Gourmia Pressure Cooker Lawsuit Alleges Lid Interlock Failure Caused Life-Altering Burn Injuries

Lawsuit claims manufacturer failed to update safety features even after federal regulators warned the design was linked to explosions and burns.

A Washington woman has filed a product liability lawsuit alleging that a Gourmia pressure cooker lid opened while the unit was still pressurized, causing scalding hot contents to spray onto her body.

The complaint (PDF) was brought by Kristina May Decker in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York on May 6. It names The Steelstone Group LLC, doing business as Gourmia, as the defendant.

Decker claims that Gourmia knew or should have known the cooker’s lid interlock system was defective. However, she indicates the manufacturer ignored reports of similar incidents and continued to sell the product without adequate warnings or design changes, even after federal regulators issued a safety warning instructing consumers to stop using and discard the pressure cookers.

Pressure Cooker Defects

Electric pressure cookers, including major brands like Gourmia and Instant Pot, use high pressure to cook food quickly. The devices are typically designed with interlocking safety features intended to keep the lid secured and prevent users from opening the cooker while it remains pressurized.

Although these kinds of modern pressure cookers have grown in popularity in recent years, they have also been the subject of numerous pressure cooker lawsuits citing alleged failures with the safety mechanisms. These failures have led to multiple claims of device explosions or incidents that allowed the lid to open during cooking, spewing hot contents onto users and causing severe third- and fourth-degree burns.

Gourmia Pressure Cooker Explosion Allegations

According to Decker’s lawsuit, she was using the Gourmia Multi-Mode Smartpot Pressure Cooker in May 2023, when she was able to rotate the lid and open the pot while it was still pressurized and cooking. This caused boiling liquid, scalding steam and hot food to spew onto her.

Due to the failure of the pressure cooker’s safety features, Decker claims she suffered serious, life-altering burn and disfigurement injuries. The complaint indicates that Gourmia knew about the design defect.

In February 2026, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued a product warning for the Gourmia pressure cooker, urging consumers to stop using it and throw it away. The warning specifically indicated consumers may not see the float valve is still raised, an indicator of pressurization, and reasonably think it is safe to open the lid.

The lawsuit claims Gourmia should have known about the defect, but ignored reports of consumer injuries. Even after the CPSC warning, the company failed to redesign the pressure cooker, despite safer alternative designs existing, Decker notes.

“Defendant knew or should have known of these defects but has nevertheless put profit ahead of safety by continuing to sell its pressure cookers to consumers, failing to warn said consumers of the serious risks posed by the defects, and failing to recall the dangerously defective pressure cookers regardless of the risk of significant injuries to Plaintiff and consumers like her.”

— Kristina May Decker v. The Steelstone Group

The lawsuit presents claims of strict liability, negligence, negligent design defect, breach of implied warranty of fitness for a particular purpose and punitive damages. Decker seeks punitive and compensatory damages for her injuries, economic loss, and pain and suffering.

Pressure Cooker Injury Lawsuits

Decker’s complaint is one of numerous pressure cooker explosion lawsuits filed in recent years, involving several major brands and retailers, including Instant Pot, Shark Ninja, Crock-Pot and others. The lawsuits raise similar allegations that the electric devices, meant to simplify cooking, suffer safety design defects that allow the lids to be opened during cooking.

The claims typically indicate the pressure cookers are marketed as having advanced lid locking systems that prevent them from opening during pressurization. However, plaintiffs say those safety features do not work as designed and injure users.

Several recalls and warnings have been issued by federal safety regulators in recent years. A 2023 Best Buy Insignia pressure cooker recall involved more than 800,000 units. Additionally, a recall for nearly 1 million Sensio pressure cookers was issued that same year due to lid safety defects, causing scalding contents to be forcefully ejected onto users.

As a result of these kinds of defects and others, pressure cooker injury attorneys are investigating potential claims on behalf of users who suffered injuries from pressure cooker explosions or safety defects. The claims focus on whether manufacturers or sellers failed to properly design the products or warn consumers after becoming aware of the design flaws.

Individuals who have suffered burn injuries or other side effects following a pressure cooker safety malfunction may be eligible to pursue compensation for damages, including medical costs, lost wages, and pain and suffering.

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