Inside: Dealing with a smelly instant pot? Check out easy tips on how to clean an instant pot. Simple tips to clean instant pot lid and clean instant pot ring, too.
After the last couple of years of seeing the instant pot everywhere, I finally got one for Christmas. I really wasn't sure if it was worth all the hype, but I have quickly fallen in love with my instant pot.
We use it pretty much every other day. We eat a lot of brown rice and it is really hard to mess up brown rice in the instant pot. I usually throw in some garlic with our rice which can lead to a smelly instant pot and a really smelly instant pot sealing ring.
If you are dealing with a smelly or dirty pressure cooker check out these simple tips on how to clean an instant pot. You can get your instant pot clean and clean the instant pot ring of smells too!
Cleaning An Instant Pot
To clean your instant pot you will need a few things. You probably have everything you need around the house.
Items Needed:
- Vinegar (or lemon vinegar)
- Dish soap
- Baking Soda
- Qtip
- Microfiber Cloth (If you don't already have microfiber cloths or want new ones I highly recommend the microfiber cloths here. They are inexpensive and work great!)
To start, I recommend steam cleaning it. I feel like this gets any baked on grime or food loosened up a little bit.
To steam clean your instant pot add 1 cup of water and 1 cup of vinegar to the pot.
Note: If you hate the smell of vinegar you can use this lemon vinegar solution that is easy to make. It smells much better than regular vinegar.
Then set the timer on steam for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes let the steam release naturally. Remove the lid and let everything cool for about 5 minutes.
Once the parts are cool enough to handle then remove the sealing ring from the lid of the instant pot.
The sealing ring seems to be where most of the stale smells come from. The plastic tends to soak up all the food smells.
Cleaning Instant Pot Sealing Rings
Take the ring and wash it with a mix of dawn soap and baking soda. I prefer this kind of dawn soap for cleaning. The dawn soap will get rid of any greasy food and the baking soda will help with smells and break loose any stuck on foods.
You can also use a toothbrush or small brush to clean the sealing ring really well. It helps to get into all the small areas of the sealing ring.
Once you have the sealing ring rinsed well you can set it aside to dry.
Next, take off the quick release and the steam valve cover. Wash them with warm soapy water and make sure there isn't any food or hard water stuck on them. Rinse them and set them aside.
Scrub down your lid well with warm soapy water. Make sure you really clean the inner ring that the sealing ring sticks to. Mine tends to get food stuck on it. Rinse the lid and set it aside.
Next, remove the condensation cup and clean it with warm soapy water. Set aside to dry. Finally, you will want to clean the actual instant pot. Make sure it's unplugged and wipe it down with warm soapy water.
Take a damp microfiber cloth and clean out the edge where food can get stuck. If you need to you can use a q-tip to really clean in this area.
Once you have cleaned the instant pot you can wipe it back down and dry it.
With most instant pots you can put the sealing ring and the inner pot in the dishwasher if you want to make sure it gets really clean and free from smells.
Don't forget that most instant pot manufacturers recommend you replace your sealing rings every 6-12 months depending on often you use them. Normal wear and tear will cause your sealing ring to deteriorate and can keep the instant pot from sealing properly. If you need to replace it Amazon sells pretty much every size you need.
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Once everything is clean and dry you can put it back together and your instant pot is ready for use again.
With these simple tips on how to clean an instant pot, you can get it clean and free from smells.
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