Gourmia Coffee Maker Lawsuit Claims Defective Machine Caused Second-Degree Burns

Complaint echoes similar lawsuits alleging other defective kitchen appliances, including modern pressure cooker devices, can suddenly release scalding contents during normal operation.

A California woman has filed a product liability lawsuit claiming she suffered second degree burns when her Gourmia coffee maker malfunctioned, spewing scalding water onto her arm.

The complaint (PDF) was brought by Ereny Estfanos in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on July 21, naming Gourmia and The Steelstone Group LLC as defendants.

Estfanos alleges the Gourmia 6-in-1 K-Cup Coffee Maker was defectively designed and that the manufacturers failed to adequately test the product or ensure it could be used safely by consumers.

Coffee Maker Burn Injury Lawsuits

The Gourmia 6-in-1 K-Cup Coffee Maker is a single-serve brewing system that uses interchangeable inserts to prepare K-Cup pods, ground coffee or loose-leaf tea.

Estfanos claims the machine failed to contain scalding water during the brewing process, causing the hot liquid to spray onto her arm. Similar allegations have been raised in other lawsuits involving single-serve coffee makers that allegedly exploded, ruptured or unexpectedly ejected hot water during use.

In January, a Nostalgia MyMini lawsuit alleged one of the company’s single-serve coffee makers exploded during use and sprayed scalding water onto the user, causing second- and third-degree burns.

A similar lawsuit was filed against Brentwood Appliances, alleging a defectively designed single-serve coffee maker ejected scalding liquid onto a Connecticut woman and caused severe burn injuries.

Gourmia Coffee Maker Burn Allegations

In the lawsuit, Estfanos indicates she purchased the Gourmia 6-in-One K-Cup Coffee Maker, Model No. GCM-6000, in 2019. She used it regularly for years. However, when she was preparing coffee on July 23, 2024, the machine began making a strange sound.

Estfanos approached the device and found liquid was not coming out of the coffee maker as expected. The machine suddenly and violently malfunctioned, spraying scalding hot contents onto her left forearm.

Suffering immediate and excruciating pain, Estfanos claims she sought medical care and was diagnosed with second-degree burns as a result of the first layer of her skin being burned off.

The complaint indicates Estfanos suffered partial thickness burns and continues to undergo significant pain, permanent scarring and disfigurement and requires ongoing wound management. In addition to her physical injuries, Estfanos also suffers severe emotional distress and anxiety from the trauma. The injury has affected her ability to work and maintain a normal routine with her daughter.

The lawsuit claims consumers would not reasonably expect a coffee maker designed for home use to spew scalding hot liquids onto the user during the brewing process and that the machine failed to meet basic safety expectations.

Moreover, the complaint indicates the device lacked adequate warnings or instructions to inform users of unreasonable dangers. It goes on to argue the coffee maker was marketed as a safe and convenient household appliance, yet posed a significant risk of injury. Estfanos claims Gourmia had a duty to warn consumers of these risks.

“Defendants breached their duty of care to Plaintiff by, among other things, failing to adequately test the Subject Coffee Maker prior to placing it into the stream of commerce.”

— Ereny Estfanos v. Gourmia et al.

The complaint raises allegations of strict product liability, negligence and breach of implied warranty of merchantability. Estfanos is seeking compensation for pain and suffering, medical expenses, mental anguish, physical disfigurement and loss of enjoyment of life.

Defective Product Burn Injury Lawsuits

Estfanos’s allegations are similar to those raised in pressure cooker lawsuits filed throughout the country, which claim defective appliances can unexpectedly release scalding steam, liquid and food during normal use.

Manufacturers such as SharkNinja, Crock-Pot and Instant Pot have faced product liability claims alleging their pressure cookers were marketed with safety features that failed to keep the lids locked while the contents remained pressurized. According to the lawsuits, these failures allowed the appliances to erupt when opened, causing severe and sometimes catastrophic burn injuries.

Individuals injured by an exploding pressure cooker or another defective kitchen appliance may be entitled to pursue compensation through a product liability lawsuit. Burn injury lawyers are reviewing claims through free case evaluations and typically represent clients on a contingency fee basis, meaning no legal fees are charged unless compensation is recovered.

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