An instant pot is a kitchen appliance that makes cooking easy and comfortable. It is an electric pressure cooker that drastically lessens your cooking time. Everyone knows that there are certain safety tips to be followed while using the instant pot. Not only for the instant pressure cooker but in every kitchen appliance there are certain rules to be followed. Anyway, the instant pot is an appliance that has an important place in the kitchen.
Nowadays the instant pot can be called a multi-cooker as it can do all the operations of a pressure cooker like cooking rice, with its smart control box. Many companies are introducing their brands into the market. But the safety features, functionality, and other specifications vary among different brands. Compared to the traditional pressure cookers, the instant pot is more manageable as they are flexible to program easily. The traditional pressure cooker is a stovetop kitchen appliance.
Contents
Parts Of Instant Pot
The instant pot has mainly three major parts. The lid, stainless steel inner pot, and the housing with the cooking elements at the bottom. It has a safety valve and a smart control box (touch-sensitive keys). The instant pot can be set to the desired pressure and you can adjust the temperature. Thus it can be considered more customizable.
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The Lid
The lid is the top part of the instant pot. An adhesive ring serves as the gasket of the cooker lid. The lid and inner pot combine to create an airtight compartment when the lid is in the sealed (closed) position. The lid locking system makes a high-pressure environment to get the food items to be cooked. The lid consists of a small metal cage that prevents the safety valve from clogging with bits of food.
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Inner Pot
The inner pot is a detachable component made with stainless steel or aluminum. To make the heating uniform, the instant pots are made with three layers of high-quality stainless steel with no chemical coating. It is a removable pot and thus easy to clean after each cooking process. Also, the polished interior surface prevents the sticking of foods inside the pot. The inner pot is workable for cooking almost all types of food.
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Safety Valve
It is also called the steam release valve. The main purpose of the safety valve is to prevent an explosion. It has a pin through which the excess pressure can be released. As the pressure inside the instant pot becomes out of control, the safety valve provides the path for the extra pressure produced to escape.
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Smart Control Box
The smart control box is known as the heart of the electric pot. The control box has the microprocessor to control the complex cooking cycles by keeping the timing and the number of cycles. If an unsafe operational condition is detected, it alarms with a certain sound. The smart control box has to perform a few essential actions to start the pre-programmed cooking cycles for different foods. For instance, it takes just one minute to cook certain food items like corn, peas, cauliflower, broccoli, etc. It will take 2 minutes to cook frozen corn, peas, cauliflower, and broccoli. Only 30 to 40 minutes are needed for dry beans and bones.
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The Housing With Cooking Elements
Housing is the compartment of the cooker that holds the sensor, the heating elements, and the control box. The sensors help the control box to monitor the temperature and pressure inside the pot. Many heating elements use Nichrome, which is made up of Nickel (80%), and Chromium(20%) in the form of wire or strip or a ribbon.
Working Of Pot
The inner pot gets hotter as the pressure inside the chamber rises. When plenty of pressure is being generated, operating the cooker without the lid locking is risky and it is not advised by the manufacturers. Safety valves and pin lock mechanisms are built into instant pots to stop the lid from opening accidentally when there is a lot of pressure produced. The float valve (safety valve), will be driven upward if the pressure inside the inner pot is high enough.
The float valve’s pin serves as a latch lock to keep the lid from turning when it is raised. A weight inside a few of the safety valves is raised once the internal steam pressure reaches a specific point. When the pressure causes the valve to release some steam, the float valve will be pushed up. The entire cooking process depends on the lid locking. When the heating element starts the food begins to get heated and gets boiled. The pressure sensors monitor the pressure and temperature. The food continues to be cooked until the lid is unlocked.
The 10 Safety Features Of Instant Pot
The instant pot comes with many built-in features. The built-in features prevent it from exploding and make it safer to use. The following are certain built-in safety measures that come with the instant pot.
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Lid Close Detections
The lid placed correctly will be locked automatically as pressure increases since the sensors can detect the lid status. The detectors inspect the lid-locking system and prevent the lid from opening automatically.
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Leaky Lid Protection
If the lid is not positioned properly then the instant pot does not allow to start the process as the sensors can detect the proper lid position. The smart detection sensors can detect the leaky lid.
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Anti Blockage Vent
The three-layer inner shield prevents food particles from going inside and creating blocks.
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Temperature Controls
Temperature control is maintained by the thermal fuse that cut off the power if the temperature exceeds the limits.
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High-Temperature Warning
Overheat protection or high-temperature warning is used when the instant pot detects a situation where the food is being burnt due to overheating. Then a message will be displayed on the screen.
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Lid Lock Under Pressure
If the lid is locked due to high pressure inside, then pour cold water to open the lid. As per the concept of an electric pot, it releases the pressure valve to open the lid. Do not apply more pressure (manual) to open or close the lid.
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Automatic Pressure Control
The automatic control feature of the instant pot monitors the pressure, and if the pressure is more than needed, then it stops the pressure from building. The pressure regulators ensure this feature.
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Excess Pressure Protection
The pressure protection feature releases the excess pressure in the internal chambers when a dangerous situation is detected.
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Extreme Temperature And Power Protection
There is an electrical fuse and thermal fuse in the electric pot. The extreme temperature will be detected with the help of the sensors and the power is cut off for protection in such situations.
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Pressure Regulator Protection
The release valve is designed differently depending on the Instant Pot model. Some have the valve and switch combo with a marking to show when the valve is sealing or open. Other models have a separate steam release button that you press, while high-end models allow you to program the type of release and the pot does it automatically at the end of cooking.
How And Why Does An instant Pot Explode?
The dangerous pressure levels or the seal may be broken at the anti-blockage vent. In such cases, the food or liquid goes inside. You should also take care when cooking some food items that expand during cooking. With these types of foods, it is best to leave some extra space inside the pot so that it will not spill out of the pot.
The explosion will be up to certain levels only as the instant pot is produced with certain safety measures. In many cases, the explosion happens due to manual errors only. If the vents are clogged, or the pot is overfilled, there are chances of an explosion. These are some preventable reasons. A pressure cooker can also explode due to a defective part. The defective part causes the malfunctioning and thus leads to an explosion when high pressure is building inside the pot.
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Blocking The Steam Release Valves
The steam release valve is sealed on the pot. As the heating elements start functioning, the pressure built inside the instant pot makes the food boil. The valves can be clogged with food particles inside. Take the lid and unclog the valve to remove all the bits of food inside the valve. Clean the lid and place it back.
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Filling It Over Max Level
It is not advisory to fill it over the maximum capacity. Some food items when boiled will spill out and may cause dangerous problems. Overfilling the pot can lead to poorly cooked food and loss of flavor of the food. Also, there are possibilities of blocking the safety valve with extra spilled-out food particles.
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Not Changing The Sealing
The sealing ring expands when it’s heated. When it is cooled, it should return to its normal state. If it is not changing its state, then you have to place it and run it in cold water to retain its natural state. The sealing ring has to be replaced every year if you are using the instant pot regularly.
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Ignoring The Manual
Ignoring the manual is not at all fair for your safety. The user manual provides all the information related to the specific device and its usage. So the user has to read and understand the contents of the user manual before starting to use it. Also if you are stuck in between, you can refer to the user manual for self-guidance to know how to proceed.
Tips To Avoid Instant Pot Explosions
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Have a manual checking before using the Instant pot
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Avoid the faulty gaskets as they make the premature opening of the lid.
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Do not fill the Instant pot over the allowed maximum level.
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Leave space inside the pot, for food items that may spill out.
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Remove the clog from the vent as inadequate venting causes an explosion.
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Use enough water to cook, thus preventing the burning of the food.
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Allow natural release of pressure by removing the cooker from heat.
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Clean the cooker properly.
FAQs
The instant pot is an electric appliance that can be programmed beforehand. The pressure to be produced during the cooking is decided by the user. Also, the time required is fixed by the user depending on the type of food to be cooked. Thus no need for further monitoring after that. The safety valve system protects the instant pot from exploding as the pressure inside the cooker is very much high; it allows the pressure to escape through the safety valve. It is good to refer to the user manual before starting operating with it.
The safety valve is an important safety mechanism in the instant pot. The excess pressure is escaped through the safety valve preventing the food from being overcooked. Also, it prevents the explosion due to uncontrolled pressure inside the instant pot. The sensors inside the control box check for the lid locking system of the Instant pot. Man Made mistakes like overfilling the pot, blocking the vintage, etc. can be avoided as much as possible. Use enough water inside the pot necessary for cooking the food.
Conclusion
The instant pot is a common appliance used in the kitchen for convenience. This is invariable in situations where the cooking time is less, and there is a necessity for self-cooking. There are certain rules to be followed while using the instant pot. The important thing to consider is to understand the working of the instant pot by reading the user manual supplied by the manufacturing company. To avoid the explosion and other dangers, the user is to take care in making manual errors.
