For years I have heard great things about Instant Pots. Not wanting another kitchen appliance, I was not an early adopter. Pre-pandemic, I was batch cooking a lot of food on the weekends to make meal prep easier during the workweek. I finally took the plunge in February 2020 and bought an Instant Pot Duo Evo Plus. I did some research and this seemed to be the best model at that time.

I loved it. It quickly won a coveted place on the countertop. For the past 2 1/2 years, it gets used regularly for oatmeal, beans, soups, etc. It gets used so often, that the silicone cap for the float valve is wearing out. Not a problem, I thought. I’ll just order more and possibly another float valve in case this one gets damaged or lost.

Instant Pot has replacement float valves on their website, but not the kind that fits my model. They change their models often and my model is no longer made after just 2 years. I contacted customer support to find out how to order a new float valve and silicone cap. They asked me for the serial number and receipt. I had the serial number, but it’s been more than two years since I bought it and I no longer had the receipt. They said since it was out of the one-year warranty, they would give me a 15% coupon to order a new model since they don’t carry the float valve for my model and don’t know if they ever will.

I was not thrilled with this answer. I was meant to throw away a perfectly good appliance and pay for a new one just because they don’t manufacture extra parts? The float valve is integral to the function and safety of a pressure cooker. Not only is this poor customer service but it is incredibly wasteful and bad for the environment.

I’ll keep using it until the float valve cap finally stops working, but I won’t buy another Instant Pot. I’ll do more research next time and buy from companies that stock parts for their appliances.

Update

I was able to get some more float valve caps from a reseller on Amazon. They work well. However, if and when I have to replace the InstantPot, I’ll look for a different company that sells spare parts.

Buy from companies that offer repair or parts

I’m happy to say that Baratza has all the parts for their coffee grinders. Breville also has a good record for having spare parts available to order.

Before you buy your next appliance, make sure that you can buy extra parts if needed. We shouldn’t be supporting companies who care so little about their products, customers, and the environment that their answer is to throw it away and get a new one when a part is lost or breaks.