• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
DadCooksDinner
  • Home
  • Rotisserie
  • Sous Vide
  • Recipes
  • Tools
  • Books
  • Merch
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Books
  • Tools
  • Merch
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Books
    • Tools
    • Merch
    • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Recipes by Type » Pressure cooker

    Should I cancel Keep Warm mode for a natural pressure release? No.

    Published: Jan 19, 2016 · Modified: Apr 26, 2017 by Mike Vrobel · This post may contain affiliate links · 52 Comments

    Keep Warm mode and Natural Pressure Release
    Keep Warm mode and Natural Pressure Release

    In my Instant Pot FAQ, I have the following question:

    Q: What about natural pressure release? When the Instant Pot finishes cooking, it switches to Warming mode – is that OK with a natural pressure release? Or should I cancel it?
    A: Cancel warming mode to speed up natural pressure release.

    I was reading the Instant Pot Community Facebook group, and saw a heated debate: Keep Warm and Natural Pressure Release. One side was strongly in the “warming mode doesn’t matter” camp, the other was in the “turn warming mode off” group - and used my FAQ post as evidence.

    After reading the debate, I started to wonder - am I wrong about warming mode? I assumed that turning off the heat would speed up the natural release - that the pot would lose heat quicker without any heat being added by warming mode.1In part, because that’s how I learned to do it with a stove top cooker - turn off the heat and move the pot to an unlit burner so it cools down faster. The argument against cancelling Keep Warm mode is the pot’s thermostat. Warming mode keeps the temperature between 145°F and 172°F, so it won’t turn the heat on until the temperature drops to 145°F. That’s well below the temperature where pressure will release.

    I ran a quick test - I set my IP-Duo and IP-Smart next to each other on the counter, added a quart of water to each, set them for 3 minutes of high pressure cooking, and waited for it to finish. They both came up to pressure and counted down the three minutes at about the same time. I cancelled the Keep Warm mode on the IP-Smart, and waited for the pressure indicators to drop. Much to my surprise, the IP-Duo finished manual pressure release about five minutes before the IP-Smart!

    But…is that a valid test? Maybe there is something about the IP-Smart that slows down cooling. To reduce the variables, I ran the test over and over again with my IP-Duo, a quart of water at high pressure for 3 minutes, and alternated leaving Keep Warm mode on and off.

    Sitting and watching natural pressure release is only slightly less interesting than watching grass grow. So, instead of babysitting each run, I set my Phone on a tripod and filmed it using time-lapse video mode. Here are the time-lapse videos from the third run, side by side:

    You can see them finish within a minute of each other - this is consistent across all the tests. Sometimes Keep Warm mode finishes first, sometimes cancelling it does - but the difference between them was always less than a minute, and it kept moving around as to which was faster. 2The other interesting result - it took between 20 and 24 minutes for pressure to come down naturally in each of the tests, with an average of 22.8 minutes. So, assume a Natural pressure release will take 23 minutes…if you cooked a quart of liquid.

    In summary...
    Keep Warm mode doesn’t affect natural pressure release. It finishes at about the same time either way, so don’t bother canceling it. I was wrong in my Instant Pot FAQ; I’m sorry I gave you bad information. (And, of course, I updated the FAQ to match this new info.)

    « Sponsored: Taking Some Pain out of Weber Grill Maintenance
    Pressure Cooker Italian Meat Sauce »

    Sharing is caring!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Butch Dale says

      January 17, 2022 at 4:27 pm

      thanks for posting this. We have had our IP for about two years and I finally started really using it. (found a place for it in the kitchen; more convenient to use now) I have been turning off the 'keep warm' for natural pressure release thinking I should(?) but now I realize that the guy who made the IP probably had a reason for it, so now it will stay on.

      Reply
      • Mike Vrobel says

        January 18, 2022 at 6:59 am

        You're welcome!

        Reply
    2. Paula says

      March 21, 2021 at 8:06 pm

      This is awesome. The scientist in me totally loves your methods. The busy mom in me appreciates the lengths you went to give us all a definite answer. Thanks!

      Reply
    3. Crystal says

      February 12, 2021 at 8:21 pm

      This is the best possible answer I ever could have asked for for this question. Thank you.

      Reply
    4. Susan Guerra says

      January 23, 2021 at 8:44 am

      Mike, you simply made my life a bit easier. Thank you.

      Reply
      • Mike Vrobel says

        January 23, 2021 at 2:21 pm

        You’re welcome!

        Reply
    5. Aja Gubler says

      November 08, 2020 at 8:02 pm

      Thank you for taking the time to figure this out for me! It is frustrating that the instruction manual is not more specific.

      Reply
    6. Amy Bean says

      October 25, 2020 at 11:30 am

      Wow-this was a super-helpful post and I really appreciate your approach and sharing the results with everyone. I agree with previous poster that the IP instruction manuals are woefully lacking in specificity. Thanks a bunch.

      Reply
    7. Ckost says

      August 03, 2020 at 9:13 pm

      Every time my recipe calls for natural release, after the pressure cooker is done it just turns off. The pressure release countdown never turns on at all. Doesn’t turn to warm mode, just shuts off entirely. I even watched it for 10 min and nothing happened. Am I missing something? Is the pressure release happening, just not the count down? Help? 😂

      Reply
      • Mike Vrobel says

        August 04, 2020 at 4:03 pm

        What kind of pressure cooker? Make and model?

        Reply
    8. Kristina P says

      July 27, 2020 at 7:26 pm

      Thank you so much for taking all that time to explore this empirically. I was really wondering why some recipes said to turn the Instant Pot off, while others allowed the natural release to happen on keep warm. I thought it had something to do with whether or not the meat would overcook or get dry or whatever the reason may have been. Thank you for solving that it's irrelevant. I can leave the Instant Pot on because, as Ed Bragg pointed out, I want the count up for the natural release. Way to go, Mike! Second time your site has come through for me. (Awesome cheesecakes, by the way!)

      Reply
      • Mike Vrobel says

        July 27, 2020 at 7:39 pm

        You’re welcome!

        Reply
    9. dave divelbiss says

      March 16, 2020 at 6:11 pm

      thank you for this! tip given,
      and with heat on, you get the bonus of the timer function!

      Reply
    10. Renee says

      November 24, 2019 at 12:52 pm

      Thanks very good info!

      Reply
    11. Melody says

      October 01, 2019 at 12:26 pm

      Thank you for your time and trying to answer this question. Appreciate all your info.

      Reply
    12. Marilyn says

      June 30, 2019 at 5:17 pm

      How great to have this very vital question and have such a valid response. I think my life can go on enjoying my Instant Pot even more. Trying a bread pudding this afternoon and will just let the keep warm mode take care of the natural release.

      Reply
    13. Franck says

      March 27, 2019 at 11:24 pm

      Great information ! Thanks a lot !

      Reply
    14. Liane says

      January 13, 2019 at 1:18 pm

      Thanks, Dad!

      Reply
      • Mike Vrobel says

        January 13, 2019 at 5:39 pm

        You're welcome!

        Reply
    15. Charlene says

      January 13, 2019 at 12:30 pm

      I’ve been searching for an answer to this question for about a year. Your detailed and well reasoned explanation makes perfect sense. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Mike Vrobel says

        January 13, 2019 at 5:39 pm

        You're welcome!

        Reply
    16. Norma says

      September 15, 2018 at 5:33 pm

      Thanks for testing I too am a new user and thought I read you had to cancel keep warm so Im glad to know it is not necessary

      Reply
    17. Norma Burroughs says

      September 03, 2018 at 6:11 pm

      Love that there's even a dad who's got this figured out ...Whoever used to think that only Mom's knew all about cooking appliances were not really noticing how many great dads there out there today.. Keep it up Thanks for your "dads cook dinner.com Wishing you the Best...
      from Longmont Colorado...

      Reply
    18. Pam Heiser says

      August 16, 2018 at 6:12 pm

      I am so thankful for people like you who post answers to these kinds of questions! There is no helpful information in the user manual that addresses what you explained so thoroughly here. I am using my IP for the first time and using all the online help I can get. Thank you! Misty has it right about the heavens shining down...

      Reply
      • Kia says

        September 20, 2020 at 12:02 pm

        Agreed!! I was searching everywhere to this answer because everywhere talking about natural release is involving the older models. Thank you so much!!

        Reply
      • James Ortiz says

        April 11, 2021 at 6:41 pm

        Not all heroes wear capes.

        Reply
    19. Kate Bates says

      July 26, 2018 at 6:44 pm

      Great info! I was sure that the natural release would be greatly delayed by the Keep Warm mode. Duh. Makes sense that they thought of that. Thanks for doing the test.

      Reply
    20. Ed Bragg says

      May 21, 2018 at 3:06 pm

      No one mentioned the best feature of keep warm mode, vs. turn off. If you turn it off and recipe specifies X-minutes of natural release, a timer must be set. Keep warm begins counting up when cooking time is up. Very helpful if you need to know how long to let it sit while pressure is releasing.
      Not sure release time is critical, but many recipes call for 10-20 minutes, and if not naturally released, to release it. Whatever - In keep warm, I don’t have to set a timer for that, if it’s important.

      Reply
    21. Terry says

      April 07, 2018 at 8:32 pm

      Thanks so much for the clarification! I was getting annoyed at having to turn off the "keep warm" setting all the time because I didn't want things to overcook. Now I know I don't have to worry!

      Reply
    22. pam Craig says

      February 04, 2018 at 4:44 pm

      I just got my instant pot pressure cooker and was reading the recipes. the recipe for kalua pork has only 1/2 C of water and !T of smoked liquid in it yet it has 4 pounds of pork. I thought he rule was to have 2 C of some type of fluid???? I am confused! please help

      Reply
      • Mike Vrobel says

        February 05, 2018 at 7:46 am

        See the "minimum liquid amount" question in my Instant Pot FAQ: https://www.dadcooksdinner.com/instant-pot-frequently-asked-questions/

        Reply
    23. Simon Ratcliffe says

      January 29, 2018 at 12:37 pm

      Perfect info. Thanks so much for clearing this up.

      Reply
    24. Misty says

      January 14, 2018 at 8:13 am

      Googled the question of turning off the Instant Pot when allowing a natural release, and like a miracle, the clouds parted and the heavens shone down directing me to your site. I bow before your expertise and offer my sincere thanks. I only wish I had brought with me some token item of appreciation—like frankincense...or myrrh. What is myrrh? ::sigh:: Back to Google—after bookmarking.

      Reply
      • Simon Ratcliffe says

        January 29, 2018 at 12:38 pm

        Haha

        Reply
    25. Linda says

      December 07, 2017 at 6:54 pm

      Awesomesauce! Thank you, now I know what I'm doing... a bit more. 😀

      Reply
    26. Kim says

      November 25, 2017 at 3:42 pm

      Thank you!! Exactly the information I was looking for.

      Reply
    27. Geri says

      November 19, 2017 at 1:00 am

      Thank you for doing the test--multiple times, and explaining the results as well as how the 'keep warm' feature works.

      Reply
    28. Rita says

      April 28, 2017 at 1:20 pm

      To avoid spewage during a quick release, I simply drop a folded terrycloth dishcloth over the valve before quick-releasing the pressure with a pair of tongs.

      Pair of tongs? It's one tongs? One tong?...But I digress.

      Some folks use a folded kitchen towel. It also keeps the burst of steam (and any fatty particles from the cooking liquid) from coating the front of my cabinets.

      Reply
      • Shanna says

        November 30, 2017 at 4:44 pm

        Getters, pronounced "gitters" in the south.

        Reply
    29. Jo says

      April 26, 2017 at 1:10 pm

      So...can you start a whole chicken in the AM when you leave for work, and rely on the insta pot to keep it at a safe temperature until 5:00 when we get off work? This was never a question with the crock pot, but one I have with the insta pot.

      Reply
      • Mike Vrobel says

        April 26, 2017 at 2:11 pm

        The instant Pot "keep warm" mode runs for 10 hours after cooking, so that should work.

        Reply
        • Betty says

          February 12, 2020 at 3:17 pm

          Who knew about the 10-hour run on Keep Warm? Thank you for stating it. I'm about to write that in my IP Ultra manual.

          Reply
    30. Diane says

      March 19, 2017 at 8:37 am

      It was always a pain to babysit my Instant Pot while making batches of stock. Natural pressure release was always a race to turn off "keep warm" so natural pressure release would not take so long. Now I can go take that nap... I mean do something constructive like Dust... yeah that's what I meant... Dust! Thank you for the revelation! Also, thank you for all these wonderful recipes. I'm really enjoying your site.

      Reply
    31. Carrie says

      March 08, 2017 at 1:53 pm

      Thank you for your time in experimenting and posting your results. My question is solved and I can cook with confidence. Thank you, thank you!

      Reply
    32. Bethany says

      September 27, 2016 at 11:09 am

      I made my first chuck roast last night in the instant pot. I had never used it before and I didn't quite understand the pressure release issue. After browning, and adding 1 1/2 cups beef broth, I cooked my roast on "stew/meat" for 55 minutes. I then let it switch to warm mode and waited about 10 minutes, and not seeing that any steam was escaping, I started to vent the steam myself. The roast was not as tender as I was expecting, in fact, parts were tough. Should I have left it alone longer on warm? And when you do that, do you visibly see steam escape eventually? How do you know when its finished venting? Also, I guess next time I should use the manual mode? I am wondering how to make the meat more tender. THANK YOU.

      Reply
      • Mike V says

        September 27, 2016 at 11:27 am

        I go Manual, 75 minutes, with a natural pressure release, for chuck roast:
        https://www.dadcooksdinner.com/2015/12/pressure-cooker-beef-pot-roast-2.html/

        You will not see steam escape when the pressure drops naturally. After 20 minutes or so, the float valve will drop, unlocking the lid. (It's the round silver pop-up, next to the black steam release handle.) You can also twist the steam release handle to check if it is still under pressure - if it releases steam, turn it back to closed.

        Reply
    33. Terry Burgess says

      July 16, 2016 at 3:15 am

      My question is regarding "quick release". My fear is of spewage. Some have suggested not to quick release because of this while others do suggest using the quick release. I don't want a mess in my kitchen. Your thoughts or answers will be greatly appreciated. Thanks

      Reply
      • Mike V says

        July 16, 2016 at 7:11 am

        I use natural release 60% of the time, and quick release 40% of the time. Quick release is noisy and does throw a lot of steam...but most of the time it is just that, steam. Every once in a blue moon the quick release starts hissing and spitting and spraying a fine mist of stuff out; when it does that I close the valve and let it cool off some more before re-starting the quick release.

        Reply
    34. chickenchupacabra says

      June 22, 2016 at 12:22 pm

      Thank you!

      Reply
    35. Marlene says

      April 18, 2016 at 6:51 pm

      Thank you for taking the time to do the test. I am new to Instant Pot pressure cooking and was just wondering that same thing today.

      Reply
    36. Pierce Presley says

      March 05, 2016 at 5:43 pm

      How could I have a pot so smart and think it was so dumb as to heat the pot right after pressure cooking? I may not be qualified to operate this thing.

      Reply
    37. Andy says

      January 28, 2016 at 2:06 pm

      That's really interesting - and makes using the IP even simpler.

      It never even occurred to me that the keep warm function was thermostat-controlled; I just assumed that it was a low, constant heat.

      Reply

    Questions? Made the Recipe? Leave a Comment Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome to Dad Cooks Dinner! I'm Mike Vrobel, a dad who cooks dinner every night. I'm an enthusiastic home cook, and I write about pressure cooking, rotisserie grilling, and other food topics that grab my attention.

    More about me →

    Popular

    • Pressure Cooker Chili Verde (Green Pork Chili)
    • Pressure Cooker Beef Shank (Osso Bucco)
    • Pressure Cooker Brown Jasmine Rice
    • Instant Pot Rotisserie Chicken Noodle Soup

    Recent

    • Instant Pot Pinto Beans (No Soaking)
    • Instant Pot Mint Chocolate Chip Cheesecake
    • Instant Pot Rio Zape Beans (No Soaking)
    • Instant Pot Turnip Greens With Ham

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    Copyright © 2022 Dad Cooks Dinner

    258 shares
    • 180