I have seen so many people concerned that their Instant Pot is going to blow up. Will your Instant Pot blow up? The truth is, it is possible, but very highly unlikely. Unlike a traditional stove-top pressure cooker, Instant Pots have a variety of advanced safety features to help reduce the risk of an explosion of any kind.
*I use affiliate links in this post. If you buy anything from my links I will earn a small commission*
Will Your Instant Pot Blow Up? Why It Won’t
The reason you can rest assured your Instant Pot will not blow up is because it has at least 10 different safety features to help prevent any type of explosion. It has pressure regulators that prevent the pressure from reaching dangerously high levels that could cause an explosion. Here are just a few of these features:
Pressure Control
The automatic pressure control in your Instant Pot keeps the pressure at a safe range. This prevents it from blowing up. This also prevents the lid from being blown off to release the pressure.
Anti-Blockage Vent
You have an anti-blockage vent that prevents food and debris from blocking the vent. If it is blocked, it could trap steam and cause pressure to get too high. For this reason, your Instant Pot has this feature so that it can’t get blocked.
Safety Lid Lock
Lifting the lid while a pressure cook is pressurized can cause an explosion. To prevent this, your Instant Pot has a safety lid lock. It prevents you from accidentally opening the pressure cooker when it is still pressurized. Additionally the lid has a sensor that monitors when the lid is leaking or if it is in an unsafe position for cooking.
Temperature Control
You Instant Pot has an automatic temperature control that regulates the temperature depending on what type of food is being cooked. Additionally, you have a high temperature sensor that helps to avoid burning food (why you get the burn notice). If you get a burn notice, your Instant Pot is essentially preventing itself from blowing up.
Basically, if the internal temperature of your Instant Pot exceeds safety limits, there is a fuse cut-off that turns off the electrical current. The Instant Pot will shut off.
Additional Ways You Can Prevent an Explosion
If you are still concerned your Instant Pot could potentially blow up, there are some things you can do to prevent that from happening. Here are some tips.
- Make sure you use enough water. It should be a minimum of 1 cup.
- Avoid leaving it unattended. You don’t want to set it and leave it.
- Don’t fill your instant pot over half-way. This could cause it to overflow.
- Keep an eye on foods that get bigger when cooked such as rice, lentils, beans, and cornmeal.
- Do not try and deep fry foods in your Instant Pot.
Why Will Your Instant Pot Blow Up?
As I stated in the beginning, there is a slim possibility it could blow up.Although these things are very rare, here are a few reasons your Instant Pot will blow up:
- Manufacturing defects
- The lid is opened too soon
- The vent gets clogged
- Safety features like the blowout preventer fail to work properly.
- Overfill or under fill the Instant Pot with water.
Are Instant Pots Safe?
As you can see, if you use your Instant Pot with caution, you really have nothing to be afraid of. In fact, there have only been two real cases of a mishap with the Instant Pot. In reality, the possibility of your Instant Pot exploding is the same risk you have starting a fire using your stove-top.
Will your instant Pot blow up? Probably not, but you should always be cautious when cooking no matter what you use.
Instant Pot Recipes You May Love
- Instant Pot Orange Chicken
- Instant Pot Pumpkin Puree Recipe
- Instant Pot Chicken Gnocchi Soup
- Instant Pot Corn On The Cob
About Angela Milnes
Angela Milnes is a Qualified Early Years Teacher who has specialised in teaching. She has a wealth of experience teaching young children and adults. Angela has also taught cooking classes and loves to share both family recipes and easy instant pot recipes here on The Instant Pot Table. Follow her on Pinterest!
Having an instant pot blow up in my kitchen is the main worry I have and the main reason I have not purchased one yet. Your post has definitely helped settle my mind and pushing me closer to a purchase!! That and all your recipes!
I hadn’t heard that they could blow up! Glad mine hasn’t! LOL!
I do not have an instant pot but I will follow these tips if I do use one. I do miss out on a lot of recipes so I know I need one.
I do not own an Instant Pot, I had no idea they could blow up though.
Thanks for sharing this. I was surprised that it could really happen. I thought it’s just me who was thinking that.
As you have mentioned in detail, instant pots come with many safety features, rendering their usage safe in the kitchen. But accidents do happen, hence it is really neccessary to follow all instructions.
exactly. If you stick to the rules you should be safe.
These basic and advanced measures have been put in place for our safety and I haven’t heard any case of a blow up. So the probability is definitely very low
I hope my Instant Pot will never blow up. Thanks for all these details. I definitely feel safer knowing it has a lot of safety features!
I never thought about my Instant Pot blowing up. These details will certainly help me stay more aware when using it, thanks for sharing!
that’s good. Sometimes people worry the pot is like old pressure cookers but these are very safe
These are helpful tips. I’m sure a lot of instant pot owners have this question in mind.
i remember after an episode of This Is Us, a lot of people threw their instant pot out for fears of fire
It’s good to hear here are so many safety precautions to prevent this happening. If people follow the provided guidelines they shouldn’t have any issues. Thanks for mentioning this x
This is so great to hear. I have heard some stories before. It’s nice to have all these precautions.
I have an instant pot, and I’ve honestly never thought about this before. Very informative article, thanks for sharing!
yes, the instant pot is so versatile and can cook so many different foods.