The Instant Pot is a kitchen workhorse — an all-in-one slow cooker, pressure cooker, steamer, yogurt maker, sterilizer, rice cooker, sauté pan, food warmer, and probably a few other things as well. (It’s marketed as a “10-in-1” appliance.)

Canadian software engineer Robert Wang invented the Instant Pot in 2009 to solve a problem: After working long hours, he found that he didn’t have time to cook healthy meals for his family. When he lost his job, he focused on developing a device that would simplify and speed up the cooking process. (These are 23 cooking tips you learn at culinary school.)

Slow cookers were convenient, but by definition they were anything but fast. While giving his new appliance the ability to function as a slow cooker, Wang also introduced pressure-cooker technology, which greatly speeds up the cooking process.

As popular as the Instant Pot is, owners don’t always use it correctly. Slow cookers are a lot easier to use, with fewer controls (but also fewer functions). Instant Pots aren’t all that complicated, but they do require a little more attention than slow cookers, so it’s not surprising that “Pot heads” (as enthusiasts sometimes call themselves) make mistakes on occasion. They forget or misunderstand basic functions; they add the ingredients at the wrong time; they position their Instant Pot some place it shouldn’t be.

24/7 Tempo consulted numerous Instant Pot-related websites (including the company’s own), as well as comments posted by Facebook’s Instant Pot community, to discover some of the most common errors users of the appliance make.

Click here for 12 ways you’re not using your Instant Pot right.