Instant Brands, Inc., which does business as Instant Pot Company, makes a number of pressure cookers which this class action alleges have a common problem. The complaint calls it “a dangerously defective lid-locking assembly,” which can permit the lid to open while contents are hot and under pressure, allowing the food inside to erupt and potentially injure owners with second- and third-degree burns.
The class for this action is all persons in the US who bought and own an Instant Pot, after September 27, 2013, including any of the following pressure cooker models:
- IP DUO Series
- Lux Series
- Viva Series
- Duo Plus Series
- Duo Evo Plus
- Duo Crisp
- Duo Nova
- Nova Plus
- Smart WiFi
- DUO SV
- Ultra Series
- Max Series
The complaint quotes a number of reports from customers of incidents with the use of the pressure cookers, such as the following: “…I let the pressure release on its own and went over to check on it. I began to open the lid and the top exploded off and the contents of my pot blew out all over my kitchen, leaving first degree burns on my forearms. Plastic lids to jars were melted completely. This product is dangerous…”
The complaint quotes the Instant Brands website as speaking of its first, 2010 pressure cooker, then saying, “Each subsequent Instant Pot product introduction has raised the bar of functionality, user-friendliness and safety.”
“The Instant Pot was designed and manufactured with the specification that the lid cannot be opened with less than 100 pounds of rotational force, applied, gradually, while the contents of the pot are under pressure[,]” the complaint claims. It goes on to add, “Upon information and belief, the intended safety feature of the Instant Pot … was not adequately tested in design and development of the product to ensure that it was reasonably safe under the conditions of reasonably expected use.”
The complaint alleges that, on or around October 26, 2017, Underwriters Laboratories (UL) conducted testing on a new locking pin assembly for Instant Pot’s the DUO60 V2.1 pressure cooker and issued a New certification for the mechanism for the DUO60 V2.1 and some other Instant Pot pressure cookers.
The complaint speculates that the reason Instant Brands designed the new Locking Pin Assembly was that it was aware of the defect. However, the complaint suggests that Instant Brands did not actually use the new design: “Upon information and belief, Instant Brands continued to manufacture the Instant Pot Products without using the new Locking Pin Assembly and may not ever have used the new Locking Pin Assembly.”
According to the complaint, Instant Pot has continued to receive reports from users about its pressure cookers’ defective lid locks and dangerous eruptions, but has not warned consumers or users about the problem, nor has it recalled its pressure cookers, offered consumers the chance to have the lids replaced with a new one with the new Locking Pin Assembly, or offered them an exchange of their old pressure cooker for new ones.
Article Type: LawsuitTopic: Consumer
Most Recent Case Event
Instant Brands Pressure Cookers Open Under Pressure Complaint
June 2, 2022
Instant Brands, Inc., which does business as Instant Pot Company, makes a number of pressure cookers which this class action alleges have a common problem. The complaint calls it “a dangerously defective lid-locking assembly,” which can permit the lid to open while contents are hot and under pressure, allowing the food inside to erupt and potentially injure owners with second- and third-degree burns.
Instant Brands Pressure Cookers Open Under Pressure ComplaintCase Event History
Instant Brands Pressure Cookers Open Under Pressure Complaint
June 2, 2022
Instant Brands, Inc., which does business as Instant Pot Company, makes a number of pressure cookers which this class action alleges have a common problem. The complaint calls it “a dangerously defective lid-locking assembly,” which can permit the lid to open while contents are hot and under pressure, allowing the food inside to erupt and potentially injure owners with second- and third-degree burns.
Instant Brands Pressure Cookers Open Under Pressure Complaint