Important! Pressure cooking caution

Thats Me · ‎03-09-2010

Hi Everybody,

I don't know if this article has already been posted but it's important and worth your time to read it if you pressure cook, no matter what type or brand you use- I was shocked, and have been cooking this way for some years (both stovetop and Instant Pot):

https://www.hippressurecooking.com/consumer-alert-food-explosion-after-pressure-release/

And I've made up my own recipes. Maybe I've been lucky? But while I don't use much fat, I love thick stews which are apparently one of the main culprits.

Would love to read your thoughts on this; and if you've had any of these experiences, what you were making. And of course if you did experience an explosion I so hope you are ok!

thank you!

thats me

OKPrincess · ‎03-10-2013

I have a 4qt and make sure it's never filled over the 2/3rd fill mark. I don't add oil and I let it release pressure on its own. I'm super careful because I remember the PCs from the olden days.

CLEM · ‎03-09-2010

@Thats Me Thanks for posting about this issue. I will be sure to take whatever precautions I can in the future. It sure is scary.

Kachina624 · ‎03-10-2010

Sounds as though people are not following the manufacturer's instructions. Obviously adequate liquid is needed to make steam. If thick sauces are desired, thicken them after the food is cooked.

I hate to say it, but I've been using a PC over 50 years and my mom for years before that. Neither of us ever had a problem nor have I ever known anyone who had an accident with a PC. Its a tool that has the potential for being dangerous if not properly used. Read and carefully follow directions before using. A little common sense goes a long way.

New Mexico☀️Land Of Enchantment

Carmie · ‎10-25-2010

My mother cooked in her stove top pressure cooker often. She was always kinda afraid of it and made us leave the kitchen when she opened the lid. She would slowly move the cooker to the sink and run cold water over the lid until the pressure went down to a safe level.

the old pressure cookers use to have a little weight on the top and you would choose how much pressure you wanted to cook with. The little weight would wiggle and the cooker would hiss while she was cooking. There was also a little rubber stopper on the lid that was stationary. It couldn’t removed.

one time while she was cooking sauerkraut in the pressure cooker, the little rubber stopper flew off. I think the rubber was deteriorated. I just stood there watching Strands of sauerkraut coming out one strand at a time a thousand miles per hour and hanging on the kitchen ceiling. My mother was screaming at the top of her lungs for me to get out. The lid stayed on and never blew off, but I got to see the power of pressure.

I use a pressure cooker, but I respect it. I always make 100% sure that there is no pressure in the cooker before I unlock the lid. That appliance is hot bomb if it explodes.

bonnielu · ‎03-11-2010

I know it was a long time ago and I know the technology was not the same but I have very interesting memories of my mothers pressue cooker. She used to use it all the time and one afternoon something happened. No one was hurt. I must have been about 7-8 years old. My father had just come home and asked Whats for Dinner? My mother pointed to the ceiling. The chicken was up there... hanging on and dripping down. That one memory... has lasted an entire lifetime. I just cannot buy one.. use one... EVER

jannabelle1 · ‎09-12-2010

It sounds like (from the article) that many of the problems are from people who use the quick cool method, instead of letting the pressure cooker release steam and cool on its own. My dad taught me PC safety procedures many years ago - never force the cooker to cool down quickly, never fill it more than 2/3 full, and always follow the recipes in the book provided by the manufacturer. Never had a problem...

blackhole99 · ‎08-22-2013

My aunts neighbors used pressure cookers for years to can vegetables. One year something went wrong and the thing exploded. My aunts neighbor was badly burned and died a few weeks later.

Foggy morning · ‎03-10-2010

My mother cooked with a pressure cooker for years. While I was growing up she could fix something for dinner, when she got home from work, for my father and me in no time.

I heard about the last time she used it, after the event. She had cooked a roast and when it was done she could not get the lid off. My father couldn't either. This cooker probably was purchased in the 1950's. That day it ended up in trash can. I guess it's still out there somewhere.