I'm not sure I've ever had it take half an hour to come to pressure, but you can speed up liquidy things by putting them on the stove while putting the ingredie

I'm not sure I've ever had it take half an hour to come to pressure, but you can speed up liquidy things by putting them on the stove while putting the ingredients in. I can heat things up much faster on my gas hob than with the heater in the instant pot. Meal prep depends on the meal as well. Try a Colombian chicken stew - cut a few potatoes, some tomatoes and onions (rough, just into quarters) and chuck them in the pot with some chicken legs/thighs and bay leaves (and salt and pepper). That's minutes to prep, and doesn't have to be done just before dinner. 25 minutes and then release the pressure. I'm not sure why you carry it outside and use a spoon, you can turn the valve then leave it for a few minutes.