What Does It Mean When My Instant Pot Says Burn

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How To Keep The Instant Pot From Giving You The Burn Notice

How to Deglaze Your Instant Pot – What to do When it Says Burn

First of all, the Instant Pot isnt just going to give you this notice for fun. There is usually something prompting this notice. I wanted to help keep your Instant Pot from giving you this burn notice in the future.

  • Make sure your sealing ring is in place The sealing ring is an important part of the Instant Pot. Without it, the pot wont seal, which means your food wont cook. The IP might also get too hot and give you the burn notice. The good news is that you can always buy a replacement ring for your Instant Pot.
  • Not enough liquid One thing is for sure, your Instant Pot needs to have enough liquid in it when youre cooking with it. Without enough liquid, the pot can become too hot and result in a burn notice.
  • Thick pasta in the IP Pasta can be a tricky food item to cook in the Instant Pot. If you dont catch it on time and there is not enough liquid you could end up with a burn notice because the food is cooking too fast raising the temperature in the pot, resulting in the burn notice.

More Tips To Prevent Instant Pot Burn

I like to spray the Instant Pot before I use it, this helps keep food from sticking. Always make sure there is enough liquid and that you dont over stuff the pot.

There is a line showing you the point at which not to overfill your pot, however, when cooking food that is likely to expand such as pasta or beans, do be extra careful not to fill the pot right to the very top of the maximum line.

Reason #: Using Ingredients That Absorb Water

What made my Arroz con Pollo recipe so hard to convert was because of the rice. What I didnt know then, was that rice absorbs liquid, so it makes it a tricky ingredient to cook with in a pressure cooker because the liquid needed to create pressure is also being absorbed by the rice. And when that happens, the rice will burn on the bottom .

Problem Solution
Rice dishes that produce BURN messages. Use the Rice Cup that comes with the Instant Pot to measure the rice, but use a standard measuring cup to measure the liquid. This will ensure you have a little more liquid than rice.
Pasta dishes that produce BURN messages. Layer the pasta on top, in a criss cross pattern, but dont mix it in. Place other ingredients on top of pasta. Sauté off extra liquid.

My Instant Pot Says Burn On The Display What Do I Do Now

First off dont panic. Most likely your dinner can be salvaged.

What are you cooking and how long does it take? If its something that cooks quickly, like oatmeal, you can ignore the message and let the Instant Pot finish cooking.

If youre cooking something that takes longer like chili or roast then youll need to fix the problem on why you got the burn message in the first place.

  • Turn off the Instant Pot and move the valve to venting. When you can, open the lid.
  • Use hot pads to remove the inner pot from the base. Check to see if anything is stuck to the heating element or on the bottom of the inner pot.
  • Inspect the sealing ring. It should be firmly in place. Look to see if the steam release and float valve are working properly. (You might also want to read > > How to deep clean your Instant Pot
  • Check your food to see if there is scorching. Stir carefully and remove anything that is overcooked. Scrape any scorched ingredients off the bottom of the pot and discard.
  • Add more cooking liquid. You dont need to add a lot, just add enough to thin things out .
  • Place the inner pot into the base and cover the pot. Secure the lid and make sure the valve is set to sealing. Then start the program again. Your food is already hot, so it wont take very long to come back up to pressure. After stirring and adding water it should be able to finish cooking without overheating again. If it does, repeat these steps.
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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.

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    What To Do If Your Instant Pot Is Displaying The Burn Message

    What To Do When Your Instant Pot Says BURN + Video

    Don’t panic, even though the Instant Pot says “burn”, this doesn’t mean that the pot is on fire. It simply means that your food could be burning. Keep calm, and do this:

  • Turn the Instant Pot off.
  • Quick release the pressure by either pressing down the venting valve button, or by turning it to the venting position.
  • Open the lid on the Instant Pot.
  • Use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the Instant Pot to check if any food is stuck.
  • If no or little food is stuck: Scrape off the stuck pieces with a wooden spoon, then add more liquid to your dish and proceed to cook it.
  • If a lot of food is burnt or stuck: If there is a significant amount of stuck food at the bottom, you might be better off removing the food that’s fine from the top, and placing this in a separate container. Scrape the bottom and clean out the pot, and discard any burnt food. Then, either finish cooking the dish in a pot on the stove top, or add more liquid to the Instant Pot and try again.
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    Ever Got The Instant Pot Burn Message

    Newbie or not, dread the Burn message? Yes, we understand how frustrating it is when you are cooking a meal and your get the burn message. You have a hungry family waiting or you were cooking for a party or may be just used up the last set of ingredients you had for the recipe. We know, exactly how it feels, its happened to us too. Mind you its not uncommon and it happens to every Instant Pot use at some point or the other.

    Guess what, you dont need to panic!!!

    Check The Silicone Sealing

    Is there a lot of steam coming from your pressure cooker? This is a sign that there might be a leak coming from the silicone sealing. The more steam that escapes the pressure cooker, the more likely it will be that your food burns.

    Thus, check your appliance and the silicone sealing it has around the lid. If there is a crack or damage, as well as any food debris stuck there, this could be the root of the problem.

    Also Check: Is Sear The Same As Saute On Instant Pot

    Objects Stuck Under Inner Pot Above The Pots Heating Element

    Objects getting stuck in the heating element of Instant Pots is more common than you think.

    We are talking about food crumbs, liquids, and other foreign objects finding their way into the heating element below the inner pot without your knowledge.

    When you start cooking, these objects will obviously start to burn especially since they are right at the main heat source.

    Immediately the pressure cooker detects an increase in temperature, it will trigger the burn notice.

    Solution:

    While its hard to prevent food, liquids, and other objects from finding their way to the heating element, I highly recommend checking out that area and wiping off any food particles with a dry cloth before you start to cook. Ensure the pot is not turned on and gently remove the inner pot for cleaning.

    How To Finish Cooking After The Burn Notice

    What to Do When You Get the BURN NOTICE! Instant Pot Tips

    Finishing your meal after a burn notice will depend on where you were in the cooking process and the ingredients.

    TIP: If you get the burn notice while cooking any ingredients that contain thickeners , you will likely get the burn notice again if you try to pressure cook it. In these instances, I recommend using Sauté mode to finish your meal. Stir constantly like you would when cooking on the stove.It will take longer to finish but will be much quicker than getting the burn notice multiple times.

    Read Also: How To Cook Baked Potatoes In Instant Pot Duo

    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:

    What To Do If You Get A Burn Message On Your Instant Pot

    First of all, dont panic. Nothing is on fire, your Pot is still safe, and your meal is more than likely salvageable. Just follow these steps:

    • Check to make sure your pot is on sealing and not venting. If its on sealing, then release the pressure using the quick release.

    • Remove your lid and check to make sure your sealing ring is in properly and not defective in any way.

    • Next check the bottom of the pot to see if anything is stuck.

    • If a little bit of food is stuck to the bottom, then use a wooden spatula to scrape it off.
    • If there is a lot of food stuck to the bottom, salvage what you can, then remove the rest of the food and soak your pot
    • If there is nothing stuck in your Pot, check to see if theres anything stuck in the heating element of your pot.

    • If thats clear, then add additional thin liquid to the food you are trying to cook and start the process all over again.

    I hope this helps you understand the reason behind the burn message! I hope you feel empowered to not only to troubleshoot if you see it, but prevent the Burn all together!

    Also Check: How To Steam Corn In Instant Pot

    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.

    The Food In Your Instant Pot Has Begun To Burn

    Why Does My Instant Pot Say Burn?

    Many a time we dont understand simple signals. Just because we wrote a variety of different reasons why your instant pot might show you the burning sign does not mean that your food will never get burnt inside this apparatus.

    There is an outstanding possibility that the burning sign may occur if yourfood is burning inside the container. In such a case, make sure to check thepot very carefully. Be careful not to burn yourself. Clean all the burnt foodfrom inside the container properly with a compatible brush. You have to be verycareful about not letting any scrap items bestuck to the bottom of the pot. This is because these scrap items are natural reservoirs of cockroaches as wellas bacteria.

    Weunderstand the fact that if your food actually gets burnt inside the pot andyou are cooking it for an important event, it would feel like a nightmare. Butalways jam for the rescue towards your delivery options. If you have enoughtime, you might want to add the ingredients and begin cooking all over again.But if you are short on time, then you might want to place an order from anearby restaurant in order to serve it to your guests.

    Didyou like this article? Do you have anything to add or ask? You are welcome todo so in the comment section below!

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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.

    How Do You Get Rid Of The Smell Of Burning Plastic

    Accidentally Inhaled Burning Plastic Ventilate the home by opening doors and windows. Use bowls filled with white vinegar to absorb the smell in the most affected rooms. Light candles, incense, and use deodorizers to mask the odor. Use baking soda on carpets overnight to absorb the odor and vacuum the next day.

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    What Should I Do When I Get An Instant Pot Burn Notice

    You may notice at some point that your Instant Pot is trying to warn you that your food is about to burn. This is a good thing! It doesnt mean your food is burnt. The burn notice is your friend and is there to prevent your meal from tasting like charcoal!

    Once your pressure cooker reaches the Burn notice temperature, the Burn sign will display and your Instant pot burn message will let you know that something needs to be done. This is a good thing!

    Instant Pot Burn Notice Step One:

    You need to turn your Instant Pot off right away and release the steam. Any further cooking and your food will burn inside the Instant Pot.

    Pay attention to how many minutes your food has been cooking so you know how long to reprogram your recipe once you restart the cooking process.

    You should pay close attention to your Instant Pot display as it cooks. Error messages and the Burn Notice can help you.

    Its easy to set it and forget it but you do need to check in every few minutes just incase you get that dreaded Instant Pot burn notification.

    Instant Pot Burn Notice Step Two:

    Once the steam has dissipated, you will need to investigate your meal. This may mean checking to see if any food has stuck to the bottom of your pot and giving the food in your recipe a good stir.

    Also check you have enough water or liquid in the pot for your Instant Pot recipe to continue cooking without a further burn notice.

    Instant Pot Burn Notice Step Three:

    Mistake #: Did Not Deglaze Inner Pot Bottom

    Instant Pot Burn Message | 5 Reasons Why and How to Avoid the Burn Notice

    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.

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    Why Does Instant Pot Say Burn

    So, now that you know its nothing too serious, let us explore the Why of this situation.

    Usually, this error message is displayed when youve done something that doesnt sit well with the pot and its many sensors and safety systems. Thats why beginners are more likely to get this message.

    Here are some actions that may trigger the Burn message:

    Layer Ingredients Inside The Instant Pot Insert

    Ingredients that have a higher sugar content or are very dense tend to burn easier, so to prevent a burn notice from happening, it is important to make sure these ingredients are kept away from the bottom of the insert.

    Tomato and dairy products should be added at the top and not mixed in.

    Layer the ingredients in these recipes.

    Also Check: How Long To Pressure Cook Broccoli

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