Hopefully, you have been taking advantage of your Instant Pot and have been making some delicious meals in it.
After using your Instant Pot, you need to clean and maintain it as you would any other cookware you have in your kitchen.
There are two types of cleaning you should perform with your Instant Pot. You will have your daily cleaning after each use. And every few weeks, you should do a deep cleaning on your entire pot.
Deep cleaning prevents clogging of your Instant Pot, prevents stuck food residues, and prevents food smells.
These 12 easy steps include both everyday cleaning as well as deep cleaning. Following these steps will ensure your Instant Pot stays in working order and lasts for many years:
- Unplug your Instant Pot
- Wash the Inner Pot
- Wipe inner pot
- Clean the sealing ring
- Deodorize the sealing ring
- Wash accessories
- Clean the cooker base
- Wash the parts related to steaming
- Clean top of the exterior pot
- Wash the lid
- Make sure you Instant Pot is dry
- Reassemble your Instant Pot
1. Unplug your Instant Pot
After using your Instant Pot, before cleaning, get into a good habit of unplugging it. Especially if you are going to do a deep cleaning.
2. Wash the Inner Pot
The inner pot which comes with your Instant Pot is made of stainless steel. After emptying the contents from it, you can either leave it in your sink and allow it to soak in some warm/hot water with some dish soap.
After a few minutes, you can wash it out with a sponge, and anything stuck in the pot will easily come off. Make sure you do not use any steel wool or any rough abrasive cleaning sponge because it will ruin the stainless steel finish.
Alternatively, the inner pot is dishwasher safe, so you can simply toss it in your dishwasher as well.
3. Wipe inner pot
To keep your inner pot looking good, and removing the detergent residue, use a paper towel and some white vinegar and wipe it down.
4. Clean the sealing ring
Remove the silicone ring from the top lid after each use and wash it as well. Doing this prevents it from absorbing any food odors and colors.
The sealing ring is also dishwasher safe, so you can place it at the top rack of your dishwasher to wash it.
Every few weeks, take some time to thoroughly inspect your sealing ring to check for any cracks or other damages.
If you notice anything wrong with your ring, replace it as soon as you can.
They’re affordable, won’t break the bank, and you can purchase them online.
5. Deodorize the sealing ring
Check your sealing ring for any food smells. If some smell has permeated into it, then you can deodorize it easily.
Fill your inner pot with:
1 cup of water
1 cup of white vinegar
A few lemon peels
Make sure your silicone ring is attached to the lid, and close your Instant Pot.
Switch the setting to “Steam” and allow it to steam for 2 minutes.
Allow the pressure to release naturally, and once it unlocks, remove the sealing ring from the lid and allow it to air dry.
6. Wash accessories
Any accessories you used to cook with your Instant Pot should also be washed.
The steam rack can be washed in the dishwasher. If your Instant Pot came with other accessories, make sure if they too are dishwasher safe.
The accessories are pretty small, so handwashing is not a bad option either.
7. Clean the cooker base
Using a damp rag, make sure to wipe down the inside and the outside of the main pot.
Clean all the way around, making sure to wipe down the buttons and digital screen. You’ll want to make sure any food residue is removed.
8. Wash the parts related to steaming
There are smaller parts of the Instant Pot, which are around the steam value. Food and food residues can block these parts.
Every few weeks, make sure to inspect them and give them a clean.
To remove the Quick Release handle, pull straight up on it. Then give it a quick wash with warm soapy water and allow it to dry.
In the inner part of the lid, remove the shield that covers the steam valve. It either needs to be screwed off, or it can pop off, this depends on which model you own.
Wash this shield and allow it to dry.
The last thing you will check is the condensation collection cup. This piece is attached to the side of your Instant Pot. Give it a wash if you think it’s necessary and allow it to dry.
9. Clean the top of the exterior pot
There is a section of the exterior pot where the lid sits to seal the Instant Pot shut.
This area can get some food spillage in it, and it is a good idea to clean it.
It’s a bit of a tight area to clean. You can use a brush to wipe any food debris from it. And you can use a damp rag and try to squeeze into the area to give it a wipe.
10. Wash the lid
Remove the lid of your Instant Pot from the base and remove the silicone ring.
Wash the lid with warm soapy water and allow it to dry.
11. Make sure your Instant Pot is dry
Make sure everything is dry before closing the lid and storing it away. Disassemble your Instant Pot(Remove the inner pot, remove the plug, remove the silicone sealing ring). Wipe each item dry or set them upside down on a drying rack or drying cloth to dry fully.
12. Reassemble your Instant Pot
Once you’ve dried all the parts of your Instant Pot, you can put it all back together again for future use.
Place the sealing ring back in the lid. Place the inner pot inside the base. Put all the small pieces back in its place. Such as the Quick Release valve, the shield in the inner lid, the condensation container on the side of the outer pot.
Conclusion
Taking great care of your Instant Pot will ensure that it has a long lifespan.
You’ll benefit from your Instant Pot lasting a very long time. You’ll be able to continue making delicious home-cooked meals that your entire family will enjoy.
As you can see, it doesn’t take much to maintain your Instant Pot. Only every so often you need to perform a more thorough cleaning.
The time it takes to clean it isn’t much, and the benefit from deep cleaning it outweighs the inconvenience you may encounter maintaining it.
Take great care of your Instant Pot, and it’ll take great care of you.
Happy Instant-Potting.
