Gone are the times we struggled with many cooking appliances; slow cookers, pressure cookers, rice cookers, yogurt makers, etc. An instant pot is a multicooker, and you can purchase one that has all the cookers.
Although this multicooker is not widespread, it is becoming popular by the day. It is making cooking easier.
Sometimes, your kitchen might be running out of space. You have all these cookers that are taking up your space. An instant pot will occupy just a single room, making it a must-have.
Although instant pots might be a bit expensive, they are worth having. If you do not have one already, you should consider getting it.
There are various controversies and questions surrounding the instant pot. Is it healthy to cook with it, how many inner pots does it have, does it have many errors, and if so, can the error be fixed?
The error C8 is one of the most common errors of the instant pot. It often occurs when you use the wrong inner pot with the housing pot.
It can also result from a faulty pot, improper adjustment of the internal mode, or it can come along when you are using the pot in saute mode.
This article will tell you 13 things you do not know about instant pots. I will also talk about the most common error of the instant pot; the C8 error. We will cover what causes the error and how to fix it. Keep reading.
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What is an Instant Pot?
Have you ever come across an instant pot or any cutlery from the instant brand? Supposing you have, you know that the company is the one that makes the instant pots.
Whether you have come across the instant pots or not, you are in luck. I will tell you all you need to know about them.
An instant pot is a multicooker that uses electricity to work. It is a brand of pots that instant brands make.
Look at it this way; an instant pot is a combination of all your favorite cookers in one place. It has a slow cooker, pressure cooker, rice cooker, yogurt maker, egg cooker, and a place to sterilize your baby's feeding bottles. Quite impressive, right?
How to Reheat Rotisserie Chicken. Click to Read.
It has been approximately ten years since instant pots were introduced. Since I discovered the instant pot, it has made my life simpler. I love and enjoy cooking, but I do not enjoy doing the dishes.
Besides making cooking easier and faster, instant pot significantly reduces the number of pots and dishes I use for various meals. As a result, it significantly reduces the number of dishes to wash.
The instant pot comes in various sizes and functions. The most common one is the 6-quart pot. There are, however, 3-quart and 8-quart pots.
Your family size should guide you to know which pot you need to buy. The 3-quart pot is perfect if you are alone. For a large family, the 6-quart or 8-quart is excellent.
Instant Pot Error C8
The instant pot is like an intelligent device. It can detect an error and tell you when it has an error. While there might be several errors with the instant pot, we will talk about the error C8 in this context.
The error C8 mainly occurs when you use the wrong inner pot. Maybe the pot is too small or too large for the outer housing.
There are four ways you can use to fix the error. Read on to know how to fix it.
1. Use the Right Inner Pot.
As we have seen, the C8 error in an instant pot occurs when you use the wrong inner pot. This might seem obvious, but you might be shocked by how many people use the wrong pot.
Mostly, you may never know you are using the wrong pot. Someone might have switched them without your know-how.
If you realize your instant pot has displayed the C8 error, ensuring you are using the right inner pot is the first thing you should do. If it is not the right pot, use the right one.
2. Ensure the Inner Pot is Adjusted Correctly
If you realize that you are using the right inner pot and the C8 error persists, the next thing you should do is check the adjustment.
Ensure that the pot is well adjusted and it fits well.
3. The Saute Mode
Many folks say they experience the C8 error when the instant pot is in saute mode. If you experience this, check if the pot works fine in other modes.
If you realize it is misbehaving in the saute mode only, it has a problem. Take it back if the warranty is still effective or look for a technician to fix it.
4. Broken or Damaged Pot
Sometimes, the problem is that the pot is broken and needs fixing. If all the above solutions fail, check if the inner pot is damaged.
You need to replace it to solve the C8 error if it is.
Also, Check Out: 7 Best Portable Induction Cooktop Reviews.
13 Things You Should Know about the Instant Pot
Nobody is born knowing everything. We all learn how to use things as time goes by. The instant pot is no different. That is why it comes with a manual on how to use it.
Most people, however, do not understand the instructions or are too lazy to read them. Do not worry.
I will tell you the 13 things you should know about the instant pot before buying and using it.
1. They come in Different Sizes and Models.
As I have mentioned above, these pots come in different sizes. They also come in other models, the most common models being the instant pots.
There might be no need for a large instant pot if you live alone. A 3-quart instant pot may suffice. However, a big instant pot is better. You might have friends over and want to cook for them.
If you are unsure, go for the medium instant pot, the 6-quart pot. It is large enough to feed a family and small to not stress you.
2. Avoid Opening While Cooking is in Progress.
I know the temptation of wanting to keep on checking on your cooking food. With the instant pot, you will have to trust the progress.
Suppose you are cooking a meat stew using the pressure cooker; you should wait for the forty-five minutes you had set to be depleted.
Checking on the food before the time is up is too much work. Imagine releasing the pressure and then closing the cooker again and waiting for the pressure to rebuild. Very exhausting.
3. It is Electric
The instant pot uses electricity to function. As a result, it is an electric gadget.
The instant pot being electrical should not come as a surprise to us. More and more, we are becoming dependent on electricity. Almost Everything nowadays is electrical.
4. Extra Accessories
It is fantastic that you can buy extra accessories for your instant pot. You must be careful, though, because not all accessories are compatible with the different types of instant pots.
Depending on what you want to use your pot for, you can buy extra accessories. You might want to purchase them because you need them or for fun.
For example, you can buy extra lid rings. Some people do not want their deserts to smell like the main dishes. You can also buy an egg trivet to boil eggs or springform pans for cooking quiche.
5. Cooking Time Differences
It is pretty frustrating when you expect your food to be ready in forty minutes, but it takes fifty minutes. Why does this happen?
With pressure cooking, you need to consider that it takes a few minutes for the pressure to build. So, if you expect your food to be ready in forty minutes, do not be frustrated if it takes longer.
The more the liquid you are using to cook, the longer it will take to get ready. In short, more liquids mean a longer time for the pressure to build.
So, the next time this happens, do not be confused. You now know the reason.
6. The Sauté Feature
The sauté feature is excellent. Most people, however, overlook this feature, and I do not get why.
I have to admit that the pressure-cooking feature is what I mostly use too, but I love the sauté feature. If you love giving your meat some color, this feature will come in handy.
It is perfect for browning meat before you cook it. You can also use it to brown vegetables.
7. It is Terrible for Milk.
Do you understand the workings of a pressure cooker? Well, it concentrates pressure, making the water boil to a higher degree than usual.
Milk boils at a lower temperature as compared to water. The very high temperature will immediately separate the contents of the milk. Therefore, you will have curd and water.
Generally, when milk becomes curdy, we term it spoilt. It is not bad for your health, but it is disgusting to most people.
8. You can Cook Frozen Meals With it
This feature is beneficial for the working folk. Imagine coming home from work and realizing you forgot to remove the chicken from the freezer. It is very annoying, especially if you do not have time to wait for it to thaw.
With an instant pot, you do not have to worry. You can remove your meat from the freezer and cook it directly.
However, this will not work well for huge chunks of meat. They will not cook well on the inside.
9. It has Two Types of Pressure Release
There is a pressure release valve on the lid of the instant pot. When cooking is in progress, the valve is set to seal.
After the food has finished cooking, you can use two forms of pressure release. You can do it manually or let the cooker release the pressure.
To release the pressure manually, turn the valve knob to venting. Use a kitchen towel to be safe. The pressure will release in a minute or so.
If you let the pot release the pressure, it will take a while. It does it slowly, and it might take thirty minutes or so.
10. Be Careful when Opening the Lid
Although pressure cookers have improved significantly regarding safety, they are still dangerous. The steam is scorching. Hotter than boiling water, so you need to be careful.
When opening the pot, ensure that you have released all the pressure manually or let the pot do it.
Ensure you are facing away from the pot while opening it to ensure your safety.
11. Manual vs. Automatic Mode
Instant pots have an automatic setting. When in this mode, it will set the cooking time for you. It can be confusing if you have never used the pot before.
This pot has a manual button too. When you discover the button, it will make your experience with the pot extraordinary.
With the manual button, you can set your instant pot the way you want.
12. It is Easy to Clean
I hate doing dishes. I do not think I can say that enough. That is one of the reasons I love the instant pot.
The inner pot is non-stick, and cleaning it is easy. You can also reuse it, making it even better.
13. Use Liquids with the Pot
Most people use the instant pot as a pressure cooker. Ensure you have used some liquid while cooking to prevent your food from burning.
You do not have to use water necessarily. You can also use broth.
Remember, the pressure cooker requires some liquid to form the pressure to build.
Bottom Line
The instant pots have been around for the past decade. They have been nothing but helpful. They have made cooking easier and faster.
Like any electronic device, sometimes the pot report errors. A common error for the instant pot is the C8 error.
You should know various things about the instant pot before you buy it. I have discussed them above.
After reading this article, you should also be able to troubleshoot the C8 error, for I have discussed how to do that.
