If you’ve just finished cooking in your pressure cooker, depressurized the appliance, enjoyed your meal and now found that the lid has stuck to the unit, then take a step back, keep calm, and listen up. Your pressure cooker isn’t broken or damaged (I thought it was when I experienced this for the first time).
My pressure cooker has stuck countless times and I have removed the lid successfully using a couple of simple methods that I’ll share in this article.
But first, we must identify the problem. Is the lid stuck or is the pressure cooker just pressurized, which, in turn, prevents the user from opening the lid?
Well, while most of us know that a pressure cooker must release pressure before you can open up the lid, a first-time user may not know this. Pressure can be released two ways, the first method is a natural release which is done by letting the pressure cooker release pressure gradually once you’ve finished cooking. The venting knob should still be on “sealed” for this option.
The other way is by switching the venting knob to “venting”, which releases the pressure by opening up an escape path for the steam inside the cooker – this method is much faster. However, there are situations where the slow, natural release is better suited than the quick release. I’ll explain later in the article.
If you have released the pressure, even removed the meal, and still can’t get the lid to open, then we’ve got another problem. That leads us to the question.
What Should I Do To Open Up a Jammed Pressure Cooker Lid?
Even after the heat is turned off, the internal pressure inside the vessel can cause the lid to stuck to the main unit. The cooker’s traditional ways of releasing pressure may not help in this situation. We must find another way to remove the vacuum that may have developed when the cooker was depressurizing.
Instead, I recommend trying one of these methods.
If Your Stovetop Pressure Cooker Lid Is Stuck
The cold-water method described below should not be used on an electric pressure cooker.
- Reheat the cooker: Place the pressure cooker back on the heat source to release the vacuum. Let the gauge reach 0 before you remove it.
- Cool the cooker: After heating the cooker, remove it from the heat source and place it in the sink. Run cool water over the cooker. Important: Do not block the vent hole or run water over it.
- Pressing: With little force, press down on the center of the lid while turning it.
- Tapping: If step number 3 didn’t do the work – try tapping the pressure cooker’s brim with an object that doesn’t damage the cooker, preferably something made of rubber. This can lower the pressure inside the cooker.
- Repeat: Try pressing down on the lid and turning it once again. The lid should be open by now. If it isn’t, try repeating the steps one more time.
If Your Float Valve Hasn’t Dropped Yet
On top of the pressure cooker’s lid, there’s a little metal pin – the float valve. The float valve rises when the cooker has come to pressure and drops when the cooker is depressurized. When the pin is up, the cooker can’t be opened.
While the float valve is a strong indication of the amount of pressure inside the cooker, the float valve itself can also jam – preventing the user from opening the lid.
If you’ve waited for a long time, you can assume that the pressure cooker has depressurized and that the float valve is stuck. But to be sure, I strongly advise that you only use this method if the pressure cooker hasn’t been heated or pressurized for a couple of hours.
This can be fixed easily by doing the following.
- Poke or tap the float valve using object of your choice, preferably nothing sharp. The float valve should drop.
- Open up the cooker.
Chances are the meal you cooked gummed up the float valve and jammed it. Clean the appliance thoroughly before using it again.
If Your Silicone Ring Is Sticking To The Lid
The silicone ring that’s located around the pressure cooker’s rim is exposed to a lot of different foods and temperatures over the course of a year. Which, of course, means that the ring itself can be quite sticky.
If your float valve has dropped, but you’re still having problems opening the lid, the lid may have stuck to the silicone ring.
Opening up a pressure cooker lid that’s stuck to the silicone ring is an easy task. Do the following.
- Firmly turn the lid back and forth to separate the lid and the sticky silicone ring.
- Wash the silicone ring, in the dishwasher or the sink to keep it clean.
Make sure that the float valve has dropped before you start turning the lid back and forth. You don’t want to force a pressurized cooker open. It is nearly impossible to open a pressurized cooker but I strongly advise against trying – for your safety.
How Long Do You Have To Wait Before You Can Open a Pressure Cooker?
In a universe where your pressure cooker hasn’t jammed, it would rarely take more than 20-30 minutes before your cooker was fully depressurized and ready to be opened. Oftentimes, it takes less than 20 minutes for a cooker to depressurize. The time it takes to increase and decrease pressure varies depending on:
When it comes to releasing pressure, the venting switch makes the biggest difference. It has two options, releasing pressure naturally by letting the cooker sit or opening the release hole which blasts hot steam out of the cooker – lowering the pressure.
- Natural release: The cooker will release pressure by just letting it sit once you’ve finished cooking. You don’t have to do anything. Once the appliance cools down, it will release pressure. Once the float valve drops, the pressure release is complete.
- This method may take anywhere between 5-30 minutes. It is best used when cooking foods that create a lot of foam when cooked – like beans and oatmeal. By using the natural release method, you’ll give the foam time to set.
- Quick release: When finished cooking, the cooker’s venting valve is switched from sealed to “open” or “venting” and the accumulated pressure is released directly. Keep in mind that the steam blasting out of the cooker is extremely hot and will burn you if you don’t use caution. Use pot holders and protect your face and hands when releasing pressure.
- This method releases pressure in a matter of minutes and is, therefore, perfect when cooking food that you don’t want to overcook.
When it comes to increasing the pressure, there’s more to consider than just the venting knob.
- The amount of liquid inside your cooker
- The temperature of the liquid (cold water will take longer to come to a boil than hot water)
- The size of the cooker
- The wattage of an electric pressure cooker
- If the ingredients are frozen or fresh