Instant Pot Method: Pressure Cooker Infusion
How to use an Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker for fast, sealed decarboxylation and infusion. A faster alternative with reduced odor and consistent results.
Guide Notes
BatchCraft Editorial Team
Chaady Research Desk
Content is written for educational recipe-planning use and cross-checked against the calculator, recipe gallery, and process guidance already published on the site.
Updated March 13, 2026
Recipe and planning pages are designed to work with the BatchCraft calculator workflow, including serving-size assumptions, prep notes, and batch-planning helpers.
What Is the Instant Pot Method?
The Instant Pot method uses an electric pressure cooker to perform both decarboxylation and infusion in a sealed, temperature-controlled environment. The sealed lid traps odors effectively, and the consistent internal temperature makes results more repeatable than stovetop methods.
This method is particularly popular because many households already own an Instant Pot, and it offers a middle ground between the precision of sous vide and the simplicity of a slow cooker. The sealed environment also makes it one of the more discreet stovetop-alternative methods.
How It Works
The Instant Pot is used in two different ways for edible-making. For decarboxylation, you seal material in a mason jar and place it on the trivet with water underneath, essentially creating a pressurized water bath. For infusion, you can either use the mason jar method again or use the "Slow Cook" function directly.
Use the "Pressure Cook" or "Manual" function for decarb (sealed mason jar on trivet). Use the "Slow Cook" function for infusion (carrier and material in the pot). Do NOT pressure cook your carrier fat and material directly — the high pressure can cause over-extraction and unpleasant flavors.
Step-by-Step: Instant Pot Decarboxylation
- 1Break your source material into small, pea-sized pieces and place them in a wide-mouth mason jar. Fill no more than 3/4 full.
- 2Seal the mason jar with the lid finger-tight (not fully torqued). This allows pressure to equalize without letting water in.
- 3Place the trivet (wire rack) in the bottom of the Instant Pot. Pour in 1.5 cups of water.
- 4Set the mason jar on the trivet. If processing multiple jars, do not stack them — they need to be on the trivet level.
- 5Close the Instant Pot lid and set the valve to "Sealing."
- 6Select "Pressure Cook" (or "Manual") on HIGH pressure. Set the timer to 40 minutes.
- 7When the cycle finishes, let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes (NPR), then carefully release any remaining pressure.
- 8Using tongs or a jar lifter, carefully remove the hot mason jar. Let it cool completely before opening.
Use only proper canning-grade mason jars (Ball, Kerr). Never use decorative jars, repurposed food jars, or cracked jars. The pressure environment can cause non-rated glass to shatter. Always use the finger-tight lid method to allow pressure equalization.
Step-by-Step: Instant Pot Infusion
- 1Place your decarbed material and carrier fat into a mason jar. Use approximately 7–14g of material per cup of carrier.
- 2Seal the jar finger-tight and place on the trivet in the Instant Pot with 1.5 cups of water.
- 3Select "Slow Cook" on LOW setting. Set the timer for 4 hours.
- 4Note: The "Slow Cook" function does NOT pressurize. The lid can be placed on but should have the valve set to "Venting" or you can use a glass lid.
- 5Check the liquid level every 90 minutes. Shake or agitate the jar gently every hour (use oven mitts).
- 6When the timer finishes, carefully remove the jar and let it cool enough to handle.
- 7Open the jar and strain the infused carrier through cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer into a glass container.
- 8Squeeze the cheesecloth to extract all remaining carrier. Discard the spent material.
Some experienced users pressure cook the infusion (carrier + material in mason jar, HIGH pressure for 20 minutes). This is faster but more aggressive. If you try this, use the natural pressure release and be aware that results can be more variable — over-extraction may produce a bitter, chlorophyll-heavy flavor.
Temperature & Time Reference
| Method | Setting | Time | Internal Temp (approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decarb (Pressure) | HIGH Pressure | 40 min + 15 min NPR | ~250°F / 121°C |
| Infusion (Slow Cook) | Slow Cook LOW | 4 hours | ~170–190°F / 77–88°C |
| Quick Infusion (Pressure) | HIGH Pressure | 20 min + NPR | ~250°F / 121°C |
Note that the pressure environment raises the boiling point of water, which means the mason jar contents reach higher temperatures than they would in a normal water bath. This is why the pressure decarb method works in only 40 minutes versus the 90 minutes needed for a sous vide water bath.
Pros & Cons
- PRO: Many kitchens already have an Instant Pot — low or zero additional cost
- PRO: Sealed lid dramatically reduces odor during decarb
- PRO: Faster decarb than oven or sous vide methods (40 minutes under pressure)
- PRO: Consistent, repeatable results once you find your settings
- PRO: Compact — takes up less space than a slow cooker or oven setup
- CON: Requires mason jars and careful handling of hot glass
- CON: Limited batch size compared to oven or slow cooker methods
- CON: The "Slow Cook" function on some Instant Pot models runs hotter than expected
- CON: Natural pressure release adds wait time to each cycle
- CON: Pressure cooking the infusion step can lead to over-extraction if not careful
Efficiency & Expected Results
The Instant Pot pressure decarb method typically achieves 88–95% decarboxylation efficiency. The elevated temperature and pressure environment speeds up the reaction significantly. For the infusion step (using Slow Cook mode), expect 65–75% infusion efficiency, comparable to a standard slow cooker.
For Instant Pot decarb, use the "Standard" or "Optimistic" efficiency preset in BatchCraft. For the slow cook infusion step, use the "Standard" preset. If using the pressure infusion shortcut, use "Standard" as the aggressive extraction can be inconsistent.
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