How To Replace Instant Pot Seal

Make Sure Your Vent In Set To Sealing

This is key. On your lid there is a vent that looks like a lever of sorts. When starting your cook, you want this lever pointing toward sealing and not venting. Sealing means the Instant Pot is going to hold all the pressure created inside the pot, while venting is what youll likely do to release the pressure when the food is finished cooking.

Old Bad Or Dirty Silicone Sealing Rings

The next easiest thing to do when dealing when your InstaPot wont seal and come to pressure is to check the sealing ring.

I like to keep a set of sealing rings on hand in case one stops working, and I talk a lot about why I use separate sealing rings for different dishes in my post about sealing ring odors.

Sealing rings dont usually wear out over timeold sealing rings will simply not work one day when you are trying to cook foods. I keep extra Instant Pot authentic sealing rings on hand in case one stops working on me.

Always Deglaze The Pot

If use the Sauté function on your Instant Pot before pressure cooking something, its essential that you deglaze the bottom of the pot. This simply means that you add a splash of water to the pot and use a wooden spoon to scrape off anything that might be stuck to the bottom. Onions, dried spices, and ground meat are common ingredients that will stick to the bottom of your pan, so its important that you get every little bit un-stuck to avoid getting the dreaded burn error during your pressure cooking cycle.

Once you become familiar with your Instant Pot, making dinner can be as easy as adding your ingredients to the pot, pressing a button, and walking away. I love how the process is totally hands-off! Check out my earlier post, 6 ways I use my Instant Pot, to see how I use it on a real-life, regular basis.

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Instant Pot Manual Setting

Depending on the model, the Instant Pot manual setting button will either say Pressure Cook or Manual. This is the setting youre likely to use the most. The temperature, pressure level and cooking times can be adjusted on the control panel.

• Turn the Instant Pot on. It should say OFF on the screen, indicating its in the Stand-By mode.
• Select Pressure Cook button . The default settings will be Normal mode on High pressure. If you press the Pressure Cook button again, it will change from Normal mode to Less or More, which simply changes the automatically programmed cooking time. Less would be 20 minutes and More would be 45 minutes.
• Use the +/- keys to change the cooking time in each mode. In most cases, you will leave it in Normal mode and simply adjust the time as needed.
• Use Pressure Level button to adjust the pressure level press it to toggle between High and Low. For most recipes, you will use High pressure except for cooking more fragile foods like fish, seafood or fast-to-cook vegetables.
• With the manual setting, you can use Natural Release or Quick Release or a combination of both once the cooking is done.

What Can I Do To Make My Instant Pot Last Longer

• Clean out the stick food particles that get stuck in it after cooking. You can either manually clean out the pressure cooker with warm, soapy water, or you can use a few drops of white vinegar and bring it to a boil.

• Make sure to keep your float valves clean! If you donât, you could wear them down faster or cause them to leak.

• Do not use your Instant Pot to fry food. Not only is this dangerous but it will wear out your Instant Pot very quickly.

• Store your Instant Pot only after it has completely dried out. Store it in a clean, dry environment. Consider sprinkling a little baking soda in the inside to discourage bacteria.

• Always store your Instant Pot with the sealing ring inside the lid.

• Do a detailed maintenance inspection every three to six months to make sure all parts are in working harder.

Also Check: Can You Make Hard Boiled Eggs In Instant Pot

Ways To Fix Your Instant Pot Wont Seal Problem

What is Instant Pot?

Instant Pot is a very famous Canadian brand that was formed over a decade ago in 2009. The brand is famed for its great multicookers which are used widely around the world. Instant Pot offers a wide range of different models, each with its own distinctions and specialties. Instant Pots multicookers mainly dont offer any problems and are quite easy to use. This a major reason why theyre so popular.

However, the popularity of Instant Pots multicookers doesnt mean that theyre perfect. A few issues can occur when you try to use your Instant Pot, including a problem where the multicooker doesnt seal. When this happens, youll obviously have some trouble cooking using the device. This is why youll want to get the error fixed easily. You have nothing to worry about if youre also facing this problem, like quite a few others that use Instant Pots. This is a common problem and it can be fixed easily by simply following the fixes given below.

How To Safely Release Pressure From The Valve Of Your Instant Pot

Bon appétit!

Releasing the pressure when cooking with an Instant Pot can be a bit scary at first, but you get used to it once you start using it more. Just make sure to never touch the handle of the pressure release knob directly, as hot steam and liquid coming out may burn you. Always use something to turn the knob , divert the steam away from cabinets, and also release in controlled bursts for lots of liquid or starch.

Also Check: How Long To Cook Frozen Chicken Thighs Instant Pot

How To Open & Close The Lid

First Instant Pot setup skill you need to master is opening & closing the Instant Pot Lid with ease.

As shown in photo below, the black markings on the lid & pot may not be easy to spot at first.

• Markings on lid: Close Inverted Triangle Open
• Markings on exterior housing: Locked Triangle Unlocked Triangle

• Open Lid : twist counter clockwise until Inverted Triangle is aligned with the Unlocked Triangle sign, then lift the lid.
• Close Lid : align the Inverted Triangle with the Unlocked Triangle, then twist clockwise to lock the lid.

Does It Need To Be Sealed To Work

Yes, your instant pot needs to be sealed before it can work properly. Technically, you can still switch it on and set it to cook, but it wont work correctly because of the process it uses. Instant pots, just like other pressure cookers, use intense heat and pressure for cooking meals. That is why it is far faster than regular cookers or stoves.

If the instant pot isnt sealed when you set it to cook your food, pressure will escape, and it will take a far longer time to cook your food or sometimes not at all. The sealing of your instant pot ensures the heat and pressure stays inside long enough for the food to be tenderized and cooked.

A common mistake with newcomers to instant pots is forgetting to set the valve in a sealing position. Before long, air will escape from the sealing ring area after the pot has gotten to pressure. An easy way to take care of this cancelling the cooking time and setting the valve in a sealing position instead of a vented setting.

Recommended Reading: Cook Frozen Tamales

Tips For Cooking Pasta

To cook pasta perfectly the first time, start by choosing a large pot and adding enough water so the pasta can be fully submerged. Once the water starts boiling, make sure you add salt. This will help bring out the flavor of the pasta. As a general rule, if youre cooking one pound of pasta, youll want about one tablespoon of salt for every four cups of water.

Wait until the water is fully boiling before you add your pasta. Once you do, be sure to stir it right away. Each type of pasta requires a different cooking time, so be sure to follow the instructions on the package. Youll want to start checking sooner than the time indicated, though, so you dont overcook it.

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Reasons Why Your Instant Pot Is Not Sealing

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September 11 |

If you have an Instant Pot that is not coming to pressure, there are things you can do to troubleshoot it. Your foods wont cook properly without pressure so this is an important issue to fix.

Instant Pot Pressure Cookersall electric pressure cookersrely on liquid and a tight seal to pressurize. But there are other factors, as wellthe temperature of your food, how full your pot is, and if your sealing valve is closed.

The sealing ring is actually an Instant Pot safety mechanism. Its often to blame for your pot not sealing, but there are a few other reasons why your pot might take longer than usual to come to pressure.

Ive been creating healthy Instant Pot recipes for several years now, and have a lot of experience cooking with this amazing appliance. Ive got you covered )

Recommended Reading: How To Cook Venison Roast In An Instant Pot

Instant Pot Not Sealing Due To Sealing Ring Issues

Your sealing ring plays a big role in making sure your Instant Pot seals and builds pressure. In fact, the sealing ring can be several reasons all in one. Here are some things to check:

• Make sure the sealing ring is there. Many times, the sealing ring is removed for cleaning. So, if your pot isnt sealing, check the lid and make sure you put the seal back in.
• Is the seal properly seated? If your sealing ring cannot be rotated around the rack, it is not properly seated in your lid. Make sure it is in its place.
• Has the sealing ring expanded too much? The ring expands when it is heated. If you just used your Instant Pot, you will need to wait for it to cool in order for it to seal again.
• The sealing ring may need to be cleaned. You should take your ring out each time you use your pot and clean it. Food and debris can prevent your pot from sealing.
• You need to change your sealing ring. If the ring gets torn or damaged it wont work. Additionally, if you use your Instant Pot often, you should change the sealing ring every 6 to 12 months.

Related:

All About the Seal

As stated above, the seal can be a major issue when it comes to your Instant Pot sealing and building pressure. I have also seen many people curious about getting the smell out of their seals. There are several things you can do to get the smell out:

Underside Of Lid: The Sealing Ring And Anti

The underside of the Instant Pot contains four important parts. If you have version one DUO, it will look like the one of the left. If you have a version two DUO, it might look the one on the right.

The Sealing Ring

The plain-looking silicone ring is an integral part of the Instant Pot. Without it, pressure cant build. During heating, the sealing ring expands to create a seal that allows pressure to safely build inside the machine. If the sealing ring isnt inserted correctly or is torn, worn, or out of shape, steam can leak from the lid and the Instant Pot wont seal.

Insert the sealing ring snugly in the wire sealing ring rack. When properly inserted, the sealing ring should lay flat against the lid and shouldnt pull out easily if you give it a soft tug.

To remove the ring for cleaning, allow the lid to cool and then pull gently on the sealing ring.

To clean, use warm soapy water or run through the dishwasher. Dry the ring thoroughly before placing it back into the lid.

Even with thorough washing, the sealing ring can hold on to cooking odors. If you plan to make yogurt or desserts, like rice pudding, consider getting a second silicone sealing ring to use only for yogurt, desserts, and other mild foods. This way youll avoid making a rice pudding tastes like the chicken you made for dinner the night before.

I like to keep an extra sealing ring on hand at all times. This way, if something happens, I can replace the ring right away.

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How To Use Your Instant Pot As A Slow Cooker

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Instant Pot Not Sealing Due To Scorched Food

If you saute food before pressure cooking, you will want to make sure to deglaze the pot. This means using liquid and scraping the bottom so there is no debris on the bottom of the inner pot. Additionally, scorched food can cause the dreaded burn notice.

Related: What Does the Instant Pot Burn Notice Mean?

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What Do The People Say About Longevity

While some individuals say that their pressure cookers died after just a few uses and others never even got the chance to use theirs, the overall consensus is that they should last up to five years of regular use. The trick is to make sure that you are replacing the parts as you need them.

Reading reviews is a double-edged sword as the negative ones always end up getting the most attention. One bad review outweighs 9 good ones, I know, Ive been browsing for products too looking for a flawless product with only positive reviews.

I decided to get in contact with people I know who own Instant Pots.

Both on and -offline, I found that most people are pleased with the purchase of their Instant Pot. Yes, some had only used their unit for a couple of cooking cycles before it started malfunctioning, however, they were a minority and as soon as they got in contact with customer support, their unit was replaced with a brand new one.

Many reported that they had used their Instant Pot for more than five years and only spent about 10$ on replacing the sealing ring.

Others had used their Instant Pot 2-4 times a week for two years with only minor problems that they could fix themselves.

Most of the problems that they had faced with their Instant Pots were caused by not following instructions and guidelines for the cooker.

Are Instant Pots High

Yes, Instant Pots are considered a high-quality product simply because of the materials used in its manufacturing process. Every Instant Pot uses stainless steel for its construction that comes with a high-grade inner stainless steel pot and a 3-ply bottom.

The inner pot, where you do all of your cooking, has no chemical coatings on it and the Instant Pot itself comes with numerous safety features built into the design. This ensures that any pressure related functions are prevented.

The safety mechanisms that make the Instant Pot a high-quality item include

• Steam Release,

• Thermal Fuse
• Leaky Lid Detection

In so long as you follow the directions, all of these safety features will protect you during the cooking process while delivering excellent results.

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