Instant Pots can be used for a variety of kitchen tasks and some people are discovering that it also comes in handy for boiling water in a pinch. If you have this appliance on hand, there are a few tips to consider before you attempt to boil water inside the pot.
You can boil water in an Instant Pot by using the sauté function. Fill the Instant Pot with 1-2 cups of water then place the lid on top of the pot and close the valve. The water should reach the boiling point within the 3-minuter mark. Alternatively, set the Instant Pot to high and let it run for 3-5 minutes. This works better for larger amounts of water.
If you’ve never boiled water using this appliance before, you’ll want to use specific functions on the pot to heat the water. Depending on how much you’re trying to boil, you may want to leave the lid on or off during the process.
Is It Safe To Boil Water In an Instant Pot?
There are a few steps that users should take before they attempt to boil water in their Instant Pot. First of all, the appliance shouldn’t be used to boil large amounts of water.
If you need a significant volume of boiled water, you should consider another method.
Instant Pots can safely boil a few cups of water at a time. Anything more than this and you’re at risk of the appliance overflowing and potentially burning you as you attempt to maneuver the appliance.
As with any cooking appliance, the Instant Pot can get incredibly hot. You want to use caution whenever you’re using it to protect yourself from any burns, whether by hot water or steam.
When boiling water, you always want to be mindful of preventing any splashing. Even a minor splash of boiling water can cause a burn and it’s one of the most common injuries that occur in the kitchen. If you’ve been a home cook for any length of time, you know the pain of a burn well.
Overall, boiling water in the pot is about as safe as boiling water on the stovetop. You have a similar risk of splashing hot water on yourself if you’re not careful. Once you’re done using the Instant Pot, you’ll want to remember to unplug it while it’s not in use.
How To Boil Water In an Instant Pot
If you’ve never boiled water using your Instant Pot before, you may want to refer to a step-by-step guide for completing the process.
The appliance wasn’t originally designed to boil water but after a video went viral on the Internet, many people saw the potential for the pot to become a tool for heating water.
When you’re just trying to boil a small amount of water, the process is quite easy. You can leave the lid off and simply turn on the sauté function. Allow the water a few minutes to come up to temperature and reach a rolling boil.
What if you’re trying to boil a larger amount of water? You can boil 1-2 cups with the lid off without running into any trouble. If you’re wanting to boil more than this, the high-pressure setting works best.
- Pour your desired amount of water into the inner pot.
- Set the correct function (sauté or high-pressure) depending on the amount.
- Give the Instant Pot several minutes to boil the water.
- Turn the pot off and use the boiling water before it cools.
Keep in mind, that if you’re placing the lid on the pot — you’ll want to lock the valve in place. If you’re using the sauté setting, feel free to leave the lid off, and don’t worry about this step.
How Long Does It Take To Boil Water In an Instant Pot?
The answer to how long it will take to boil water using an Instant Pot can vary, depending on how much water you’re attempting to boil. Naturally, the more water you use the longer it will take to reach the correct temperature.
For a couple of cups of water, you can expect to have boiling water within a few minutes using the sauté function on the appliance. When you use the high-powered setting to boil a large amount of water, you should still reach the high temperature within 5 or so minutes.
Overall, boiling water happens very quickly when using the Instant Pot. Many people enjoy taking advantage of this functionality to make an easy bowl of oatmeal in the mornings that has practically no clean-up to worry about.
On average, you should expect to have boiling water quicker than you would if you used the stovetop method. Sometimes, using a microwave is even quicker but you’ll have to take extra safety precautions to remove the hot container from the microwave.
The Instant Pot represents a good middle ground between waiting for water to boil on the stove and being able to boil enough efficiently when compared to the microwave. You rarely want to attempt to boil several cups of water at once in the microwave, as it becomes too much to handle.
How Much Water Can You Boil In an Instant Pot?
When boiling water in your Instant Pot, you’ll want to ensure that you’re using at least a cup of liquid. If you want to heat up more, make sure that you don’t overfill the inner pot.
There should be a fill line that indicates where the limit is. If you pour in too much water so that it goes past this line, you may overflow the pot and cause a mess. Too much water and the Instant Pot won’t be able to boil it properly without becoming overworked.
Depending on the size of your pot, you may be able to boil more or less. The 8-quart variety is the largest Instant Pot on the market currently, so this is also the largest amount of water you’d be able to boil at one time.
Filling your Instant Pot to the max capacity will result in a longer wait time for the water to boil. Keep this in mind if you’re trying to get a result quickly, as it may end up being quicker using the stovetop for a larger amount.
What Program Should You Use To Boil Water In an Instant Pot?
There are several different options that users have when it comes to setting their Instant Pot up to boil water. The quickest method is setting it to “sauté” and allowing it a few moments to heat the water to a boiling temperature.
You can also use the high-pressure setting, which requires the use of the lid. You can boil a larger amount of water at once using this setting.
If you want to keep a continuous boil, simply leave the chosen setting on. If you plan to use the water right away, you can switch it off right as the water comes to a full rolling boil.
Can You Boil Water In an Instant Pot Without The Lid?
If you’re only boiling a small amount of water using the sauté function on your appliance, you don’t need to bother putting the lid on.
If you’re using a different setting to boil a greater quantity of water, putting the lid on can help the water come to a boil quicker as it traps the heat inside.
Granted, you can boil water without the lid on but you’ll be waiting longer. If you’re not in a rush, you can leave the lid off. If you’re trying to get dinner on the table quickly, opting to put the lid on is the best choice.
When you go to remove the lid, be careful to not burn yourself. This can be one of the most dangerous aspects of using the pot to boil water if you don’t handle it with care. The lid will be very hot once the water is at a rolling boil.
What Other Appliances Can Be Used To Boil Water?
If you don’t have access to an Instant Pot, you’re in luck because there are plenty of other options for boiling water. The most popular one is using the stovetop with a pot full of water.
Instant Pots have been around for a relatively short period, meaning that people have a large array of other options for when they want to boil water.
In fact, the Instant Pot isn’t always the most ideal method for when you want to boil a large amount or for when you simply want to make a cup of tea in the morning.
| Type of Appliance | How Long Does It Take to Boil? (Average) |
| Stovetop | 10 minutes |
| Electric Kettle | 2-4 minutes |
| Instant Pot | 5 minutes |
| Microwave | 2 minutes |
Boiling water on the stovetop is one of the most common methods. You can easily boil a large quantity, so long as you have a pot that fits enough water. When you want to make pasta, this is the best way to do so as you can boil the salted water and add the pasta directly into the pot.
When you’re looking to make a cup of tea or a ready-to-eat meal that just needs hot water, an electric kettle works wonderfully.
You can simply flip the switch and allow the water a few moments to boil before pouring the water directly into your mug or container. As a bonus, kettles are an energy-efficient way to boil water.
The Instant Pot doesn’t boil as much water as a pot on the stovetop can and it isn’t as convenient as a kettle can be, but it certainly comes in handy if all of your burners are full.
When you’re busy creating a delicious recipe, you may need the extra hand to boil some water on the side.
Using your microwave is the quickest way to boil water but you’ll want to be careful when you remove the scalding hot water from the appliance! If you don’t have an electric kettle, microwaves work great to boil water for coffee or tea.