Instant Pot Sterilization
“Only the Instant Pot brand pressure cooker was able to inactivate G. stearothermophilus endospores, which indicated that it would be the most appropriate choice for a laboratory pressure cooker.”1
How To
Assuming your Instant Pot reaches 115-118°C at 10.2-11.6 psi, then you should run your sterilization cycle for at least 150 minutes.
This is true of the IP-DUO80 model2, and a few others they make. They may make other models with different ratings, so check your manual.
Instant Pot Max Pressure Mode
Some instant pots have a “max pressure” mode, which may or may not get up to 15psi. What’s important to note is that instant pots do not achieve stable pressure or temperature. They phase in and out of various pressures, with their max rated pressure/temperature. You can not use an instant pot at “max” pressure as if it is a standard autoclave. It is not an autoclave.
I highly recommend that if you’re using max pressure mode that you stick with the research that is linked on this page, and still use the instant pot for at least 150 minutes. There is no research that supports a lesser time.
Don’t follow Instant Pot’s Sterilization Program
That program is designed for stuff like canning and cleaning. It was not designed to make injectable medication with.
Consider Upgrading
An upgrade may be within your price range. Look into stove top autoclaves. They leave less moisture behind and we can be more confident that they sterilized our items.
References
Page based on work from HRT Cat
1Assessment and verification of commercially available pressure cookers for laboratory sterilization