Whether you own an instant pot or are thinking about getting one in the near future, there is a good chance that you’ve heard at least one or two horror stories about the devices. You’ve probably heard about one catching on fire and burning down a home. You’ve probably heard about one bubbling over and ruining someone’s brand new floor. Whatever you might have heard, you need to understand that there is some truth to these stories. However, this does not necessarily mean that it was all in part due to the failure of the instant pot. Some of these horror stories that you are hearing about could have been a result of user error. While instant pots have improved in safety immensely over the years, there are still some things that you need to be aware of to make yourself a more conscientious owner.
Always Avoid Filling To The Max
It is understandable to want to get the most out of any cook. This is especially true if you are cooking a meal for a large family or a meal for two nights. You simply want to stretch it out and get as much as you can. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean that you need to disregard safety rules in order to do so. There is a max fill line located on every instant pot, and it’d be best advised to never fill entirely to this line. This is because a lot of the ingredients in these dishes like rice, beans, pasta, cornmeal, and oats will expand. It’d be best to only fill the pot halfway if you are making a dish with ingredients that have the potential to expand. If your ingredients won’t expand, you can go a little higher, but still, be careful.
Know The Safety Controls
It doesn’t matter if you are dealing with an instant pot that is 10 years old or a brand new one, all models are going to come equipped with similar safety features. Sure, the newer models will include more features and probably better-designed ones, but all models are going to have similar safety features. That being said, when you find yourself wondering is pressure cooker safe, you always have to consider these safety controls. Yes, pressure cookers are safe if they are used under safe conditions. If for some reason you have safety controls going off, something is wrong. Either you are misusing the machine or there is some kind of internal problem. Use the above website to familiarize yourself with the most common safety controls. Learn what they monitor and what it means when they are going off.
Avoid Deep Frying
You’ll find that there are several pressure cooker fried foods like fried rice, pressure-fried chicken, and more. And, it’ll be tempting to try some of these dishes out. However, this is a mistake! Your instant pot can do a lot of amazing things, but it’s really only a small pressure cooker. Trying to force it or expect it to handle these pressure-fried foods will only endanger everyone involved.
