Instant Pot Recipe Collection (2024)

FAQs

What happens if you use too much water in an Instant Pot? ›

Water is essential to cooking with an Instant Pot, because you need steam to build pressure inside the pot and cook the food faster. However, too much water can cause issues. “Too much liquid can cause the contents to overflow and spill,” Tracy Fadden, vice president of marketing at Instant Brands, told HuffPost.

Running out of water in the pressure cooker can result in a number of things happening. If the cooker has a safety mechanism that is in proper working order, it may simply turn itself off. You may get a burn message on the display screen, or you might just wind up with a big batch of burnt beans.

Your Instant Pot should have a line on the inner pot to show the maximum amount of food you can cook in it at once (and it's there for good reason!). Overfilling your Instant Pot can affect the pressure that builds up inside, so you might end up with a mushy meal, or one that doesn't cook properly.

Your Instant Pot. A trivet. A sling (you'll need aluminum foil) An oven safe dish (like Pyrex or a Springform pan)

Can you submerge the Instant Pot lid? You can submerge it in a sink of soapy water or in the dishwasher. The only part you can not submerge on the Instant Pot is the base which contains the electrical parts.

When cooking foods that expand (e.g., rice, beans, pasta) do not fill the inner pot higher than the — 1/2 line as indicated on the inner pot. Overfilling the inner pot may risk clogging the steam release and developing excess pressure. This may cause leakage, personal injuries, or damage to the cooker.”

Follow this tip: Unless otherwise specified in the recipe, use just enough liquid (usually water or broth) to bring the cooker to pressure. Amounts will vary between recipes, but in general, 1/2 to 1 cup of liquid is needed to get cooking.

Follow this tip: While at least 1/2 to 1 cup of liquid is essential to well-cooked food in the pressure cooker, too much liquid will pull the flavor out of foods. Unless otherwise specified in the recipe, use just enough liquid to bring the cooker to pressure.

Is steam leaking out of the pressure valve, even when turned to the upper locked position? It's normal for a small amount of steam to leak from the valve while the pot is heating up, but if it continues to leak steam during the pressure-cooking cycle, you may have a problem.

Can you underfill an Instant Pot? ›

Don't Underfill or Overfill

You also don't want to underfill it, which will cause overcooking or burning. Our rule of thumb is to fill the pot two-thirds for most recipes, and only halfway for grains, pastas or beans (as they expand and grow while cooking).

The short answer is good news. It is generally safe to use aluminum foil in an Instant Pot, but it is important to use it properly to avoid damaging the appliance or creating a potential safety hazard.

You can use any oven safe containers in the Instant Pot. Best Types of Containers – Stainless Steel: Stainless steel bowls are the best choice for Pot-in-Pot cooking, as it transfers heat fast, and they're safe from cracking. Corelle bowls are our second choice.

Instant Pot says you can use any container that is labeled “Oven Safe”. This includes containers made from metal, silicone, ceramic & glass.

A pressure cooker shouldn't be more than 2/3rds full. With liquids, avoid filling more than half full. Overfilling leads to food being ejected from the pressure release valve – a messy business. If this does happen, you'll need to take apart and clean the parts thoroughly.

Double-check that the pressure valve is in sealing position before pressure cooking, or all of the liquid will boil off and scorch the bottom of the pot. "Always ensure that you have sufficient liquid," says Lai.

The answer to your question is that the jars that you pressure canned were not processed correctly because there was too much water in the pressure canner, the canner did not get vented which creates the ideal pressure inside the canner that you want for the product you will be pressure canning.