Picture of the Instant Pot smart WiFi pressure cooker, front view while operating in -Keep Warm- mode.

Instant Pot WiFi Buttons Guide, Button Meanings

The versatile Instant Pot smart pressure cooker now has a WiFi enabled version.  With this, you can control the pot remotely, from any place you have internet access.  The Instant Pot app supports adjustment of some pressure cooker functions.  However many others you can access only on the cooker’s front panel.  So with that in mind, we offer our Instant Pot WiFi Pressure Cooker buttons guide, that gives a comprehensive list of practically all functions cooking modes that this Instant Pot does.

Instant Pot WiFi Pressure Cooker Buttons Buttons Summary

The front panel on the Instant Pot smart WiFi electric pressure cooker consists of eighteen membrane style raised controls.  As such, these can be easily damaged by pressing them too hard.  So avoid punching them too many times or with too much force.  To save on button wear, and prevent premature button failure, remember that since this is a WiFi pressure cooker, you can also actuate most (if not all) of these functions via the Instant Pot app.  In this section, we explain where to find each button on the front panel, along with when and how to use it, and what it does.

Excluded Instant Pot WiFi Buttons Summary

Note that this WiFi pressure cooker  does not  have the following buttons.

    • Egg Button
    • Poultry Button
    • Manual Button
    • Power Button
    • Timer Button

Complete List of Included Buttons and Controls on this WiFi Instant Pot

However, this smart pressure cooker does have the following controls, listed here and explained in detail in the following sections, with pictures of each button included.

    • Soup Broth Button
    • Rice Button
    • Meat / Stew Button
    • Multigrain Button
    • Bean / Chili Button
    • Porridge Button
    • Cake Button
    • Steam Button
    • Slow Cook Button
    • Yogurt Button
    • Saute’ Button
    • Pressure Cook Button
    • Pressure Level Button
    • Keep Warm Button
    • UP (+) and DOWN (-) Buttons
    • Delay Start Button
    • Cancel Button
    • Steam Release Valve
    • Float Pressure Button




Built In Recipe Program Buttons

These buttons all work the same way.  Specifically, when the Instant Pot is in OFF or Standby mode, press and release one of them, ONCE.  This sets the pressure level, time, and keep warm settings to predefined values, suitable for the type of food named on the button.  For example, pressing the  Rice  button sets the pressure cooker to twelve minutes cooking time (the normal amount of time needed for pressure cooking rice), low pressure, and it turns the Keep Warm option on.  We give the specific cooking parameter values for each pre programmed cooking button below.

Furthermore, you can opt to slightly increase the cooking time above its ‘normal’ value by pressing and releasing these buttons a second time.  This lengthens the cook time a little more.  For slightly reduced cooking time, press the button a third time.  This gives you a bit less cooking time for the particular food in question.  Pressing the button a fourth time sets the cooking time back to the designated ‘normal’ value for that particular button.

Furthermore, after you press these, you can adjust the cooking time more finely by using the Down (-) and Up (+) keys.  This works for all except the Rice button, which is locked in at twelve minutes cook time.

Finally, you only have about ten seconds since the last key press to make any adjustments to the cooking program before the Instant Pot locks it in and begins heating up.

Now here’s the list of these pre-programmed cooking buttons.

    • Soup Broth Button
    • Rice Button
    • Meat / Stew Button
    • Multigrain Button
    • Bean / Chili Button
    • Porridge Button
    • Cake Button
    • Steam Button
    • Slow Cook Button
    • Yogurt Button
    • Saute’ Button
    • Pressure Cook Button




Instant Pot WiFi Pressure Cooker Buttons Detailed Descriptions

In this section, we describe each button and control on the WiFi instant Pot pressure cooker, including its location on the device for our vision impaired and blind readers.  We also talk about how the button works, what it does, and when and how to use it to prepare your favorite meals, “instantly.”  Note that these instructions are very generic and rough estimates about how most foods tend to cook.  Follow the directions in your recipe first.  If your recipe is unclear about how exactly to cook a particular food, then start with these guidelines and tweak as you need to.

Top Row Instant Pot WiFi Buttons

The  Soup / Broth  Button

Picture of the WiFi Instant Pot front panel, with the -Broth Soup- button circled.
WiFi Instant Pot front panel, with the -Broth Soup- button circled. Instant Pot WiFi pressure cooker buttons guide.
Soup / Broth Button Location

The Soup Broth button is the leftmost one in the first row of two buttons. It’s to the right of the upper left corner of the control panel, above the Meat / Stew button, and to the left of the LCD screen.  There are no buttons above this one, and none to its left.

How to Use

Start with a cold Instant Pot in OFF mode.  Then load it up with the ingredients of your favorite soup or broth.  Lock the lid, and then press the Soup / Broth button.   Then wait for cooking to finish., and when it does, quickly or gradually release the pressure, as mandated in your recipe.

Default Soup / Broth Button Cooking Values
    • Normal Cooking Time: 30 minutes. More: 4 hours (yes, HOURS). Less: 20 minutes.
    • Keep Warm: Yes
    • Pressure to Use: High

The Rice Button

Picture of the -Rice- button circled. Instant Pot WiFi Buttons.
The -Rice- button circled.
Rice Button Location

The  Rice  button is also in the topmost buttons row, to the left of the upper right corner of the control panel, above the Multigrain button, and to the right of the LCD screen. Again, no buttons above this button, and none to the right.

How to Use

In a cold Instant Pot in OFF mode, fill it with rice, water, spices, and or sauces as called for in the recipe you’re making.  Lock the lid, close the steam release valve, and then press the Rice button. Then wait for cooking to complete.  After that, quickly or gradually release the pressure, as the recipe calls for.

Default Rice Button Cooking Values
    • Normal Cooking Time: 12 minutes. More: 15 minutes. Less: 8 minutes.
    • Keep Warm: Yes
    • Pressure to Use: High




Second Row Buttons

The  Meat / Stew  Button

Picture of the -Stew, Meat- button circled.
The -Stew, Meat- button circled.
Meat / Stew Button Location

We find the  Meat / Stew  button in the second row of two buttons, to the left of the LCD screen, near the left edge of the buttons panel, just above the Bean / Chili button, and just below the Soup / Broth button.  No buttons are to the left of this Meat / Stew button, and the Multigrain button is to the right, on the other side of the LCD display.

How to Use

Start with a cold Instant Pot in OFF mode.  Then add the ingredients of your favorite stew or meat recipe.  Lock the lid, and then press the Meat / Stew  button.   Then wait for cooking to end, and when it does, quickly or gradually release the pressure, as your recipe should indicate.

Default Meat / Stew Button Cooking Values
    • Normal Cooking Time: 35 minutes. More: 45 minutes. Less: 20 minutes.
    • Keep Warm: Yes
    • Pressure to Use: High

The  Multigrain  Button

Picture of the -Multigrain- button circled. Instant Pot WiFi Buttons.
The -Multigrain- button circled.
Multigrain Button Location

The  Multigrain  button, also in the second buttons row, is the right of the LCD screen, near the right edge of the control panel.  Find it in the row above the  Porridge  button, and the row beneath the  Rice  button.  No buttons to the right, and the Meat / Stew button is to the left, on the other side of the LCD screen.

How to Use

In a cold Instant Pot mode, fill it with the grain, water, spices, and or sauces as called for in the recipe you’re cooking.  Lock the lid, close the steam release valve, and then press the  Multigrain button. Then wait for cooking to finish.  After that, quickly or gradually let out the pressure, as the recipe says.

Default  Multigrain  Button Cooking Values
    • Normal Cooking Time: 40 minutes. More: 1 hour. Less: 20 minutes.
    • Keep Warm: Yes
    • Pressure to Use: High




Third Row Instant Pot WiFi Buttons

The  Bean / Chili  Button

Picture of the -Chili, Bean- button circled.
The -Chili, Bean- button circled.
Bean / Chili Button Location

We see the  Bean / Chili  button in this third row of two buttons, to the left of the LCD screen, again near the left edge of the control panel.  It’s positioned just above the Cake button, and just below the Meat / Stew button.  No buttons are to the left of this Bean / Chili button, and the  Porridge  button is to the right, on the other side of the display screen.

How to Use

In a cold Instant Pot, fill with the the beans, spices, and or sauces as called for in your recipe.  Lock the lid, close the steam release valve, and then press the  Bean / Chili  button. Then wait for cooking to be done.  When the pot shuts down, quickly or slowly bleed off the pressure, as the recipe says.

Default  Bean / Chili  Button Cooking Values
    • Normal Cooking Time: 40 minutes. More: 1 hour. Less: 20 minutes.
    • Keep Warm: Yes
    • Pressure to Use: High

The  Porridge  Button

Picture of the -Porridge- button circled. Instant Pot WiFi Buttons.
The -Porridge- button circled.
Porridge Button Location

The  Porridge  button, also in the third buttons row, is again just right of the LCD screen, nearest to the right edge of the buttons control panel.  It’s just above the  Steam  button, and just below the  Multigrain  button.  No buttons to its right, and the Bean / Chili button is on the other side of the status screen, to the left.

How to Use

In a cold Instant Pot, fill with the the porridge ingredients as called for in your recipe.  Lock the lid, close the steam release valve, and then press the  Porridge  button. Then wait for cooking to conclude.  When the Instant Pot stops, quickly or slowly let off the pressure, as the recipe should say.

Default  Porridge  Button Cooking Values
    • Normal Cooking Time: 20 minutes. More: 30 minutes. Less: 5 minutes.
    • Keep Warm: Yes
    • Pressure to Use: High




Fourth Row Buttons

This row is just underneath the LCD display screen.

The  Cake  Button

Picture of the -Cake- button circled.
The -Cake- button circled.
Cake Button Location

Find the  Cake  button in this first row of four buttons (the fourth buttons row), to the left of the LCD screen and one row below. It’s near the left edge of the control panel, and situated just above the Slow Cook button, and just below the Bean / Chili  button.  No buttons are to the left of this  Cake  button, and the  Steam  button is to the right, on the other side of the display screen.

How to Use

Start with a cold cooker in OFF mode.  Then fill it with the ingredients for your a cake you want to bake.  Lock the lid, and then press the  Cake  button. When the Instant Pot beeps to let you know it’s done, quickly or slowly let off the pressure, as an Instant Pot recipe probably says.

Default Baking Values
    • Normal Cooking Time: 40 minutes. More: 50 minutes. Less: 25 minutes.
    • Keep Warm: Yes
    • Pressure to Use: High

The  Pressure Level / WiFi ON OFF  Button

Picture of the -Pressure Level, WiFi On Off- button circled. Instant Pot WiFi Buttons.
The -Pressure Level, WiFi On Off- button circled.
Pressure Level / WiFi On Off Button Location

This button is the second one in this first row of four buttons (the fourth row from the top), just under the LCD screen. It’s one to the right of the Cake button, and just above the  Down  button. No buttons are above this  Pressure Level / WiFi ON OFF   button, and the  Keep Warm  button is one position to the right.

How to Use The Pressure Level Button

After you punch in a particular cooking program, but before the pressure cooker starts heating, you can change the cooking pressure that program will use.  Do this by pressing and releasing this button.  This pressure setting can be either low or high.  Most of these programs start off with high pressure.  Pressing this button once changes it to low.  Pressing it a second time changes the pressure setting back to high.





How to Turn WiFi On or Off

Note that the  Pressure Level  button doubles as a  WiFi On Off control.  Which function the button performs depends on the state your Instant Pot is in when you press it.

When the pot is in OFF mode, this button toggles its WiFi on and off.  WiFi is ON by default.  But you may wish to disable WiFi, to keep someone from changing pressure cooker settings via the Instant Pot app on their mobile device while you’re using it.  So to turn WiFi OFF, press this button once.  Note that WiFi operation cannot be switched on and off while cooking is in progress or when a cooking program is on the screen.

When you press a particular preset cooking button, and its parameters are up on the LCD display, this button then adjusts the pressure level when pressed.  You may adjust pressure at this time, or at any time during cooking.

This button also switches between hour and minute fields when setting up a Delayed Start  routine.

The  Keep Warm Button

Picture of the -Keep Warm- button circled. Instant Pot WiFi Buttons.
The -Keep Warm- button circled.
Keep Warm Button Location

This button is the third in this first row of four controls (the fourth row from the top), again, just under the LCD screen. It’s one to the right of the  Pressure Level   button, and just above the  Up  control. No buttons are above this  Keep Warm   button, and the  Steam  button is one spot to the right.

How to Use

The Keep Warm button sets the pressure cooker to very low heat and keeps it running that way for up to ten hours.  When you press this button, you can then use the  Up (+)  and Down (-) buttons to lengthen or shorten the keep-warm time. You can adjust this time once warming begins as well. You might start a Keep Warm cycle after food finishes cooking, or when you’re using the pot to keep cheese hot at a party.

Default Warming Values
    • Keep Warm Time: 10 hours.  No  more  or  less  values for this setting.
    • Keep Warm: Yes
    • Pressure to Use: None

The  Steam  Button

Picture of the -Steam- button circled.
The -Steam- button circled.
Steam Button Location

The  Steam  button, also in the fourth line of buttons, is one row below and to the right of the LCD screen, again, near to the right side of the control panel, in the row above the  Yogurt  button, and in the row below the  Porridge  button. We find the Keep Warm button to its left.

How to Use

Start off with a clean and cool Instant Pot. Load a compatible strainer basket with vegetables or anything else you wish to steam.  Vegetables are steam cooked most often.  Add some water to the inner pot.  Place the strainer with the veggies in. Lock the lid closed.  Close the Steam Release valve Then, press the Steam button.  When the Instant Pot beeps to tell you that steaming is finished, quickly or slowly release the pressure, as dictated by the recipe.

Default Steaming Values
    • Steam Time: Normal: 10 minutes. More: 15 minutes.  Less: 3 minutes.
    • Keep Warm: Yes
    • Pressure to Use: High




Fifth Row Instant Pot WiFi Buttons

The  Slow Cook  Button

Picture of the -Slow Cook- button circled.
The -Slow Cook- button circled.
Slow Cook Button Location

Find the   Slow Cook   button in this second row of four buttons (the fifth button row underneath the top), and to the left of the Down (-) button. It’s near the left edge of the control panel, two rows below the LCD display, and found just above the  Saute’  button, and just below the  Cake   button.

How to Use

In a cold Instant Pot, fill with meat, vegetables, soups, sauces, grains, et al, as called for in your recipe.  Lock the lid, close the steam release valve, and then press the  Slow Cook  button. Use the Up (+) and Down )-) keys to add or subtract time in half-hour increments from the default slow cooking time.  Then wait for cooking to wrap up.  When the Instant Pot stops, quickly or slowly let off the steam.  Your recipe might specify whether to open the pressure release valve or not after cooking.

Default Slow Cooking Values
    • Slow Cooking Time: 4 hours.  No more or less default time values for this setting.
    • Keep Warm: Yes
    • Pressure to Use: High

The  Down (-) and  Up (+)  Buttons

Picture of the -Down- and -Up- buttons circled. Instant Pot WiFi Buttons.
The -Down- and -Up- buttons circled.
Up and Down Buttons Locations

We see these adjustments in the second and third positions, within the second row of four buttons (the fifth row of controls below the top).  Plus, they are two rows below the LCD screen and plum underneath it.

Find the Down button just to the right of the Slow Cook button, and just to the left of the Up button.  It’s just above Delay Start, and just below  Pressure Level.

Find the  Up (+)  button just to the right of the  Down (-)  button.  Keep Warm  is above it, and  Cancel  is under it, and the  Yogurt  button is one position to the right.

How to Use

These adjustments work with most of the built in cooking program buttons.  When you press the program you want, its default cooking time appears on the LCD screen.  At that time, you can customize this time by pressing the Up (+) button to add more minutes, or the Down (-) button to subtract minutes.  For some of the programs, the time amount changes by single minutes per press.  For others, it moves in half-hour increments.  At any rate though, once the amount of cooking time you desire displays, stop pressing these buttons.  The cooking with your customized time amount will begin within ten seconds.

The  Yogurt  Button

Picture of the -Yogurt- button circled.
The -Yogurt- button circled.
Yogurt Button Location

The  Yogurt  button, in the fifth buttons row, is two rows below and one to the right of the LCD screen, near to the right edge of the control panel, just above the  Pressure Cook  button, and just below the  Steam  button.  The Up button is one position to the left.

How to Use

Load a cool Instant pot with milk.  Next, put the lid on.  No need though to close the steam release valve.  Press the Yogurt button one or more times, to put the pot in ‘boil’ mode.  Then, allow the cooker to heat the milk until it beeps that it’s done.

Next, let the milk cool down to around 110 degrees.





Then add a small amount of yogurt with active cultures to the warm milk in the pot.

Next, press the Yogurt button again, one or more times, until you see the eight hour time appear on the display.   Then, allow the Instant Pot to incubate the milk and yogurt solution for eight hours.

Finally, when it completes, you should have a pot full of yogurt!

Again, this is a very simplified description of how to use the Yogurt button.  Be sure to follow professionally created recipes for more precise yogurt consistencies and flavors.  See the How to Make Yogurt in an Instant Pot article from the Super Healthy Kids web site for a more detailed recipe.

Default Yogurt Making Values
    • Incubating Time (normal): 8 hours.  More: Boil.  less: 24 hours.
    • Keep Warm: No
    • Pressure to Use: None

Sixth Row Buttons

The  Saute’  Button

Picture of the -Saute- button circled.
The -Saute- button circled.
Saute’ Button Location

Find the  Saute’   button in this final row of four buttons (the sixth buttons row, the bottom one), to the left of the Delay Start button, near the left edge of the control panel. It’s located just above the bottom of the buttons panel, and just below the Slow Cook  control.  No buttons are to the left.  In fact, Saute’  is in the lower left hand corner of the control panel.

How to Use

Dump some veggies and / or meat into the Instant Pot.  Then press the Saute’ button.  Adjust the time you want with the Up (+) and Down (-) buttons.  Put the lid on if you wish, although people usually leave the lid off and stir fry the food in the open top cooker. This way, they can stir the food as it saute’s. Cook and stir until until the food has the desired consistency.  Finally, press the Cancel button to end the cooking.

Default Saute’ Values
    • Saute’ Time: 30 minutes maximum.  Adjustable with the Down (-) and Up (+) buttons.
    • Keep Warm: No.
    • Pressure to Use: None.

The  Delay Start  Button

Allows you to program the Instant Pot to start cooking at a later time (up to twenty four hours later), following the cooking program you choose.

Picture of the -Delay Start- button circled. Instant Pot WiFi Buttons.
The -Delay Start- button circled.
Delay Start Button Location

This button is the second one in its row of four controls (the sixth row from the top), just under the Down (-) adjustment, and three rows plum underneath the LCD screen. It’s one to the right of the  Saute’  button, and just above bottom edge of the control panel. No buttons are below it, and the  Cancel  button is one position to the right.

How to Use

Press the one of the cooking mode buttons (Soup / Broth, Meat / Stew, et al). Customize any cooking parameters you want for this mode. Then press and release the Delay Start button.

Then enter the time of day that you want your selected cooking operation to begin.  Use the Up (+) and Down (-) buttons to change those values.  Press the Pressure Level button to move the cursor from the hours to minutes field and back again.

Once the correct delay start time for timer 1 is set, move on to setting timer 2 by pressing the Delay Start button once more.  Set timer 2 if needed, in  the same way you did timer 1.

Finally, when one or both timers have the correct times, just wait, without pressing any more buttons.  After perhaps ten seconds, the pot beeps three times to tell you that you choice of cooking program along with the delay start times you entered will be executed at those specified times.

You can always bail out of a  Delay Start program by pressing the Cancel button. This purges the program from the system and returns the Instant Pot to  Standby / Off  mode.

The  Cancel  Button

Picture of the -Cancel- button circled.
The -Cancel- button circled.
Cancel Button Location

This button is the third in its row of four controls (the sixth row from the top), just under the  Up (+)  adjustment, and again, three rows plum beneath the LCD screen. It’s one position to the right of the  Delay Start  button, and just above bottom edge of the front panel. No buttons are under it, and the   Pressure Cook   control is one position to the right.





How and When to Use

Press the Cancel button to stop all cooking operations in their tracks.  Note that the lid will not come off until any built up pressure inside leaves. Cancel returns the Instant Pot to ready / stand by mode.

The  Pressure Cook  Button

This button allows you to manually set cooking parameters to build a customized cooking program, from the ground up. It replaces the Manual button on found on some other electric pressure cookers.

Picture of the -Pressure Cook- button circled.
The -Pressure Cook- button circled.
Pressure Cook Button Location

The  Pressure Cook  button, in the bottom buttons row, is three rows below and one to the right of the LCD display, close to the right edge of the control panel, just below the  Yogurt  button.  No buttons are below this one, and the  Cancel  control is just to its left. This control is nearest to the bottom right hand corner of the buttons panel.

How to Use

Start off with a clean and cool Instant Pot. Load the pot with whatever you wish to pressure cook.  Lock the lid shut.  Close the Steam Release valve Then, press the  Pressure Cook  button.  Then you wait for your food to cook.  Finally, when the Instant Pot beeps that it’s finished, quickly or slowly release the steam pressure, as dictated by the recipe.

Default Pressure Cook Values
    • Pressure Cook Time: 10 minutes (normal).  45 minutes (more).  20 minutes (less).
    • Keep Warm: Yes.
    • Pressure to Use: High.

 Instant Pot WiFi Buttons and Controls on Lid

The  Steam Release  Valve

Picture of the WiFi Instant Pot, top view, showing the Steam Release valve highlighted.
WiFi Instant Pot, top view, showing the Steam Release valve highlighted.
Steam Release Valve Location

This control is on the Instant Pot lid, near the back, on the top, to the left of the steam pressure float button, behind the lid handle, at roughly the eleven o’clock position,

When to Use the Steam Release Valve

After any cooking cycle finishes, open this valve to let out built up steam pressure inside.  While the pressure gradually dissipates even when you do not open the Steam Release  nozzle, many recipes call for quick pressure release.  Rapid depressurization requires this option, as it stops the cooking process more abruptly than the gradual leaking out of steam after the cook cycle completes.

How to Use

Prior to starting pressurized cooking, whether high or low pressure mode, you must close this valve.  Do that by rotating it counter clockwise (turn it left) all the way, until it stops.  Once you lock the lid closed, the cooker is now ready for pressure cooking.

Then, once cooking is done, and if you need to release the steam pressure more quickly, then turn this valve clockwise until it stops.  Rotating it to the right opens the Steam Release valve, and allows the steam to rush out.

Be careful of your hands when releasing the pressure.  Steam is quite hot and can severely burn you.  We suggest wearing elbow length oven mitts when opening this valve.

The  Float Valve  Button

Picture showing the Float Valve highlighted. Instant Pot WiFi Buttons.
Showing the Float Valve highlighted.
Float Valve Location

This control is, again, found on the Instant Pot lid, near the back, on the top, to the right of the steam pressure release valve, behind the lid handle, at roughly the one o’clock position,

How to Use

You really don’t do anything to this control except clean it and watch it.  the Float Valve is in the down position when the cooker is not pressurized, as shown in the last picture above.  However, it pops up during pressure cooking cycles, when the steam pressure inside reaches significant levels.  Among its purposes, this valve lets you know if true pressure cooking has started yet.  When it’s up, it has.  When down, no.

Also, the Float Valve helps to regulate the pressure inside, allowing it to build to nominal values but not exceed them by very much.  So it’s quite important to clean this assembly periodically, to ensure proper float operation.

Other Posts About the Instant Pot Smart WiFi Pressure Cooker

    1. How to Connect Instant Pot to WiFi
    2. Instant Pot Buttons, Smart WiFi, By Column
    3. How to Reset Instant Pot WiFi Pressure Cooker
    4. Reset Button on Instant Pot Smart WiFi Cooker
    5. How to Set Up Instant Pot Smart WiFi Pressure Cooker

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References for this Instant Pot WiFi Pressure Cooker Buttons

    1. Instant Brand Official Web Site

Change Log

    • 2019-07-16: Tweaked the targeting for ‘Instant Pot WiFi Pressure Cooker Buttons’, and added more tags and links.
    • 2019-02-08: First posted.