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Instant Pot Issues Formal Recall for Gem 65 8-in-1 Multicookers

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Updated, March 1, 2018 at 4:17 P.M.:

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After 107 customer complaints of melting Gem 64 8-in-1 Multicookers in the last week, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Instant Pot issued a formal recall of the models, whose specific product numbers are listed below. An investigation from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) found that the affected models were sold only at Walmart stores.

The CPSC is asking customers to return their malfunctioning units to Walmart to receive free replacements. Of the original 107 complaints of an overheating Instant Pot, five cases reported property damage to the home and kitchen. Instant Pot updated their website to state that the malfunction was caused by "a gap between the bottom of the inner pot and the top surface of the heating plate."

To learn more about the recall, check out this new FAQ on the Gem website.

Updated, February 26, 2018 at 10:12 A.M.: 

An Instant Pot representative confirmed to media outlets that the company will offer a free placement to customers with defective cookers. If you own a Gem 65 8-in-1 Multicooker and find that your cooker is overheating and the bottom is melting, or if your product number is included in the below list, Instant Pot will provide you with a brand new multicooker with no cost.

There is no formal recall yet, but Instant Pot is working with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission to come to a conclusion. No other Instant Pot models have had this malfunction, so Instant Pot feels confident the defect is related only to this model and the below product numbers.

Instant Pot will continue to reach out to customers regarding their products, and will send directions regarding the new multicooker soon if your model is affected.

The original article from February 22, 2018 at 2:17 P.M. is below. 

The Instant Pot Multicooker has been popular among food bloggers for years, but it seems that this year, it was finally discovered by troves of home cooks across the country. As its popularity increases, often replacing a slow cooker or Crock-Pot, so do the complaints about its real functionality around the house. However, the recent news regarding Instant Pot is unsettling.

On February 17, the company posted a long post in the group Instant Pot Community Facebook page, addressing customer concerns about the Gem 65 8-in-1 Multicooker.

Here's the full text of the post.

Dear Valued Customers,

We have received a small number of reports of the Gem 65 8-in-1 Multicooker overheating, resulting in localized melting damage to the underside of the product. We believe the problem only affects batchcodes 1728, 1730, 1731, 1734, and 1746. To verify the 4-digit batchcode, locate the silver label on the underside of the product. The batchcode is the 4-digit number located at the bottom right of the label. We want you to know that we take any problem with our products extremely seriously as safety and quality are our primary concern, and we are working cooperatively with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

We anticipate providing updated information and next steps regarding receiving a replacement Gem 65 8-in-1 Multicooker within the next few weeks. In the meantime, we are asking all our customers with a Gem 65 8-in-1 Multicooker from batchcodes 1728, 1730, 1731, 1734, and 1746 to immediately stop use of the product.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact our Customer Care team at 1.800.828.7280 x2. We are truly sorry for the inconvenience.

Now, the do-anything Instant Pot is asking customers to thoroughly check the bottom of their unit to ensure that their cooker is not negatively affected. If you own one of the Instant Pot models by code mentioned in the above post (1728, 1730, 1731, 1734, and 1746), you are urged to stop using your device immediately.

Following the post, many an Instant Pot user reached out to let the company know about the malfunctions they found on their units. While the number of complaints the company reported was small, it seems that this is not an isolated incident. Many Facebook users are calling out Instant Pot for lagging behind on the recall, saying they were emailed a form letter weeks ago with no follow-up information. Additionally, Instant Pot turned off commenting on the warning post.

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While there is no official recall news from the USDA, make sure to share this article using the bar at the top so your friends and family can check their own Instant Pot cookers. For now, it's best to cook your pork tenderloin and mac and cheese dinner in your slow cooker until we learn more from the Instant Pot company.

We're looking into this story here at Wide Open Eats, so if you have any information regarding your own Instant Pot, malfunctions, and lack of direction, we want to hear from you at feedback@wideopeneats.com.

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