Do a water test before you cook anything

Even though the Instant Pot is a solid, dependable product, you should check that it functions properly before adding any actual food to it. Do you really want a pint of gravy and a half-cooked pot roast all over your kitchen walls? Before you begin cooking, a quick water test will confirm that everything is in working order. Once you've completed this, you can assume your pot is ready to use.

According to the directions on the Instant Pot website, all you need to do for this initial test is add three cups of water to the inner pot, pressure cook for five minutes on high, and then start the fast release. This checks to see if the pot reaches pressure and temperature. Additionally, it confirms that the pressure release valve is functioning properly and informs you that the "warm" function will activate after cooking is finished.