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Instant Pots are the sexy younger cousin that the crockpot and pressure cookers didn’t see coming. For busy women across the US and beyond, the Instant Pot frees up hours of time for many moms, dads, and everyone else who wants to eat delicious food fast!
See also: Looking for a more natural clean? You’re not alone! Check out our tips on making your own safe, natural cleaners at home!
How to Clean an Instant Pot the Right Way!
In case you’re new to this craze, here’s a few of the ways that the Instant Pot can be used. First and foremost, the Instant Pot is a multi-function cooking tool that allows cooks to cook in the following ways:
- Pressure Cooking-I have childhood memories of my grandmother using her pressure cooker all the time. And, the dishes she created with it were incredible.
- Steaming-Not everyone has a bamboo steamer in their home, this is the next best thing.
- Slow Cooking-Slow cookers are wonderful for dump it and forget it meals.
- You can also use it as a rice cooker
- And, you can also make yogurt with it!
Once you’ve committed to purchasing an Instant Pot, you may find yourself in the position of freeing up a ton of space in your kitchen by getting rid of all of the other appliances that you no longer need now that you have one appliance that does everything.
Once you’ve decided to purchase your Instant Pot, you’ll then go down the rabbit’s hole of choices. The price ranges between $59-$159 depending on the different cooking options that you decide you need.
Do your research!
Each pot has slightly different ways that they can be used best.
See also: Still on the fence? Check out this useful guide for whether or not you should by an instant pot, or an airy fryer here!
How Do I Cook With the Instant Pot?
Once you’ve decided to purchase your first Instant Pot, there’s a cooking learning curve. Happily, there’s a community of people just as obsessed with the Instant Pot who will support and help you become an Instant Pot cooking ninja.
Look for Facebook groups that are dedicated to helping people cook delicious and amazing meals with their Instant Pots too. What types of communities are there?
- Instant Pot Recipes-You will amazed by all of the incredible recipes that can be cooked with your pot. But, they may need to be approached a little differently than what you’re used to. This group shares the best recipes for your instant pot and how to cook them to perfection.
- Instant 101 for Beginners-If you’re a little nervous about using this pot, this community is great because it’s filled with beginners like you.
- Instant Pot Community-A group of people who talk about all things Instant Pot. Yep, this is a thing and it’s a huge group!
Don’t worry, you’ll get the hang of cooking with it and have the support of thousands of friends who are working on the same thing.
Once you’ve gotten the hang of cooking with your new Instant Pot, now it’s time to clean it. Fortunately, cleaning your Instant Pot is a pretty straightforward process.
How to Clean our Instant Pot
I wish it was straightforward, but it’s a little involved and here are the steps that you need to take to keep your Instant Pot fresh and clean in-between uses.
Cleaning the Pot
- Decide what to clean your pot with. You want to use a cleaning agent that is mild and won’t scratch the interior or exterior of the pot. Mild detergents are your best bet to use.
- Remove the inner pot from the main pot and wash it separately. Once you’re done, wipe it down in order to avoid streaks.
- Wipe the inside of the main pot and make sure to avoid scratching it as well. Use a soft cloth to do that.
- Using a soft cloth, wipe the exterior while paying special attention to the handle grooves as food particles sometimes get trapped in that area. Avoid using scrubbing pads that could scratch the metal.
Cleaning the Lid
- Cleaning the lid is a little more involved because you need to carefully remove the sealing ring as well as the area that the ring sits in. It’s not difficult to do. If for some reason the ring is damaged, it’s easy to replace it with a new ring.
- There is a small silicon piece that is attached to the float ring. In order to clean it you’ll need to remove the silicon piece that is connected to the float valve while carefully removing the valve. It’s a small part so you need to cup your hand so that you’re able to catch it when it falls after the silicone removed.
- Now that the ring has been removed, clean the hole that is exposed when the valve is removed. You may want to soak the ring in a mixture of vinegar and water in order to eliminate any odors that are attached to it.
- After washing and wiping down the sealing ring, make sure it’s completely dry before returning it securely in its place.
- Replace the float valve and the tiny silicon piece quickly in order to avoid losing those parts. Again, don’t worry if you accidentally lose those pieces as they are easily replaced.
Additional Tips
Some Instant Pot users report that their pots may retain some savory smells if they cook with it often. In that case, you may want to invest in two pots. Using one pot for savory food and the other pot for sweet foods and yogurt making.
Some final details concerning your new Instant Pot. Set some time aside to learn how to use it safely. It does have a pressure cooking component to it and a lot of cooks can be intimidated by that. Read the safety manual to learn how to release pressure from your Instant Pot safely.
Also, remember how different types of cooking styles affect your ingredients. You may need to play around with how long it will take to steam vegetables, cook meat, etc. And, each type of meat needs to be cooked differently. For example, if you’re cooking a roast that process will be different from cooking a whole fryer chicken.
It may take new users awhile to learn how to properly use their Instant Pot. Have fun with the process and share your failures and successes with your Instant Pot community.
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