How To Clean Instant Pot

Must Try

Always Clean Your Oven After You Cook In It

How To Clean Your Instant Pot, Instant Pot Lid and Float Valve

Cooking in an uncleaned air fryer oven is the surest way to make cleaning it more difficult. I have been using my ovens since they came out in August and October of 2019 and I have successfully kept them clean following the simple steps of unplugging, letting the oven cool down, and then wiping with a Norwex cloth.

** I do not sell Norwex cloths, nor do I receive any funds from the selling of them. But if you want to buy them, this is the person I buy mine from. **

Norwex Envirocloth:

Also Check: How To Make Yogurt In Instant Pot Without Yogurt Button

Cleaning The Exterior Of The Instant Pot

Use a wet damp cloth to wipe the stainless steel pot from the outside. You can use a kitchen towel or a microfiber cleaning cloth.

The exterior of the instant pot should never be immersed in water. Also, always be careful to not pour liquid or food into the instant pot, without first placing the stainless steel liner.

Note 1: Always unplug the Instant Pot before cleaning.

Note 2: Always try to keep the instant pot dry to prevent rusting in the long run.

Now your instant pot would be clean and ready for the next wonderful dish you want to cook!

How To Clean Instant Pot Air Fryer

When you think of the grime and gunk stored up in your air fryer, you may begin to think that there is no other better way to get it all cleaned up to give you the once clean instant pot air fryer that you once have.

The truth is, when you begin to use your instant pot air fryer, you should expect it to get dirty once in a while after use, and as such, it would need a thorough cleaning.

It is possible to have your instant pot stained with tough dirt thus, finding it difficult to get it cleaned.

What then do you do? How do you clean an instant pot air fryer and what kind of cleaning tool can you use?

Read Also: How To Cook Frozen Tamales In Instant Pot

Stainless Steel Inner Pot And Rack

The inner pot and the steam rack are made of food-grade stainless steel and are dishwasher safe. For the most part, you can clean the inner pot just as you would clean any stainless steel pot, whether thats in the dishwasher or by hand. If the inner pot develops surface water stains, a non-abrasive scouring cleaner made for cooking pots will bring back its shine.

You can also perform a quick cleaning of the inner pot by pouring in a cup of white vinegar, letting it soak for five minutes and then rinsing it out. Not only will the vinegar get rid of residue, it also helps remove stains. White vinegar is a natural disinfectant, cleaner and deodorizer, and it is an eco-friendly must-have for your kitchen.

How Do I Stop My Instant Pot Smelling

How to Clean Your Instant Pot

Instant Pots are great for cooking chillies, curries, and stews, but these flavorful dishes often use potent herbs and spices, which can mean the cooking gadget retains odors. However, there are a few things you can do to ensure your Instant Pot doesnt smell.

After cleaning the lid, always place it upside down on top of the Instant Pot until it has dried completely. Dont re-attach the sealing ring to the lid after its been cleaned either. Instead, store this in a well-ventilated area, and only replace it just before cooking.

Finally, if your Instant Pot does retain an odor, use one cup / 250ml of water mixed with one cup / 250ml of white vinegar and add it to the Instant Pot. Then run the Pressure Cook setting for five to ten minutes, before releasing the pressure and emptying the content away. Rinse the inner pot and then dry and store as usual.

Carrie-Ann Skinner is Smart Home & Appliances Editor at TechRadar, and has more than two decades experience in both online and print journalism, with 13 years of that spent covering all-things tech. Carrie specializes in smart home devices such as smart plugs and smart lights, as well as large and small appliances including vacuum cleaners, air fryers, and blenders. When shes not discovering the next must-have gadget for the home, Carrie can be found cooking up a storm in her kitchen, and is particularly passionate about baking, often rustling up tasty cakes and bread.

Read Also: What To Do If Your Instant Pot Says Burn

Tips To Prevent Burning In The Instant Pot

  • USE ENOUGH LIQUID: Most recipes will need at least 1 cup of liquid to create pressure and prevent burning. This rule of thumb can vary with food like meat and fruit that release liquid as the pot is heating up.
  • AVOID THICK LIQUIDS: Liquids that are thick like tomato based sauces and sweet sauces like BBQ or Teriyaki are often the culprit of the dreaded Instant Pot BURN message. Add them after the food is cooked or add water to the pot to thin them out before pressure cooking.
  • DEGLAZE THE POT: If you saute vegetables or sear meat in the pot, you will likely have browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Add a splash of liquid and use a wooden spoon to scrape them up before pressure cooking.
  • CHECK THE SEAL AND PRESSURE RELEASE KNOB: The silicone seal must be installed correctly and the knob turned to a sealed position to prevent the liquid from inside the pot from evaporating. If the liquid evaporates, the food inside will burn on the bottom of the pot.

Instant Pot Cleaning And Care

If you own an Instant Pot, you understand why it has become a favorite kitchen item for many people. This handy appliance makes mealtime quick and easy, and it can do everything from cook rice to bake a cheesecake. Instant Pot forums and websites have popped up across the internet, allowing fans to share recipes and tips and offer jubilant praise for the electric pressure cooker. One of the many wonderful features of the Instant Pot is that it keeps clean-up to a minimum because your entire meal is typically created in one, single pot.

Many Instant Pot owners use their smartcooker often and rely on its simple recipes and quick cooking times for weekday dinners. The Instant Pot is relatively easy to clean, and it should be cleaned regularly and thoroughly to keep it sanitary and working properly. Basic clean-up of the interior pot, lid, and liner are a must after every use. An occasional deep-clean will ensure that your Instant Pot is kept in tip-top condition and that it will be around for a long time to come.

Before cleaning, make sure to unplug your Instant Pot and remove the cord. While many of the cookers components are dishwasher safe, the main heating unit should never be submerged in water. You also need to completely dry all parts of the cooker before reassembling. The Instant Pot is an electric appliance, so always use caution when cleaning and dont allow water to contact any of the electric elements. Check out these instant pot cleaning tips.

Also Check: How To Install Sealing Ring On Instant Pot

Cleaning The Lid And Its Parts

Oils, aromatic seasonings, fats and liquids tend to settle into the Instant Pot’s seals and gaskets. Here’s a checklist for keeping it clean:

  • Check the steam release valve and red float valve. You’ll want to make sure they’re both free and clear of any food deposits or debris.
  • Remove the anti-block shield, a silicone nub that covers the float valve from the inside. With the shield off, you can get a better look at the float valve to confirm any blocks or clogs. It’s a small part, so take care not to misplace or lose it.
  • Remove the silicone sealing ring. This part easily picks up strong odors. One method to rid it of any unwanted smells is to wash it separately in the dishwasher. Make sure to select a high-temperature cycle such as sanitize. The combination of high heat and detergent should remove most of the unpleasant odors present.

The silicone ring found in the Instant Pot’s lid tends to attract odors quickly.

How To Clean Burnt Instant Pot

How to Clean Your Instant Pot w/a GENIUS HACK!

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:

  • Fill the pot with hot water and let it sit for 5 minutes this will help to loosen up food from the pot.
  • Drain the water and scrape most of the burnt food with wooden spatula or spoon.
  • Finally, finish by cleaning with cloth or scrub with baking soda.
  • Rinse.
  • Avoid scratches: Do not scrape the bottom of stainless steel pot with metal spoon or knife to prevent scratches.

    Read Also: Burnt Instant Pot

    How To Deep Clean An Instant Pot

    While daily maintenance is important to maintaining your Instant Pot, a well-loved Instant Pot will begin to show signs of use after a while. If you use your Instant Pot frequently, aim to deep clean it at least once a month.

    Here’s What You’ll Need:

    • Paper Towel

    Instructions:

  • Start by unplugging your Instant Pot. Use a damp dish cloth to wipe down the exterior and interior of the cooker base.
  • Use a small scrub brush or paint brush to remove any dried food residue from the nooks and crannies at the base of the interior and the lip around the cooker.
  • Wash the lid with warm, soapy water.
  • Remove the quick release handle and the steam valve shield from the lid. Hand wash them with warm soapy water, and be sure to remove any food residue that could obstruct the steam valve.
  • Remove the condensation cup and hand wash and dry.
  • Remove the sealing ring from the lid and wash it on the top rack of the dishwasher. You can also use the steaming method below to deodorize it.
  • Clean the inner pot and steam rack in the dishwasher or hand wash with soapy water. To remove any hard water stains or discoloration on the bottom of the pot, cover the bottom with white vinegar and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Rub in the vinegar with a sponge, remove, and rinse. Don’t use steel wool or any other harsh abrasives on the inner pot, as they will scratch the surface.
  • Reassemble the potdon’t forget the quick release handle and the steam valve shield!
  • 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.

    You May Like: How Long To Cook Frozen Chicken Tenders In Instant Pot

    Cleaning The Rim Of The Instant Pot

    The food caught between the rim of the Instant Pot can be hard to clean. For this, I use a DIY solution. Wrap a kitchen towel or microfiber cleaning cloth around a chopstick or anything pointy, and clean by moving the towel around the rim. I have also successfully used a paper towel to clean the rim.

    You can also use a small brush to get in the rim and remove the residues. Here is a great brush that some users have been recommending to get into the rim – Foam Brush. Wet the brush with some water. If there is too much grease, you can add a drop of soap on the brush and move it along the rim. Then use another foam brush to dry the rim.

    What Happens If You Get The Cooker Base Wet

    How To Clean The Instant Pot

    Katie says, Since all but one of the Instant Pot parts are dishwasher safe, its not uncommon for people to assume the whole model can be placed in the dishwasher, but that is not the case. The cooker base should never be submerged in water. However if the cooker base gets wet, just make sure to let it dry completely before using again.

    Recommended Reading: How To Cook Frozen Tamales In Instant Pot

    Scrub The Cooking Pot

    Instant Pots come with an inner pot made of stainless steel that can handle a lot of cooking methods — even searing and browning meats. The drawback, though, is that bits of food and char can really cling to it. Rice can be particularly stubborn. Here are a couple common scenarios.

    Blueish stains. The Instant Pot is like any stainless-steel cookware and can develop blueish stains caused by minerals in water and food. To remove these stains, simply soak the pot in white vinegar for about 5 minutes and rinse away. If there’s more, soak a sponge in vinegar and use a little elbow grease.

    Stuck-on food. To get rid of any build-up or food stains, first try soaking the pot with a little dish soap and warm water. The treatment significantly softens stuck-on junk that should then scrub away easily. If that doesn’t work, it’s time to try Bar Keeper’s Friend, which is safe for stainless-steel cookware like the Instant Pot’s pot. Sprinkle a little bit on the affected area, then use a soft, damp sponge to work away the grime. Rinse thoroughly, and you’re set.

    The pot is dishwasher-safe, too, so you can pop it in on the bottom rack for deep cleaning.

    Instant Pot lids have many parts that can get dirty or clogged.

    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.

    Recommended Reading: Pressure Cooker Beets Cooking Time

    Lid Sealing Ring And Anti

    Rick is quick to admit “I HATE cleaning the lid.” Its also the most crucial part of the cleanup when it comes to odor prevention. Ricks advice is to always remove the sealing ring and anti-block shield after every use. Clean both thoroughly with warm soapy water, as the silicon ring is quick to absorb flavors and odors and the anti-block shield can trap food particles. The lid itself can go into the top rack of the dishwasher. Be sure that all parts are completely dry before reassembling.

    Removing Discoloration From Your Stainless Steel Inner Pot

    How To Clean An INSTANT 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.

    Recommended Reading: Can You Make Tamales In An Instant Pot

    Your Instant Pot Sealing Ring Is Surprisingly Easy To Keep Fresh And Clean Heres What To Do

    My absolute favorite recipe to cook in my Instant Pot is Indian butter chicken. I spoon up the saucy, spicy mixture over rice and serve garlic naan on the side for a delicious dinner.

    But after the plates are wiped clean, my Instant Pot sealing ring still bears the distinct aroma of all the spices that went into the butter chicken. Heres how to freshen up Instant Pot sealing rings!

    Also Check: What To Do If Your Instant Pot Says Burn

    How To Clean Instant Pot Lid

    When it comes to cleaning the lip on the top of the Instant Pot base, you should again avoid using water, or only use a damp cloth.

    I found that a microfiber cloth, dry or damp, does a great job.

    However, because the lip of the base has an overhang at multiple points, it can be hard to clean in the crevices around it.

    Thus clean the Instant Pot lid base part, I used some small handheld pan scrapers I had, and put them inside the microfiber cloth to shove in those tight spaces.

    It worked really well!

    You could use a spatula or knife, or another long thin object in your kitchen.

    When it comes to cleaning Instant Pot lids themselves, there are multiple parts that need attention:

    • Sealing Ring
    • Lid itself

    Thankfully, the entire lid can be placed into the dishwasher no problem.

    However, it is recommended you remove the Instant Pot sealing ring and anti-block shield from the lid for better cleaning.

    You can also wash Instant Pots by hand with just warm soapy water.

    But, for more detailed instructions head over to my full posts on how to clean Instant Pot Lids and my other one specifically on how to clean Instant Pot sealing rings.

    And that should do it! Now you can keep using your Instant Pot and have it look brand new!

    For more great kitchen cleaning tutorials, check out the following posts:

    You May Like: How Long To Cook Turkey Tenderloin In Instant Pot

    Read Also: Frozen Tuna Steak In Air Fryer

    Latest Recipes

    More Recipes Like This