How to Clean Your Multi-Use Electric Pressure Cooker
Multi-use electric pressure cookers are all the rage right now and with good reason. These magic pots can do everything from steam the perfect portion of rice and make yogurt to slow cook your famous buffalo chicken dip and keep it warmed throughout the day. One of the few things this baby doesn’t do is clean itself!
So, if you’ve jumped on the electric pressure cooker bandwagon, you’ll need to learn how to clean this wonderful machine. Check out the following tips to make sure you’re washing all the parts of your appliance properly, including your pressure cooker inserts and sealing rings.
Note: Vinegar is used in cleaning parts of electric pressure cookers. If you have stone countertops in your kitchen, you may want to wash your cooker in another room, as vinegar can cause permanent damage to these materials.
How to Clean Electric Pressure Cookers
If you have a dishwasher — and your electric pressure cooker manufacturer’s care instructions don’t state otherwise — you can wash your pressure cooker inserts that way. But we'll tell you how to clean the entire appliance by hand, too.You’ll need:
- Mild dishwashing liquid
- Warm water
- An old toothbrush or small scrub brush
- Microfiber cloths
- Microfiber sponge
- Distilled white vinegar in a spray bottle.
- Always unplug electric pressure cookers before cleaning them.
- Remove any inserts, including the inner pot.
- Use the brush to remove any dried bits of food in nooks and crannies on the outside of the cooker.
- Lightly spritz a clean microfiber cloth with vinegar and use this to wipe down the outer casing of the electric pressure cooker.
- Buff out any streaks with a dry microfiber cloth.
- Mix together a few drops of dish soap with warm water in your kitchen sink.
- Hand wash your pressure cooker inserts and inner pot with the soapy water and a microfiber sponge or cloth, just as you would if washing regular dishes by hand.
- Wash the pressure cooker lid in the same manner as above.
- Buff down the lid and any other parts of the cooker with a dry microfiber cloth to prevent streaking.
Deep Cleaning Your Electric Pressure Cookers
Occasionally, you’ll need to deep clean your cooker. The frequency with which you do this will depend on how often you use the quick release to let steam out or whether you cook a lot of sticky or especially pungent foods
You’ll need:
- Mild dishwashing liquid
- Warm water
- Microfiber cloths
- Distilled white vinegar
- A shallow pan
- Fill your kitchen sink with warm water. Add a few drops of dishwashing liquid to make the solution nice and sudsy.
- Carefully remove the float valve, and wash this by hand in the soapy water.
- Use a dry microfiber cloth to remove all traces of liquid before replacing the valve. You’ll also need to make sure the float valve can move up and down freely once you’ve replaced it.
- Remove the anti-block shield from underneath the cooker’s lid, but do not remove the steam valve. Rather, simply wipe the steam valve clean with a microfiber cloth. Wipe down the anti-block shield and replace it.
- Remove your electric pressure cooker sealing ring.
- Inspect the ring to make certain it isn’t cracked and still fits tightly. If it does seem damaged or loose, you’ll want to order a new ring.
- Pour distilled white vinegar into the shallow pan so that It’s deep enough to submerge the electric pressure cooker sealing ring. Place the sealing ring inside, and let it sit for about five minutes.
- Remove the sealing ring from the vinegar and wash it in the soapy water.
- Let the ring dry completely before replacing it. Make sure you check to see that it fits snugly.
As you can see, cleaning an electric pressure cooker is pretty simple. Looking for more easy chores you can take on? Check out these eight tasks that can be tackled in less than a minute!
