Instant pot kitchen appliance’s superpower. It is the best gadget for quick evening dinners and churning up treats in record time. It can make yogurt, boil eggs, and do a variety of amazing things to make our lives easier. This multipurpose gadget can do everything very efficiently, but it needs regular maintenance to cook at its highest level. Fortunately, cleaning an instant pot is an easy task. It is easy to clean because most of its components—interior cooking utensils, sealing rings, steam rack, and lids—are simply detachable and washable. In this article, we will describe how to clean instant pot heating elements.
You definitely know how valuable an Instant Pot is—this multi-purpose cooker can be used as a pressure cooker, a slow cooker, a rice cooker, and other functions to help you prepare tasty meals fast. While pressure-cooking, speeds up the cooking process, allowing you to have meals ready in a fraction of the time it normally takes. Your Instant Pot and its lid must be cleaned after each use to maintain it at its best and running correctly. Despite the number of small parts on the lid, cleaning this cooker is much easier and faster than you might think.
However, to clean an instant pot heating element, you need to clean the various components of the instant pot step by step.
How To Clean Instant Pot Heating Element
Because there are so many pieces in an instant pot, you must follow some measures if you wish to clean the heating element. Otherwise, you will be unable to clean the instant pot’s heating element. So, see our step-by-step instructions for cleaning an instant pot.
What you’ll need to clean Instant Pot
To clean an instant pot, you’ll need a few essential items.
- soapy, warm water.
- Microfiber cloth or dish towel
- Brushes with soft bristles / Toothbrushes
- Dishwasher
- Distilled white vinegar.
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Step 1: Unplug and Disassemble
Turn off and disconnect the Instant Pot before removing the inner cooking pot. Remove the outer cooker base’s lid, steam rack, and inner stainless-steel pot. Allow it to cool completely before washing it, and never submerge the base or heating element in water or put it in the dishwasher. At this time, you should also inspect the cord for damage and make any necessary repairs.
Step 2: Clean the Bottom and heating element of the Instant Pot
The base of your pressure cooker, like a slow cooker, includes the heating element and electrical components, so it should never be immersed in water or put in the dishwasher. Wipe off the exterior of the Instant Pot base with a moist cloth to remove any particles or food splatters. If you really need to clean inside the cooking base, wipe it down with a clean, wet towel and quickly dry it. To remove any stuck-on food, use a tiny scrubbing brush or toothbrush to clean the recessed region around the lip of the base.
Step 3: Scrub the inner pot and steam rack
Because the inner bowl and steam rack are composed of stainless steel, they may be hand-washed in warm, soapy water or rinsed in the dishwasher with either rack for tougher-to-remove food stains or leftovers. Water stains or browning on the bottom of the inner pot can be readily cleaned with vinegar over time. Put 1 cup of white vinegar into the stainless-steel dish and then let it soak for 5 minutes before draining it out and washing it with water to rejuvenate the finish. Steel wool and harsh cleansers should be avoided since they can harm the stainless-steel surface.
Step 4: Remove and wash the parts from your lid
Remove the pieces from the exterior of the lid, which may include the steam release cover (pull it straight up) and the steam release valve, depending on the type of your Instant Pot it also lifts straight up. Some versions additionally include a Quick Cool cover that quickly detaches.
Next, remove any minor pieces from the interior of the lid, such as the anti-block shield (a metal cap that covers the steam release pipe) and the silicone cap that covers the float valve.
All of the little pieces are dishwasher safe, but we like to clean everything in warm soapy water with an old soft toothbrush.
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Step 5: Wash the lid
All of the little pieces are dishwasher safe, but we like to clean everything in warm soapy water with an old soft toothbrush. Allow to air dry after thoroughly cleaning. Scrub down the lid while the components are still being removed. If the manufacturer says the lid is dishwasher safe, place it right side up on the top rack. However, you may want to hand wash it using a soft-bristled brush to get into all the nooks and crevices. Rinse it well to remove any soap and food particles.
To drain the lid completely, hold it horizontally over the basin and turn it all the way around like a steering wheel. After cleaning, keep the lid upside down on the cooker base to allow it to air out completely and avoid odor buildup. Reinstall all of the pieces when they are dry.
Step 6: Clean the sealing ring
Follow the manufacturer’s directions to remove the silicone sealing ring from within the lid; hand wash it in hot soapy water or set it on the top rack of the dishwasher to clean. Replace the sealing ring and double-check that it is properly positioned in the sealing ring rack, flush against the lid.
We like the remedy Instant Pot suggests in its user manual for removing odors from the sealing ring: after cleaning the Instant Pot and with all of the parts properly reinserted on the lid, including the sealing ring, add one cup of water and one cup of white vinegar to the detachable inner pot inside the Instant Pot. Close and seal the lid, then set the pressure cooker cycle for 5 minutes. When it is safe to do so, release the pressure and open the lid. Disconnect the silicone sealing ring gasket from the lid, then drain the vinegar mixture from the cooking pot and clean the lid, sealing ring, and inner cooking pot in hot water before drying. Replace the lid’s sealing ring.
Step 7: Reassemble the Instant Pot
Reassemble the Instant Pot cover after all parts are clean and dry. Check that the sealing ring, anti-block shield, and float valve are all firmly in place since they are required for the pressure cooker to work correctly. Reassemble all of the components, including the base, and enjoy your freshly cleaned Instant Pot.
When Should You Clean Your Instant Pot?
To avoid food or odor accumulation, clean all parts of the Instant Pot that come into contact with food after each use. The interior cooking pot, steam rack, and lid components such as the sealing ring and anti-block shield might all be included. Other pieces that don’t necessarily become dirty every time, such as the exterior or the condensation cup, could be cleaned on an as-needed basis.
Washing an Instant Pot is not as difficult as you may assume. All that’s needed is a complete cleaning, washing, and reassembling. These cleaning instructions for an Instant Pot will keep your pressure cooker clean—and ensure it will continue to serve you well for years to come.
Final Word
Finally, if you follow our step-by-step directions for cleaning an instant pot, it will be totally clean and will serve you for a long time without issue. We hope you have a lot of fun in the kitchen with the instant pot.