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On February 24, 2026, the CPSC warned consumers to immediately stop using Gourmia Pressure Cookers due to serious burn hazards. [1] The agency reported five incidents where hot contents were expelled under pressure, with four cases resulting in severe burn injuries, and noted that at least two lawsuits have been filed by consumers alleging burn injuries.
Product Details
The recalled pressure cookers are Gourmia six-quart digital pressure cookers, model number GPC625. The units feature stainless steel and black plastic finishes, a pressure lid, digital temperature and function display, and button controls.
Approximately 43,500 units were sold between 2017 and 2020 at Best Buy, other retailers, and e-commerce platforms for between $50 and $80. The products were manufactured in China and imported by The Steelstone Group, LLC doing business as Gourmia, of Brooklyn, New York.
Dangerous Design Defects
The Gourmia pressure cookers contain three critical design defects that create serious burn hazards. The lid can open while the cooker is still pressurized, causing hot contents to spray out and result in severe second-degree burn injuries.
The pressure cooker’s float valve is located inside the handle where it is difficult to see. The float valve is designed to raise when there is pressure in the product and drop when there is no pressure, but consumers may not see that the valve is still raised and may reasonably believe it is safe to open the lid when the pressure cooker is actually under pressure.
The inner pot contains incorrect volume markings. This defect can cause consumers to overfill the pot, leading to hot food and liquids being ejected when the pressure cooker is vented using the quick release method or opened while contents are pressurized.
Burn Injuries Reported
The CPSC has received five reports of incidents in which hot contents were expelled under pressure from Gourmia pressure cookers. Four of these cases resulted in severe burn injuries to consumers.
At least two lawsuits have been filed by consumers alleging burn injuries from the defective pressure cookers. The burn injuries are classified as severe second-degree burns resulting from hot food and liquids spraying onto victims when the lid opened prematurely.
Refusal to Conduct Recall
The importer, The Steelstone Group, LLC doing business as Gourmia, of Brooklyn, New York, has refused to agree to an acceptable recall to address the burn hazard. Best Buy Co., Inc. of Richfield, Minnesota, which sold the majority of the products, has also refused to agree to an acceptable recall.
The CPSC took the unusual step of issuing a public safety warning after the companies refused to cooperate with a voluntary recall. Under section 6(b) of the Consumer Product Safety Act, the CPSC is required to include comments from the manufacturer or a summary thereof; the company objects to the press release.
CPSC Consumer Warning
The CPSC urges consumers to stop using the Gourmia pressure cookers immediately and dispose of them. Consumers should not sell or give away these hazardous pressure cookers.
Federal law prohibits any person from selling products subject to a Commission-ordered recall or a voluntary recall undertaken in consultation with the CPSC. Consumers who continue using the defective pressure cookers face serious risk of second-degree burn injuries from hot contents expelled under pressure.
Legal Theories for Lawsuits
Consumers injured by Gourmia pressure cookers may pursue several legal claims against the manufacturer, importer, and retailers. Strict products liability claims can be asserted because the pressure cookers were defectively designed with hidden float valves, incorrect volume markings, and lids that open prematurely while pressurized.
Failure to warn claims may be viable since the products lacked adequate warnings about the serious risk of burn injuries from hot contents spraying out when lids open under pressure. The hidden location of the float valve inside the handle meant consumers could not reasonably determine whether it was safe to open the lid.
Negligence claims can allege the importer and retailers breached their duty to provide safe products by distributing pressure cookers with three separate design defects known to cause severe burn injuries. The refusal to conduct a voluntary recall after multiple burn injury reports and lawsuits demonstrates willful and wanton disregard for consumer safety.
Breach of warranty claims assert that Gourmia and Best Buy impliedly warranted the pressure cookers were merchantable and fit for ordinary use. Instead, the products were unreasonably dangerous and caused severe burn injuries during normal operation when consumers attempted to open the lids.
Damages Available
Victims of Gourmia pressure cooker burn injuries may recover compensatory damages for medical expenses including emergency room treatment, hospitalization, burn wound care, skin grafts, and ongoing treatment for severe second-degree burns. Additional compensation may be available for pain and suffering, permanent scarring and disfigurement, lost wages during recovery, and diminished quality of life.
Punitive damages may be warranted given the manufacturer’s and retailer’s refusal to conduct a recall despite knowing about multiple severe burn injuries and pending lawsuits. The companies’ decision to continue selling the defective products and refuse cooperation with the CPSC demonstrates conscious disregard for consumer safety that may support punitive damage awards.
Best Buy’s Role and Liability
Best Buy Co., Inc. of Richfield, Minnesota sold the majority of the approximately 43,500 Gourmia pressure cookers distributed in the United States. Despite being informed by the CPSC about the serious burn hazard and multiple injury reports, Best Buy refused to agree to an acceptable recall to remove the dangerous products from consumers’ homes.
As the primary retailer of these defective pressure cookers, Best Buy may face liability for continuing to sell products with known design defects that caused severe burn injuries. Retailers have a duty to ensure the products they sell to consumers are reasonably safe for intended use and to cooperate with safety recalls when hazards are identified.
Class Action Potential
With approximately 43,500 defective Gourmia pressure cookers sold nationwide between 2017 and 2020, a class action lawsuit could be appropriate to address the widespread distribution of these dangerous products. Multiple consumers have experienced similar burn injuries from the same design defects involving premature lid opening, hidden float valves, and incorrect volume markings.
A class action would allow all affected consumers to seek compensation collectively and could compel the manufacturer and retailers to implement a proper recall program that they have refused to conduct voluntarily. Economic damages for consumers who purchased defective pressure cookers but were fortunate enough not to suffer injuries could also be recovered through class certification.
Contact an Attorney
If you or a loved one suffered burn injuries from a Gourmia pressure cooker when hot contents sprayed out after the lid opened prematurely, contact an experienced product liability attorney immediately. The CPSC has confirmed multiple severe burn injury cases and at least two lawsuits have already been filed, establishing that these pressure cookers contain dangerous design defects.
Time limits apply to filing product liability lawsuits, and critical evidence including the pressure cooker, packaging, model number GPC625, receipt from Best Buy or other retailers, medical records documenting burn injuries, and photographs of injuries must be preserved. An attorney can investigate whether your pressure cooker contained the defective float valve, incorrect volume markings, and premature lid-opening mechanism; determine the full extent of burn injuries and required medical treatment; pursue compensation from the importer, manufacturer, and retailers who sold these defective products; and hold Best Buy and Gourmia accountable for refusing to conduct a voluntary recall despite knowing about severe burn injuries to multiple consumers.
References
1. https://www.cpsc.gov/Warnings/2026/CPSC-Warns-Consumers-to-Immediately-Stop-Using-Gourmia-Pressure-Cookers-Due-to-Serious-Burn-Hazard-Multiple-Burn-Injuries-Reported-Majority-Sold-at-Best-Buy