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You’ve prepped everything, you followed the recipe and all of a sudden your Instant Pot gives you an error. Don’t panic! I’ll decipher some of the error codes for you!
By now many of you have fallen completely in love with your Instant Pot and pressure cooking. I told you guys this years ago that you’d love it and that it’s not scary and it’s super easy and it’s something you wished you started doing years ago. Wow, that’s a lot of “ands”. My English major niece, Ashlee is probably rolling her eyes thinking “I am NOT related to that grammatically incorrect lady” lol. Love you Ash!
But yeah, told you so! It’s literally one of the best re-inventions of kitchen porn equipment in eons. No longer is there a need for 10 different pieces of bulky equipment when a single, glorious pot can do the jobs of all of them?! However pressure cookers, even though they have a million and one safety precautions scare folks when you see an error code. Rightly so, we’re programmed to be on higher alert when we see something like that. Well today I’m helping you work through those codes and, work through them.
So what prompted all of this, honestly, was a 911 panic email I received from a co-worker and her dear mother. You see Heather had received a new Instant Pot for Christmas per my recommendation to Alexis, her daughter. And from day one Heather had been in love with it – again, rightly so. The text came in with a “tone” of panic and fright however I was stuck on a conference call with our Asian counterparts and couldn’t call her back thus we opted for texting.
Heather had written down a recipe for a Chicken burrito type bowl all made in the Instant Pot however as it was pressure cooking she received the dreaded BURN error code and the PC shut down. Thinking they didn’t add enough water, they added more to the pot, tried to bring it back up to pressure only to have that code flash again. After reviewing the recipe she texted it I saw the issue. The recipe didn’t call for enough liquid. Remember me telling you that at a minimum you need at least one cup of water? Well, this recipe had 1 cup to it but the recipe included you cook the rice in it and the chicken plus the rest of the ingredients. 1 cup simply wasn’t enough.
What had happened is that the rice absorbed all of the liquid and there wasn’t anything left for the chicken thus is started to ‘burn’ onto the bottom of the pan. The safety features were triggered thus the BURN error code was flashed and the PC shut down. The reason it didn’t work when they added more liquid was because the bottom of the pan already had burnt bits on it. Again, all safety precautions.
- Burn – It doesn’t mean that your Instant Pot is on fire or burning. It simply means that it’s overheating. They are designed that when it detects a high temperature > 280 degrees at the bottom of the inner pot that you put the food in, the burn trigger is initiated and it retards heating. Essentially you’re burning your food on the bottom of the pan. Make sure you have enough liquid in the pot. Also when added tomato or acidic items to NOT put them on the bottom of the pot. Instead, add them on top of everything and do not stir.
- Ovht – This is the same thing as BURN. It’s a safety precaution as your Instant Pot is on the verge of overheating. This suspends any further heating.
- C7 – This is a relatively new error that seems to be relevant to the Instant Pot EVO modules. C7 indicates that the heating element has failed, there is not enough liquid, or the quick-release switch is set to vent position. If you get the error after checking the vent release valve and checking to make sure there is the minimum amount of liquid required for pressure, you would need to contact Customer Support. This info for C7 was found via Pressure Cooking Today website.
- C6 – If your Instant Pot displays a C6 error, unplug it immediately. There is a faulty pressure sensor. Contact their Customer Support for assistance.
- LID – The lid is not properly seated.
- noPR – Your Instant Pot can’t reach pressure. This can be from the gasket being clogged, not enough liquid or the gasket is worn thin.
- C5 – Inner pot not seated properly.
- C2 – If your Instant Pot displays a C2 error, unplug it immediately. There is a faulty pressure sensor and has short-circuited. Contact their Customer Support for assistance.
- C1 – If your Instant Pot displays a C1 error, unplug it immediately. There is a faulty pressure sensor. Contact their Customer Support for assistance.
Now, I know what I shared is the “bad” stuff that you never want to hear about a product but it’s the truth. All of these items are put to PREVENT an issue and ensure that safety measures are met.
So would I still recommend an Instant Pot? ABSOLUTELY! The fact that they disclose these error codes means that they’ve tested this 9 millions ways from Sunday AND they want you to be aware (and not scared). This is a GOOD thing folks!
Recommended Instant Pots:
Instant Pot DUO Plus 8 Qt 9-in-1 Multi- Use Programmable Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Yogurt Maker, Egg Cooker, Sauté, Steamer, Warmer, and Sterilizer
Instant Pot DUO Plus 60, 6 Qt 9-in-1 Multi- Use Programmable Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Yogurt Maker, Egg Cooker, Sauté, Steamer, Warmer, and Sterilizer
judy izykowski says
hi i was useing my instant pot it say C L what does that mean and thank you
TKWAdmin says
Hi Judy!
Two questions:
1. What make/model IP do you have?
2. Did it say CL or C6L?
Please let me know!
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Astrid says
I plug in the insta pot, press a button and it beeps lid
TKWAdmin says
More than likely the silicone ring is dirty and it can’t create a tight seal to lock in the pressure.
Or, hopefully not, the ring is torn.
Remove the ring (carefully) and clean around the rim of the lid and the pit. Check for tears. If there are no tears replace and try again. Also clean the IP unit where the lid goes making sure there is no residue there.
If it still gives you that error you may need to replace the ring. It is semi-common from heavy use.
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Jody Wood says
Why doesn’t Instant Pot provide all this info in a manual – either hard copy or digital?
TKWAdmin says
Wish I knew Jody. It would be truly helpful to say the least.
Best Kitchen Wishes!
jmcrae says
What does C7 code mean? I have searched the user manual and searched the internet and can find nothing. How odd that I happen to get a code that isn’t even documented anywhere.
TKWAdmin says
This is a relatively new error that seems to be relevant to the Instant Pot EVO modules. C7 indicates that the heating element has failed, there is not enough liquid, or the quick-release switch is set to vent position. If you get the error after checking the vent release valve and checking to make sure there is the minimum amount of liquid required for pressure, you would need to contact Customer Support.
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Katie Castillo says
My Instant Pot just flashed me a C7. What does that one mean? I can’t seem to find anything online about C7. I did contact customer support but haven’t heard back yet.
TKWAdmin says
Do you have the Instant Pot EVO by chance?
I believe that’s a “newer” code related to that model.
I found from Pressure Cooking Today the following;
“C7 indicates that the heat element has failed, there is not enough liquid, or the quick release switch is set to vent position.
If you get the error after checking the vent release valve and checking to make sure there is the minimum amount of liquid required for pressure, you would need to contact Customer Support.”
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Carole Fortune says
I agree with Joanne! Horrible instructions! And that L0:00 that kept increasing…I tried the test five times to try and not get that error! Plus I had a difficult finding the symbols on the Instant Pot to lock the lid. I had to use a flashlight. Black on black is very hard to read! I am going to bookmark your site so I can refer back to it should I get stuck again. Thanks for your help!
TKWAdmin says
You are most welcome Carole! I’m always happy to help!
I hope the folks from Instant Pot take note and update their instructions.
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Joanne Carpenter says
I never had an appliance with such poorly written instructions! Nowhere is it written in the user manual what L, L000, L002, etc. mean. (it means lapse of time since cooking time ended.)
I contacted customer support one time and they wanted me to send them a video of how I was using my instant pot. What the heck? Where’s their video demonstrating their product? I didn’t use my instant pot for a year after that experience.
But then I found this website! I think the Instant Pot company should pay you for providing information and instructions for their product since they seem to be unwilling to supply proper instructions.
TKWAdmin says
Hi Joanne,
I’m so happy that I could help you. I’d LOVE to collaborate with them to not only provide instructional guides but also create recipes. If ever you have any questions about using it or recipes in general, don’t hesitate to reach out to me!
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Lesley Felts says
Great info!!! Was not in my little booklet that came with my Instant Pot! To Thanks!!
TKWAdmin says
You’re most welcome Lesley! I create a lot of Instant Pot recipes but I’m also updating non-IP recipes to show how you can make it in the pressure cooker!
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Best Kitchen Wishes!
Amanda Taylor says
What does it mean when it shows bb
TKWAdmin says
BB??? I’ve never even heard of that. Definitely contact their customer support. That’s a new one to me.
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Heather A DeMuth says
Thank you Lori! I absolutely feel quite honored to be included in your blog even if it’s for my mistake! I hope people learn something from my error as I know I have. Keep up the good work! You are the best!!!
TKWAdmin says
Hey Heather!
OMGosh please! I felt SO BAD when I saw that text and I couldn’t call right away. But honestly it meant SO MUCH to me that you guys reached out to me. That really meant so much to me! So thank you 🙂
Loves!
Best Kitchen Wishes!