Email us via our online contact form. We strive to answer your questions within one business day. See our contact information for international inquiries.

Take the chill off foods before cooking. Remove foods from the refrigerator and allow them to warm slightly (10-15 minutes).

Preheat your pan over medium heat. Test the edge of the pan by tapping it lightly and quickly with your fingers. If it's hot to the touch, it's ready for cooking. Then add about 1 tablespoon of oil or butter and let that get hot. You should hear a sizzle upon placing your food items in the pan.

Turn down the heat! Keep heat at medium to medium-high for frying or sautéing. For simmering and longer stovetop cooking, use low heat. One way to test your pan to see if it's too hot is to do the butter test. Unpeel a stick of butter and coat the inside of your preheated pan. If the butter foams and turns brown, the pan is too hot.

Keep your cookware thoroughly clean, inside and out, for performance as well as appearance. Residue from previous cooking is a common cause of sticking, even on nonstick surfaces. Sometimes hot soapy water does not remove all the oils that build up over time. We recommend cleaning pans periodically with a non-abrasive cleanser.

Condition new pans before use by wiping the surface with a thin coating of shortening or oil. Use medium to low heat for best cooking results. Extremely high temperatures can cause discoloration and shorten the life of any nonstick finish. If higher temperatures are necessary, preheat the pan on medium for a few minutes. Nylon, plastic, wooden or rubber utensils are preferred. Metal utensils may be used with care, but don't cut in the pan.

Dishwashers will not affect the nonstick coating but may affect handles or knobs. Recondition the coating after dishwasher washing by wiping with thin coating of shortening or oil.

Most of our kitchenware products are dishwasher safe. Refer to packaging instructions to verify that an item is labeled as dishwasher safe. Some exceptions include gadgets with gearing such as can openers, items inappropriate for submerging in water such as scales or dial timers, any items made of wood, and all battery-operated items such as digital timers and thermometers. For best results, or if in question, hand wash items with a soapy cloth or sponge and dry immediately. Dishwashing tends to shorten the life of kitchenware products due to heat and aggressive detergents.

Refer to the Manuals and Resources for use & care of all Instant Pot Brands products.

Check out the warranty information for Instant Pot Brands on our website. Click here

The question we get asked more than any other is: “How do you make perfect rice in an Instant Pot?”

Cooking rice can be tricky. A lot depends on personal and cultural preferences, and even if we could all agree on the “perfect rice,” the altitude of your location, the hardness of your water, and the age and dryness of the rice all play a role in the results you get.

The question we get asked more than any other is: “How do you make perfect rice in an Instant Pot?”

Cooking rice can be tricky. A lot depends on personal and cultural preferences, and even if we could all agree on the “perfect rice,” the altitude of your location, the hardness of your water, and the age and dryness of the rice all play a role in the results you get.

So how do you make perfect rice? The quick answer is: measure a 1:1 ratio of water-to-rice, rinse your rice before adding it to the Instant Pot, then set it and forget it!

The Instant Pot Rice Program

If you’re using the ever-popular parboiled, or long grain white rice, the handy “Rice” Smart Program was made precisely you. This setting automatically adjusts the time based on the volume of rice you add to the inner pot, so it truly is a one-button operation.

Manual Pressure Cooking

If you’re using a different kind of rice, select the “Pressure Cook” Smart Program (called “Manual” in some models). You’ll need to adjust the cook time depending on the grain:

• Basmati (white) rice: 4-8 minutes
• Jasmine rice: 3-5 minutes
• Brown rice (long/short): 22-28 minutes
• Wild rice mix: 25-30 minutes

Instant Pot 1:1 Perfect Rice Recipe

If you want to know why this recipe works, keep reading. If you just want to get cooking, here’s the 1:1 recipe up front:

1. Measure out dry rice, set aside. We recommend using directly in the inner pot. (For smaller amounts, use the pot-in-pot method.)
2. Measure out the same amount of water, then add it to Instant Pot’s inner pot.
3. Rinse the rice, then add the wet rice to the water in the inner pot. Never fill your inner pot past the half-way mark when cooking rice.
4. Place the inner pot into the cooker base, then plug in your Instant Pot.
5. Close the lid, and set the steam release to the “Seal” position.
6. Select your pressure cooking time.
7. Do a natural release (NR) to release pressure from your cooker.
8. When the float valve has dropped, open your Instant Pot, then fluff, serve and enjoy your perfect rice.

This approach combines thorough in-house research and testing with the anecdotal experience of hundreds of home cooks who’ve perfected making perfect rice in their Instant Pots. Of course, it’s just a starting point to work from. Everyone’s tastes are different! You may find that you want to adjust the 1:1 recipe in order to make the perfect rice for you.

Why does this work?

The reason why the 1:1 ratio works is that no matter what kind of rice you’re using, they all need to absorb the same amount of water while they cook. Conveniently, every kind of rice needs to absorb its own volume in water, giving us the very easy-to-remember 1:1 ratio.

Are you sure you don’t you need more water?

You’re probably used to using a lot more water when you cook rice, but using regular pots or rice cookers lets out a ton of steam. Because the Instant Pot is a sealed pressure cooker, very little water is lost to evaporation, so you can use a lot less.

Most people find that the 1:1 ratio produces the perfect result, but if you like your rice a little softer, you can add a little more than the recommended 1 cup of water per cup of dry rice.

To ensure that the rice cooks evenly, it is not recommended to use less than 1 cup of water per cup of rice.

Do I have to rinse the rice first?

For this recipe, yes. Rinsing rice not only removes some starch, but it also adds a little extra water to compensate for the small amount that is lost to evaporation. If you choose not to rinse your rise, measure out a few extra tablespoons of water.

Exactly how long do I cook the rice?

While the exact amount of water you use depends on how you like your rice, the exact length of time you cook your rice depends upon your specific conditions. For example, altitude can make a big difference. If you are cooking a large amount of rice, you may need to add a few extra minutes to the cooking time. That’s why we provide a range of times for different varieties of rice.

The goal is to stop cooking when all the water has been absorbed by the rice. If you open the cooker, give it a stir, and find there’s still unabsorbed water in the inner pot, then you’ll need to cook it a bit longer.

Do I have to use Natural Release of the pressure?

Yes, you do.

Waiting for the pressure to drop naturally avoids the problem of rice sticking to the bottom of the inner pot.

If you are in a hurry, we recommend using Natural Release for 10 minutes before releasing the rest of the pressure using Quick Release. Just don’t touch the steam release until at least 10 minutes have passed. Not if you want perfect rice, anyway.

Help, my rice is sticking to the bottom!

Did you do a Quick Release? You have to let the pressure go down with Natural Release or the rice may stick to your inner pot.

Also, make sure “Keep Warm” is off. The heat from “Keep Warm” may continue to cook the rice and make it stick to the bottom if it sits for too long.

How much rice can I cook?

We recommend a minimum of 1 cup of dry rice directly in the inner pot. If you’re cooking less, use the pot-in-pot method.

You can use the 1:1 recipe for any amount, but remember to never fill your inner pot past the halfway mark when cooking food that expands, such as rice.

If you are cooking a lot of rice, you may find you need to add a minute or two to the cooking time.

Do I have to use water?

Yes and no. The ratio calls for 1:1 water-to-rice, and while rice requires a water-based liquid to cook properly, you can absolutely play around with flavor by using different liquids in place of plain water.

Substitute some or all of the water you use for another liquid, such as chicken, beef, or vegetable stock. You can even try mixing half coconut milk and half water (using all coconut milk may give imperfect results).

For an extra dose of yummy, try stirring in a little bit of lime juice, mirin, soy sauce, chopped cilantro or green onions, or other flavor boosters just before you serve.

Do you need to add salt or butter?

You don’t need to, but you sure can add salt or butter if you want. A lot of people like a pinch or two of salt or a tablespoon or two of butter added before cooking. It all depends on your specific tastes.

How did you figure this out?

We do a lot of testing on our Smart Programs and recipes, and because rice is so popular and fundamental to the Instant Pot experience, well, we made rice—a lot of rice. More rice than anyone should ever have to make in their lifetime. We can safely say that we’ve experimented with rice more than anything else, and the proof is in the (rice) pudding!

Of course, we’re not the first. Not even close. People from countless cultures around the world have been cooking rice for thousands of years, and myriad “tried-and-true” techniques have been developed over time. The rice cooker has long been a popular appliance, designed to do one thing and one thing only: make rice. These rice cookers are just one of the many appliances the Instant Pot replaces, and many are finding that the Instant Pot does a better job!

One Instant Pot enthusiast, Deborah K., wrote to us to share her success using the Instant Pot to cook traditional Japanese rice:

“The ratio of Rice to Water is 1:1.25 (same as brown rice). I rinsed rice; used rice button on Instant Pot; 10-minute natural pressure release. The rice was perfect – even better than when I use our Japanese electric rice cooker (and verified by my Japanese-born family members who did not realize that my “best rice ever” was cooked in your pressure cooker).”

Another Instant Pot user reported awesome results with the same ratio when cooking brown rice:

“I cook brown rice for 22 minutes – 1 cups of rice with 1 1/4 cups of water – and that was pretty much the most perfect rice I’ve ever cooked”

These home cooks found that for cooking 1 cup of rice, 1.25 cups of water gave them great results, but what if you want to cook more rice at one time?

Jill Nussinow, The Veggie Queen, advocated a “sliding-scale” of water to rice in her popular pressure cooking cookbook, “The New Fast Food”. She revealed in our Instant Pot® Community Facebook group how she first came up with this:

“My job was to acquire recipes to use, as well as helping direct the writing of the programs to get the software that would adjust for number of servings to work correctly. This is where the algorithms came in. I learned a lot and have passed it on to many people.”

Cook’s Illustrated produced a video about why traditional methods of making rice in an ordinary pot call for different ratios of water to rice. The reason is evaporation. Old methods of cooking let a lot of water escape as steam, and the longer it took to cook the more water evaporated, so the more water you had to add at the start.

Remember that the Instant Pot is a sealed environment with very little evaporation. All the water you add is absorbed by the rice, so it doesn’t matter how long it takes to cook, the amount of water needed is the same: one cup of water per cup of rice. It doesn’t even matter what kind of rice it is, because all rice absorbs its own volume of liquid when cooking.

After discussing this approach with Flo Lum, a favorite Instant Pot video creator, she observed: 

“This is probably why the ‘Chinese’ methods actually makes sense now. There are two methods… One uses your full hand: when placed barely on top of the rice, the water should reach a certain point on the top of your hand. And the knuckle method: where you stick your middle finger tip into the water, barely touching the top of the rice, the water should reach the first knuckle. I never understood how it worked but now sort of makes sense. Ancient Chinese secrets.”

That is why the ideal water-to-rice ratio in the sealed environment of the Instant Pot is 1:1, using rinsed (wet) rice of any kind. After rigorous testing, it has been confirmed here in our test kitchen, as well as in millions of Instant Pot homes around the world.

It’s official: 1:1 ratio of water makes perfect rice

Reviews have been overwhelmingly positive. Nobody complains about mushy rice anymore, although some do find that the 1:1 method produced rice that is too “al dente” for their preferences; these people found that simple adding a bit more water fixed that.

So the next time you make rice in your Instant Pot, consider the 1:1 ratio of rice to water for your starting point. If it’s not quite right, try adding a little more water until you find the sweet spot that makes your perfect rice, every time.

What now?

Now that you know how to make perfect rice, how about trying out some other Instant Pot recipes to go with it? Visit our Recipes site to learn more!

When people talk about their “Instant Pot® ” they’re probably talking about one of our best-selling electric pressure cookers, but we’re so much more than that!

Other than our best-selling electric pressure cookers, the Instant Brands family of game-changing small kitchen appliances has grown to include:

• Air Fryers
• Air Fryer Ovens
• Air Purifiers
• Cooking and Beverage Blenders
• Toaster Ovens
• Rice & Grain Cookers
• Sous Vide Immersion Circulators
• Kettles
• Multicookers

Check out instantpot.com for more details.

Most Instant Pot®  products are categorized by referring to the number of appliances a single Instant Pot® can replace.

For example, the Duo™ Nova 7-in-1 replaces the following appliances: Pressure cooker, slow cooker, sauté pan, steamer, rice cooker, yogurt maker and food warmer.

After a ton of testing, we finally took the guesswork out of cooking. The Instant Pot® uses pre-programmed cooking instructions for one-touch preparation of various food ingredients and cooking methods. 

The Instant Pot® also remembers the changes you make to each Smart Program, providing a smarter, more personalized cooking experience.

These high-performance blenders are one-of-a-kind in their ability to perform hot and cold blending tasks. Whip up smoothies and crush ice, or use the built-in heating element to cook, blend and serve—all in one pitcher.

For more details, visit Instant™ Ace™ Blenders to learn more.

Instant™ air fryers are small-capacity appliances that rapidly circulate hot air to quickly cook and crisp food. An air fryer can be used in place of a deep fryer, using minimal amounts of oil for the same golden crunch!

Check out our Instant™ Air Fryers to learn more!

Instant™ air fryer ovens are large-capacity appliances that rapidly circulates hot air to quickly cook and crisp large food items. It can be used in place of a deep fryer, using minimal amounts of oil for the same tasty crunch!

Learn more about our Instant™ Air Fryer Ovens!  

The Instant™ Rice & Grain Cookers work just like traditional rice cookers—only better. Just one button cooks up your favorite type of rice or grain, steams veggies, poaches fish, and much more.

For more details, check out our Instant™ Rice & Grain Cookers.

Sous vide cooking is the process of bringing vacuum-sealed food to a specific temperature and maintaining that temperature for a period of time. This process ensures that your food will not overcook, while allowing fats to render and proteins to break down.

The immersion circulator is placed into a large container (such as the Instant Pot® inner pot) with warm water. It circulates the water around sealed food pouches, maintaining the temperature precisely for tender, flavorful results.

See our Instant™ Accu™ Sous Vides to learn more.

Until now the 6 Quart Duo™ has been a popular powerhouse, but its new family members are quickly catching up.

Check out the Duo™ Nova to see how the Instant Pot® team has used your feedback to make improvements and innovations on the design of the most popular electric pressure cooker on the market.

Most models come in a variety of sizes, measured by their capacity in Quarts: 3, 6, 8, or 10.

• 3 Quart: Called the “Mini”, this size is perfect when cooking for just 1 or 2 people, or for preparing side dishes or rice.
• 6 Quart: This size is suitable for feeding up to 6 people and is our most popular size.
• 8 Quart: Cook for up to 8 people with this size or use it for large batch meal preparation.
• 10 Quart: This is the best size when you’re cooking for a crowd or when making large batches for meal prep or freezing.

Check out all our other Instant™ Appliances.

The Ultra and Max models of Instant Pot®come with the ability to adjust pressure settings to account for altitude.

Pressure canners requires a minimum of 15 psi for safe canning of low-acid foods, such as meat.

Most Instant Pot® electric pressure cookers operate within a range of 10-12 psi, which is safe for water bath canning of high-acid foods, such as jams and chutney.

Modifying cooking times, ingredients or temperatures can be dangerous. Use the exact time, temperature/pressure and method specified in the recipe to protect the food from harmful bacteria, molds, and enzymes. Read and carefully follow the instructions provided in the USDA’s Complete Guide to Home Canning.

The Instant Pot® Max is the only electric pressure cooker with a dedicated Canning Smart Program.

Yes! We at Instant Brands pride ourselves in designing best-in-class appliances that are convenient, dependable and above all, safe.

Instant Pot® electric pressure cookers are designed with at least 10 safety mechanisms to ensure your safety.

Instant Pot® appliances are certified through UL, the most stringent safety compliance body in North America.

Further details can be found here.

The Instant Pot®App is available on the Apple Store or the Google Play Store.

Or, visit our recipe website.

If you don’t already own an authorized Instant Pot cookbook—pick one up today!

How do air fryers work?

Air fryers use a powerful fan to circulate hot air around food to quickly brown and give it a distinctive crispy, deep-fried flavor and texture without the deep frying. The Vortex reaches a maximum temperature of 205°C / 400°F.

Is air frying a healthier food preparation option than deep frying?

Yes! Air frying is a healthier choice in food preparation. Instead of submerging food in oil or fat, simply toss your food in a small amount of oil (as little as 2 tablespoons) to create beautiful, crispy golden french fries, chicken wings, fish and zucchini sticks, mushroom caps, and much more.

What foods work best in the Vortex?

You can make all kinds of things in the air fryer oven!

• All your favorite fried and pan-fried dishes, like sausage, schnitzel and steak
• Yummy baked dishes like pizzas, pies and cakes
• Fresh or frozen convenience foods like fries, wings and mozza sticks are a snap
• Cool healthy snacks like kale, beet, and sweet potato chips, or homemade fruit leather roll-ups
• Do-it-yourself dehydrated jerky with beef, buffalo, trout, turkey, venison, elk, kangaroo, wild boar and so much more!

Compared to an oven, the Vortex is also a fast, convenient and energy-efficient way to reheat and re-crisp leftovers.

Can I use my Vortex to crisp up frozen fries and fish sticks, or pre-deep-fried wings or fingers?

Yes! The Vortex is an easy way to add crispness to your favorite convenient foods.

Are there any foods that cannot be cooked in my Vortex Air Fryer?

Anything you can cook in a conventional oven can be cooked in your Vortex, but for best results, always arrange foods in a single layer and cook in small batches.

Avoid foods dipped in batter, such as calamari, tempura shrimp and buttermilk fried chicken. If you want breading, go for an egg wash and breadcrumb coating.

How much food can I fit in my Vortex Air Fryer?

You can fit a lot in the air fryer, but for best results, remember to give your food room to breathe and don’t crowd food items. Place food items in a single layer and ensure there is room for the hot air to circulate freely.

Do I need to preheat the Vortex?

We recommend preheating the Vortex as most food items benefit greatly from the immediate high heat of a preheated cooking chamber — preheating only takes 5 minutes!

What happens if I don't turn my food when reminded to?

Depending on the Smart Program, the Vortex may beep part way through to remind you to turn your food. If you don’t remove the air fryer basket, the air fryer continues cooking at the selected temperature until the timer completes.

Depending on the food item, failing to turn your food may result in uneven cooking. Refer to the Troubleshooting table in the User Manual for further assistance.

What can I bake in the Vortex Air Fryer? Do I need a special baking dish?

Anything you can bake in an oven, you can bake in your Vortex air fryer!

You can use any oven-safe baking dish that fits in the air fryer. Just ensure to leave room for air to circulate freely.

My food is not crispy - what am I doing wrong?

Your Vortex air fryer is designed to produce deep-fried results without being submerged in oil, but it may need help from you:

• Pat dry moist food items (like potato or zucchini sticks) with a clean dish towel or paper towel
• Toss your food in up to 2 tablespoons of oil
• Preheat the air fryer to blast your food with hot air
• Turn or toss your food in the basket when reminded

Always follow a trusted recipe when air frying.

I have birds, is the Vortex safe to use around them?

No, some accessories may be coated with a non-stick coating that is not safe for use around birds and small pets.

• 8 cooking programs: pressure cook, slow cook, sous vide, rice, sauté, yogurt, canning, steam
• 2 systemic programs: keep warm (can be set individually or anytime in the setting, cooking or after cooking) & delay start (can only be set before cooking or in standby mode)
• 5 settings: system setting, wifi setting, reset, cancel, venting

Pairing & Provisioning/ Connecting the Pro Plus to the Instant Brands Connect app

Customers can connect their Pro-Plus to the app by either:

1. Scanning the QR code (located on the back of the Pro Plus packaging or on page 17 of the manual) where they will automatically be brought to the Instant Brands Connect app and can then create an account or use their existing account.
2. By going to the Kitchen Section, tapping on the “+” in the top right corner of the screen, or the “Add an Appliance” button in the middle of the screen and selecting the Pro Plus.

1. Allow the app to use the mobile device’s Bluetooth.

2. Click ‘Scan for Appliances’ - if the Wifi icon on the Pro Plus display is not flashing, press & hold it for 2 seconds.

3. Select which wifi network you wish to use & enter the password.

4. After the appliance is connected and success is signaled in the app, the appliance is listed in the Kitchen screen. Users can tap on the appliance and access the list of Smart Programs.

The QR code is located on the Pro Plus packaging & on page 17 of the user manual.

You can have both appliances added in the app, but since one is connected and the other is not, not all the recipes will be ready to use Instant Pot Pro Plus.

1. The Pro Plus is not within range of the customers wifi network.
2. The customer's bluetooth connection is not on.

A general error is due to the fact the appliance is not connected yet. Whenever the appliance is connected, any bluetooth issue (turning off bluetooth or simply disconnecting the pot) will trigger this specific error.

No, this will not be allowed. After the new user pairs the appliance, the old user will be notified by a push notification that his/her appliance was removed from their account.

Yes. The same Pro Plus pot can be used on different devices and even if members of the household have both android & iOS devices.

For safety reasons. The reason is in order to comply with UL certification as Sauté is able to reach high temperatures that, without supervision, could be dangerous.

For safety reasons you need to have the lid on in order to start a program remotely. However, we allow the user to remove it in case they want to add additional ingredients.

When the pot is ready to pair, the WiFi icon will flash white. While it is paired and connected to the app, it will turn solid white. If the appliance loses WiFi connection or internet connectivity, the WiFi icon will flash amber. When the appliance is not connected to WiFi, the icon will be solid amber.

Additionally, WiFi can be disabled on the appliance by holding the WiFi button pressed for 8 seconds. WiFi can be reactivated again by holding the WiFi button pressed for 2 seconds.