Don’t get us wrong — pressure cookers have a fearsome amount of power that can turn disastrous and even cause bodily injuries, which is why they need to be handled properly and with respect. But your Instant Pot’s burn notice is less of an indication of upcoming terror and more of a message indicating a slight detour.
burn notice on instant pot
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Why Does My Instant Pot Say “Burn?”
The Instant Pot’s burn message simply means that your Instant Pot has detected that its inner pot has gotten too hot. There may be a slight amount of burned food at the bottom of your pot, but not enough to ruin whatever you’re cooking. Instead of continuing on with this warning, your Instant Pot will actually stop the cooking process to prevent further burning.
There are a number of reasons your Instant Pot will display its burn message. Most of these involve mishaps that may occur during the cooking process, like not adding enough liquid or forgetting to adjust the steam valve to the sealing position. Once you figure out what you’ve done wrong, correcting the error is easy. Here’s what may be triggering the burn notice and the precautions you can take to prevent it.
1. Your steam valve isn’t sealed
A pressure cooker can’t pressure cook without steam. And while there are plenty of recipes that require the valve set at vent, your pressure cooking process is at risk if there isn’t enough, well, pressure. Additionally, the steam valve can help prevent the liquid inside from evaporating and drying whatever you’re cooking out. Always be sure to adjust the pressure valve to the appropriate setting before you start cooking.
