Don’t Make This One Cleaning Mistake with Your Pressure Cooker

If you’ve ever finished making a meal only to dread cleaning your pressure cooker, you were likely pleased to find that many of them are dishwasher safe. There is, however, for caveat to your cleaning.

You shouldn’t place your pressure cooker lid in the dishwasher.

While many of these handy appliances allow you to place the inner container into the dishwasher for easy cleaning, the lid is a different story. It contains the valves that control how well the appliance cooks. Those are precious parts you want to protect.

When you place the lid in the dishwasher, the harsh environment of hot water, rinsing, and dish soap can end up lodging food into those valves and vents. Plus, the detergents and high heat used in dishwashers could damage the silicone and rubber seals. Ultimately, this could lead to your pressure cooker not working as well, or, in the worst-case scenario, it could explode.

In order to clean your lid, you’ll want to remove all the valves and clean them individually with warm, soapy water. Do the same with the top of the lid. Allow to dry and reassemble.

Sure, this might extend how long it takes you to clean up after dinner at night, but it will extend the life of your pressure cooker.