Stick To The Recommended Cooking Times
Of course, it is one thing reading the recommended cooking times in the instruction manual. But you also have to stick to them. So, ensure that you take this advice on board and use it when you are cooking.
This can help to cook your food thoroughly without burning the bottom of it. This is going to allow you to enjoy your meal, as well as have less to clean up on your pressure cooker afterwards.
Your Steam Valve Isn’t Sealed
A pressure cooker can’t pressure cook without steam. And while there are plenty of recipes that require the valve set at vent, your pressure cooking process is at risk if there isn’t enough, well, pressure. Additionally, the steam valve can help prevent the liquid inside from evaporating and drying whatever you’re cooking out. Always be sure to adjust the pressure valve to the appropriate setting before you start cooking.
How To Fix Instant Pot Overheating
When my pot flashes the OvHt signal, it is telling me there is a thick layer of food stuck to the bottom of the pot, and it is very close to burning.
The first thing is to un-stick the food. I remove the lid and scrape the bottom of the pot with a flat edged wooden spoon. Since the pot is full, I cant see the stuck food. But I can definitely feel stuck to the bottom of the pot as I scrape the wooden spoon, the bottom feels bumpy and rough. Once I have cleaned the pot, the bottom will feel smooth. Scraping the rough, overheating food can take some elbow grease. Sometimes it is really stuck on there.1Again, like my failed attempts at Jambalaya. Can you tell why Im writing this post?
I keep working it, scraping, spinning the pan, scraping at different angles. Dont give up it might take a while, but eventually the rough feeling will go away, and the bottom of the pot will be clean. If I can scrape the entire bottom of the pot, paying close attention to the edges, and the whole thing feels smooth, then Im ready to move on to the next step trying to prevent the sticking.
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Deglaze Inner Pot After Sauteing
After sauteing and before pressure cooking you need to deglaze the inner pot.; Deglazing involves adding a thin liquid like wine, water or broth to the hot surface and scraping the bottom with a silicone scraper or wooden spatula to remove the caramelized and brown bits that are stuck.
Deglazing adds wonderful flavor to your dish, but more importantly, it cleans the inner pot.; So any liquid that you add will make full contact with the bottom of the inner pot and that allows the sensor in the Instant Pot to properly register temperature and pressure.
Burn Notice: How To Avoid It And What To Do When You Get It
One of the hardest recipes that I have converted to the Instant Pot has to be my familys Arroz con Pollo. Not because its complicated or has extravagant ingredients, but because it was the frist time I ever came upon the dreaded and infamous BURNnotice.
When it first happened to me, I remember getting so scared that I had just ruined dinner and all that work and money I put into ingredients was now trashed. I wish I could say that was the last time it happened, but the truth is my Arroz con Pollo recipe took 7 tries and 6 struggles with the BURN notice, to finally get it right.
However, all the frustration and redos was 100% worth it because it made me an expert when it comes to the BURN message. Every time I had to try again, I learned a new lesson and I decided to write a post to share them with you.
In this tutorial you will learn
- 5 main reasons why youll get the BURN message.
- Tips to keep you from getting the BURN notice.
- What to do if you get the BURN notice and how to fix it.
The following is a video tutorial taking you step by step through everything I will go through in this post.
link for video if it does not show below Youtube Video on Burn Notice
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Instant Pot Burnwhat To Do And How To Avoid It
- 7 minute read
The dreaded Instant pot burn message is something nobody wantsit can cause a real panic. Is it something I have done, has the Instant pot broken downor is my food burning inside?
Let me reassure you that the solution is not that complicated and a few little changes to what you do can stop this happening in the future.
In this article, I will tell you why your Instant Pot says burn and how to deal with the Instant Pot burn message. If you do get this Instant Pot burn error, it does not necessarily mean that your meal is ruined, I will look at how you can save your meal from disaster.
Instant Pot Terms Abbreviations And Jargon To Know
Not all abbreviations, cooking functions, or terms are applicable to every instant pot. For instance the 6-in-1 LUX does not have a yogurt function nor does it have the option to set high and low pressure.
IP Instant Pot
HP High Pressure
LP ; Low Pressure
QR Quick Release This means you are releasing the pressure by turning the pressure valve to the open position immediately after food is finished cooking.
There will be hot steam coming out of the top, so make sure your hand isnt covering the opening and that you dont scare yourself!
NPR Natural Pressure Release This allows the pressure to come down on its own without releasing the valve and takes a little bit of time. It will also vary based on if you have a 6 quart or 8 quart pressure cooker.
PIP Pot in Pot This means using another container inside of your Instant Pot. Since the Instant Pot does not get as hot during pressure cooking as ovens while baking, you can use any oven-proof container such as glass, stainless steel, or silicone cups.
Sealing Ring ;The silicone ring that sits inside the lid. This is what seals the pot, if it is not properly installed and in place, your food will not cook properly.
Pressure Valve ;The black valve on the top of the lid that seals or releases pressure. There are to settings for it sealing and venting.
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You Overfill The Instant Pot
If you add to much liquid, you may get the burn message.
If you add too much food, you may get the burn message.
I really like the Jasmine rice recipe, since its easy and works every time. But after a while I wanted to diversify, so I added bell pepper. And it was great!
So next time I added bell pepper and broccoli. AndI got the burn message. It turned out it was too much for the Instant Pot to handle this amount of food at once.
Make sure you dont overfill the pressure cooker and that the liquid and the ingredients do not;exceed the;MAX PC 2/3;line on the Pot.;
Make sure you add more water if you are adding more food.
Try A Lower Heat Level
A lot of people are impatient when it comes to cooking. They want their food to be ready straight away. This can make it tempting to turn up the heat in the pressure cooker.
The assumption is that this will cook your food faster. However, this is not always the case. Instead, what can happen is that your food cooks well on the outside and burns without thoroughly cooking the inside. Not only does this mean that your food is raw when you cut into it, but it also means you risk burning the bottom.
One of the best ways to avoid this from happening is to lower the heat level. This will mean you may have to wait longer on your food. But it will also mean that it should be cooked evenly throughout, as well as avoid burning on the bottom.
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Choose An Elevated Metal Plate
Are you using the accessories that came with your pressure cooker? You may notice that there was an elevated metal plate included. If not, this is something that you want to purchase. It could be the answer to all of your problems.
What this plate does is that it fits at the bottom of the pressure cooker. It allows your food to sit above the liquid so that it can cook evenly. In the process, it prevents the food from sticking to the bottom of the pressure cooker.
How To Avoid Burn Message On Instant Pot
To avoid the burn message on your Instant Pot, always make sure there is no food stuck at the bottom of the inner pot . The best example is my recipe for the Instant Pot Chicken Thighs. You need to saute the thighs first, then remove them onto a plate, deglaze the bottom of the pot by adding required liquid and scraping it with a wooden spoon, then placing a trivet inside and arranging the meat on top.
If you are making pasta dishes , always make sure you scrape any food bits from the bottom of your inner pot after sauteing onions and garlic. If adding tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes, add them last and in the center of the dish, avoiding it touching the sides of the inner pot. Do not stir the dish. Pressure cook according to the instructions in the recipe.
It is recommended by the Instant Pot brand to avoid thick cream sauces when pressure cooking, as it will prevent the IP from coming to pressure. Add cream cheese, heavy cream or thicken the sauce with cornstarch and half and half after your food is cooked. Use the saute mode to thicken the dish.
It seems that 8qt Instant Pots;tend to get burn message more often, and my assumption is that while the 8 quart IP requires more liquid to come to pressure than the 6 quart IP, most recipes do not include the info to adjust that according to what IP you are using.
To learn more about the Instant Pot and how to use it almost daily, make delicious dishes and love it, check out my Instant Pot Guide for Beginners.
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Avoid The Burn Message
There are things you can do to avoid the burn message.;
- If you use the saute function, scrape food at the bottom before moving to the next step.;
- Always check to see if there are food bits at the bottom this is a major issue for causing the burn message.;
- When making recipes with thick sauce, add them after food is cooked using the saute function.;;
- If you want to make something that contains tomatoes, dont add them until the end and put them in the middle of the pot.;;
Food Or Liquid In Pot Is Too Thick
This is yet another common problem that often triggers the instant pot burn message.
Starchy foods like rice, oats, and pasta can become too thick when they come to a boil. This problem actually happens while using regular pots as well.
Likewise, Some thick sauces or tomato products may trigger a burn warning in the highly sensitive pressure cooking instant pot.
If the liquid is too thick, excessive heat ends up building at the bottom of the inner pot. Therefore, the cooker may not be able to generate enough steam, thus triggering the burn notice.
Solution:
Make Sure There is Enough Thin Liquid in the Pot- Avoid adding thick cooking liquid or thick sauces especially when cooking high starch foods in this pressure cooker. If necessary, always add more thin liquid to the instant pot to avoid problematic thickness.
Layer Thick Sauces at the Top of Ingredients- Thick sauces and tomato products like tomato paste or tomato sauce tend to stick to the bottom of the instant pot. This obviously causes heat to build up at the bottom and your food may end up not cooking properly especially now that there isnt enough steam being generated. The general rule of thumb when using instant pot is to always layer sauces and tomato products above the rest of the ingredients. Do not mix these with the other ingredients whatsoever.
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Can My Sealing Ring Cause Burn Messages
Yes, you can get an Instant Pot burn message from an improperly placed or malfunctioning sealing ring. Most people assume that something is physically burnt when they see the burn warning but in some cases the pressure cooker can give this warning if the sealing ring isnt seated properly or is damaged.
After you press cancel, vent the pot with a quick release, and check for burnt food on the bottom of the pot, make sure to give your sealing ring a check. Its good to replace them every 6-12 months based on your usage, discoloration, odors, etc.
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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What To Do If Your Instant Pot Says Burn
What Does Burn Message Mean On My Instant Pot
If you see burn display on your Instant Pot, do not panic. The IP detected a high temperature at the bottom of the stainless steel insert and because this appliance has a burn-protection sensor, it turned off heating of the pot which means it stopped cooking. This is a very smart feature and it will prevent your whole dish from burning and smoking up your kitchen, as it would happen in a regular saucepan or pot on the stove.
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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.;
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.
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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:
