Have you ever heard about bone broth? I’m sure you have if you try to maintain a healthy lifestyle. After all, it has so many health benefits to start with! It’s like a complete package of nutrients in a single food.
However, your body won’t get any of these benefits if you don’t cook the bone broth properly. Do you know how to make it? After years of debate, chefs and home cooks have finally agreed that a pressure cooker or a slow cooker is way better than a regular stovetop to make bone broth.
But there’s still always a comparison between these two methods. Bone broth pressure cooker vs Slow cooker, which one is more suitable, user-friendly, and makes more tasty broth? Users always wonder about that.
So, we thought, why not compare bone broth made in a pressure cooker and slow cooker and find out which one is better. Do you want to tag along with us on the journey? If yes, here is details about bone broth in pressure cooker vs slow cooker.
What Is Bone Broth?
Before we get down to which method provides you with the best quality bone broth, do you have any idea what bone broth is?
Bone broth may, also known as stock, is a clean, protein-rich, nutrient-filled soup-like liquid made from simmering animal bones, tissues, ligaments, etc.
When you boil the bones (chicken, beef, pork) at high temperatures, the bone’s connective tissue, collagen, and proteins break down and dissolve in the water. Hence, the broth becomes full of nutrients that are better for your bone and skin, gut health, immunity system, more likely, the whole body.
The more time you cook the bones, the more time tissues get to the breakdown, and bone minerals can come out better. Generally, 12-24 hours may be considered standard for cooking bone broth. But yes, some like to have theirs after 48-72 hours of cooking. You should remember that too much cooking time may bring an unpleasant taste to your bone broth. So, better be careful.
How Do You Make Bone Broth?
From ancient times, bone broth has been used for multiple health benefits. If you look up the history, you will get various references of it being used as medicine sometimes. Got a sudden cold? Have a nice bowl of bone broth and fight back the illness instantly.
No wonder bone broth is still so popular amount the health-conscious. However, to get those health benefits, you first need to know how to make bone broth. Do you know how to?
Making bone broth isn’t that hard. You just need a few things to get it done. Here’s the list of ingredients you will need for the recipe.
- Bones
- Apple cider vinegar
- Carrots
- Onions
- Any other vegetables you would like
- Bay leaves
- Garlic
- Cinnamon
- Black pepper
- Salt
Yes, that’s all you need to cook a batch of tasty bone broth. You can leave out some of the ingredients, though. Bay leaves, garlic, and cinnamon are optional. We mainly use them to enhance the flavor of the broth. So, yes, skipping them won’t reduce the nutritional value of the broth at all.
Now, let’s talk about making bone broth in the old, traditional way.
- First, you need to get the bones, chicken, beef, pork, or mixed bones, whichever you prefer. You may use joints, knuckles, feet, bone marrows, ribs, or whichever part of bones you like.
- Clean them up thoroughly and adequately with water.
- Now you need to roast the bones. You can do it both in an oven and stovetop. Roasting the bones before hand adds more flavor to the stock when cooked later. I prefer to roast the veggies, too, along with the bones.
- Roast the bones until they turn a little brown.
- Shift the bones to the pot where you plan to cook the broth.
- Add apple cider vinegar according to the amount of the bones. Generally, 2 tablespoons are enough for a large batch of bone. Apple cider vinegar helps in tissue, protein, and collagen breakdown. It also helps in drawing minerals out of the bone.
- Add the veggies and spices with a bit of salt (according to your taste).
- Put plenty of water in the pot. Ensure that everything is embedded in water.
- Now, you need to put the pot on the stovetop and cook.
- You need to cook at a high temperature for the first segment. Then after a couple of hours, simmer it at low temperature for at least 12-24 hours. Some even prefer to cook for 48 hours.
- After you are done cooking, rinse out the veggies and bones. Your bone broth is already.
- Store it properly for further use.
It was pretty easy, wasn’t it? Why spend money on unhealthy packaged broth when you can make one at home simply?
More Read: Why Does My Slow Cooker Cook So Fast?
How To Make Bone Broth In Slow Cooker?
Traditionally, bone broth has always been made on a stovetop. It brings out the flavors really well but is very time-consuming and needs your ultimate attention. You need to keep checking on the broth from time to time and adjust the temperature, which is a great hassle.
That’s why the slow cooker has gained so much popularity for cooking bone broth. A slow cooker is a kitchen appliance running on electricity, made for a long time unattended cooking. Depending on the cooker’s variety, you can slow cook any dish for 12-48 hours.
As we know by now, the more time you cook the bone, the nutrient-rich, healthy, and tasty the broth will become. And slow cookers can be a perfect gadget for that. Let’s look at how things are done in the slow cooker?
- The first steps are the same in all methods. You need to get the bones, clean them up and roast them. If you want a batch of broth full of flavor, make sure to roast the veggies too. The 15-20 minutes at 450°F in the oven is enough to get the job done.
- Now transfer the bones and veggies to the slow cooker.
- Put the spices, salts, apple cider vinegar, and an adequate amount of water. Make sure the water level covers everything.
- Secure the lid and set your crockpot at low. Remember, the low temperature of a slow cooker is generally not that low. It is high enough to cook your meal. So, don’t confuse it with a stovetop or instant pot low.
- Set the timer to 12-24 hours.
- Now you are all set. You don’t have to check or do anything. Leave it and forget it. When the cooking is done, it will let you know by dinging.
- Stain the bones and veggies, and you will have your broth ready to eat.
Can You Make Bone Broth In A Pressure Cooker?
Yes, of course. Though making bone broth is a long and slow process, you can get it done in a pressure cooker. Pressure cookers like instant pots can cook a batch of broth for you within 4 hours. That’s pretty fast, isn’t it?
Though instant pots are versatile, multipurpose cooking appliance, it is mainly pressure cooker. You would be astonished to see the way it performs. An instant pot may be the fastest option if you need bone broth urgently.
So, let’s check out how to cook bone broth in a pressure cooker.
- Roast the bones and veggies in the previously mentioned way.
- Put the bones and veggies in the pressure cooker.
- Add 2-3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar. Vinegar will help to draw out minerals from the bone.
- Add salt and spices. If you want to add any additional veggies you forgot to roast earlier, you can add them now.
- Add a sufficient amount of water to fully cover up all the ingredients.
- Secure the pot with a glass lid. Don’t use any shattered lid because heat will escape.
- If you are using an instant pot set it in high-temperature mode. Remember, an instant pot’s temperature level is not the same as a slow cooker’s. So, please don’t set it to low by mistake. The last thing you would want is to find an uncooked dish after hours of waiting.
- Now set the timer for at least 4 hours. If your instant pot has a more extended timer option, you can set it more a few more hours.
- Use a strainer to strain the veggies and leftover bone remnants. Clear, tasty, and full of nutrients, bone broth is ready.
Other than the utensil and time, everything is almost the same for cooking bone broth in every method. Hopefully, that’s not too difficult.
Bone Broth Pressure Cooker Vs Slow Cooker
The exact recipe is followed when you make bone broth in a pressure cooker or a slow cooker/instant pot. Still, there’s always q difference in time and process involved in the cooking. These both ultimately affect the taste and texture of the broth.
So, which one is the best way? Which method will ensure that your broth has the maximum amount of nutrients? Do they both guarantee delicious taste?
Today, we will ultimately compare bone broth Slow cooker vs pressure cooker. Hopefully, in the end, we will find the answers.
Bone Broth In Pressure Cooker
Bone Broth made in a pressure cooker needs comparatively less amount of time. So, you may think, why go for a lengthy process when it can be done in a short time? Well, I agree with you, but only when I’m in a hurry or need it urgently. You know the times when you catch a cold suddenly.
Is Instant Pot healthy to cook bone broth? Yes, absolutely. Does it make tasty broth? Yes. What about nutrition value? Well, it slightly lacks in this area. Get to know more facts below.
1. Your Presence
Do you need to be present while cooking bone broth in a pressure cooker? If you are using a traditional pressure cooker on the stovetop, yes. You need to monitor it from time to time and adjust the temperature if needed.
But if you are using an instant pot as a pressure cooker to make bone broth, then there’s no need to supervise. After turning on the appliance, you can forget about it for a few hours. The pot will notify you with an audible ‘ding’ sound when the cooking is complete.
2. Cooking Time
Bone broth takes less time than traditional and slow cooking in a pressure cooker. You will need around 4 hours to have your broth ready. But yes, you can put it longer on the stove if it’s a traditional pressure cooker. Or you may also set the timer for longer in the instant pot if your model allows and you feel the need to do so.
3. Consistent Result
A pressure cooker always gives you a consistent batch of bone broth whenever you try making it. However, the broth is not that sticky, gelatin-like, as it takes less time to cook. For the same reason, the broth may appear in a light complexion than broth cooked in a slow cooker. However, the taste is utterly delicious.
4. Bone Size
Bone size depends on what kind of pot you are using. If you are cooking on a 3-quart instant pot, you can not put larger bones or many bones. In the same way, an 8-quart pan would be perfect for larger bones. But not too many of them. Then there will be less space left to create enough pressure to cook.
5. Maximum Quantity
Another thing about traditional pressure cookers and Instant pots that bind your cooking is their capacity. Even if you use an 8-quart, the largest available Instant pot, you can not cook a total 8-quart broth. You need to keep a decent amount of space empty. Else, there won’t be enough air to create pressure inside, which is the primary mechanism of the pressure cooker.
So, if you are trying to cook a pretty large batch of bone broth, using one pressure cooker may not be enough.
Bone Broth in Slow Cooker
For a slow cooking recipe like bone broth, the slow cooker is one of the best options. Even though cooking in a slow cooker takes longer, the final results are fantastic. And when you get bone broth filled with all possible nutrition and tastes marvelous, the wait is worth it.
You can use any slow cookers (All-Clad or Hamilton Beach slow cooker) for cooking bone broth. Now, let’s look at whether a slow cooker can score higher than a pressure cooker.
1. Your Presence
The slow cooker is often called a “start it and forget it’ gadget. You can set the slow cooker to cook any dish and then forget about it for at least half a day. It will gradually slow cook the dish for you and let you know when it is ready with a mechanic ‘ding.’
So, your presence is not needed once you set the temperature and cooking time. You can even leave it for overnight cooking to get a freshly cooked broth in the morning.
2. Cooking Time
The slow cooker is made for gradually slow-cooking dishes. As it takes longer to slow process the bones, broth made in it is more flavorful, has a dark color, and has the highest proportion of nutrients, collagen, protein, etc.
You will generally need 12-24 hours to make a flavorful batch of bone broth. You can choose to cook for 48 or 72 hours for a longer time.
3. Consistent Temperature
While cooking in a slow cooker, you don’t need to adjust the temperature frequently or be precise. Once you set the temperature on it, it will maintain consistency and slowly cook the dish for you.
Remember to keep the temperature low.
4. Bigger Bones
Slow cookers come in a variety of sizes. You can find as small as 1.5 quarts to 10-12 quart cookers in the market. So, they can easily handle bigger bones better than a pressure cooker. Beef bones, chicken, pork, mixed bones, any type of bone fits right into the slow cooker. So, you don’t have to worry when you can’t find a smaller or a definite kind of bone.
5. Large Batches
As I have mentioned previously, there are even 10-12 quart large slow cookers. They are pretty massive for making large batches of bone broth. And also, as the slow cooker doesn’t run on the ‘inside pressure building’ method, you can fill it up even more. So, undoubtedly, you can cook more broth at once in a slow cooker. Store them in the freezer and heat them when you need them.
Read More: Why Instant Pot Slow Cooker Stuck On Preheat?
Frequently Asked Question’s (FAQ):
Bone broth can be used as a base for soups, curry, gravies, sauces, and other dishes. You can also drink it alone without further processing.
For making bone broth in a pressure cooker, you need to set it to a high temperature. And this can cause bone collagen to break apart, damage, and destroy.
As a pressure cooker doesn’t cook the bones for a long time, the nutrients in the bones can not come out properly and to a great extent. This undoubtedly reduces the nutrition value of the bone broth.
Longer cooking time on a slow cooker ensures that all the amino acids, collagen fibers, other nutrients, and minerals come out of the bone and dissolve in the water. But in a pressure cooker, a large amount of nutrients is lost.
As slow cookers gradually cook the broth for a long time, the consistency of the broth is thicker. As more bony ingredients come into the water, it tastes much better than broths made Instantly. However, keep in mind that too much longer cooking can make the broth bitter.
Final Words:
Bone broth pressure cooker vs slow cooker, are you still pondering which method will be the best to choose? Hopefully, our article can give you a better idea of the advantages and disadvantages you will face with both individuals.
We have made the comparison we thought would be best. But in the end, the choice is yours. Both the pressure cooker and the slow cooker make tasty bone broths. So, use whichever you feel is right.
