You used to wonder why people are such big fans of instant pots. You felt that tugging sensation on your heart to give it a try. So, listening to your heart’s desires, you went ahead and bought your first instant pot pressure cooker.
You feel super excited and eager to cook your favorite recipe. After all, your friends have it, and your neighbors do too. What could go wrong? In addition, instant pots are multi-cookers. This feature enables you to comfortably carry out a variety of recipes, i.e., from chicken stew to spaghetti sauce recipes.
However, while using your instant pot, you met an awful smell of burning plastic. You feel so irritated after all the excitement and assurances.
Why does this new pot smell like burning plastic? The truth is, it’s, in fact, not burning! The smell is caused by chemicals being released from the pot as it heats up. These chemicals can harm your health, so It is essential to ensure your instant pot is well-ventilated. While the smell may be unpleasant, it’s not harmful.
Here are the 5 reasons why the new instant pot smells like burning plastic.
5 Reasons Why My Instant Pot Smells Like Burning Plastic:
Burning plastic releases toxic gasses into the atmosphere, harming humans, animals, and vegetation. This kind of experience is typically expected when using your device for the first time.
New cookers smell like burning plastic and can trigger migraines for a few reasons. The unpleasant smell of burning plastic on your instant pot could result from the following reasons:
- First-time Use:
Experiencing the awful burning smell after all the excitement of using your new appliance is annoying but very typical. The best way to surpass this situation is to use your instant pot in a well-ventilated room.
- You’re Not Keeping The Pot Spotless:
Occasionally, cleaning your appliance ensures no food residue gets stuck at the bottom of your pot. Doing this prevents the smell of plastic that will start emanating with time. In addition, keeping your appliance clean regularly ensures you are cooking in a hygienic environment and prevents costly repairs.
- Damaged Equipment:
This is a rare scenario, but if your instant pot doesn’t stop smelling like burning plastic, you can consider this. Check if everything from the inner vessel, control panel, and power cords is in good working condition.
In case not working correctly, you can consider taking your appliance to a repair shop or have it repaired by the company you bought from if its warranty is covered.
- Look Over The Power Cords:
Similarly, the awful smell might come from the power cords since they are insulated with plastic. Their plastic nature makes them resistant to corrosion and prevents them from combustion. It is essential to refrain from using your appliance as soon as you suspect it is the issue until the cord has been restored.
- Burnt Plastic Odor:
Your instant pot smelling like burnt plastic odor is expected when you use your appliance for the first time. Generally, try to make changes to your daily routine, as this could instantly get your appliance back to normal.
Is It Normal To Have A Burning Smell When Using It For The First Time?
As much as an instant pot is one of the best-selling kitchen appliances, it is also one of the most unused products, primarily due to a lack of customer onboarding. Customer onboarding involves delivering to the customer all they acquired within the concurred order.
Most people are afraid of using instant pots without clearly elaborating on how users can cook their favorite recipes without turning them into mush. Most people will still need help understanding how the pot works.
A positive customer onboarding affirms they are in the right place. They made the right decision.
Hence, where do you start?
First, carefully read the instructions in the manual to familiarize yourself with the essential functions of the instant pot, and guide you on how to set it up. Also, the safety precautions you need to take to avoid unnecessary accidents.
If you still need help grasping how the pot functions, you can opt to do the water test. The water test is the initial test run to help you know how the pot works before having food.
In addition, it also ensures everything is working correctly, so you will know if a problem occurs later: if it is the recipe you are cooking or if it is the machine with the issue. Sometimes, you may notice your instant pot emitting an awful burning smell while testing it.
There is no reason to be scared; this usually happens when the bank attains a high temperature. Thus, it is standard, especially during the initial water test.
The smell will usually fade away after a few minutes or after using the pressure cooker a couple of times. Ensure you thoroughly follow the instruction manual to get all the important information.
What should I Do When My Instant Pot Smells Like A Burning Pot? (7 Tips)
Here are some of the things to take into consideration when your instant pot smells like a burning pot:
Tip-1: Reduce The Heat
Consider reducing the heat you are using while cooking– using medium heat preserves the food’s vitamins and nutrients and prevents them from burning. When cooking food, recipes such as spaghetti sauce and other thick sauces are likely to burn quickly due to their medium density.
Tip 2: Wipe The Sealing Rings
Consistently wipe the sealing rings around the instant pot because the sealing rings around the instant pots are made from food-grade silicone, which picks up odor during cooking. Ensure you keep it clean not only when you see dirt on it but daily.
Tip-3: Well-aerated Room
Using your instant pot in a well-aerated room allows even air circulation, quickly removing the awful smell.
Tip-4: Check Your Cooking Times
You may be cooking your food much longer than expected. Instant pots include alternatives that set the right temperature and time to cook most food recipes.
Tip-5: Use Baking Soda
Add 2 to 3 cups of water with a good amount of baking soda dissolved in the water, enabling you to make a paste that you will use to conceal the silicone ring of the instant pot to get rid of the odor.
Tip-6: Store The Lid Upside Down
This action allows the water to remain after washing, which can cause mildew to evaporate and enables your device to air out.
Tip-7: Place It Under The Sun
The sun’s ultraviolet rays make bacteria and viruses less viable. In addition, it also shuns away odors and enables healthy indoor air under control.
Despite your instant pot smelling like a burning pot, looking at the bright side, the smell will not interfere with the taste of the food because the scent is not transferred to the food in the pool.
Final Verdict:
Once you find out why the new instant pot smells like burning plastic, it will be a helpful kitchen appliance. They are not just any kind of typical pressure cooker. They are designed with a safety mechanism that enables them to shut down if a problem occurs. This feature makes them much safer to use and far more user-friendly.
Instant pot is the best alternative if you are looking for a multi-cooker that majors in pressure cooking. That enables you to do other activities since they cook foods much faster, and the steam and energy are trapped inside compared to other cooking appliances where the energy and steam escape.
