Stop Using These Gourmia Pressure Cookers Right Now—Seriously

When a kitchen gadget has reportedly sent multiple people to the hospital with serious burns, and both the manufacturer and the retailer are dragging their feet on a proper recall? Yeah, we need to talk.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) just dropped a pretty urgent warning about Gourmia pressure cookers, specifically model GPC625, and if you’ve got one lurking in your kitchen cabinet, you need to stop using it immediately. Not after you finish this batch of pot roast. Not next week when you have time to shop for a replacement. Right. Now.

Why This Recall Matters (And Why You Should Actually Care)

Here’s the deal: These pressure cookers have a design flaw that’s not just inconvenient—it’s genuinely dangerous. The lid can pop open while the cooker is still pressurized, which means all that scalding-hot steam and food can spray out like some kind of nightmarish kitchen geyser.

The CPSC has received five reports of exactly this happening, and four of those incidents resulted in severe second-degree burns. That’s not a typo—second-degree burns. We’re talking about injuries serious enough that at least two people have filed lawsuits.

But wait, there’s more! (And by “more,” I mean “additional safety nightmares.”)

The float valve—you know, that little mechanism that’s supposed to tell you when it’s safe to open the lid—is tucked inside the handle where you can barely see it. So you might think the pressure has been released when it definitely, absolutely has not. It’s like playing Russian roulette with your dinner prep.

And if that wasn’t enough, the volume markings on the inner pot are wrong. Yep, incorrect. Which means you could easily overfill it, and when you use the quick-release method or crack that lid open, you’re basically inviting hot food and liquid to eject themselves all over your kitchen (and potentially you).

What Makes This Situation Even More Frustrating

Here’s where things get spicy (and not in the fun, culinary way): The importer, Steelstone Group LLC (doing business as Gourmia), and Best Buy—where most of these pressure cookers were sold—have straight-up “refused to agree to an acceptable recall to address this hazard,” according to the CPSC.

Let me translate that from bureaucrat-speak: They won’t cooperate with fixing this mess properly. That’s why the CPSC had to issue this public warning instead of going through the normal recall process. When a government agency has to essentially yell “HEY, EVERYONE, THIS THING IS DANGEROUS” because the companies won’t play ball, you know something has gone sideways.

Which Pressure Cookers Are Affected by This Recall?

About 43,500 of these ticking time bombs were sold between 2017 and 2020. If you’re wondering whether yours is one of them, here’s what to look for:

• Model number: GPC625
• Capacity: Six quarts
• Appearance: Digital display with button controls, stainless steel and black plastic finish
• Where sold: Primarily at Best Buy, but also at other retailers and online platforms
• Price range: $50 to $80

These cookers were manufactured in China, and honestly, at this point, it doesn’t matter if you scored yours on sale or paid full price—it’s not worth the risk.

What You Should Do Right This Second

The CPSC’s advice is crystal clear: Stop using these pressure cookers immediately and dispose of them. Don’t donate them. Don’t sell them on Facebook Marketplace. Don’t give them to your neighbor who’s “super careful in the kitchen.” Just get rid of them.

I know it feels wasteful to toss out a kitchen appliance that might have cost you 80 bucks, but consider the alternative: hospital bills for burn treatment, potential scarring, and the general trauma of having your dinner literally explode in your face.

If you’ve experienced any incidents with this product—whether you got injured or just had a close call—report it to the CPSC at SaferProducts.gov. Your experience could help protect other people.

The Bigger Picture on Product Safety

This whole situation highlights something that really grinds my gears: Sometimes companies prioritize covering their assets over protecting consumers. When both the manufacturer and the retailer refuse to cooperate with safety officials, that tells you everything you need to know about their priorities.

The good news? The CPSC isn’t backing down. By law, they’re required to warn the public about these hazards, and they’re doing exactly that—even without the companies’ cooperation.

The pressure cooker category has had some issues lately. Just last week, there was another recall for Ambiano pressure cookers sold at ALDI for similar reasons. It makes you wonder what’s going on with quality control in this product category.

Final Thoughts: Don’t Mess Around with This

I get it—pressure cookers are convenient. They cut cooking time in half and make weeknight dinners feasible for busy families. But convenience means nothing if you end up in the ER with burns covering your hands and arms.

If you own a Gourmia GPC625 pressure cooker, please take this seriously. Disconnect it, cut the cord, box it up, and dispose of it properly. Then treat yourself to a replacement from a brand that actually cares about customer safety (and maybe read some reviews first).

Your future self—with intact, non-burned skin—will thank you.