What Does "Burn" Mean in an Instant Pot, and What Should You Do About It?

It’s both alarming and annoying when your Instant Pot reads “Burn,” and you’re sure you did everything right.

Imagine you’re just finishing up dinner preparations for your soon-to-arrive guests when you get the quick pot burn alert. Perhaps you’re rushing to get supper ready for your hungry family after a long day and receive the dreaded message. You’ve most likely used up all of the cooking ingredients and are now frustrated and unsure how to begin again.

Well, I’m here to ease your fears. Don’t be alarmed if you get a burning message from your Instant Pot for the first time. This burn error message is more common than you may believe. The vast majority of Instant Pot users have experienced the same thing, so you’re not alone.

Take a deep breath and exhale slowly. I’m here to assist you. In this post, you’ll learn what the instant pot burn message means, what causes the burn code, how to remedy the problem, and finally, how to prevent running into this problem again.

What Does the Burn Message Mean in the Instant Pot?

So, just because you got the burn code on your pot doesn’t imply your food is burnt, and you’ll have to start over with dinner.

The notice indicates an overheat error, which occurs when the pot detects a higher-than-normal temperature at the bottom of the inner pot.

The immediate pot burn notification is a crucial safety feature that prevents the pressure cooker from burning your food if the inner pot becomes too hot.

So, what causes this error? Simply put, the Instant Pot has a built-in superior burn-protection safety technology that keeps your delectable dishes from burning.

This safety feature detects high temperatures at the bottom of the inner pot (typical temperatures above 140° or 284° Fahrenheit). The system quickly activates the alert and stops the instant pot from heating further.

Message from the Ovht Instant Pot

Don’t panic if the instant pot says burn, as I already advised. Your food is completely secure! In most cases, the food at the bottom layer of the inner pot becomes dry or overcooked. The temperature will rise due to this, activating the alarm.

An “Ovht” warning notification may appear on the display screen of an earlier Instant Pot model. A “Burn” notice will appear on the screen for newer models.

Now, let’s move on to the next hot topic:

Why does my Instant Pot say it’s on the verge of exploding?

You could be getting the burn notification from the instant pot for various reasons. I’m going to list and then go over some of the more prevalent ones and the simplest fixes for avoiding the problem in the future. Let’s get started!

The following are some of the most prevalent causes of the burn message on your Instant Pot:

• The Instant Pot Doesn’t Have Enough Liquid
• The liquid/food in the pot is too thick
• Thickening Before the Pressure Cooking Cycle
• Tomato Products or Certain Prepared Sauces are Used in the Recipe
• Rice and pasta are starchy foods in this recipe.
•  Cooking Cream or Milk Directly in a Pressure Cooker
• Steam Exiting Through the Sealing Ring
• Steam Exiting Through the Venting Knob After Forgetting to Turn It Into Sealing Position
• Objects Stuck Above the Heating Element in the Inner Pot
•  Pot Is It Possible That It Is Faulty?

Let’s glance at each one individually:

The pot Doesn’t Have Enough Liquid.

This is most likely the most common cause of an instant pot burn warning.

A pressure cooker requires enough liquid to generate enough steam and pressure (either pure water or broth).

The pressure cooker cannot generate steam when the volume of liquid in the pot is insufficient, causing the temperature at the bottom of the Instant Pot to rise rapidly.

The burn alarm on the instant pot is activated when the bottom of the pot becomes too hot.

In most cases, the Instant Pot requires 1 cup of liquid. This is usually sufficient to generate sufficient steam for a variety of recipes. On the other hand, certain recipes or components may demand extra liquid; otherwise, a burn notice will appear.

Food recipes with a lot of starch, for example, can cause the quick pot burn notification to appear. Rice and pasta are examples of them. If your recipe involves these two components, you’ll certainly get the warning because they absorb liquids quickly and are generally sticky.

Solution:

To ensure that 1 cup is used, I recommend utilising tried and true quick pot recipes.

Another issue is that most recipes are written for the most common instant pot size, the 6-quart port. If you use the same amount of liquid in a 6-quart port as you would in an 8-quart pot, you may get a burning message.

More liquid may be required if using an 8-quart instant pot. Check out recipes that call for 8-quart pots or simply a larger amount of liquid in the larger Instant Pot.

Too Much Food or Liquid in the Pot

This is yet another issue that frequently results in instant pot burn notice.

When starchy foods like rice, oats, and pasta come to a boil, they can become overly thick. This problem can also occur when conventional pots are used.

Similarly, in the very sensitive pressure cooking instant pot, some thick sauces or tomato products may cause a burn alert.

Excessive heat builds up in the bottom of the inner pot if the liquid is too thick. As a result, the cooker may not generate sufficient steam, resulting in the burn alert.

Solution:

Make Sure There’s Enough Thin Liquid in the Pot- When cooking high-starch dishes in this pressure cooker, avoid adding thick cooking liquid or thick sauces. To avoid problems with thickness, always add more thin liquid to the Instant Pot if necessary.

Thick sauces should be layered on top of the ingredients. Tomato items like tomato paste or tomato sauce, as well as thick sauces, tend to stick to the Instant Pot’s bottom. As a result of the buildup of heat at the bottom, your food may not cook properly, especially if there isn’t enough steam produced. When using an instant pot, the basic rule is to put sauces and tomato products over the rest of the components. Do not combine them with any of the other ingredients.

Use the Pot-in-Pot Approach- I recommend utilising the pot-in-pot method when preparing meals with high starch foods like pasta, oats, rice, and others. To avoid adhering to the pot and triggering the immediate pot burn notification, this method entails cooking the high starch items separately with sauces, heavy cooking cream, and any tomato products.

Before the Pressure Cooking Cycle, Add the Thickening Agents

Cornstarch, potato starch, arrowroot, and other thickening agents make soups and stews thicker and, of course, more delicious. However, because they limit the amount of thin liquid in the Instant Pot, there’s a chance you’ll get a burning message if you add the thickening before the pressure cooking cycle starts.

Solution:

Unless you’re using a very little amount of thickening, I recommend adding it after the specified cooking time to avoid burning your food.

During Sauté Mode, the food in the bottom of the Instant Pot became scorched.

When using the Sautéing mode to sauté, little portions of food may become stuck in the inner pot and become somewhat scorched. They become hotter if not removed before pressure cooking, and the pressure cooker’s heat sensors will immediately believe they are burning. As a result, a pot burn notice will appear on the screen immediately.

Solution:

Deglazing the pot shortly after sautéing and before pressure cooking is the easiest technique to avoid the burn notice.

Deglazing entails pouring a thin liquid into the pot, such as water, broth, or wine, and removing the little particles stuck to the bottom with a spatula or scraper.

The food in the bottom metal steamer basket with corn, Brussel sprouts, cauliflower, and asparagus steamed vegetables during Sauté Mode. You won’t get the burn notice if you always deglaze the pot after sautéing. Use a steamer basket to store food from adhering to the bottom of the container.

Cooking Cream or Milk Directly in a Pressure Cooker

As a general rule, never add milk or cream directly to the pot before pressure cooking. When milk is cooked, it leaves a thin coating on the surface. Dairy cooking cream is even worse because it forms a thick layer on the bottom of the Instant Pot, increasing the temperature and triggering the burning alert.

Solution:

Before closing the cover, avoid adding milk or heavy cooking cream. Instead, add them after the pressure cooker has finished cooking and thoroughly combine them with the rest of the ingredients.

Make use of the pot-in-pot technique. To avoid both adhering to the pot, avoid cooking high starch dishes with thick sauces or heavy cooking cream, as I previously recommended. Place your starch or other food products in the inner pot of the Instant Pot, then cover with a smaller stainless steel pot and pressure cook. After that, you should blend them properly without any problems.

Steam is escaping through the sealing ring.

Steam may escape while the pressure cooking mode is on if the silicone sealing ring on the instant pot top is not correctly placed.

A pressure cooker must be securely sealed to prevent steam from escaping to perform properly.

Any problems with the sealing ring will allow a lot of cooking steam to escape, resulting in a lack of liquid in the pot. Without any fluids, the food within may begin to dry out, resulting in a burn warning.

A cracked or damaged sealing ring, a lid not completely closed, food particles stuck on the sealing ring, preventing the ring from closing properly, and you may have forgotten to replace the sealing ring after cleaning are all common causes of steam leaking through the sealing ring.

Solution:

• Consider replacing the sealing ring if it is old, cracked, or broken.
• Before cooking, always double-check that the sealing ring is in place.
• Check that all of the instant pot’s components are present, including the sealing ring.
• Thoroughly clean the lid, removing any food material adhered around the ring.

After forgetting to turn the venting knob into the sealing position, steam escapes from the venting knob.

The Instant Pot incorporates a steam release and seal knob that releases and seals in the steam when pressure cooking.

If you neglect to close the hole with the knob, all of the steam from the pot will escape, which means the food will begin to burn due to a lack of liquid in the pot.

The burn instant pot message will appear as a warning right away, and the Instant Pot will automatically stop heating.

Solution:

Every time you start pressure cooking, turn the venting knob to the sealing position. This will ensure that no steam escapes and that the meal you worked so hard to make does not burn.

Objects Stuck Above the Heating Element in the Inner Pot

Objects stuck in the Instant Pot’s heating element are more often than you might imagine.

We’re talking about food crumbs, liquids, and other foreign materials inadvertently getting into the heating element beneath the inner pot.

When you begin cooking, these objects will undoubtedly begin to burn, especially since they are so close to the heat source.

The burn notification will be triggered as soon as the pressure cooker detects an increase in temperature.

Solution:

While it’s difficult to keep food, beverages, and other objects from getting near the heating element, I recommend thoroughly inspecting the area and wiping away any food particles with a dry cloth before you begin cooking. Ensure the pot is switched off before removing the inner pot to clean it.

The pot may be faulty.

If you’ve followed all of the above criteria and you’re still getting the instant pot burn alert, it may be malfunctioning.

Please remember that this isn’t something that happens regularly. The device may be broken.

Solution:

Contact Instant Pot’s customer care department. If the fixes they supply don’t work, they may ask you to return them so they may replace them.

What Should You Do If Your Instant Pot Says “Burn”?

We’ve gone through all of the likely causes for your pot’s burn notification. “What should I do if my instant pot warns me that it’s about to burn?” is a subject we haven’t addressed.

So, if it happens, take the following steps:

• Turn the venting knob to the right to release the pressure in the pot.
• Gently open the lid when all the steam has been expelled.
• Check the bottom of the pot with a spoon for burnt food (the burn alert does not always mean your food is burning). However, a little burning may have occurred in some cases, especially if the food or liquid is quite thick). If the bottom food in the pan is scorched, scrape it with a spatula.
• Next, see if any food crumbs have gotten lodged on the heating element. If there are any, wipe the element with a dry cloth to remove them.
• Verify that all other features are operational or appropriately configured. The venting knob and the sealing ring are among them.
• Restart the cooking process if everything looks in order and, if necessary, add more liquid.

Burn Message in Instant Pot Most Commonly Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is it Possible to Override the Burn Setting on an Instant Pot?

Cooking usually comes to a halt when the pot gives you a burn alert. The instant pot cools for a few minutes during this period before restarting the pressure cooking cycle.

This implies that the pressure cooking cycle will still finish despite the burn fault. The burn alert may not necessarily indicate that your meal is on fire, so don’t be alarmed.

So, if the instant pot stops cooking after receiving a burn error notice and then turns back on after a few minutes, leave it alone. There will most likely be food trapped in the bottom, but everything should be alright.

The cooking process may need to be restarted in the worst-case scenario, but this is uncommon.

How Do I Keep My Pressure Cooker’s Bottom From Burning?

To prevent this, all you have to do is follow the guidelines I’ve provided above. There are various reasons why food may begin to burn in your pot, so keep the tips above in mind.

Bottom Line: Instant Pot Says Burn

The instant pot burn notification can be frightening, especially if it’s your first time using it. But, as previously stated, don’t panic. Just make sure you’re doing everything correctly and following the outlined guidelines. Best of luck!