Inner Pot And Steam Rack
The inner pot and steam rack are the easiest part of cleanup. The pot and rack go into the dishwasher dirty and come out sparkling clean. Of course, you can always hand wash if you prefer.
After a few washes, if you start to notice water stains or a blueish rainbow effect on the bottom of the pot, don’t panic. Its totally harmless. You can remove the spots with a gentle non-abrasive cleaner, like Bar Keepers Friend or scrub with a sponge soaked in white vinegar. For tougher spots, soak in white vinegar for 5 minutes and rinse. Spots begone!
Clean Inside The Instant Pot
You dont want to forget to clean the inside of the Instant Pot machine itself. Liquids and food can slide right down the sides of the machine, if youre not paying attention when youre serving food out of it. Take damp warm washcloth and wipe down the inside. You dont want your washcloth to be saturated with water, just enough to make a little damp. Ring out any extra water. We just want to be able wipe things down inside of it, and remove any kind of debris build up.
How Often Should You Clean
As often as three times in a month. Although this is largely dependent on your schedule, and how long you use it in a month? these are the determining facts that you should check before attempting to clean the lid of your instant pot.
If you use the instant pot frequently in a week, then it would only be proper if you clean it once a week or once in two weeks.
In conclusion, while safety is important, hygiene is also important.
Learn to carve for yourself, a time where you can painstakingly wash your lid effortlessly so that it doesnt give access to germs.
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Have A Closer Look At The Sealing Ring
The sealing ring is of crucial importance to any Instant Pot, so make sure it is clean and in perfect shape. This means inspecting it for cracks, deformations, or checking if it fits just right back in its place.
If you find any problems, its best to replace it as soon as possible. Replacement rings are not expensive and they are easily available.
Instant Pot Cleaning Guide Summary
Dishwasher Safe Parts: Instant Pot Liner , Instant Pot Sealing Ring, Trivet
- Exterior: Never immerse the exterior housing in water or any other liquid
- Rim: Clean the rim with a foam brush
- Inner Pot: Remove the rainbow stains with White Vinegar or Bar Keepers Friend
- Lid: Wash lid with warm soapy water
- Instant Pot Parts: Periodically rinse the Anti-Block Shield, Steam Release Valve, Condensation Collector if necessary
- Silicone Sealing Ring: Remove odors with White Vinegar or get an extra pair of Silicone Sealing Ring
Instant Pot Cleaning was easy, wasnt it?
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Deep Clean Instant Pot
Every few weeks, or sooner depending on usage, the Instant Pot will need a deeper clean than the every day method.
Lets start with this extremely dirty lid of mine. I cooked pasta in the Instant Pot and upon quick release, a bunch of starchy water started spitting out of the venting knob. It definitely needed a deep clean after this happened.
Ew, so gross and dirty!
And filthy on the bottom of the lid too.
Clean Crevices Around The Ring
Finally, focus on cleaning the area around where the lid locks. Depending on how dirty this area is, you can either use small-bristled brushes to clean it or just a washcloth. Try to clean everything out from the inside of this lip. Any food or grease that you leave here could lead to bad smells.
You dont have to clean this area every single day. You could get away with only cleaning it every other week or even every month, as long as you dont see any dirt on it.
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How To Clean The Inner Pot
The inner pot of your Instant Pot is likely the piece that you will need to clean the most frequently. Its the pot that all of your food, liquids, and seasonings are held in while cooking. Just like a regular pot that you would use on the stovetop, your inner pot needs to be cleaned after each meal.
Keep your stainless steel inner pot clean by hand washing or using the dishwasher. For stuck on grime, Id recommend you use a scouring pad or a scrubbing sponge with Barkeepers Friend. I recommend the powder form over the liquid.
Pro Tip: No cleaners on hand? Baking soda and water work well on your inner pot.
Removing Discoloration From Your Stainless Steel Inner Pot
Like most stainless steel pots, Instant Pots inner pot does not have a chemical coating and can develop bluish discoloration. Heat and oxidation can cause a range of colors from blue to a rainbow of tints. Fortunately, its easy to clean. A non-abrasive stainless steel cleaner works well and leaves a nice shine.
Another option is to pour white vinegar into the pot, let it sit for five minutes and rinse thoroughly. For white water stains, use a soft cloth or sponge with vinegar or lemon to gently scrub them away. Never use steel wool or other abrasive scrubbers that can damage the stainless steel.
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Wash The Interior Cooking Vessel
Allow the stainless steel inner chamber to cool to room temperature. Use a plastic or rubber spatula to remove any excess food. Either hand-wash with hot water and dishwashing liquid or place it in an automatic dishwasher. You should also wash the steaming rack if you have used it during food preparation.
Wash Inner Pot And Steam Rack
The inner bowl and steam rack are made of stainless steel, so these can be washed by hand in warm, soapy water or placed in the dishwasher on either rack for tougher-to-tackle food stains or remains. Over time, you might notice water stains or discoloration on the bottom of the inner pot, which can be easily removed with vinegar. To renew the finish, pour 1 cup white vinegar into the stainless-steel bowl and let it sit for 5 minutes before pouring it out and rinsing with water. Avoid using steel wool or abrasive cleaners, which can damage the stainless-steel surface.
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How To Clean The Lid
Its easy for an Instant Pot lid to harbor bacteria and foul an entire storage cabinet with unpleasant odors if washed improperly.
Clean your lid as follows:
- The anti-block shield looks like a thimble on the underside of the pot. Press it forward with both thumbs until it detaches.
- To the left of the anti-block shield is a rubber or silicone stopper that holds the float valve in place. Remove the rubber stopper, and pull the float valve out from the top of the lid.
- Finally, remove the sealing ring from the underside of the lid.
- Wash the shield, valve, and ring in warm, soapy water.
- With the shield, valve, and ring removed, the lid itself is now top-rack dishwasher safe.
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How Often Should I Clean My Instant Pot Air Fryer Basket
The air fryer basket is very important in fact, it is one of the most important utensils you need while using the instant pot air fryer. However, your air fryer basket ceases to remain effective when it stops getting cleaned.
Normally every utensil ought to be thoroughly cleaned immediately after use because leaving them for another day, or casually getting them cleaned, will get them even more exposed to grime and greasy mess.
These greasy messes have a way of limiting an appliance from performing effectively.
Imagine that you have to fry your food, using a heavily caked greasy basket. There is, every tendency that the taste of the food will get mixed with the foul odor and there is also a tendency that you can get affected by the bacteria from the dirty air fryer basket.
So as often as possible, preferably after use, ensure that you clean your basket.
You can soak the air fryer basket in warm soapy water and get the greasy mess out before storing away until you are ready to use it again.
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How To Deep Clean Your Instant Pot And Keep It Like New
Protect your investment in your Instant Pot by keeping it clean!
I hope all of you Instant Pot owners out there got a lot of use out of them this holiday season! I know I did. But after all that holiday cooking, your Instant Pot could probably use a little TLC, right? Well youre in luck, because today Im going to show you how to deep clean your Instant Pot
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When I heard about making your own enzyme cleaner, I was intrigued because I’d heard some really good things about enzymes. As a matter of fact, a few … Continue Reading
If youre new to the world of the Instant Pot , this post will make a great resource for you in the future! Bookmark this post or print it out so you can reference it when its time to clean it.
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Ill start by sharing a few tips for keeping your Instant Pot clean during day-to-day use. If you get into the habit of doing these things after each use, youll save yourself a lot of time and effort cleaning your Instant Pot in the future! After the everyday cleaning tips, Ill share a step-by-step process for doing a deeper clean on your Instant Pot, as well as how to deodorize the sealing ring if necessary. So lets get started! 🙂
How To Clean The Instant Pot Base
The base and element are not dishwasher safe, so these must be cleaned by hand. Do not put the base in water either due to the electrical parts. Instead, grab a damp non-scratch scrubber.
Dampen your scrubber.
Wipe out the inside of the base and around the heating element with your non-scratch pad.
Use an old toothbrush to remove stuck-on food around the rim.
Shove a cloth into the crevice around the rim to remove any hidden food.
Use a dry towel to wipe everything out and remove any wetness.
Take a damp cloth and work a drop of dish soap into it.
Wipe around the outside, using the toothbrush for any stuck-on crud or residue.
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Wash Instant Pot Sealing Ring
The Instant Pot Sealing Ring is a critical part of the pressure cooker that directly affects the pressure cooking process. So, remember to be gentle and take great care of the ring.
The Instant Pot Sealing Ring is dishwasher safe.
However, we try our best to minimize the number of times we pull the silicone sealing ring out of the lid to avoid stretching or deforming the sealing ring.
Unless its splattered with food or liquid that requires thorough cleaning, we usually gently rinse and dry the sealing ring while its seated in the lid .
*Caution: Dont use the Sealing Ring if it has cracks, cuts, or any other damages.
Instant Pot Cleaning Takeaways
All parts of the Instant Pot except the cooker base and the exterior housing are dishwasher safe. This includes the stainless steel inner pot, lid, sealing ring and steam rack. The cooker base must be kept dry, and can be wiped down with a damp cloth when necessary. The anti-block shield and condenser collector should be washed after each use and reinstalled.
Follow these cleaning and maintenance tips to keep your Instant Pot looking great and working at peak efficiency for years. If you need more help around the house, whether its spring cleaning or kitchen scrubbing, The Maids is ready to clean.
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How To Clean Burnt Instant Pot
If oops happened and you burnt food in your Instant Pot, one of the steps to remediate the error is to clean the pot and start over. To clean up bits and pieces of burnt food from the bottom of your stainless steel inner pot, plain old dish soap and cloth will not work. Here is how to clean burnt Instant Pot in 4 quick and easy steps:
Avoid scratches: Do not scrape the bottom of stainless steel pot with metal spoon or knife to prevent scratches.
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How Do You Get The Smell Out Of A Pressure Cooker Sealing Ring
While most parts of the Instant Pot clean simply with soap and water, the sealing ring tends to need additional care to keep clean. The porous material of the ring often traps the smells of the previous meal cooked in the pressure cooker. The ring should last anywhere from 18 months to 24 months but the makers recommend replacing it every 6-12 months.
Tips
In the meantime, you can keep the ring fresh and odor-free in a few different ways.
Dishwasher
Place the sealing ring in the top rack of your dishwasher to regularly clean the ring. Allow the ring to dry entirely before replacing it on the lid.
Deodorizing the ring
While the dishwasher should prevent food odors from staying trapped in the ring, you can also use this method to deodorize the ring.
Is Instant Pot Lid Dishwasher Safe
First, a bit of good news: according to Instant Pots website, the Instant Pot lid is dishwasher safe! You can throw the whole thing into the dishwasher to clean it!
It is recommended that you remove the sealing ring and anti-block shield before placing the lid in the dishwasher, though.
But, you dont need to remove the steam release valve or float valve before putting it in the dishwasher.
Running the Instant Pot through the dishwasher is great for normal cleaning, or you can wash it with hot soapy water by hand, but if you want to deep clean it, keep reading.
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How To Naturally Release The Pressure
If a recipe calls for a natural release, youll do nothing when the cooking cycle is complete. For most recipes, it will take 10-15 minutes for the pressure to naturally leave the pot.
I like it when recipes tell you exactly how long to wait for the natural release. In all of my recipes in The Fresh & Healthy Instant Pot Cookbook, I tell you exactly how long to wait and when that time has passed you can move the steam release valve from Sealing to Venting to release any remaining pressure. That way youre not waiting around for an extra 30 minutes or more to eat your dinner!
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Cleaning The Outside Of The Instapot
No one is immune from the sudden flow of liquid out of the pot whilst cooking. Sometimes, it just happens even when you are extra careful. Fortunately, You can remove the droplets of grease from the surface using a soft damp cloth. Keep in mind that the exterior hosts the pots processor, so you need to make sure no moisture gets inside. If you see water entering the housing, immediately disconnect the device. Dry all the parts using a clean towel and make sure to hold it up while doing so. Another option to dry it with the use of a hairdryer. Leave the Instant Pot off for at least a day to make sure everything is thoroughly dry.
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Put That Ring Through The Ringer
Smells lurking in the Instant Pot’s silicone ring are tough to eliminate. Trips through the dishwasher help, but you might still notice a lingering sweet or savory smell. If that’s the case, try this.
Add 2 cups of water or white vinegar to the Instant Pot plus a roughly chopped lemon rind. Next run the steam program for 2 minutes. Then, remove the ring and air-dry it. If that doesn’t work, try soaking the ring overnight in vinegar, which is a natural odor eliminator. Just remember to run the ring through the dishwasher or thoroughly hand-wash before using.
Some home cooks don’t bother with eliminating the odor and opt to buy an additional silicone ring. One ring is used for sweet dishes and the other for savory dishes. In any case, Instant Pot recommends that you swap in a new ring at minimum every 6 to 12 months.
