Get An Extra Sealing Ring
You can purchase an extra sealing ring and be more careful about how you use what you have. Reserve one ring for savory dishes and the other for sweet treats. Differentiating their usage means any odors that do stick will not leave an off-putting smell behind on your dishes.
Also consider replacing the sealing rings completely if you dont want to deal with lingering odors. Replacing the rings after every six months or so should be enough to keep them odor-free.
Timer Function Was Used Instead Of Manual Or Pressure Cook
Some older models of the Instant Pot have a Timer button. The Timer button allows you to set a delayed time to start cooking. When you press the timer button, the time that shows up is the number of hours till cooking starts. So if your Instant Pot timer is not starting, this could be the reason.
SOLUTION: Press Cancel to cancel the timer. Press Manual or Pressure Cook and wait a few seconds for the Instant Pot display to change to On. If you wish to use the timer functionality, select the cooking function first, then press Timer or Delay Start .
How To Get Rid Of That Nasty Smell In Your Instant Pot
You cooked a perfect quinoa dish in your Instant Pot, but now youre left with a nasty case of Instant Pot Lid Funk. Today well tell you why, and well also share experts suggestions for exiling the stink from your kitchen for good.
The culprit is your Instant Pots sealing ring, the food-grade silicone band that goes around the top of the Instant Pot lid, guaranteeing a tight seal for all that pressure cooking youre doing. See here:
While the smell can be scary, theres no need to fear. Silicone is entirely safe for food, which is why its such a popular material used for kitchen tools and food storage.
There are three reasons the sealing ring gets stanky. First, its porous. That means when you cook aromatic dishes like chili, curries or stews microscopic particles get in the pores, leaving a memory of dishes past.
Beyond this, though, a deeper funk can develop. In the event the ring is loose, or stored in the Instant Pot while its damp, organic matter trapped between the ring and the lid will fuel the growth of microorganisms. When these start multiplying, the smell gets much, much worse. Imagine a teenage boys bedroom. Yeah, it can get ripe.
Finally, as you cook and vent with your pot, steam and food residue get stuck, building up and fermenting all kinds of matter. Lucky for you, no matter how bad yours smells right now, cleaning it is likely a one- or two-step process that will have it smelling like new in a few hours.
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Trivet Or Steamer Rack
Almost all Instant Pots come with a stainless steel steamer rack. Some with handles, others may not have handles. Its very helpful for cooking all sorts of food in Instant Pot.
The long handles on both sides make it easy for handling and removal from the pot. Its also compact, easy to store, and easy to clean.
More Info on How to use the Trivet:Instant Pot Trivet
You Just Need To Be Patient
The Instant Pot will not come to pressure in a certain amount of time for everything. In fact, things like soup and frozen food will take longer to come to pressure. If your Instant Pot isnt counting down, wait 20-30 minutes before you start worrying.
Chances are nothing serious is wrong with your Instant Pot even if it wont seal. Just check your pot if you are having an issue and restart!
About Angela Milnes
Angela Milnes is a Qualified Early Years Teacher who has specialised in teaching. She has a wealth of experience teaching young children and adults. Angela has also taught cooking classes and loves to share both family recipes and easy instant pot recipes here on The Instant Pot Table. Follow her on !
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Instant Pot Cooking Time Guides
Also, those time sheets/magnets/charts with cooktimes- ehh. I dont think they are a good resource since every chart Ive seen online doesnt seem accurate to me. Unless it guide comes from a blogger or recipe creator you absolutely trust, I wouldnt spend money on it.
Personally, I would stick with tried and true recipe and methods with researched recipes
Just my two cents!
So what do you think? Do you have some of these accessories? What would you add to the list?
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How To Clean The Gasket
Here are some handy tips to clean your gasket:
- After every use of your pressure cooker, dont forget to remove the gasket from the lid and wash it properly with soap water.
- Avoid putting the gasket in a dishwasher
- Only use soapy water to wash the gasket.
- While cleaning, examine the gasket closely. Check whether the gasket developed cracking or signs of wear and tear.
While installing the gasket, always follow the manufacturer manual. Gaskets normally have indications for right and wrong sides.
- So, before installation, look for these signs. The right side must always face upwards while installing a gasket.
- If signs are not available, you can try orienting with any visible writing on the gasket with the words facing towards you.
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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:
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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Do Not Forget To Place The Sealing Ring Back In The Lid
Dont forget to put your sealing ring in prior to using your pressure cooker. If you have taken out your ring to clean it, dont forget to put it back into the lid. If you forget the ring, the instant pot cannot come to pressure. You will know if you have forgotten it because the steam will start coming out of the edges of the lid rather than the float valve.
Is Your Instant Pot Not Sealing Find Out Why With This Practical And Easy Troubleshooting Guide
Is your Instant Pot not sealing? I have seen so many people in my who are struggling to get their Instant Pot to Seal. There are several reasons why your Instant Pot may not be sealing, so to better help everyone, I have created this informational post for you!
*I use affiliate links in this post. If you buy anything from my links I will earn a small commission*
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Why Is The Natural Release On My Instant Pot Not Working
The process of natural release on an instant pot is a fairly simple one pressure builds during the cooking period due to steam forming within the pot. The instant pot is a sealed environment, which means that the steam cannot escape, and pressure builds.
To cut a long story short, the natural release on your instant pot wont be working because a component that causes pressure to be kept within the pot will be broken. This could be several different components within the pot, including the steam release value or the sealing ring which sits inside the lid of your instant pot.
Luckily, there are plenty of ways to fix anything that may be wrong with your instant pot these appliances are designed to last.
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How To Clean Your Smelly Instant Pot Sealing Ring
Were you one of the MANY people who received an Instant Pot over the holidays? If so, welcome to the cult. One of the first things I made in mine was pulled chicken tacos, riffed from a few blog recipes and the instructional manual. The Instant Pot is awesome for shreddy chicken in around 30 minutes. But the next time I pulled the pot out off my bookshelf-full-of-kitchen-stuff-and-not-books, a waft of cumin hit me in the nostrils. Oof. The Instant Pots rubber sealing ring takes on smell like a school-issued soccer jerseynot a breathable fabric.
Its dishwasher safe, and most of the time that gets the scent out. But I dont have a dishwasher, and maybe you dont either, which is why youre here. Some people buy two rings to keep the savory separate from the sweet you can get and stop reading this. Yet two rings felt extraneous to me, person with an entire shelf of spillover kitchen appliances, pots, and specialty gelatin molds, so Id rather just clean it. Heres how.
As a lot of cleaning in the kitchen goes, white vinegar is the answer. Soak the ring in white vinegar diluted with water, as long as you can stand it. I do this in my sink with a few glugs of vinegar and then water to cover, but you could do it in a sheet pan as pictured above or a plastic tub, whatever. After an hour or whenever you remember it was soaking, wash with dish soap and leave it out to dryin the sun is ideal.
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An Issue With The Sealing Ring
The silicone sealing ring is one of the most important parts of the Instant Pot. If it not placed on the lid tightly, the lid wonât seal. If the ring is torn or dirty, it wonât seal either.
Whenever you notice your pressure cooker is struggling to come to pressure and the vent knob was in the right position, the next thing you want to investigate is the sealing ring.
The sealing ring expands to seal in pressure in the Instant Pot. If you just used your Instant Pot for another recipe or did a quick release to add an ingredient with a shorter cook time, your sealing ring may be already too expanded to be able to achieve a proper seal. Either place the seal in the freezer for 5 minutes to let it cool and return to normal size or insert a spare sealing ring.
If you have not recently used your instant pot, the sealing ring may be dirty. Take it off, give it a good clean and dry well. Inspect for tears or breaks and then install the ring carefully back on the lid on the instant pot and then proceed with the recipeâafter checking to be sure there is still enough thin liquid in the Instant Pot!
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Instant Pot Sealing Rings Odor
Ah! So this is the question we get asked a lot about Instant Pot Cleaning!
How to get rid of the Instant Pot Sealing Ring Odor?!
Easy Solution:White Vinegar many users like to soak the silicone sealing ring in white vinegar, then air dry it to get rid of the stinky smell.
Best Solution: Extra Silicone Sealing Rings we believe the best solution is to have 2 pairs of Sealing Rings 1 for Savory dishes, 1 for Sweet dishes. Then, you wont have to worry about the smell cross-contaminating between savory and sweet dishes!
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Instant Pot Setup: Understanding The Lid
The lid of a pressure cooker is an integral part of the machine. Without this lid, you cant cook foods under pressure.
This is the steam release valve. It has two settings: sealing and venting.
Sealing: When cooking food under pressure, close the lid and line up valve with the wavy lines. This position seals the pot. It allows pressure to build as the food inside heats and produces steam. The valve wont lock into place when set to sealing. For safety reasons, it will always wiggle a little.
To set the valve to the sealing position, turn it clockwise as far as it will go.
Venting: Once the pressure cooker completes its cooking cycle, you must vent it. This will either happen immediately after the cooking cycle completes or after the pressure releases slowly over time, about ten minutes. You MUST vent the pot before opening.
To do that, turn the steam release valve toward venting . NEVER place your hand over the steam release valve. Use the small handle to turn the valve and keep your hand off to the left side. When doing a quick release, steam rushes out of the valve. For a natural release, no steam usually escapes. But its a good idea to vent it just in case theres any pressure remaining.
Heres How Instant Pot Employees Clean Their Sealing Rings
The internet is filled with suggestions to bake your sealing ring in the oven to get rid of the stink, so I asked Fadden about this. A fan favorite and one of the techniques we use in our Instant test kitchens is to bake the silicone ring in an oven by placing it on a baking tray at 250 degrees F for 20-30 minutes, Fadden shared.
Of course, theyre also fans of just putting the ring in the dishwasher. Because silicone can handle the heat, its perfectly safe, and the high heat of the dishwasher helps open the pores of the silicone to remove the odors, Fadden said. Fadden is also a fan of the steaming method and recommended adding lemon slices to the vinegar.
A huge part of keeping your Instant Pot from scaring anyone away from your kitchen is maintenance, but there are a few other hacks the team at Instant Brands favor.
Many of our Instant Pot fans keep a separate ring for making sweets like cheesecake and savory dishes like a curry. Some models of Instant Pot come with two silicone rings, one red color and one clear which can be changed out when cooking different food types to avoid mixing of smells, Fadden said. You can buy them for an affordable price, like these:
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Check Silicone Sealing Ring
How to install sealing ring on Instant Pot? Put the sealing ring on top of the rack on the Instant Pot lid, then gently run your fingers along the ring as you push it into the rack.
Its criticalto ensure the silicone sealing ring is seated properly, and there isnt anything stuck on the ring or rack.
*Caution: Never pull the ring by force as it may stretch or damage the ring and affect the sealing function. Dont use it if it has cracks, cuts, or any other damages.
Do you need a spare sealing ring? Its always good to have a spare Silicone Sealing Ring because they do wear and tear. Plus, the ring may get stinky as it absorbs food odors over time. If you like, you can dedicate 1 Sealing Ring for Savory food, and the other for Sweets.
- 8 Quart: Sealing Ring
Attaching The Condensation Collector
When you open the lid of the Instant Pot, some cooking liquid tends to run off the lid and into the rim that runs around the pot. It can be a pain to clean. To prevent this rim from overflowing with liquid, theres a small hole in it. Under that hole, you can attach the condensation collector. Basically, a small cup that will hold excess liquid and prevent it from going all over your counter.
The condensation collector can be tough to install. You need to line it up with two slots and then push it toward the machine. To remove, pull it toward yourself.
With the cord and condensation collector installed, we can finally run the water test.
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Do Not Place Your Instant Pot On A Stove
Do NOT place your instant pot on your stovetop where a burner could get turned on underneath it! This is another thing Im seeing where people are ruining their pots by melting the bottom of it. Im sure that you think it could never happen to you but the sheer number of this particular instant pot fail proves that it could happen to anyone.
