[Instapot] Instant Pot Explosion, Injuries & Lawsuits – How to Prevent Them?

There is certain cookware in your kitchen which can help you cook faster, but those require your special attention. If you have an instant pot in your kitchen, it will be super easy to cook instantly. But, there are lots of incidents of instant pot explosion that have led to severe damage to the cook and the family members. That’s why you should be careful about using instant pot. Knowing about instant pot and taking precaution can keep you safe from any accidents. Here you will get critical information about instant pot and related several issues.

What Is Instapot?

Many of you have heard of instant pot, but don’t know the machinery and technique until you use it. This is a small kitchen appliance that can be used in different ways, like a slow cooker, pressure cooker, steamer, rice cooker and lots of other types.

Besides, this appliance is also user-friendly and available at an affordable price. If you have limited space in your kitchen top, then having an instapot is the perfect choice for your cosy kitchen. You can prepare lots of dishes, like stew, soups, cakes, and porridge with an instant cooker. If you are still confused having an instant pot, here are the basic programs that you can find in an instant pot-

• It works as a pressure cooker where you can provide slow or high pressure as per your recipe
• It is also a slow cooker.
• You can make yoghurt and cake in this cooker
• You can also use this cooker as a steamer

There are lots of other models which are used as egg maker, sterilizer, rice cooker and so on. With the help of different types of settings and timing, you can easily cook in low, medium or high pressure. You can also use the appliance to keep the food warm.

What can go wrong with Instapot?

Now, you know about the usage and benefits of the instant pot. But, if you are not careful enough, this small device can be a huge reason for severe accidents. There are certain safety measures you need to take while using an instapot, else it can be dangerous.

Instapot Accidents and Injuries Caused

There is a lot of evidence that reveals the associated risk, especially if you have kids at the home. Here are certain accidents that have occurred in the past:

It was an incident of the Colorado Family who filed a law pursuit when the instant pot exploded and a nine-year-old girl got burned severely. Her face and arms got burned seriously and that was third-degree burn. Though the child girl survived, she got permanent burns on her arm, shoulder, chest, and the torso.

Another incident in Texas also made people a bit afraid of instant pot explosion. There was a middle-aged mom who got severely injured by the explosion of the instant pot. She got second-degree burn, even after maintaining all the safety features while cooking in instant pot.

Lots of users often complain that the instant pots and pressure cookers create severe accidents like the lid blow off without warning or the pinto beans burst out and all. Such accidents can cause serious effects on you and you to have to suffer a lot of pain and spend a lot of money on treatment whether you file a lawsuit against the brand or not.

If you want to avoid such hazards, you need to be very conscious while using an instant pot in your kitchen. Here are some of the precautionary steps that you can take-

• Your instapot must not have too much food or liquid as that can lead to an explosion.
• Different types of food elements, like cranberries, split peas, applesauce, rhubarb, noodles, etc. can create foam and cause the valve to clog. This can create too much pressure and that can cause accidents.
• Any dispute with the lid can cause severe damage. If the lid is not set properly, it can blast and cause burns.
• While using instant pot, you often skip reading the manual and start using this pot. But, that is not the right thing to do. There are lots of incidents that happen due to not checking the user manual properly.
• You should always stay away from the valve of the pressure cooker. You must not trust instant pots and touch it as this has caused certain injuries in the past. If the valve explodes and any of your body parts is closer to it, you can have serious accidents.
• If the pressure release mechanism ever got sealed, it results in a huge explosion and that will damage your kitchen.

Tips to Prevent Instant Pot Explosion

1. Always use ½ of liquid while cooking. The instapot requires building up a pressure inside to cook the food well. That’s why adding a ½ cup to 1 cup water can pressurize the unit and make it easy to cook your food. Never forget this step to avoid an explosion.
2. You should not fill up to the maximum level of pressure cooking in your instant pot. There are several food elements which will expand. If those clog the steam valve, it can cause an accident. So, while cooking rice, pasta, oats, beans, etc. always keep the elements lower than the maximum level to avoid damage.
3. Utilize different buttons while cooking. An instant pot can be used to cook different items. There are lots of buttons which you can use in a different style of cooking. While you boil potato or rice, the button you use will be different than the ones you must use while boiling vegetables and meat.
4. Never use your instant pot for deep-frying. Many of you may like to experiment to use the instant pot for frying, but you should remember that the appliance is not for creating that much pressure for frying your food. If you do it forcefully, you are damaging the appliance and that additional pressure can cause an explosion.
5. Always adjust the temperature as per your cooking. When you use the appliance as a slow cooker, you should adjust the temperature as per cooking. If you don’t adjust the temperature as per cooking, the instant pot can give you ‘burn’ alert.
6. Don’t go too close to the steam; else the exposed part of your body can get burnt if an accident occurs. While opening the lid, you should keep your face away from it. If you want quick release, you should not do it without wearing oven mitts or gloves, else you can injure your hands.
7. Always give 10 to 15 minutes to your instant pot to build up the pressure. You can use a pressure button or do it manually, but this time must be given to make the appliance create enough pressure. For example, if you are boiling rice, it requires 30 minutes to get cooked, so you should give 40-45 minutes to this entire cooking process.
8. You should replace the sealing ring if you find it necessary. You should always clean the gasket well and check minutely if there is any crack. Such damages can cause accidents. Make sure you replace the sealing ring once in a year.

So, here you get a lot of information about instant pot and its safety issues. If you use the instant pot, you can save your time and money. But, the safety measures shouldn’t be compromised.

Lots of instapot accidents have occurred in these years. So, you have to be very careful while using it. Also, you should keep your kids and pets away from the kitchen when you are using this appliance. You can buy branded materials to get assured products which are not that much risky to use. Spending a high price once can be easy in order to avoid any unwanted situation.