Table of Contents
- What the Warning Covers
- Three Design Defects
- Injuries and Lawsuits
- No Recall, No Refund: An Unusual Stand
- What Consumers Should Do
- Why This Matters
- Conclusion
What the Warning Covers
The affected product is the Gourmia Six-Quart Pressure Cooker, model GPC625. About 43,500 units were sold between 2017 and 2020 at Best Buy stores, other retailers, and e-commerce sites for $50 to $80.
The cookers were imported by Steelstone Group, LLC, doing business as Gourmia, based in Brooklyn, NY. Best Buy sold the majority of units.
Three Design Defects
The CPSC identified three separate flaws that can cause hot food or liquid to escape under pressure:
1. Lid can open while pressurized. The lid does not reliably prevent users from opening it while the cooker is still under pressure, exposing them to scalding steam and contents.
2. Float valve hidden inside the handle. The pressure-indicator float valve is positioned inside the handle — an unusual location that makes it difficult to see whether it has dropped, which would signal that it's safe to open. Users may open the lid while the cooker is still pressurized without realizing it.
3. Incorrect volume markings. The inner pot has inaccurate measurement markings that can lead users to unknowingly overfill the cooker. Overfilling increases the force with which super-heated food and liquid can be expelled.
Injuries and Lawsuits
The CPSC received five reports of the pressure cooker expelling hot contents under pressure. Four of those incidents resulted in severe burn injuries — including at minimum, second-degree burns. At least two consumer lawsuits have been filed.
No Recall, No Refund: An Unusual Stand
When the CPSC identifies a safety hazard, manufacturers and retailers typically agree to a voluntary recall that includes consumer refunds or replacements. In this case, both Steelstone Group (Gourmia) and Best Buy refused to agree to an acceptable recall.
The CPSC responded by issuing a public safety warning — a less common action that urges consumers to stop using the product immediately but does not carry the same formal weight as a recall. As of the February 2026 warning, no refund program exists.
Best Buy stated it stopped selling the product when the issue was identified and alerted the CPSC. Its spokesperson directed consumers to contact Steelstone for resolution.
What Consumers Should Do
If you own a Gourmia GPC625 Six-Quart Pressure Cooker:
- Stop using it immediately.
- Do not sell, donate, or give it away — the CPSC specifically warned against passing on this hazardous product.
- Dispose of it.
- Contact Steelstone/Gourmia directly, though no guaranteed refund program is currently in place.
- Report any incidents at SaferProducts.gov.
Why This Matters
Pressure cookers are among the most useful — and highest-risk — appliances in a home kitchen. They dramatically reduce cooking times for everything from dried beans to braised meats, but the combination of high pressure and high temperature means design flaws can cause serious injuries fast.
This case also reveals a gap in consumer protection: when a manufacturer refuses a recall, the CPSC can warn the public but cannot automatically compel a refund. Home cooks who bought this product at a trusted national retailer have no guaranteed route to reimbursement. If you use any pressure cooker — from any brand — always confirm the float valve has fully dropped before opening the lid, never fill past the maximum line, and regularly check your model against the CPSC recall and warning database at cpsc.gov.
Conclusion
The CPSC's February 2026 warning on the Gourmia GPC625 is straightforward: stop using this cooker and dispose of it. The refusal by both the importer and the retailer to issue a formal recall makes the situation harder on consumers, who currently have no formal refund path. If this model is in your kitchen, it should not go back in the cabinet.