To begin, you must fill the inner pot/ liner with 1 cup of water. Then place the long-legged trivet or a steam rack in the water.
The food that needs to be cooked is taken in an oven-proof container or a stainless steel bowl. Add liquid/ broth to this small bowl only if it is required in the recipe. You can cover this pot with a lid or a foil but it isn't necessary, and depends on the recipe. Now place this container on top of the trivet.
Secure the lid of the instant pot. Press the pressure cook button, then set the time to the amount specified in the recipe. Depending on the recipe, perform a quick or a natural release when your instant pot beeps.
When cooking rice with an entree, consider the cooking time for the entree. If it is around 5-12 minutes to cook the entree, then pot-in-pot white rice will work. If the entree needs 25-35 minutes to cook, then cook brown rice with the entree.