Instant Pot Fiasco

I got an instant pot for Christmas.  They are all the rage.  But I was reluctant to have one.  I wasn't sure you could teach an old dog new tricks.  My first episode with the instant pot confirmed my suspicions.  

I decided my first try in this magical new pot would be a beef stew.  I have been making beef stew for years and have truly perfected the recipe
So, using the saute' function, I saute'd my floured and seasoned beef cubes in the pot.  Then I added the other ingredients (vegetables, soups, and seasonings) and water and set the pot to pressure cook, according to the directions.  It started off just fine, but after a few minutes, the pot beeped and then I guess it turned off.  I had left the kitchen (to go the computer to blog!), thinking my dinner was cooking nicely in the other room.  I heard the beeps, but thought it was just part of the cooking process.  When I went into the kitchen much later, assuming my meal was cooked, I found the pot displaying the word BURN!  What?  So I opened the pot to find the food not cooked.  I read the troubleshooting section of the owners manual.  It said that if there was too much starch, the pressure pot would not work.  It said to check the bottom of the pan for starch.  I thought it meant the underneath of the pan.  I checked: nothing.  So I tried again.  Same results.  By now, it was way too late to cook for dinner.  We had crummy leftovers that night for dinner.  By then I figured out that it meant the starch inside the pot.  And yes the floury drippings were stuck on the bottom.  So I dumped the food into a large bowl, put my uncooked stew in the fridge, and soaked, then scrubbed the pot.
The next afternoon, I tried again with a shiny, clean pot.  I poured my stew back into that silver pot.  After it had cooked a few minutes, again it beeped.  This time I went right in to find it displaying BURN again!  Man!  Again, too late for dinner.  So, cursing the stupid thing under by breath,  I dumped the stew in a bowl again and we had salad for dinner.  Yes, salad!  I know! A crummy salad!  I was so frustrated.  I went right in and wrote a "nasty letter" (my Dad always joked about writing a nasty letter.  When we were frustrated he would say, "Write 'em a nasty letter.")  My Dady's voice was loud in my head, and I  emailed the company.  First, they replied that they needed the model number.
Then a full day went by.  I finally received a reply from them when my stew was now cooking in my Le'Cruset pan.  Forget that instant pot.  I should print the reply I got from the Instant Pot company:

To thoroughly diagnose your Instant Pot please perform the following quick water test:

-Ensure the steam release valve and float valve are unobstructed and clean, also that your sealing ring is properly fitted in place
-Insert the inner pot into the cooker base and add 3 cups of cold water
-Put the lid on in the secured position
-Position the steam release valve towards the "Sealing" symbol
- Press the "Steam" button and adjust the time using the “+” or “-” buttons to 5 minutes

Please use a separate timer to see:

-How long it takes for steam to start coming out of the float valve hole
-How long it takes for the float valve to pop up
-When the countdown begins

Please note the following:

-Before the float valve rises, it is normal to notice steam leaking from the float valve’s slot
-The float valve should rise within 15 minutes, if not please stop the test and contact us with the video
-Steam leaking intermittently from the steam release valve is normal
-If steam leaks continuously from the steam release valve or anywhere else, please stop the test and contact us with the video

In addition, if you could please confirm if the "BURN" code is displayed after the water test, and attach a short 10 second video if it is.  

 No apology.  What?  This is crazy!  I wanted to ask how much they were going to pay me to do their quality control!!
So, instead, the next night, I found a recipe online specifically to be cooked in the instant pot that I had all the ingredients for: Sweet and Sour Chicken.  I made the chicken.  It turned out great.
So I guess you can't cook your own recipes in this magic pot.  And you have to thicken AFTER you cook not before. And you must not be an old dog!  Live and learn.  By the way, the stew was delicious, despite what the Instant Pot thought.  Burn!  Whatever.

I have since made several delicious meals in the Instant Pot.  I'm nothing, if not determined.  They have all turned out great.  I will post the recipes at hungryhintons.blogspot.com.  A couple of them are already posted there.  This old dog signing off!