Right out of the box my Instant Pot was my favourite appliance, but I’ll admit it took a little to get used to cooking with it. I’ll admit I was just a little scared of my pressure cooker when I first started using it, and because of the pressure build up and steam release, there was definitely a learning curve.
Thankfully I learned early on that there are built in safety features on the Instant Pot pressure cooker. Once you know five easy rules of thumb for using a pressure cooker, you’ll want to use it for every dish.
Don’t place your Instant Pot on your stove top
If your stove top heats up and you’re using your Instant Pot at the same time as you’re using your range, you should place your pressure cooker on a separate surface. That way you don’t have to worry about it getting too hot or melting.
Always check your water content
An Instant Pot cooks your food by building pressure inside the appliance. That pressure can only build up when you add liquid, and you need at least one cup of liquid inside to build and maintain pressure. You don’t have to use just water; you can also add brine, stock, or other liquid as long as it’s not too thick.
Don’t worry about overheating your Instant Pot
One of the most interesting things you’ll notice when you start using a pressure cooker is the sound it makes when the pressure starts to build. It can seem unusual if you’ve never heard it before, but just because it sounds louder than what you’d expect doesn’t mean the pressure cooker is about to overheat.
The Instant Pot has a built in safety feature that will stop it from overheating, so even if something was to go wrong with the heating element or the inner pot, the Instant Pot will stop heating up when it hits a certain temperature.
Don’t open the lid if you have to force it
The Instant Pot is designed to make it almost impossible to open the lid if there is pressure inside the appliance. You have to release the valve and let out the steam before the lid will turn, and you should never force it open before the steam is released.
Speaking of Instant Pot steam…
The number one safety tip I can pass along when using a pressure cooker is to be mindful of the steam release. You can use slow release where the steam releases on its own, or you can open the valve yourself and release the steam via quick release.
To release the steam I usually turn the valve with a spatula or something heat resistant. I make sure the steam is released in an open area so it heads straight up, and I don’t touch the lid until its fully released.
That’s all you need to know to make it safe and easy to an Instant Pot. Whether you have the Instant Pot 10-in-1 Ultra to make cake or quick hard boiled eggs or the smaller Instant Pot 7-in-1 6 quart pressure cooker, these rules of thumb will guide you as you explore all of the amazing dishes you can make in your kitchen.
Take a look at all of the different types of Instant Pots you can find in store and online at Bestbuy.ca.
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