What Does The Instant Pot Burn Message Actually Mean
Well, if youve just encountered the burn code on your pot, it doesnt necessarily mean that your food is burnt and that now youll have to prepare dinner all over again.
The message means that there is an overheat error and is triggered when the pot detects higher temperature than normal at the bottom of the inner pot.
The instant pot burn message is actually a safety feature which is very important as it helps avoid the pressure cooker from burning your food when the inner pot becomes too hot.
So how does this error occur? Simply explained, Instant Pot has this built-in advanced burn-protection safety mechanism that prevents your delicious meals from getting burnt.
This safety mechanism is designed to detect high temperatures at the bottom of the inner pot . The mechanism instantly triggers the warning and immediately stops the instant pot from heating anymore.
Like I stated earlier, if the instant pot says burn, dont freak out. Your food is perfectly safe! Usually, the food at the bottom layer of the inner pot may be getting a little bit dry or overcooked. Obviously, when this happens, the temperature may end up rising, thus triggering the warning.
If you have an older Instant Pot model, you might see an Ovht warning message on the display screen. For newer models, youll see a Burn message on the screen.
Now lets move on to the next burning question:
If Your Instant Pot Says Food Burn Don’t Stress Here’s What It Actually Means
If you use an Instant Pot, you know it can cook delicious meals in record time. While Instant Pots can make cooking easier, they also have special safety features that, while helpful, can be confusing at first. One example of this is when the pot reads “food burn,” which is what happened to me recently. But does that mean your food is actually burning? Turns out, no! It just means that the pot is too hot. The food could potentially burn, but the Instant Pot has the Overheat Protection feature in place, which can help stop that from happening.
Instant Pots are impressively smart with 13 safety mechanisms, including the Overheat Protection feature. Not only does this feature allow the pot to detect when your food is about to burn from the heat, but it also shuts the heat off so your food won’t become ruined and so the pot itself is safe. After taking these precautions, it shows you the “food burn” message. Once the pot cools down, it will heat back up and finish cooking your meal. It can trigger this feature five times before shutting off completely.
If you get a burn warning, don’t feel bad, it happens! If what you’re cooking doesn’t take long, like steel-cut oats, you can usually let the Instant Pot finish its job, knowing it has the overheating feature in place. However, if you’re cooking a recipe that takes longer, you can fix the problem in seven steps.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Anna Monette Roberts
Infuse With Extra Flavor
Water is free and readily available, but it doesnt do anything in the flavor department. Use vegetable or chicken stock to cook pasta, rice or grains to infuse them with extra flavor. One stock cube per 500 ml of water or less for a more intense flavour. Remember, stock usually contains salt so factor that into your seasoning amount.
You May Like: Yellowfin Tuna Steak Air Fryer
What Is The Burn Error
The Instant Pot has over a dozen safety features to protect you and the food youre cooking. These safety mechanisms also protect the Instant Pot from being damaged. One of these safety features is a burn-protection sensor that monitors the temperature.
The Instant Pot gets very hot under pressure and this heat needs to be regulated and controlled during the pressure cooking process.
According to the Instant Pot company, when a high temperature is detected at the bottom of the inner pot, the burn-protection sensor suspends heating. On older Instant Pot models, the warning ovHt is displayed. This message was changed to the burn message on later models and more recent Instant Pots sayfood burn.
Seeing burn or food burn doesnt mean that theres something wrong with your Instant Pot. It just means that your Instant Pot works differently from previous models and so recipes written for older models may not work as written, and youll need to make a few modifications and follow some tried and tested pressure cooking techniques.
If youre seeing the food burn error, the following sections tell you why this may be happening, how to avoid it in the future, and how to fix it when it happens to you.
NOTE: Some Instant Pot users notice that their Instant Pot is burning food at certain hot spots on the bottom of the inner pot. Although this is rare, if you encounter this, you should file a ticket with Instant Pot customer support.
How To Fix Burn Messages On Pressure Cookers:
Heres a general process you can use to fix your recipe and finish cooking after you see a burn message on your pressure cooker.
Don’t Miss: How Long To Cook Frozen Chicken Tenders In Instant Pot
Bar Keepers Friend Will Remove The Stains
The Instant Pot liner is made of food-grade stainless steel. Its dishwasher safe, and you can hand-wash it with warm water and dish soap. Wash the liner after every use. Do not use any abrasive cleaners, steel wool, or other scrubbers or sponges that could scratch the surface of the liner. If you find that you have a particularly stubborn cleaning situation, such as burnt-on food, you can use Bar Keepers Friend Cleanser and a non-abrasive sponge or soft cloth to remove the debris. Regular washing of the liner after every use should keep it in good condition. More cleaning tips here.
When The Instant Pot Is Too Hot
Thankfully, your Instant Pot tends to alert you immediately if the bottom of the inner pot is so hot that the food is either burning, or likely to burn. This usually happens in two ways:
- By displaying a message saying burn or OvHt
- By alerting you with a beeping sound to draw your attention if youre not looking at the display
Recommended Reading: Instant Pot Always Says Burn
Why Do We Get The Instant Pot Says Burn
Wondering what am I doing wrong that I keep getting the burn message.
Well, when the temperatures are very hot at the bottom of the pot, and there is loss of moisture, the food starts to stick on the pot, especially when its being pressure cooked when you cant stir or deglaze the pot. Thus the burn display.
What To Do If You Get A Burn Notice While Cooking
First, see if the key elements of the machine are in working order. Make sure that theres nothing caught between the pot and the burner. Check the silicone ring make sure that it didnt fall out of place. Check the floating valve make sure that its clean and moving freely. Check the steam-release switch is it in the right position for your job? If any of these is out of whack, the machine will just continue to try and build pressure, heating the contents until there isnt enough liquid and it gets too hot, which trips the sensorand then its burn notice oclock.
If all your gear looks right, check your food. You probably either scorched something on the bottom of the pot when sautéing before sealing or dont have enough liquid in the pot.
Don’t Miss: Best Turkey Tenderloin Instant Pot Recipes
How To Avoid A Burn Message Tips And Tricks To Avoid A Burn Message
- Add enough liquid pressure cookers work by creating steam inside the pot. If there is not sufficient water , the steam wont build and the food will stick to the bottom and dry up.
- Vent positions if the recipe calls for the vent to be in sealed position and you accidentally left it on venting, this will cause all the water to escape out again leave the food dry which will stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Sealing ring if the sealing ring is not properly installed, this will cause the steam to escape out again causing the food to stick to the bottom of the pot.
- Deglaze pot before pressure cooking some recipes call for a quick sauté before pressure cooking. It’s important to scrape off the bottom of the pot gently to remove any food particles stuck to the bottom.
- Layering ingredients Adding liquids to the inner pot first is always a good ideas. Then add the other ingredients and do not stir or mix, this keeps things from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Pot in Pot if you are making sauces etc, using an oven safe container and place it on a steam rack to make your food.
- Grease the bottom of inner pot Spraying oil or butter may help prevent the food from sticking.
Burnt Vermicelli Noodles in Instant Pot
Mistake #: Objects Stuck Under Inner Pot Above Heating Element
Things get chaotic in the kitchen. Sometimes unwanted food, liquid, or things can get on the heating element without you knowing.
When you unknowingly place the inner pot on top and start cooking, the objects will burn.
We dont have any photos to show you the aftermath, but yessadly weve seen fellow users share their photos of toys & kids socks stuck melted on the heating element.
You May Like: How To Cook Frozen Tamales In Instant Pot
What Causes A Burn On Instant Pot
There are a number of culprits when it comes to diagnosing a burn warning on the Instant Pot screen. Thick sauces and food that can burn and stick to the bottom of the pot are two of the biggest problems.
Some people also get the burn warning on Instant Pot when they cook rice and noodle dishes that run out of liquid and get stuck to the bottom of the inner pot. If you are cooking something that would normally burn fast to the pan if it isnt stirred, youll likely get a burn warning on the Instant Pot when cooking at high pressure.
Not Enough Liquid In Your Instant Pot
The next time my Instant Pot said burn, it was because there wasnt enough liquid in my Instant Pot.
See, you need liquid to make sure that your Instant Pot has enough to come to pressure.
And even if you add liquid, you may not have enough.
Especially if you are cooking foods that typically absorb liquid!
Thankfully, theres a super easy fix for this one too.
First, you cancel cooking and release pressure.
Then you add more liquid.
Then you can start cooking again.
And thats it. I told you its super easy!
Read Also: Instant Pot Burn Message
Don’t Miss: Heating Tamales In Crock Pot
Does Using The Saut Function Make The Instant Pot Say Burn
Using the sauté function shouldnt mean that you get a burn notice on Instant Pot. That being said, if you are using the sauté function and then pressure cooking directly after, this may be the culprit. Make sure to remove your meat and deglaze the pot before switching into pressure cooking mode.
Any time you have something that is browning on the bottom of the inner pot there is a potential for a burn notice. Avoid this problem altogether by making sure you clear the bottom of the pot of any charred bits or burnt on residue before pressure cooking.
What Does Instant Pot Burn Message Mean
If you ever used an Instant Pot, chances are you have encountered a Burn, Food Burn or Overheat message at least once. So, what is Instant Pot Food Burn? Lets quickly look at how Instant Pot works. Instant Pot is a pressure cooker with a heating element located at the bottom of the pot. It is an electronic device controlled my many mini computer elements inside.
Also Check: How Long To Cook Pre Cooked Ribs In Instant Pot
What Do I Do When My Instant Pot Says Burn
When you see the burn message on your Instant Pot: Press the cancel/off button. Switch the valve to venting position to quickly release the pressure. Carefully open the lid away from your face. Check if there is any food stuck to the bottom of the inner pot. Let the Instant Pot cool down and proceed with cooking.
What Is Instant Pot Burn Message
The Burn Message on Instant Pot simply means theres an Instant Pot Overheat Error.
Instant Pot has a built-in burn-protection mechanism that prevents users from burning food in the Instant Pot.
So, when it detects a high temperature at the bottom of the inner pot, the burn-protection mechanism suspends heating. This often means the bottom layer is overcooked and getting dry.
This is when you would see the Burn Message or Ovht Error on the screen display.
You May Like: Frozen Spare Ribs In Instant Pot
How To Save A Dish That Gets A Burn Message
Once the overheat protection setting is triggered, the machine will shut off, cool itself down and start up again. The good news is no matter what youre making, you can fix it. Your best bet is to cancel the program, quickly release the steam, then remove the inner pot. Take a look at your food and remove anything that looks scorched or burnt. Check to make sure there isnt anything on the heating element and that the machine is working properly, then add some extra liquid and get cooking again. Here are other Instant Pot mistakes you can avoid, too.
What To Do When The Burn Sign Comes On
Once the burn sign is on, you need to press the cancel button, then switch the Instant Pot to venting mode so that it releases the pressure. You should first check that there is no burned food stuck to the inner pot which caused the pot to overheat. Simply scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to remove any burnt pieces, but make sure its completely free of debris before using the pot again. If there are none, it means the sauce for your dish is too thick. As Anna points out, the Instant Pot needs a thin sauce to come up to pressure.
The solution is easy: Just add more water to your dish , and stir so that it reaches the bottom of the pot. Once the Instant Pot has fully cooled down, you can continue cooking. In fact, Anna recommends avoiding making any thick cream sauces in the Instant Pot, and writes that you should add ingredients like heavy cream and cream cheese after your food is done cooking in the Instant Pot. You can use the sauté mode to thicken your sauce beforehand.
In addition, you should layer the recipes ingredients in the Instant Pot, with the thicker ingredients like tomato sauce going in last, and you should not stir everything together before cooking.
Read Also: Canning Beets In Instant Pot
Check Pot Bottom & Remove Burnt Content
Check if theres anything stuck to the bottom of the inner pot.
- Minor Burnt Food: If theres only a little bit of food stuck to the bottom, use a wooden spoon to scrub it all off.
- Major Burnt Food: If theres blackened burnt food stuck to the bottom, first remove all food content, then soak the inner pot with soapy water & scrub.
*Pro Tip: If the burnt food is difficult to remove, you can try Pressure Cooking water with vinegar, Natural Release, then scrub some more. *This is when an extra inner pot comes in handy.
Read Also: Yogurt In Instant Pot Lux
If Theres Significant Burning
If the bottom of the pot turned black or there was significant burning, your food may have absorbed that burnt flavor.
Unfortunately, theres not much to be done to save a burnt-tasting meal.
Just be sure to check that your pot is well cleaned, properly positioned, and contains enough liquid next time.
Don’t Miss: Fast Way To Defrost Ground Beef
What Do I Do If My Instant Pot Says Burn
Your Instant Pot automatically turns off once it detects a burn in the inner pot, immediately taking care of the most pressing issue. Sometimes, your Instant Pot will cool down quickly and resume cooking on its own. But in most cases, it’s good to have a plan with damage control. And remember, there’s no reason to panic.
