The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is warning consumers to stop using a specific 6-quart pressure cooker immediately after 24 reports of scalding injuries. The importer refused to act.
There's a pressure cooker sitting in hundreds of thousands of American kitchens right now that federal safety regulators say should not be used. The CPSC has issued an urgent warning — not a recall, because the importer refused one — about the Power Quick Pot model Y6D-36. Its lid can open while the unit is still pressurized, sending boiling hot contents flying.
If you bought a 6-quart pressure cooker between 2018 and late 2023, here's what you need to know right now.
- 393,000 — Affected Units
- 24 — Injury Reports
- 0 — Recalls Issued
Do You Own This Pressure Cooker?
Answer four quick questions to find out if your cooker is affected.
What brand name is printed on the front of your pressure cooker?
- Power Quick Pot — This is the exact brand name on the affected units. The CPSC warning applies specifically to 'Power Quick Pot' cookers — keep going to check the other details.
- Instant Pot — Instant Pot is a different brand and is not part of this CPSC warning. Your cooker is not affected by this specific safety alert.
- Another brand — This CPSC warning applies only to the 'Power Quick Pot' brand. Your cooker does not appear to be affected by this specific alert.
- I'm not sure — Check the front panel of your cooker. If 'Power Quick Pot' is printed there, continue through these questions carefully.
What is the capacity of your pressure cooker?
- 6 quart — The affected model is specifically the 6-quart version. Combined with the Power Quick Pot brand, this is a strong indicator your unit may be affected.
- 8 quart — The CPSC warning targets the 6-quart model specifically. An 8-quart Power Quick Pot is not named in this safety warning.
- 3 quart or smaller — The affected model is the 6-quart version. Smaller capacity units are not named in this CPSC warning.
- I don't know — Check the back label of your unit. The CPSC says the affected model number Y6D-36 appears on a label on the back of the cooker.
Have you checked the model number label on the back of your unit?
- Yes — it says Y6D-36 — This is the exact model number the CPSC flagged. Model Y6D-36 is the affected unit. Stop using it immediately.
- Yes — it's a different number — If the model number is not Y6D-36, your cooker is not specifically named in this CPSC safety warning.
- I haven't checked yet — Go check now. The CPSC says the model number Y6D-36 appears on a label on the back of the unit. It's the key identifier for this safety warning.
- The label is missing or unreadable — If you have a 6-quart Power Quick Pot with a black lid, button controls, and a digital display, treat it as potentially affected and stop using it until you can verify the model number.
When did you buy your pressure cooker?
- Between July 2018 and November 2023 — The affected Power Quick Pot units were sold nationwide during exactly this window — July 2018 through November 2023 — for between $44 and $160.
- Before July 2018 — Units sold before July 2018 were not part of the sales period the CPSC identified for affected model Y6D-36.
- After November 2023 — The CPSC's warning covers units sold through November 2023. A purchase made after that date is outside the identified sales window.
- I don't remember — If you're unsure when you bought it, check your purchase records. The affected units were sold between July 2018 and November 2023 for between $44 and $160 at retailers nationwide.
The Power Quick Pot model Y6D-36 has a specific physical profile: a black pressure lid, button controls along the front panel, and a digital display showing temperature and cooking function. The brand name 'Power Quick Pot' is printed on the front, and the model number Y6D-36 appears on a sticker on the back of the unit. If your cooker matches that description, federal safety regulators say dispose of it — do not use it again.
What makes this situation unusual is the word 'warning' instead of 'recall.' The CPSC issued a safety warning rather than a formal recall because Tristar Products Inc., the importer based in Altamonte Springs, Florida, refused to recall the products or offer any remedy to consumers who bought them. The agency estimates roughly 393,000 units reached American homes during the five-year sales window.
What's True and What's Not About This Safety Warning
This is an official product recall.
Verdict: false
The CPSC issued a safety warning, not a recall. The importer, Tristar Products Inc., refused to recall the products or offer any remedy. There is no official recall designation — which means no automatic refund or exchange program exists for consumers.
The affected model is any Power Quick Pot pressure cooker.
Verdict: false
The warning is specific to the 6-quart model Y6D-36. The CPSC identified this model number as the affected unit. Owners of other Power Quick Pot models should still verify their unit but are not specifically named in this warning.
The lid can open while the cooker is still under pressure.
Verdict: true
This is the exact hazard the CPSC identified. The pressure cooker's lid can open while it remains pressurized, which allows hot cooking contents to be expelled suddenly — the mechanism behind the 24 injury reports the agency received.
Consumers can get a refund or repair through the manufacturer.
Verdict: false
Because Tristar Products Inc. refused to issue a recall or offer any remedy, there is no formal refund or exchange program in place. The CPSC's guidance is simply to stop using the product and dispose of it.
The CPSC's safety warning represents a tool the agency uses when it cannot compel a company to act. Without a formal recall, there is no legal requirement for Tristar to contact buyers, provide refunds, or accept returns. That puts the burden squarely on the roughly 393,000 households that may own the cooker to take action on their own.
Burn injuries from pressurized cooking equipment can be severe. When a pressurized lid opens unexpectedly, boiling liquid and steam are released instantly at temperatures well above the normal boiling point. The CPSC's direction is unambiguous: stop using the Power Quick Pot model Y6D-36 and dispose of it — not set it aside, not store it — dispose of it.
Safety Warning vs. Official Recall — What the Difference Means for You
| CPSC Safety Warning | Official Product Recall | |
|---|---|---|
| Legal obligation on company | None — company refused | Required by law |
| Consumer refund or exchange | Not available | Typically offered |
| Company must notify buyers | No | Yes |
| CPSC can enforce remedy | Limited authority | Full enforcement |
| What consumers should do | Stop using, dispose of product | Follow recall remedy instructions |
Report This Product or Get More Information
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: The CPSC issued this safety warning and is tracking reports from consumers who experienced problems with the Power Quick Pot model Y6D-36.
- File a Product Incident Report: If your Power Quick Pot expelled hot contents or you were injured, report it to SaferProducts.gov — your report contributes to the official incident count.
This situation highlights a gap in how federal product safety enforcement works in the United States. The CPSC has broad authority to work with companies on recalls, but when a company refuses, the agency's immediate tools are limited. The safety warning is a public notice mechanism — powerful in terms of alerting consumers, but with no binding effect on the company that imported and sold the product.
Tristar Products Inc. is based in Altamonte Springs, Florida. The nearly 393,000 households that purchased a Power Quick Pot model Y6D-36 between 2018 and 2023 now face the choice of acting on a federal safety warning without any corresponding consumer remedy from the company that sold them the product.
How the CPSC Safety Warning System Works
The CPSC is the federal agency responsible for protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death associated with consumer products. When the agency identifies a hazard, its primary tool is the product recall — a cooperative or compelled agreement with a company to remove dangerous products from use and provide remedies such as refunds, repairs, or replacements.
However, when a company refuses to cooperate with a recall, the CPSC can still issue a public safety warning. This is a formal communication to consumers advising them of a known hazard and urging specific action — in this case, immediate disposal. The warning carries no legal obligation for the company to act but puts the public record and the agency's full authority behind the consumer advisory.
In cases where a company refuses to recall, the CPSC may pursue further legal remedies, including civil penalties or mandatory recall orders through the courts. In the meantime, consumers who own affected products are left without a company-funded remedy and must take protective action on their own.
Sources & References
- Primary source: Scripps News — Kelly Broderick
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission — Safety warning for Power Quick Pot model Y6D-36, 393,000 affected units, 24 injury reports
