If you have a knack for kitchenware, we are pretty sure that you have heard about the multi-purpose pressure cooker that has swept the cooking industry by its roots. Yes, we are talking about the Instant Pot. Well, if you have already joined the Instant Pot bandwagon, we are pretty sure that you are all excited about experimenting with it for different recipes. However, the conundrum of cleaning is something we all dread. So, if you want to know how to clean Instant Pot lid, we have added the instructions in this article!
How To Clean Instant Pot Lid?
First of all, it’s important to know that the Instant Pot lid has been designed with a unique design that allows trapping the pressure and moisture. However, it gets all the spritzing and splatters of pressure cooking. So, this constant splattering can lead to unpleasant smell that everyone wishes to avoid.
In this case, let us tell you that the Instant Pot lid is dishwasher safe, but if you want to clean it by hands, you can follow the below-mentioned steps;
- In the first step, remove the lid from the pot
- Take out the silicone sealing ring as well as the anti-block shield (the shield is added under the lid)
- After taking out everything, use the dishwashing cleanser to handwash the lid (make sure that you are cleaning the insides of the edges, along with the underlying crannies and nooks)
- Once you’ve cleaned the edges and top, clean the anti-block shield and silicone sealing with the scrubber or by hands
- Let them air dry
Removing The Unpleasant Odors
Obviously, the lid will trap in unpleasant odors over time, but it’s not something you cannot get rid of. So, if your lid smells bad, you need to understand that the silicone sealing ring needs some treatment. In the section below, we have outlined two different methods of removing the unpleasant odors!
Soaking
This is the simplest choice because all you need to do is take out the sealing ring and put it in a huge mixing bowl. Fill this bowl with water and vinegar and let it do its magic on sealing ring for the night. In the morning, the odors will be removed, hurrah!
Vinegar To Rescue
This is the fastest choice for people who have guests coming over and cannot soak the sealing ring overnight. In this case, you need to install the sealing ring in the lid and fill up the insert with two cups of vinegar. Then, close the lid and position the pressure valve at the sealing position and let it steam for two minutes. After these two minutes, the odor will be gone!
Removing The Anti-Block Shield For Cleaning The Lid
The anti-block shield is the sphere or oval component that’s installed under the lid. You can remove the anti-block shield by pushing it towards the rim and lift it up (it will pop off in a jiffy). Before you move on to washing the lid, you need to handwash the shield with soapy yet warm water. Also, it’s better that you use the clean cloth for wiping it dry.
What About The Sealing Ring?
So, you cleaned up the anti-block shield, which brings us to the next step, the silicone sealing ring. When you first remove the sealing ring, you need to look for damages like warping and cracking. If there are some issues, you need to replace it rather than wasting time to clean it. However, if it’s alright, you can clean it in the dishwasher or by hand. The sealing ring is heat-resistant, which makes it safe for dishwashing.
Things To Remember
Once you have cleaned the lid, anti-block shield, and the sealing ring, make sure to check the steam release valve. This is because you need to float this valve to get rid of food particles because it can impact the pressure building. We suggest handwashing the cup that’s responsible for condensation because it completely cleans up the lid and promises seamless pressure building.
As far as the cleanup frequency is concerned, it is suggested that you clean the lid after every use; you don’t need to take out the sealing ring and anti-block shield every time because rinsing works in the majority of cases. As for the sealing ring and shield, make sure to clean them thoroughly after every alternate use.