Use An Aluminum Foil Sling To Easily Remove Pans From Your Instant Pot

If you've ever made a cheesecake in an Instant Pot, you know how tricky it is to lift a pan out of the chamber when there's hot water at the bottom. It's even harder if your springform pan is particularly large and has fit very snugly on top of a trivet set in the base. Instead of being faced with this dilemma again and having to use a selection of spatulas, tongs, and a cloth to poorly pry the pan out of the chamber, pre-empt this problem and make a sling using aluminum foil. 

An inexpensive homemade sling will sit between the pan and your trivet while your food cooks. Then once it's done, you can use the foil handles to lift your pan out safely without burning your fingers or causing any dangerous spillages.

Although reusable silicone slings are available on the market, you may not have one on hand if you aren't a regular "pot in pot" cook. Luckily your own version, made with a cheap sheet of aluminum foil coupled with some light folding action, works when you need a quick fix. Plus, you can simply dry the sling thoroughly with a cloth and pop it in a drawer to reuse another time.

Take a sheet of foil that's long enough to go along the base and up both sides of your Instant Pot plus a little extra to create some overhang. Fold this sheet lengthways into three to layer up the foil and reinforce its strength, then lay the sling down on the counter and place your pan directly in the center (the foil ends that are sticking out from underneath will become your handles). Use these handles to lift the pan onto the trivet inside your Instant Pot.

Fold the handles towards the center of the chamber so they aren't touching the ingredients in the pot. They need to be low down enough so they don't catch on the lid and interfere with the mechanism that traps the steam inside the cooker. If they overhang down the sides you won't be able to close the lid properly and may create gaps in the seal where the steam building in the inner chamber could leak out.

If you're cooking something heavy, you can use a couple of slings to help you lift a heftier pot. Simply crisscross them underneath your dish, so you're left with four handles, before pressure cooking as normal. Who would've thought a humble piece of aluminum foil could prove so useful when you're in a culinary pinch?