Natural release on an Instant Pot is a method of releasing pressure that occurs when you allow the pressure to go down on its own after the cooking cycle is complete. The temperature inside the Instant Pot decreases, and the pressure decreases slowly. This method is also referred to as Instant Pot manual release or natural pressure release. The natural release method is used for longer-cooking foods, such as meats, soups, broths, beans, grains, foamy food, and food with a large amount of liquid or high starch content. It is also used when you want to keep food intact and reduce the mess. Once the pressure cooking has completed, the Instant Pot will chime and will begin counting up the minutes (if in Keep Warm mode). Wait for the float valve to drop on its own. The heating element in the base is still very hot while the Instant Pot is cooling down and pressure is being released naturally, so the food inside continues to cook, but at a slower pace.