Mum Traumatised After Popular Aldi Pressure Cooker 'Explodes'

A mum has shared a serious warning after she was injured and her son was traumatised after their Aldi pressure cooker “exploded” in their kitchen.

Giovanna Simonetti, from Sydney, spoke to 7NEWS.com.au saying that she was preparing chicken stock in her Crofton 2017 Aldi pressure cooker.

Her young son and his friend were in the kitchen with her when they heard a loud noise.

“I was hit by a flying hot lid and was burning covered in boiling water,” the mum recalled.

“We were all shaking in panic.”

Traumatic

The mum endured the brunt of the boiling water, while her son miraculously escaped injury. However, Ms Simonetti said that her son was “traumatised” by the incident, saying that he doesn’t want to leave his mum’s side.

“He can’t see me cooking or he screams that I’ll get hurt if I do that. He keeps describing the explosion and boiling water going everywhere and hurting me.”

Ms Simonetti had a cold shower straight after the incident, then went to their local hospital for treatment. She sustained burns on her head, face, neck, shoulder, back and arm.

“I now have to go to the doctor to check on my burns every two days,” she said.

“It will take a while to get things back to normal.”

Recall

The Crofton Chef’s Collection 6L Pressure Cooker by H&H Asia was sold in Aldi stores from 28 June, 2017 until 21 July 2017. In August the same year, the product was recalled due to a defective lid locking mechanism and a scalding risk.

Despite the recall being advertised in store, on social media and on the Aldi website, Ms Simonetti expressed concern that many people may still not know about this. She said that she didn’t want the same thing to happen to others.

Crofton aldi pressure cooker

Didn’t Know About The Recall

The mum said she was a regular Aldi shopper but had never noticed any signs about the recall.

“I was also sent notifications about their products through their app but they never notified me of this recall.”

A CHOICE report stated that:
“Six people have sustained serious injuries after the pressure cookers they bought from Aldi Australia “exploded”, spraying them with liquids pressurised to reach temperatures above 100ºC and allegedly causing burns to their face, eyes, upper body, arms and torso.”

According to CHOICE, “there were 6602 pressure cookers that had not yet been returned to Aldi Australia as of 10 November (2017), according to the most recent data provided by the ACCC.”

Aldi Responds

An Aldi Australia spokesperson spoke to 7NEWS.com.au saying:

“ALDI strictly complies with all ACCC requirements regarding recalls and in this case, due diligence has been given to ensure that customers were made aware of the product’s fault.”

This is so concerning. Do you have an Aldi pressure cooker or any other pressure cooker? Tell us in the comments below.

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33 Comments

- - meedee said
  - 29 Dec 2023
    11:14 am
Mum used to use a pressure cooker all the time when i was a kid. Never had an issue with it.

- - hopefullyheidi said
  - 03 Mar 2022
    9:17 pm
I’ve always had reservations about pressure cookers. I’ve never really been tempted to get one.

- - mom466291 said
  - 06 Mar 2021
    7:53 am
Recalls don’t really get to everyone which I feel is a floored process but no idea what else they could do . at least with major aplicances you usually add your details at stores like the good guys and such, but not with these smaller.items that DA be just as dangerous

- - mom112217 said
  - 05 Jan 2021
    5:06 pm
A horrible accident,hope she recovers fully.

- - mom62624 said
  - 18 Dec 2020
    2:36 pm
We don’t have one but it is very concerning.

- - BellaB said
  - 02 Dec 2020
    7:31 pm
I have always been scared of pressure cookers for exactly this reason.

- - ashna9 said
  - 01 Dec 2020
    9:21 pm
I’m glad she wasn’t worse hurt. How scary.

- - mom462038 said
  - 16 Nov 2020
    8:26 pm
It would be terrifying. Shes lucky it wasn’t a lot worse as it could easily have been

- - nadine_hill said
  - 16 Nov 2020
    3:46 pm
I don’t own a pressure cooker, I’ve never had one. I can’t recall seeing problems like this before … everyone I know who has one have never had any issues ….

- - celebrity said
  - 16 Nov 2020
    11:41 am
No I don’t have one but that is horrendous!

- - rovermum said
  - 16 Nov 2020
    8:48 am
OMG. This is so dangerous. This info needs to be shared widely. Those injuries are serious and could have been worse.

- - Gwen2620 said
  - 16 Nov 2020
    8:02 am
I have a pressure cooker. My mum had a pressure cooker. Neither of us have ever experienced any problems. Even if mine did malfunction, that is 1 out of how many? This is fear mongering. Why buy a car, it could burst into flames. Why buy anything, it could be a lemon.

Pressure cookers are a great time saver. Unfortunately, the Aldi one was incorrectly manufactured and a recall was issued. Recalls happen all the time. It is up to us, the consumers to check.

It is very sad that the child was so traumatized and needs to get professional help.

- - tessie said
  - 15 Nov 2020
    11:36 am
I’ve never used a pressure cooker and certainly wouldn’t buy a cheap brand one anyway. When I worked at KFC many, many years ago one of the workers went to take the lid off and the part that lets the steam out before you remove the lid flew off and hit him in the head. He ended up with a massive dent in his forehead. He’d been working there for over 30 years so he knew what he was doing. It was difficult to believe but he was only off work for a short while before he was back at work.

- - tytara1999 said
  - 15 Nov 2020
    8:19 am
Have used a pressure cooker for years and never had a problem once the pressure is up you put top bit on and turn down to lowest temp you have mine is a Hawkins its very old but if you read instructions it is safe and cooks so beautifully love mine
- Ellen replied
  
  16 Nov 2020 , 8:45 am
  I’m glad you never had a problem.
- - mom101628 said
  - 14 Nov 2020
    11:27 pm
Don’t have one, but can remember my mum having an accident with a Namco one many years ago and the food ending up on the ceiling. I have been extremely wary of them ever since.

- - Forgetful Mumma said
  - 14 Nov 2020
    8:02 pm
Pressure cookers are dangerous things. You are literally using it to boil water/liquid at high temperatures without a vent for the steam building up to escape. I’d never use one of those.
- Ellen replied
  
  15 Nov 2020 , 9:32 am
  Yes I think they’re dangerous and somewhat unpredictable too
- - mom109199 said
  - 14 Nov 2020
    3:33 pm
I would never purchase a cheap brand pressure cooker…or any really cheap appliances other than maybe a kettle or toaster. I have had bad experiences, thankfully not with a pressure cooker, but those experiences taught me a lesson.

- - Jbuttxx said
  - 14 Nov 2020
    7:59 am
This is so scary! And so easily missed when things are recalled

- - sars_angelchik said
  - 14 Nov 2020
    6:54 am
More testing needs to be done on these types of products before they hit shelves.

- - mom472650 said
  - 13 Nov 2020
    11:55 pm
I’d never buy a “cheap” pressure cooker. Apart from any other consideration, these things need spare parts from time to time, and they’re unlikely to be available for anything except the better brands.

But this story is worse. This is the stuff that left people wondering whether or not to HAVE a pressure cooker, at all, back in the early days of pressure cookers. When one of them explodes, they can not merely make one hell of a mess, they become like a bomb, and can seriously injure or even kill anyone in the room at the time.

I haven’t personally heard any such stories for half a century. I suspect there’s definitely more to this story and that a “product recall” is not the answer to the questions that surround this episode. To me, that’s just a cover up and an attempt to “kill” the real story. And BTW there wouldn’t even be a “recall” alongside this episode if there hadn’t been other similar problems with the product.