True story: The first thing I made in my Instant Pot was chicken stock (here’s the tutorial).
The second thing I tried (← keyword) making in my Instant Pot was my classic pot roast. And it failed in so many, many ways!!
I got the burn error… I filled it too high… I didn’t even turn the pressure valve!
I figure I’m not the first to make these Instant Pot mistakes, and I surely won’t be the last. At least though, I can warn you ahead of time so you don’t end up ruining dinner like I did!
As it turns out, you can’t just dump your favorite slow cooker recipe into the Instant Pot and have it magically turn out.
Yes, some slow cooker recipes will work as-written for the Instant Pot, but not all of them do. I highly recommend using my conversion guide for making slow cooker recipes in the Instant Pot before you dive in.
If however, you do decide to ignore my advice and throw caution to the wind, you’re going to want to know why your dinner didn’t turn out and what you can do to fix it next time!
14 Common Instant Pot Mistakes (and how you can fix them)
1. You didn’t turn the pressure valve to “sealing.”
I’ve been using my Instant Pot faithfully for a few months now and I STILL make this mistake sometimes.
You know you’ve made this Instant Pot mistake when you’re expecting to hear that whiz and whoosh of the pressure building in the Instant Pot… and don’t.
Or when you wonder why the Instant Pot hasn’t beeped yet although the cooking time has come and gone.
Solution: The fix is easy – make sure you turn the valve to sealing! It’s easier said than done though, so I recommend including it as part of your Instant Pot routine: Put on the lid, close it shut and make sure the valve is set to sealing. Don’t even move on to hitting any buttons until the valve is set correctly!
2. You didn’t put the sealing ring back inside the lid.
I haven’t done this one yet, but it’s common. You made something with a strong aroma so you took out the ring to clean it… but it’s still sitting on the kitchen counter drying rack.
Solution: As soon as you’re done cleaning the Instant Pot sealing ring, hand dry it with a towel and replace it back into the lid. Then let the lid as a whole air out on the counter so the ring can thoroughly dry.
3. You didn’t start with enough liquid.
Slow cookers don’t get hot fast, which means there’s plenty of time for the food to release juices to in turn cook the food.
The Instant Pot though, gets very hot, very fast. If there’s not enough liquid in the Instant Pot in the first place, you’ll either burn your food (and get a burn error) or pressure won’t build correctly.
Solution: Always start with no less than 1 cup of liquid. The Instant Pot manual actually says to start with 1 ½ cups, but personally I’ve been okay with 1 cup. If you’re making something like Instant Pot oatmeal, read the recipe carefully. The dry to wet ratios might seem off, but that’s because you’ll need the extra liquid to start out with.
4. You started off with the wrong type of liquid.
This is the mistake I made with my slow cooker pot roast – I thought that starting with homemade cream of mushroom soup would work just fine.
WRONG!
There are a handful of ingredients you CANNOT put into the Instant Pot until your food is done cooking. You can read those ingredients on this post.
Solution: Pay attention to your recipe and don’t assume that adding “liquid” ingredients will count as the liquid the Instant Pot needs to operate correctly. If you see a recipe that has “no-no” ingredient listed to add first, re-arrange them so you’re adding them last (or risk ruining dinner!).
5. You filled the Instant Pot beyond the max fill line.
If you open the lid of your Instant Pot and see your meal splattered all over the place, you filled it too high.
If your Instant Pot won’t build pressure, you might have filled it too high.
If you’re making something that foams when it cooks (i.e. pasta, beans, grains), make sure you DO NOT fill it past the max fill line.
Solution: I’m assuming you already have quite the mess to clean up, so NEXT TIME, don’t fill the pot past the max fill line. You can also use the natural pressure release so the foam has time to go back down after it’s done cooking. If natural pressure release isn’t an option, slowly turn the pressure release valve and if you see any foam at all, seal it again. Wait one minute, and try again.
6. You’re cooking all types of foods at the same time.
Yes, it’s possible to cook beef and broccoli and brown rice in your Instant Pot all at the same time. But you can’t just throw it all in there and expect it to turn out ok.
- Brown rice takes 22 minutes
- Steak takes about 8 minutes
- Broccoli takes as little as 0 minutes
If you tossed all these ingredients in there together, your rice would be done, but you’ll have broccoli mush and beef shreds too!
Solution: Follow the directions for recipes carefully and start paying attention to the times it takes for certain items to cook. Make a cheat sheet if you have to, but learn the cooking times for some of the items you cook most often. Invest in a pot-in-pot steamer set so that you can add additional items to the pot as the cooking time wears on. If you are going to throw things together in the pot, make sure the cooking times are within a few minutes of each other.
7. You added no-no ingredients to the Instant Pot.
You cannot add cornstarch, arrowroot, potato starch or any similar flours or thickeners (including a roux) to the Instant Pot. You also cannot add tomato paste to the bottom of the Instant Pot (but you can add it on top of everything else).
Solution: Make your cornstarch slurry or roux and set it aside. When your food is done cooking in the Instant Pot, open the lid and set it aside. Press the “sauté” button and when the liquid starts to bubble, add your slurry/roux and whisk it in. The sauce will thicken just as you’d like!
8. You only took into account the cook time.
Remember that before the Instant Pot can cook your food, it must first come to pressure. It also has to come down from pressure when the food is done cooking, even if you use the quick pressure release method.
If you’re only taking into account the actual cook time for the food, I promise your dinner will not be ready on time.
Solution: Read the recipe all the way through before starting. If there’s no mention of the time it takes to come to pressure, double the cook time and assume that’s how long it will take to come to pressure. If your Instant Pot isn’t very full and/or there’s plenty of space between the food for air to get by (i.e. stacked corn on the cob), you’ll likely be overestimating. If your Instant Pot is very full and/or there’s very little air circulation between your food (i.e. soup), then you might want to add a few more minutes. Always add 7 minutes for quick pressure release and at least 20 minutes for natural pressure release.
9. You started with a “difficult” recipe.
Nothing will deflate your hopes than making a “hard” recipe right out of the gates.
Before you jump into Instant Pot beef and broccoli, try something super easy like Instant Pot brown rice, Instant Pot chicken noodle soup or even Instant Pot BBQ chicken.
Get a few easy recipes under your belt so you can get to know your Instant Pot better and build your confidence!
Solution: If you’re eyeing a recipe and you’ve never made the individual components yet, consider a different recipe OR changing the cooking technique so you’re making some of it in the Instant Pot and some of it on the stove or oven (however you’re used to cooking).
10. You aren’t using the Instant Pot often enough!
Ever since I learned the Instant Pot can make chicken stock in under an hour, and perfectly cook dry beans in under an hour without having to soak them, I rarely use any other cooking method to prepare these foods.
Solution: As you make your meal plan each week (how to meal plan), choose 1-2 things you can make in the Instant Pot. You’ll quickly gain confidence, learn how easy it truly is to operate AND you’ll save time too!
11. You’re using the wrong type of pressure release.
Just because the timer goes off, doesn’t mean your food immediately stops cooking. The appliance is no longer actively generating heat, but your food is still hot and it’s still sealed up inside the Instant Pot. Not using the quick pressure release could mean over-cooking your meal!
At the same time, some foods need that extra time to come out tender and delicious. Meat is one of those foods where it often (but not always) benefits from the natural pressure release method.
Solution: Pay attention to the type of pressure release the recipe calls for. Don’t stray from the recipe until you’re feeling confident in your Instant Pot skills!
12. You forgot to turn off the “warm” button.
Remember how I mentioned that the food still cooks even though the timer has beeped? Well, what’s worse is having the “warm” button because the food is LITERALLY still cooking. Depending on when you hit the “go” button, your food could be very overcooked by the time you sat down for dinner!
Solution: Be cognizant of whether or not you actually need to use the “warm” button. I’ve found that just leaving the Instant Pot sealed is often enough to keep your food warm until serving time. If not, using the sauté button will quickly warm your food as well.
13. You used the “timer” button to set the cook time.
Most kitchen appliances have a “timer” button to set the cook time, so I can see how easy this Instant Pot mistake is. But as you’re pressing buttons, remember that the cook time is automatically set depending on what cooking method you choose, and it’s adjusted using the + or – buttons, NOT the timer button.
The timer button is used to delay the cook start time.
Solution: Don’t get in the habit of pressing the “timer” button. Forget it’s even there and you won’t be tempted to press it. Then when you really do want to delay the start time, it will feel weird to press it (and you’ll recognize this weirdness!).
14. You forgot to put the inner pot back in.
I know how it goes – you cooked dinner, you took out the pot to wash it and it’s sitting upside down on the counter drying off… right next to the sealing ring, right?
Solution: Just like the sealing ring – as soon as you’re done washing the inner pot, give it a quick towel dry and stick it in the Instant Pot to thoroughly finish drying.
Common Instant Pot Questions
I get asked a lot of questions about my Instant Pot, so here’s a super quick FAQ:
What size Instant Pot do you have?
I have the 8 quart DUO 7 in 1 Instant Pot. I choose the larger Instant Pot for a few reasons.
- My slow cooker is 6 quarts and can barely fit some of my favorite recipes.
- Having the larger Instant Pot gives me more room to double recipes.
- Cooking once and eating twice is key for saving time in the kitchen.
- I’d rather have extra room, than not enough!
You also have to leave a certain amount of space in the pressure cooker when using it. There is a max fill line for liquids. And the general rule is to not fill the Instant Pot more than 2/3 full. The 8 quart gives me more room to cook.
One Instant Pot hack I learned is to use a 6 quart pot on top of an 8 quart pot to cook two elements of one meal. You can read how that works HERE.
How do you make slow cooker recipes into Instant Pot recipes?
I shared a really great tutorial / tips article on how convert slow cooker recipes to Instant Pot recipes HERE.
I haven’t purchased an Instant Pot yet – is there anything I should know first?
YES! There’s a good bit of info you should know before you buy the Instant Pot. None of it’s bad, but it’s definitely worthy to read before taking the plunge!! Read the article HERE.
Where do you keep all of your Instant Pot recipes?
You can find all my Instant Pot recipes HERE.
Can the Instant Pot save you money?
Yes!! I crunched the numbers and using common sense, came up with 6 ways the Instant Pot saves you money.
Great tips! I’m hoping someone has seen this issue before and can help me! I’ve tried so many different chicken breast recipes but the texture never seemed to come out right. The only way it would be ok was to cook it in soup or rice/pasta. I just tried it again, following exactly the recipe – this one had you sear the flattened chicken breast, place it on top of the trivet, pour 1 cup chicken broth and 5 mins high pressure with 10 min release. The chicken had a good texture but it was barely warm. How could that be? Has anyone had an issue that knows how to make this work? Its so strange bc it was definitely hot inside the pot. Help!
This doesn’t say how to fix the problem… I came here because the mistake has already been made. I thought I would make a stew creamier by halving the water with milk. After the burn signal I came to the internet to find that I shouldn’t use milk…. Sooooo now I have this stew with raw meat in it….. and no idea how to cook it…. Cooking it in the instant pot tenderizes it….. seriously at a loss here. again….the milk has already been added…. Do I seriously have to throw it away? There’s gotta be another way….
Lynette,
It doesn’t say how to fix that particular problem because you can’t separate the milk once it’s added to the water. As you know, milk, cream cheese & etc. cannot be cooked from the beginning in the IP, but only added at the end. Or the unfortunate risk is ruining dinner. I am so very sorry this happened to your dinner. The only option would have been to possibly dump it into a pot and put it on the stovetop and cook it that way while monitoring. I know it’s after the fact, but I just wanted to say we’re sorry this happened to your dinner. <3
I tossed dry kidney beans into the pot without the liner (forgot it was in the dish washer). I’ve been shaking and shaking but there are still a few in there. What to do next?
Hi Susan, We recommend trying tweezers or a toothpick to get them out!
I just tried using my instapot today. I fried meat in small pieces, it was like bacon. I took it out when done & added onion & garlic to fry until browned. Seemed to go well, then I had to add chicken stock….. it ran out the bottom!! Well stupid me the inner pot was on the drying rack:( I called a tech person who told me wipe it out and turn upside down for 72 hours .& take the middle plastic disk out of the bottom by taking the only screw off . I was told wipe out the inside but be careful with the wires in there. Well I had olive oil in the recipe so that also ran thru the bottom. Dawn dish soap doesn’t cut the oil. How do I get all the oil off the wires and everything else?
I would just take your time and wipe as much as you can with a towel and the smaller areas with cotton swabs.
Ok let’s say my chicken is done and I add the broth and cream of chicken and water and stir and cut up chicken pieces and then add home made dumplings…then pressure cook for 10 min on high…will my dumplings b done? Will my chicken and dumplings b ok
If you’re adding water as well, you should be fine.
How is it that people don’t know how to use an Instant Pot? Its the most basic cooking technique ever…
You’d be surprised, Jay! A lot of people are intimidated, or have heard horror stories of stove-top pressure cookers.
I can’t be the only one who, as a complete IP rookie, didn’t know that you never cook without the liner. Id Sen pictures where steamers were used and it looked like you put the liquid directly in the pot. The reply to this comment on Nov 2 2018, is the first time I’ve seen any reference to this very important fact. Is a safety hazard to put liquid in the main pot. I’ve been searching over a year to find a definitive solution to this mystery. So unless you tell me otherwise, I wel now proceed to use my pot safely, ALWAYS assuming the longer is used EVEN if steaming. Does that sound right?
For a later time, I’d love to get my head around the term “natural release. ” The gods of IP need to be aware that ‘natural’ and ‘manual’ are not opposites!
If we can solve these pressing issues (lol) and achieve World Peace, we’re good to go! 😀
Hi Fern! Yes, you ALWAYS use the liner. Even if you use a steaming basket or hard boiled egg cooker or whatever other accessory, those go inside the liner. Natural release simply means do nothing. 🙂 Welcome to the world of IP!!! 🙂
Help – I poured water into the pot not the cooking container. What do I need to do to cook safely?
Hi Janet! You need to empty it out, dry it out, then turn it upside down (propped up) so it can air dry for 24 hours. Proceed to cook when it’s dry!
Hi Tiffany,
I made pork chops and they were delicious. The recipe called for bone-in, however, I wanted to use my defrosted boneless chops from the freezer. They were about 1/2-inch thick. Although tasty, they were overdone a bit. I selected the Meat/Stew option on my Ultra IP which is pre-programmed for 5 minutes. Then, there was a five minute NPR followed by a quick release.
To keep them tender, should I decrease the cooking time or the natural pressure release time? I imagine that the food is still cooking a bit during the pressure release process.Thanking you in advance for your request to my inquiry.
Hi Debra! I’d decrease the NPR. You’re right – the food continues to cook, and it’s during that window that things go from perfect to overdone! Glad your pork chops were tasty!
We used the wrong pot in the instant pot and now it won’t turn on. Have you heard of this? I’m sure it is unusual but the pot looked very similar.
Another error….forgetting to double check that you have the correct pressure setting. I just got done cooking a whole, frozen chicken with seasoning, aromatics, and water up to the fill line to make chicken and broth. When it finished cooking, I realized I had the chicken on low pressure instead of high. I let it natural release for 10 minutes, then did the manual pressure release. The liquid was still boiling. I checked the chicken with a thermometer, to be on the safe side, and it was well over 165 degrees. i rechecked it in several different areas. But when I actually pulled the chicken out and put it into a bowl, the juices were dripping red, and the interior cavity was still bloody. I just put it back in at high pressure for 10 minutes. I have a high quality thermapen thermometer. So I think that with pressure cooking, checking the meat by thermometer is not necessarily accurate.
I won an instant pot in a sweepstakes and finally received it last week and the first meal I made, chicken and dumplings, was an epic, hot mess of a fail. The second time I redeemed myself by making AMAZING ribs. And I’ve learned that when you boil eggs in the instant pot they are ALWAYS easy to peel! I have made the mistake of not turning it to sealing a few times and it sucks.
What I have started doing is after I’m done cleaning it I turn it to sealing so I don’t have to worry about remembering. Thank you for this! Do you have any suggestions on if there are any “must have” accessories? Thank you!
Hi Holly! The only “must have” accessory I’ve run into myself is a steaming basket. You can work-around using a glass bowl, but then the veggies that aren’t exposed to air don’t cook as well. All the other accessories can wait, in my opinion. 🙂 Congrats on winning the IP!
I usually love your posts, but the constant focus on the Instant pot for the last 2 months has excluded a lot of your audience and made the blog largely irrelevant for those of us who don’t own one or have an interest in it….
Hey Maci! January was dedicated to the IP, and non-IP content is coming soon!
Can you please share how you get the smell out of the seal! Also I’m curious to know if you’ve tried yogurt yet. I’m nervous to try it!
I haven’t tried yogurt yet, but I’ve heard of readers washing with cinnamon and vinegar (separately) for the smell!
If it helps… I make yogurt very often. It’s the reason my husband bought me the second IP because I tie the first one up quite often with yogurt. Here is my method…
I am fortunate enough to have fresh from the farm milk so that’s what I use.. of course.
I use about 1/2 tablespoon of starter – no more. My yogurt has never been grainy using less that some recommend.
— If I don’t have leftover yogurt I buy a single serving container of Fage plain – or other good quality yogurt – and eat the rest.
— I have also frozen small bits of my own yogurt for starter. Just don’t leave in the freezer for months and thaw while heating
milk.
Using the IP yogurt function.. I press adjust till the display says Boil. Simmer the milk covered but stirring occasionally until thermometer reads right around 180º I immediately put the pot liner into a sink of cold water until the thermometer reads around 90º (give or take a degree or two on these readings – no more)
Once the milk has cooled, stir a bit of milk into the starter so it is no longer lumpy. Stir starter gently into the cooled milk. Put liner back in IP, cover, and adjust the yogurt function to 8 hours. Walk away. 🙂
8 hours later you can either put the liner of milk in the fridge for several hours to overnight then strain – this seems to give a softer yogurt and less whey. OR you can strain right away for a firmer, cream cheese type yogurt with more whey left over. Of course, the time the yogurt is left to strain also determines how dry it will be. I put mine in the downstairs fridge till I remember it… (don’t tell anyone that one time it was two days!)
Since I do 3/4 gallon at a time and do it so often I purchased industrial sized coffee liners on Amazon (a lifetime supply so I’ll use some for other things). I strain by putting a filter in large colander that fits nicely over a deep bowl or pot and put the whole thing in the fridge.
—So that the filter doesn’t fight me, I use four pinch clothespins to hold the filter in place while I pour the milk in. Then remove pins and fold filter over to cover yogurt. Then place an appropriate sized plate over strainer.
I hope this is clear, that it’s alright to post this here and that it is a help and encouragement to someone. 🙂
Awesome thanks!
I’ve got 2 – 6 quart DUO pots. My husband was nice enough to buy me the second because I often have the first tied up incubating yogurt for 8 hours.
I’ve also made a few of these mistakes
… forgetting to replace the sealing ring
… most often, forgetting to turn the pot OFF either while waiting for natural pressure release or after removing the inner pot – unplugging right away helps with this
… forgetting I haven’t replaced the pot. I believe twice I’ve poured my 1 cup of water (fortunately only water) into the body of the IP not the pot! A good remedy for this – whenever I remove the pot I toss a kitchen towel into the cavity so that when I come with a cup of water I’ll realize instantly that there’s no pot! 🙂
I have cooked spaghetti few times with frozen meatballs, seems that uncooked spaghetti sits at bottom and had burn signal . Then I tried it with the sauce and meatballs at bottom same thing . Plus the spaghetti gets stuck together in big globs . Can anyone give me how to prevent this burn signal and sticking spaghetti noodles , thanks
Thank you for this post, I have only had my instant pot for a couple of months and been a little nervous using it for fear of ruining dinner! The only things I have done is boiled eggs, collard greens, and last night’s dinner of sausage with cabbage and potatoes. Thankfully they turned out great! I plan on finding more recipes and use it atleast once a week. I have the 6 quart 9 in 1 duo but wish I had bought the 8 quart, but I can’t justify buying another one yet..lol
I love your posts btw!
Could you explain what you mean by “Invest in a pot-in-pot steamer set so that you can add additional items to the pot as the cooking time wears on.” It sounds like I open my instant pot and add more items but I know that’s not feasible. Thanks!
Yes! I’m referring to these: http://amzn.to/2F6oAtr They let you put up to 3 different types of foods, or combinations of food, without dumping everything in at the same time.
…but don’t you still have to put these into the IP at the same time as the main item??
Nope – you can put the main item in, start the timer. Then a second pot, start the timer. Then a third, start the timer. For example – brown rice (needs 22 min) with frozen chicken breasts (needs 10 min) and broccoli (needs 1 min). Put the rice in first, set the timer for 11 min. Put the chicken in next, set the timer for 9 min. Put the broccoli in and set the timer for 1 min. Pot in Pot!
I forgot to put the inner pot and I put the dry rice in the cooker. How can I get the dry rice out of the cooker.
Please help
Set it upside down for a couple days and jiggle it over your trash to try and shake everything out.
Great helpful post! I know I’ve forgotten the seal, forgotten to close the valve, not stirred things… So many possibilities!
You mention how to not do it again, I figured that out but what do I do if all the broth poured out of the inner pot?
Yes, I forgot to put the SS pot back in.