release! 
   
   
3. Modify key ingredients in the Guided Cooking recipes. The recipes on the CHEF iQ App have been tried and tested to ensure the perfect dish. We recommend sticking to our recipe’s ingredients and recommended amounts unless they are labeled "optional."
   
   
4. Pass up a recipe due to a dietary concern! Sometimes small substitutions can work perfectly, and are totally encouraged. Make these swaps where you can add the same amount of your substituted ingredient. Do you want to make a recipe gluten-free? Add tamari instead of soy sauce. If you’re sticking to a vegetarian diet, switch out the chicken broth for veggie broth. If you have a question about specific subs, feel free to ask our team on the CHEF iQ Community Facebook page—we’re here to help!