Don't Panic: The First Thing To Do When Your Instant Pot Says 'Burn'

If you love your Instant Pot and use it almost daily, you're in good company. Not only is the Instant Pot perfect for making fall-apart delicious barbecue chicken thighs, but it's also a handy appliance to cut the rise time on homemade bread, among several other applications. That's what makes it one of Americans' favorite home appliances, along with its intuitive interface panel and built-in safety features, including a literal burn notice.

Though Instant Pots are fairly easy to use, there's still a chance that human error or a potential malfunction will trigger your appliance's digital display to read "burn," "food burn," or "OvHt" (overheat). The good news is that if you see this notification, your Instant Pot has likely already turned itself off, which is another handy safety feature. The bad news is also much less scary than you might think, as the "burn" notification simply means the temperature inside your appliance has gotten too high, not that the food inside is a smoky, charred mess.

Knowing this, the best course of action is to remain calm and hit the "cancel" button before turning the steam valve to the venting position to quick-release both the steam and pressure inside your Instant Pot. You'll then open and examine it to determine what set off the burn notice. Most often, this notice is triggered by food sticking and burning at the bottom of the pot, but there are other issues you may need to troubleshoot as well.

If your Instant Pot powered down due to burned food stuck to the bottom panel, this most likely happened because there wasn't enough liquid inside, or the liquid evaporated off too quickly. If there wasn't enough liquid to begin with, the answer is to simply add more (1 cup can usually do the trick), and reset your Instant Pot to cook. If the liquid evaporated too quickly, you may want to check that your steam valve is sealing correctly, as it shouldn't fall open on its own.

The steam vent being open can also trigger a burn notice, preventing adequate pressure from building inside your Instant Pot, which is the mechanism it uses to cook things quickly. Speaking of having a good seal, you should also examine the silicone ring on the inside of your Instant Pot's lid for tears and ensure it's seated firmly in place. If it seems loose, or has holes or rips, it may be preventing the airtight seal required for the Instant Pot to work properly.

You should also take note of what you're cooking. Lots of people use Instant Pots to warm up rich, cheesy appetizers or sticky rice dishes in a hurry. These handy gadgets are great at this, but you need to follow recipe instructions carefully, as thick layers of cheese and sauce are more prone to sticking and burning than thinner, more liquid broths.