Introduction
The kitchen we know is a place where we cook meals for our family. However, there is a dark side to the kitchens. There are so many kitchen appliances that are inherently more dangerous than the others. This could be due to various reasons. But the most common reason would be their design and mode of operations.
One of the kitchen appliances that help you cook delicious food can become a deadly appliance is Pressure cookers. Pressure cookers rely on high heat and pressure to cook food quickly. Well, if this appliance should fall in that condition, it will be nothing more than a mini grenade.
Each year, several people die, thousands of people are injured due to pressure cooker explosions.
Why do Pressure Cooker Accidents Happen?
Pressure cookers are invaluable kitchen appliances that help people cook food faster. However, there are times when the manufacturer downplays the risk of explosion by not properly checking the built quality of the pressure cooker before putting them into the market.
Recent Pressure cooker lawsuits have targeted manufacturers for producing low-quality products that have caused them severe injuries and, worst case, death.
Here are the common grounds where the recent lawsuits have targeted the manufacturers.
- Loose Pot Seal: The pot seal is an important safety component that helps collect the excess boiling water to control the pressure.
- Defective Gaskets: There have been times when manufacturers have used low-quality material to reduce manufacturing costs. This has resulted in defective caskets.
- Exploding Cookers: Low-quality material can result in poor venting design, which might lead to cooker explosion.
- Lid Lock Defect: If the lid falls off, all the content might spill, burning the consumers.
How Can You Avoid Pressure Cooker Injuries?
Yes, Pressure cookers are dangerous. However, there are still several ways in which you use the pressure cooker safely. Follow the following tips for perfect results with your pressure cooker.
1. Check Your Equipment Before Cooking
It is important that you check your kitchen appliances before using them. In the case of a pressure cooker, it becomes mandatory that every time you use a pressure cooker, check whether the rubber gaskets are a perfect fit or not.
Rubber gaskets are very sensitive and need to be changed every year. Hence, it is a good practice to check the rubber gasket before using the cooker to make food.
2. Do Not Overfill The Cooker
The cooker is not a pot; remember that. Filling it completely will make things worse. Cookers use pressure and extra heat to make the food, and for that heat to stay in, the cooker needs space.
With that being said, never overfill your cooker. In fact, the maximum you can do is to fill the cooker two-third to avoid the possibility of food blocking the vents.
3. Use Enough Liquid
A cooker needs enough steam to cook the food. Hence, while using a pressure cooker to make your food, consider adding a minimum amount of water for the steam formations.
4. Release Pressure In A Safe Way
One of the most common mistakes people make is not releasing the cooker’s pressures safely. There are three ways in which you can do so:
- Remove the cooker from the heat and let it sit for a couple of minutes.
- Running cold water over the lid.
- Using a pot steam seal to release the pressure.
5. Do Not Pressure Fry
If you are thinking of using oil to pressure fry your food, we would advise you not to do that. As it will not only melt away your rubber casket, it will also increase the possibility of explosion.
Take Away
Pressure cookers are very dangerous if not used carefully. It is very important that you use the cooking vigilantly to ensure that you follow the mentioned safety tip to keep yourself away from harm's reach.
