Would add to any public library collection that already caters to trending cooking titles. Very easy recipes, if you didn't already have an instapot you'd be swayed to buy one.

Have you ever dreamed of making your own cheese? Me neither. That is, until I discovered Claudia Lucero’s cookbook, Instant Pot Cheese: Discover How Easy It Is to Make Mozzarella, Feta, Chevre, and More. Since most everyone nowadays has an Instant Pot® and is always trying new things to do in it, cheese is a definite possibility. In fact, it’s actually fun, as Lucero points out.

The cookbook is filled with tempting cheeses that we usually pay top dollar for at the grocery store, and I’ve discovered that fresh, homemade cheese is much better than storebought. It is also something to make in a pinch when we don’t have time to go to the grocery store or our store doesn’t carry the kind we need. Most of the cheeses in the cookbook call for ingredients that are easy to find at any store, and the instructions are concise and easy to follow. There are excellent photographs and step-by-step instructions with photos so that beginners can make picture-perfect and delicious cheese. In addition to cheese, the book includes recipes for yogurt, sour cream, crème Fraîche, butter, and ghee/clarified butter. The varieties of cheese range from ricotta to cream cheese to chevre to farmer’s cheese.

Many of us are staying home more and cooking at home more; this excellent cookbook will help anyone who loves to be in the kitchen a new skill that’s actually worth learning. This is an excellent cookbook to include in a good recipe collection, and for most of us will become one that is used often.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

This book just straight up told me that I can make my own cheese. MY OWN CHEESE. UNLIMITED CHEESE. I don't think I need to emphasize beyond this point! A thorough read, some trial and errors, could really save you some money plus this is gonna be fun!

I want to add this book to my personal kitchen book library! Cheese is my hands down favorite food, next to chocolate and bread, and it is definitely something I have always wanted to try my hand at making fresh. Claudia Lucero has created a beautiful book resplendent with ample photos and easy to follow recipes that I cannot wait to try out myself!

This is another book that is influencing my decision to buy an Instant Pot. The basic cheeses presented here are easy to make and provide a platform to more Instant Pot use.

This is a wonderful book for anyone interested in making cheese. This book starts out with some good info on cheese making basics, how to use the Instant Pot for projects like this, the tools needed, etc. And I feel like most of the smaller tools it calls for are basic items that most people probably already have in their kitchens. Which makes trying out cheese making very simple as long as you have an Instant Pot.

I am also very excited about the recipes in this book. They are written in a very simple step by step format. And include a lot of amazing types of cheeses. Like mozzarella, feta, paneer, string cheese, cottage cheese, mascarpone, and even things like sour cream, yogurt, and ghee. Plus it even includes some great looking dairy-free alternatives. Including a delicious looking cheddar 'n' chives wheel and a pepper jack block, both of which are sliceable. Making them a great option for grilled cheese sandwiches, quesadillas, etc. And I must say that the coconut milk yogurt looked really interesting as well. The list could simply go on and on, because there is a very nice variety of recipes.

If you have ever wanted to try making cheese, but thought it might be to hard to get started, I highly recommend this book. It makes cheese making look like a simple and straightforward process.




I received this book free through NetGalley from Storey Publishing for my honest review. The opinions are my own.

This book had me at "Instant Pot Cheese". YUM! Not only do I plan on trying the recipes myself, I plan on using them for entertaining.

This was a surprisingly accessible book for a person who has no experience making cheese. The recipes are very straight forward and don't require any fancy equipment. The pages are beautifully illustrated and organized. I look forward to trying out these recipes.

I love cheese and I also love using my instant pot, so this book was very fun. I also really liked that there were some dairy free cheeses included in this book. Overall, it was easy to follow and so far the recipes I've tried have turned out well.

The use of the Instant Pot to make cheese is a new and appealing way to make it at home. The directions and ingredients lists pose problems., especially for the average home cook. Some of the ingredients may be hard to find and the directions seem more like finessing the instant pot use. This is not the easy and straightforward cookbook I expected. This is unfortunate because the time of its release would be perfect for the pandemic cook.
Everitt, Goodreads

I love the inclusion on non-dairy cheeses, I have made several of the recipes and the came out very well.

The book starts with lots of info on the instant pot specification, equipment and cooking techniques and cheese-making ingredients. Then it moves on to cheese-making basics.


There are recipes for many different types of cheeses such as Whole Milk Ricotta, Quick Cottage Cheese, Tvorog and so on. Ends with a section of dairy-free alternatives such as Tangy Cucumber, Smoky Coconut Melter and so on.


The book has many photos and lots of info for people who are interested in making more cheese recipes with an instant pot.

Thank you to NetGalley, Claudia Lucero and Storey Publishing, LLC for an ARC of this book.

So excited for this book and my new winter weather hobby: making cheese in my Instant Pot! Looking forward to an exciting new journey.

I had no idea that you could make cheese in an instant pot! Enter Instant Pot Cheese!

Instant Pot Cheese begins with an extremely informative and helpful section on understanding your machine and the cheese-making process. It explains the tools that you will need to use and how you will need to use them! It also lists the common ingredients you will need.

The recipes include a lot of the common and favorite cheeses like ricotta, mozzarella and cottage, and a few less common like, paneer, burrata and mascarpone. The book also includes recipes for yogurt, sour cream, butter and a whole section for non-dairy recipes, for us lactose intolerants! The recipes are a little more in depth than your average cookbook, but that’s simply because the cheese making process is a much more in depth process! So just be prepared!

If you’ve got an instant pot and you're a cheese fiend, this one is definitely for you!

Book summary
The Instant Pot has become something of an obsession, with every flavor of group on social media and books galore. With its versatility, it shouldn't be surprising. Claudia Lucero, author of One-Hour Cheese, demonstrates with her new book that your Instant Pot can make delicious cheese, too. From cottage cheese, to cream cheese, to yogurt, and paneer, plus a chapter of dairy free cheeses, this book has a variety that's almost as versatile as the Instant Pot they're made in.

Taste Testing

As it is a cookbook, I decided to test a couple of the recipes before writing my review. Here's what I tried and how they turned out.

Yogurt

I'm a yogurt veteran. I've made it on and off for years. I've made it in the Instant Pot for months at this point. Reading through her recipe it looked pretty standard. However, I did learn something: the incubation setting for yogurt has a high and low temperature setting. Which explains why I've had a few rogue batches. When I followed her steps, I had some of the thickest yogurt I've made in the Instant Pot to date. Be warned though, if you don't like it tart...go with the shorter incubation time. The 24 hour instructions make some of the strongest tasting yogurt I've ever had. Yum!

Cottage Cheese

We go through cottage cheese like crazy, so this was a logical one for me to try. It also uses cultured buttermilk, so it made buying some economical (as opposed to the small amount needed for cream cheese).
We had successful small curds, but I'll have to play with it to get cottage cheese they way we like it. That's more a preference thing than the recipe, though.

Cream Cheese

This was the most cheese recipe I made from the book. The recipe uses a rennet tab, and I modified it by using liquid; it swaps easily enough though so I don't consider that an issue with testing the recipe. Plus the reviews for rennet said the liquid was easier for beginners, and I was feeling very intimidated; I shouldn't have worried with how well the recipes are written.

I was very surprised how easy this was to make. As a cheese making novice, and considering it was the first recipe I tried, it was a little intimidating. But it turned out amazing...and we'll be making it again. Store bought cream cheese will never be the same for me after having homemade.

So how was it?

I really enjoyed this book. Overall, it is very easy to read and follow her instructions. Lucero has a talent for explaining things in a way that make sense to the novice cheese maker. I have not read any of Lucero's other books, so I can't say how they compare, but if they're anything like this one I can see why they're best sellers. The photos in the book are stunning.

The cookbook assumes you are using a 6qt machine for the recipes; if you have a smaller one, you will be adapting for the smaller machine. Also, if I had to be critical of anything, it would be that some of the recipes assume you have a 3qt and a 6qt Instant Pot. While the IP culture tends to lean towards people having more than one, that could be an issue for making some of the recipes. We're talking about pot-in-pot cooking, so technically it's just a matter of using a smaller container, but it's just something to keep in mind.

If you have an Instant Pot and you're looking for ways to branch out with it, or you're looking to pick up a new hobby, definitely give this book a look. You won't be disappointed.

After reading Instant Pot Cheese by Claudia Lucero I now want to go get an Instant Pot just to make many of the recipes in the book. It has clear instructions, pictures and illustrations which are invaluable in a recipe book. This is a clear winner for the cookbook shelf.

After spending some money, and precious kitchen counter real estate, on an instant pot, I’m always looking for new ideas for what to do with it. Sure, I’ve made soups, stews and chickens within its stainless steel interior. I’ve even made some kind of rice porridge from an online recipe and a somewhat successful cheesecake (it tasted much better than it looked!) However, Instant Pot Cheese sounds both effortless and delicious. And at least one of those adjectives is true!

First off, be prepared to spend some money before you can even start making some dairy. Also, forget your dreams of non or even low-fat cheese. The book suggests at least starting with full fat milk. Depending on the cheese you select, effortlessness may not be achievable. Cottage cheese is simple as pie. However, mozzarella and string cheese are just as much work as kneading bread but in the opposite direction of stretching.

But what about the recipes? The cheeses in this book look delicious. There is a huge variety from simply Ricotta to a beautiful party-ready Herb Lovers’ Wheel to seven yummy looking dairy-free alternatives. The dairy-free selections are made from unusual ingredients like potatoes and oatmeal. There are no hard cheeses like cheddar in the dairy cheeses but there are two in the dairy-free recipes. Plus paneer, which is such a favorite Indian food of mine that I’m willing to eat cooked spinach to get to it. There is truly something for every cheese lover inside the book.

If you are ready to try something new with your instant pot, Instant Pot Cheese is the book for you. It has clear instructions and a multitude of color photographs. It is especially recommended for its original recipes for non-dairy cheeses and cheesy sauces. 4 stars!

Thanks to Storey Publishing and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

If you have an Instant Pot and want to know what else it can do, this is going to be a fun book for you! Soft cheese, firmer cheese, even vegan cheeses, with a lot of ideas for making versions of some basic recipes. The instructions are detailed and include recommendations for ingredients and supplies as well, which is critical when making cheese.

I usually make at least one recipe before reviewing a cookbook. This time around I didn't, but wanted to explain why. I still haven't taken my Instant Pot out of the box it came in, largely because it was the last gift from my father-in-law before he died. I know this is a weird thing to be nostalgic about, but there you go. I was also a bit thrown off by the ingredients I would have to procure, like rennet and raw milk. In normal times, this would be easier; right now I am still in a state where there are no mask rules so I have to get food delivered - my options are more limited, and I can't get rennet or raw milk delivered despite knowing where it is sold. This will be good fodder for some experiments in the future. I have made cheese from scratch before and actually wonder if some of these recipes couldn't have had simpler versions for people who don't want to buy specialty ingredients just to use their new appliance. On the other hand these are serious cheeses. It will depend on the user.

In fairness to the author, I have never made cheese or even read thru a recipe prior to this cookbook. Instant Pot Cheese contains and amazing variety of cheeses to make at home, many of them things we use regularly in our home like ricotta, mozzarella, and even string cheese. The recipes -even with the addition of an InstantPot - are extremely involved and are definitely going to take some patience and skill, I think. But they will definitely be fun to try!!

Easy Entry into Home Cheesemaking with the Instant Pot

I have read a fair number of Instant Pot cookbooks, and occasionally, I have seen recipes using it to make homemade cheese like paneer. But this Instant Pot cheese cookbook has a surprising variety of recipes for soft and semi-soft cheeses. Most surprisingly, though—and to my delight—she has an entire section on making non-dairy cheeses! As a vegetarian who aspires to be vegan but often misses the gooey creaminess of dairy cheeses, this is a fantastic inclusion. After an introductory section exploring the cheesemaking process, including necessary ingredients and techniques, the recipe section is divided into dairy and non-dairy cheeses. The dairy section is further divided by how you cook it: using pressure, direct heat but no pressure, or the yogurt function. Cheeses included in this section will be familiar to any cheese lover: ricotta, cottage cheese, queso blanco, mascarpone, mozzarella (including string cheese and burrata), fromage blanc, and feta, and even one that mimics whipped cream cheese. There are two goat cheeses as well. There are a few that aren’t strictly cheeses but are closely related, like yogurt, cultured buttermilk, creme fraiche, and sour cream. In the section, she also includes a cultured butter recipe that doesn't use the Instant Pot and one for ghee/clarified butter. In the dairy-free section, you'll find cheesy sauces as well as cheeses at mimic cheddar and pepper jack. The book is packed with photographs that show technique and the finished products. The author assumes that you have one of the high-end Instant Pots that has a yogurt setting and variable pressure. My pot has neither. She does have a workaround for how to create dishes with the yogurt setting if you don't have it (hint: oven light!). She does typically use the low setting to heat the milk, but you could always heat it on the stovetop to the temperature stated if you don't have the low-pressure option on your pot. All in all, I thought this was a fun book that is an easy entry point into making homemade cheese, which can seem daunting. With your Instant Pot, it is not.