3 sourced reports, with what to check before you buy. Each one links to the page it was reported on.
Costly or dangerous
Pro Crisp AF 8 pressure cooking lid can be opened while pressurized, ejecting scalding contents (lawsuit)
A product-liability lawsuit (Ulloa v. Instant Brands, Eastern District of Tennessee, filed July 21) names the Pro Crisp AF 8 specifically and alleges the lid could be rotated and opened while the unit remained pressurized, so the scalding contents were ejected onto the user, causing severe burn injuries.
What to check. Treat the lid lock as the critical safety part. If the lid can be turned or opened before pressure has fully released, stop using the unit immediately and do not attempt to open it under pressure; this is the failure mode the lawsuit says causes catastrophic burns.
Owner reports defective pressure sensor — timer runs before pressure is generated and lid can be opened
An owner on the Galaxus Q&A reports that on the Pro Crisp the timer starts before pressure is generated and the lid can be opened, which they attribute to a defective sensor; they note two other identical units did not behave this way.
What to check. If the timer starts before the unit reaches pressure and the lid opens early, the pressure sensor/lock may be faulty — a safety-relevant defect. This is an individual owner report, not a recall; verify against the unit's behavior and contact support if it occurs.
Steam escaping from the side of the lid — manufacturer instructs checking the sealing ring
The manufacturer's own EU safety manual (German) documents that steam escaping from the side of the lid is a known condition and instructs the user to turn the appliance off and verify the sealing ring is seated correctly.
What to check. Steam leaking from the side of the lid means the seal has failed (ring missing, worn, or mis-seated). Check and replace the silicone sealing ring before pressurizing; the manual treats side steam as a condition to stop cooking for.
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.
