Instant Pot Burn Error
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Published: by Paint the Kitchen Red |
The Instant Pot burn error is a common problem that many Instant Pot users come across, so youre not alone! Find out why youre getting the burn message, how to avoid the problem in the future, and what to do when the Instant Pot says Burn, and in the process, save dinner. See special instructions at the bottom to find out how to deglaze your inner pot and clean the burnt food easily.
If youre new to the Instant Pot and arent familiar with how to use it, here are my guides on how to use some popular Instant Pot models:
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.
Are There Foods That Burn More Easily In A Pressure Cooker
Any food has the potential to burn when it is being cooked in a pressure cooker. Other variables are going to control this.
For instance, if you do not have enough liquid in the pressure cooker, any food is going to burn. In particular, this tends to happen to foods that a high starch content. This includes rice and beans.
In addition, milk or cream that is cooked directly will likely burn very quickly. This happens because they form a film and this will overheat at the bottom of the pressure cooker. If you need to add milk or cream to your dish, it is best to add them after pressure cooking your other ingredients.
Alternatively, you can place a steel pot on top of the other ingredients so it does not burn at the bottom.
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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.
The Food In Your Instant Pot Is Actually Burning

Okay, this is the last reason your Instant Pot says burn
Because the food in it is actually burning.
What a bummer.
Sometimes it happens to the best of us.
And really, there isnt a super simple way to fix a meal thats been burned.
So order up a pizza and remember that this will be a super funny story further down the road
And try one of these tried and true easy instant recipes next time to avoid a burnt meal!
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How To Correct The Instant Pot Burn Message
- Check out my comprehensive guide to using the Pot-in-Pot pressure cooking method.
- This is a great alternative if you want to avoid any further hassles with the Instant Pot food burn error.
- Just transfer all ingredients to a separate oven-proof dish that will fit in your inner pot and use PIP to finish pressure cooking.
How Long Does It Take To Natural Release Instant Pot
5 to 30 minutesWait for the float valve to drop and the pressure to come down on its own. Press Cancel and open the lid. Natural release takes 5 to 30 minutes or longer, depending on the quantity of liquid in the Instant Pot. The food continues cooking even after pressure cooking is complete because contents are still under pressure.
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How To Do A Water Test
If the water test fails, you should file a support ticket with Instant Pot support.
I hope this article has helped you learn about the burn message and how you can avoid it and fix the problem. Please share on social media using the links at the top and bottom of this article. Thanks so much!
How Do I Stop My Instant Pot From Burning
Its rather simple. If the pot doesnt have any defects then you just have to follow the specifications.
It also helps if you only work with tested recipes and follow the ingredients and temperatures exactly. When you experiment, things can go a bit wild.
Lastly, if you usually cook with starchy foods , put them last in the pot and dont stir them in. This way, they will cook without reaching the bottom of the inner pot and stick to it.
Recommended Reading: How To Make Yogurt In Instant Pot Without Yogurt Button
If Theres Burned Food In The Pot
If you think theres just a little burning on the bottom of the pot, transfer the food to another dish. Take care to scrape only the unburnt food into the pot.
Once youve removed the food, youll need to clean the bottom of the pot.
If youre using an Instant Pot or another brand with a stainless steel cooking pot, use a strong spoon to scrape dried or burnt food off the bottom of the pot.
However, if theres a lot of burning, the flavors may have gotten into the remaining food. You may also need to soak and scrub the pot.
What Does The Word Burn Mean On The Instant Pot
Dont panic. The burn message simply means that the Instant Pot has detected that the inner pot has gotten too hot, so it stops heating to prevent your food from burning. Press Cancel to turn the pot off. Quick release the steam and pressure from the pot by carefully turning the steam valve to the venting position.
Also Check: How To Make Yogurt In Electric Pressure Cooker
How Do You Use An Instant Pot To Cook Brown Rice
The Instant Pots Rice program is designed for long-grain or parboiled white rice, according to the manufacturers website. However, FOK Chef and Culinary Projects Manager Darshana Thacker uses that setting all the time for brown rice and quinoa: Using 1½ cups of water for every cup of dry brown rice or quinoa, she uses the Rice setting and lets the pressure release naturally, rather than using the Quick Release function. I get perfect, tender brown rice every time, she says of the hack.
Another option for cooking brown rice is to use the Manual/Pressure Cooking function. Heres how:
Rinse and drain 1 cup or more of brown rice to remove excess starch and prevent it from foaming. Add it to the Instant Pot with an equal amount of water seal then cook on high pressure 22 to 28 minutes. Use the Natural Release valve setting to release the pressure. Once the pressure is down, open the pot and serve, or keep warm in the Instant Pot until ready to use.
You can also use the Instant Pot to make rice-based recipes such as an herb-laced pilaf.
The First 10 Meals You Should Make

So, you just got an Instant Pot. Whats next? Dont be that person who bought the pot but hasnt opened it, letting it sit in the box for months. Part of this is lack of time or just the intimidation factor. It can be a little scary when you keep hearing about the first time someones released the pressure valve.
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What Does It Mean When Instapot Says Burn
The Burn Notice on an Instant Pot simply means theres an Instant Pot Overheat Error. The Instant Pot has a built-in burn -protection mechanism that prevents users from burning food in the Instant Pot. Many times, when you open your pot after receiving a burn warning, your food will actually be fine!
Fabulous Instant Pot Pasta Recipes
Oh, pasta! Its an undeniable love affair for many. Whats life without a little healthy indulgence? We love the endless varieties of pasta out there from hearty and sturdy penne to delicate angel hair and linguine dishes. Here are 20 pressure cooker pasta dishes that will impress even your Italian grandmother.
Recommended Reading: How To Cook Frozen Meat In Instant Pot
Can An Instant Pot Explode
All pressure cookers run the risk of exploding. However, this only happens in conditions of gross negligence or heavily damaged products. Even more, the Instant Pot comes with all those safety mechanisms to reduce the risk of explosion to the extreme minimum.
If you follow the producers specifications and always make sure all the elements that support the pot are clean and in good shape, then theres nothing to worry about.
I have been heavily using my Instant Pot for several years and I never had an incident of this magnitude. Sure, the Burned message popped up a few times, but this gave me the knowledge and experience Ive shared with you today. So, all mildly annoying things can have a good outcome if youre looking close enough!
Overall, the Instant Pot is a safe and easy-to-use modern pressure cooker and I stand by it.
Restart Pressure Cooking Process
Place ingredients back into the cleaned & dried inner pot. Dilute the cooking liquid until consistency is thin. Resume the pressure cooking & adjust the pressure cooking time accordingly.
*Pro Tip: For reference add 1 2 cups of thin cooking liquid please adjust this amount accordingly to the type of food youre cooking & the burnt situation.
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What Can You Make In The Instant Pot
The real question is: what cant you make?You can pretty much cook anything that you can think of, whether its steaming, roasting, slow cooking or canning. Many recipes are adaptable to the Instant Pot, even if they take a bit of trial and error. If youre an experimental cook, this pressure cooker will be one adventure after another. Here are some common recipes that can easily be made in this pressure cooker, and a few additional functions:
Mistake #: Did Not Deglaze Inner Pot Bottom
Instant Pot is awesome for allowing users to saute directly in the inner pot.
Take note that after sauteing, there will be some brown bits stuck to the the bottom of the pot. Dont worry! These are not burnt food debris.
However, when users dont fully scrub these flavorful brown bits off the pot before pressure cooking, itll trigger Instant Pot to think the food content inside is burnt.
Also Check: Thawing Ground Beef In Instant Pot
What To Do When The Instant Pot Says Burn How To Save Your Meal
If youre getting the burn message i.e. your Instant Pot display says burn or food burn, this section will tell you what you need to do to save your meal.
I strongly urge you to read the entire article because there are many reasons for the burn message and youll need this information to successfully use the Instant Pot in the future.
Sometimes the Instant Pot says burn or food burn and then changes toOn. If this happens to you, just say thank you and let it keep cooking. Youll probably have some food stuck on the bottom, but you should be able to salvage most of it.
In some rare cases, the scorched/burnt taste may penetrate the entire dish and you may need to start over. But in most cases, its possible to salvage your meal when you see burn on the Instant Pot display.
Final Words On The Instant Pot Burn Notice

Read and re-read your directions when cooking your Instant Pot recipe because even though you think you know everything it can be easy to miss out a step. There is always something new to learn!
Oh and one more thing, remember that the notice is to KEEP your food from burning. It doesnt mean it has burned!
So dont be afraid to open up the Instant Pot, check on your food and hopefully it will be just fine. You can also continue cooking your meal once this is done. It may be a pain but checking a meal is always better than burning it! Dont you agree?
Angela
Recommended Reading: How To Cook Frozen Cabbage Rolls In Instant Pot
What To Do If Your Instant Pot Gives A Burn Warning:
Related:
Why You Need An Instant Pot
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Thinking about getting an Instant Pot? We love our Instant Pot but wish there were things we would have known when we bought it. Here is our Instant Pot Review on how to use an Instant Pot and why we love our Instant Pot!
Recommended Reading: How To Cook Frozen Tamales In Instant Pot
How To Avoid Burn Messages:
There are a few ways you can avoid the Instant Pot burn issue.
- Pot in Pot cooking with the Instant Pot is just putting another container inside the pressure cooker to contain your food. As long as there is enough water in the pot, you cant get a burn notice with pot in pot cooking because theres no food touching the inner pot or the heating element underneath.
- You wont get a burn warning when using pot in pot cooking methods. Recipes like my lasagna, breakfast casserole, hard boiled eggs for egg salad, and even Starbucks egg bites are all examples of pot in pot cooking.
- Another way you can avoid the burn Instant Pot warning is by adding extra liquid. If your recipe consistently gives you a burn warning, you should adjust it to include more thin cooking liquid.
- Low pressure cooking is another way to keep the Instant Pot from saying burn. You can use low pressure cooking for just about anything, its just a matter of adjusting the time to compensate. The Pressure Level button on your Instant Pot will let you select your desired pressure level.
- The heating temperature is also reduced when you cook on low pressure on an Instant Pot so make sure you double check the internal temperature of your food when adjusting the pressure settings.
Not Enough Liquid To Start With
A common reason for the burn error message is that there was not enough liquid in there to begin with. You should always consult the manual for the minimum amount of liquid before you start.
If you are new to pressure cooking, perhaps you should err on the safe side by starting your journey making dishes that have plenty of liquid in them. This can build up your confidence and help you gage the amount of liquid lost in the cooking process.
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