Have I ever blown up a pressure cooker before? Yes. I was 13 and was in charge of making dinner while my mother was at work. She had given me a couple of lessons on using the pressure cooker, especially for beans and peas, so I was making split pea soup. Kawhoom!!!
I had no idea that could happen. My mother never mentioned it. It was an astonishing surprise. It was messy, and ruined dinner, but no injuries.
Did I learn my lesson? My mother didn't seem particularly surprised that the pressure cooker exploded. And since the result was limited to a big mess and ruining dinner, it didn't seem to be that big of a deal. She didn't mention what could have happened. I don't remember any warnings. But in the future I was more aware of adjusting the heat when the pressure cooker had reached the magic point. I suppose I was much more aware. And I didn't neglect making sure the little vent was clean and open.
I have been surprised more recently to only now find out what can happen with wayward pressure cookers. Wow. The lid can blow off. Super heated contents can go everywhere. People have even been burned, blinded or killed. Looking into this I read, "Never buy a used pressure cooker." And yet, I just received my refurbished Instant Pot pressure cooker.
Well, it didn't explode. One of the ways that some have blown up an Instant Pot is to put a cloth over the vent. Why? Oh, there are videos on Youtube recommending this so that when you release the pressure you don't have the hot steam coming out in a blast and possibly scalding you. They've revised the vent release for this reason.
Just so you'll know, this can be avoided either by wearing oven mitts to release to pressure, or letting the Instant Pot cool off until it is no longer under pressure.
I never had this problem
ReplyDeleteYou just haven't lived!
DeleteIn order to have this problem, there has to be a failure of some sort. Old style pressure cookers didn't have the safety features that exist today. They seemed to be looking for an opportunity to explode. Like being used by the sort of teenager that would take a wool sweater, wash it in hot water, and throw it in the dryer. Still, there can be defects in a safety feature and human error. And the rest is history.
DeleteI should link some of the articles about this. Interesting reading. "Never buy a used pressure cooker because you don't know it's history," one said. That would make a good story. "The devil pressure cooker."
DeleteI used 'old-style' pressure cookers... Lots! I still have an Mike's style cooker. I think they operated at a higher pressure than instant pot. An instant pot is idiot proof for most, but I have really researched the truly challenged.
DeleteThere's no such thing as idiot proof. I have used non idiot proof pressure cookers and not have them explode. But I did become more cautious after my early experience. This happened when I was 13.
DeleteI don't believe Mother would have ever taken ruining dinner lightly.
DeleteIt didn't seem to be that big of a deal .....to me. I had somehow cleaned it up, and the pressure cooker could be used again. It didn't seem to have been dangerous, just scary, and I remember that she told me that it's not dangerous when a pressure cooker explodes. Well, usually not. I once had a class in home economics about surprising everyone with a delicious recipe of pork and beans with a four oz can of crushed pineapple mixed in. THAT was a big deal. A can of pineapple...wasted!! Why why WHY??
DeleteHome economics was great for me too.
DeleteI did read a review from a guy who claimed his wife managed to make a mess. He was very bitter but in a very tiny minority.
ReplyDeleteWell, that's an interesting attitude for him to have. In the future he should cook dinner.
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