It was just one of those days… rush rush rush. I started lunch late and needed a quick veggie. Carrots in the Instant Pot would be fast! I filled a measuring cup with water and started pouring it into the Instant Pot. Envision a slow motion scream NoooooOOOOOOoooooo! The inner pot wasn’t in the Instant Pot. What to do?! Is my Instant Pot ruined forever?
Good news! All is not lost!
- Immediately unplug the Instant Pot to prevent electrical shorts that will damage the electronics inside.
- Use a dry cloth to wipe up as much of the liquid inside the Instant Pot as possible, especially in the areas around the heating element.
- Let the Instant Pot air dry for at least 3 days.
There is a vent cover on the bottom of the Instant Pot that can be removed with one screw (3rd picture). By removing the cover, you can dry more of the insides of the Instant Pot. On my Instant Pot, a star shaped (torx) screw held the vent cover in place, rather than the typical slotted or cross screw. I didn’t have the tools to remove it so I tried aiming a small fan to blow dry the bottom of the Instant Pot. Honestly, I don’t think the fan did much and things would have air dried just as well if I left the Instant Pot alone on the counter.
A few days later, I turned on the Instant Pot with the inner pot inside, set it on the “Saute” mode, and tested out whether it heated properly. It did and I’ve been using it ever since with no issues!
If you’ve poured anything oily into the Instant Pot, be wary. Oils don’t air dry and leave a sticky film that could conduct electricity. This could cause electrical shorts and damage circuits. So you may want to consider replacing your Instant Pot base.
