5 sourced reports, with what to check before you buy. Each one links to the page it was reported on.
Costly or dangerous
Duo Nova 60 lid blew off while pressurized, scalding user (lawsuit report)
A legal-news report on an Alabama plaintiff's lawsuit (filed July 9 in the U.S. District Court of Illinois) states the Duo Nova 60's lid suddenly blew off while the cooker was still pressurized, causing severe burns. The article notes the Duo Nova is advertised with 11 built-in safety features.
What to check. This adds a third, independently reported instance of the Duo Nova lid opening under pressure. The failure mode is the same: the lid releases while pressure remains, ejecting scalding contents.
Duo Nova 60 lid opened under retained pressure causing burn injuries (court complaint)
A Texas federal court complaint (Civil Action No. 1:26-cv-2058) names the Duo Nova 60 and alleges the lid could be rotated and removed while the cooker retained pressure, causing burn injuries to the plaintiff on July 18, 2021.
What to check. This is an independent second court filing on the same Duo Nova lid defect, this time for the 60 (6-quart) variant. It corroborates the claim that the lid can open under pressure on this series.
Duo Nova 80 lid removable under pressure, ejecting scalding contents (court complaint)
A U.S. federal court complaint (Case 3:24-cv-05232-TMC) names the Duo Nova 80 specifically and alleges the lid can be rotated and removed while the cooker still holds pressure, so scalding contents are ejected onto the user. The plaintiff reports burn injuries on September 24, 2020.
What to check. Treat the Duo Nova's lid-locking claim with caution: the complaint alleges the lid can open under residual pressure despite the advertised safety features. If you own this model, never force the lid and only open it after the float valve has fully dropped.
Duo Nova violent pressure release through lid seal scattered contents 15 feet (incident report)
An incident report (No. 20260105-64920-2147324847) dated January 5, 2026 describes a Duo Nova violently expelling all internal pressure and contents through the lid seal, with debris scattered up to 15 feet and a gunshot-like sound. The report states no one was injured only because bystanders were about 30 feet away.
What to check. This documents a violent, uncontrolled pressure release through the lid seal on the Duo Nova. It is a recent (2026) incident and reinforces the burn/projectile hazard on this model.
Manufacturer manual: turn off if steam escapes from sides of lid; check sealing ring
The manufacturer's own Duo Nova manual instructs the user to turn the appliance off if steam escapes from the sides of the lid and to ensure the sealing ring is properly installed, identifying the sealing ring as the part that must hold the lid seal.
What to check. The sealing ring is the wear part that maintains the lid seal; the manual says to replace it every 12-18 months or when stretched/deformed. Steam leaking from the lid sides is the warning sign the manual tells you to act on.
These reports come from the pages linked under each item: owner forums, repair guides and workshops. They are not a diagnosis of any one unit, and a careful check of the one you are buying still applies.
Text from the Kriko Instant Pot electric pressure cookers catalog, version 0.1.1, under the CC-BY-SA-4.0 license.
