Gen X, millennials, and Gen Z – everyone seems to love pressure cookers, and why not? Pressure cookers cook food faster while retaining the nutrients in food. Besides saving time, pressure cookers are found in every kitchen because they are highly versatile. You can use them for sauteing, steaming, boiling, and baking.
As convenient as they are, pressure cookers can be dangerous to use. If not used correctly, pressure cookers can explode, causing severe second and third-degree burns.
In a horrific incident last year, former boxing champ Guillermo Rigondeaux burnt his corneas due to the explosion of a pressure cooker. Now, that’s just one case that has been brought to light.
Every year hundreds of Americans suffer horrific injuries due to pressure cooker explosions. Sometimes, pressure cookers explode due to defective design. But on other occasions, they explode due to human error.
While the former isn’t in your control, accidents can be prevented if you understand the mistakes that result in explosions. That said, here are a few common mistakes that cause pressure cookers to explode:
#1 Leaving the Pressure Cooker Unattended for Long
One of the worst mistakes you can commit while cooking is going too far from your pressure cooker, especially stove-top models. Compared to instant pots, stove-top pressure cookers come with an auto cut-off safety feature. That way, they shut off automatically the moment the cooking process comes to an end.
Anytime you cook something, monitor the cooker to ensure it has let out all the steam or whistles through the pressure regulator valve. Normally, pressure cookers take about seven to eight minutes to reach pressure. Of course, this duration isn’t set in stone, and it varies from brand to brand.
In case the pressure has built in the cooker and you can hear the water boiling or hissing sounds but the steam isn’t released, turn off the gas right away. When the steam cools down, open the cooker to see if all safety vents are cleaned.
Always stay close to your cooker when cooking food so that you can turn off the stove and check the cooker if you sense any danger.
#2 Using Too Much Oil Instead of Water to Cook Food
Many people use too much oil instead of water to cook food. If you’re among them, stop then and there. That’s because oil can reach high temperatures quickly, whereas water doesn’t. In case you use more oil in your dish than the required quantity, the temperature inside the cooker will go up fast.
The result? Your pressure cooker will explode, and hot oil will splatter everywhere, which could cause extensive damage to you and your home. To avoid this, you should use only two tablespoons of oil in pressure cookers.
#3 Faulty Safety Valve
Many stove-top pressure cookers feature safety valves that are supposed to blow off whenever the pressure inside them gets too high. This ensures that the pressurized steam is released quickly when it cannot escape.
The main purpose behind such safety valves is to prevent the pressure cooker from exploding due to steam build-up. Nevertheless, pressure cookers with faulty safety valves explode.
Excessive steam leak from the cooker is a tell-tale sign of a faulty safety valve. If you’ve bought a new cooker, keep tabs on it to ensure the safety valve isn’t leaking more steam than usual.
An exploding pressure cooker results in severe thermal burns, concussions, amputations, blindness, broken bones, and disfigurement. Even worse, many people die due to pressure cooker explosions.
The first pressure cooker lawsuit deserves mention in this regard, which was filed by a couple from Texas in 2015. The Texas couple sued Tristar because its pressure cooker exploded after two hours of unplugging, resulting in severe burns. Even today, pressure cooker explosion victims are filing lawsuits and claiming compensation.
According to TorHoerman Law, other defendants in the lawsuit include Breville, Cook’s Essentials, Crock-Pot, Cuisinart, and Instant Pot. In the lawsuits, plaintiffs allege that the manufacturers failed to warn users of the potential risks of using their defective products. Their failure to warn makes them liable for injuries resulting from the explosion.
#4 Not Closing the Lid Properly
It’s a no-brainer that if you do not shut the lid properly of the pressure cooker, it will explode. That’s because the steam build-up pushes the lid, causing splashing of the food. Basically, it’s the sudden pressure release that detaches the lid from the cooker base.
Always close the lid of your pressure cooker properly and double-check for your and everyone else’s safety.
Wrapping it Up
Being aware of the mistakes that can lead to pressure cooker explosions is critical for everyone.
Bear in mind that this list isn’t an exhaustive one. Many other errors could result in a pressure cooker explosion, like overfilling the cooker, neglecting proper maintenance, and inappropriate cooking techniques.
Avoiding these mistakes will ensure the safe and effective use of pressure cookers, minimizing the risk of explosion. After all, prevention is better than cure.