is this pressure cooker safe?

lelole

Hi, I was lucky enough to get a pressure cooker from Freecycle today, and it all looks good and relatively unused, except the base is not flat it is slightly concave, so when I put it on my gas ring it wobbles.

I have never owned a pressure cooker before, so not sure if this is normal, but i am assuming it is damaged??

thanks

Lelole

ubamother

I don't know for definite, but my old one, and my new one both dead flat bases, and the old one was a 1970's dome model which has only recently been replaced. If it was made flat, it would take some serious pressure to change its shape - so I would guess that its either not been made right, or its had a pressure problem. Personally I'd be wary of using it, but that's just an opinion! Somebody else might know better.

Olliebeak

lelole wrote: »

Hi, I was lucky enough to get a pressure cooker from Freecycle today, and it all looks good and relatively unused, except the base is not flat it is slightly concave, so when I put it on my gas ring it wobbles.

I have never owned a pressure cooker before, so not sure if this is normal, but i am assuming it is damaged??

thanks

Lelole

Do you know what make it is? You could try visiting their website and sending them a query - don't have to say you got it from Freecycle.

Just tell them you've had it for a while and have only just noticed this about the base, then ask them if it should be like that or would you be better not using it.

I recently had a pressure cooker given to me (already have a Prestige Hi-dome) but this one had no instructions and completely unlike anything I've seen before. I contacted the manufacturers and they sent me a pdf document of instructions for the Model No. - very obliging of them.

Good luck .

Farway

Sounds like it has had an excess pressure problem which has caused the pan to "balloon"

I would be very wary because what may not be visible is some sort of metal fatigue or microscopic cracks

Woofles

I would be very wary too, all pressure cookers have a safety valve that will blow out if it gets to too high a pressure, (never experienced it thank goodness) to cause that amount of distortion on something that is intended to be under pressure sounds like serious misuse.

lelole

Thanks all, it does sound like it is seriously damaged then, I won't be using it!!

Now all I've got to do is figure out what to do with it... Reluctant to put it in the bin - but I bet they won't recycle it?

Lelole x

Woofles

A bit of googling has suggested that aluminium ones are prone to distortion, if you cook with gas it may still be usable as a big pot but not under pressure.