TIP How to quickly, open a STUCK CLOSED, COLD, PRESSURE/cooker CANNER LID-Photos added

ainitfunny

ainitfunny

Saved, to glorify God.
Learn from a weak OLD gramma that has learned this in the school of hard knocks. DON'T Wreck your pressure cooker, hit or knock it, or break off the handles YOU DON'T NEED TO.

THIS will safely, quickly, open that cooker first time, EVERY TIME, (no matter how convinced you are that somebody welded it closed while you weren't looking) without disturbing the contents one bit:

FIRST, MAKE SURE THE CANNER IS COLD AND/OR ALL PRESSURE IS VENTED OFF, THEN DETERMINE WHICH WAY THE TOP OR LID MUST GO FOR IT TO COME OFF (usually the lid must turn counterclockwise - to the right).

THEN, MAKE A DOUBLED (FOR STRENGTH) LOOP OF STRONG CORD (or wire) (I use parachute cord but any cord will work, if it is smaller, make more loops) putting ONE END OF THE LOOP OVER ONE HANDLE OF THE TOP OR LID...........RUN THE LOOP OF CORD AROUND THE BASE OF THE POT TO THE LEFT AND DRAPE THE OTHER END OF THE LOOP AROUND ONE HANDLE OF THE BOTTOM OR POT. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE MADE THE LOOP BIG AND LOOSE ENOUGH TO GET SOMETHING LONG (I USE A COUPLE WOODEN SPOONS OR A ROLLING PIN) UNDER THE CORD AND USE IT TO START TWISTING THE CORD OF THE LOOP MAKING IT TIGHTER AND TIGHTER AND AS IT TIGHTENS IT WILL OPEN THE CANNER IF YOU HAVE THE LOOP RUNNING IN THE CORRECT DIRECTION TO LOOSEN AND OPEN.

Photos added in POST #19
 
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Fleataxi

Fleataxi

Inactive
aintitfunny: You could also try warming up the canner. Once it's warm to the touch, it should open easily (metal expands as it warms - that's why they use seals on pressure cookers.)

Fleataxi
 
ainitfunny

ainitfunny

Saved, to glorify God.
Been there, tried that. Didn't work. When it doesn't ....THIS IS THE FAILPROOF way to absolutely, instantly open the loaded canner first time, WITHOUT heating, moving or picking up the loaded canner in trying "maybe" it will work methods.
 
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Brutus

Brutus

Inactive
Aint,

Proud as you must be of your "weak old gramma" method, reheating the pot a bit will most certainly break the seal and free the lid.

It's simple physics.

:rolleyes:
 
R

Running Dog

Inactive
My canner does not have gaskets. If it is stuck, that is because it didn't put on the Vaseline, like the book says. Needs application about every fourth load. Any way, once you are very sure the steam is done, I put a tooth pick in the hole just to be sure. I use a large screw driver and pry it open. This is hard to describe with out a picture. I put the tool between the top and bottom and a quick press and it pops open. The tool does not go inside the pot.( The area where you would put the vaseline.) That would wreck the canner. The book explains where to do this.
 
ainitfunny

ainitfunny

Saved, to glorify God.
Brutus said:
Aint,

Proud as you must be of your "weak old gramma" method, reheating the pot a bit will most certainly break the seal and free the lid.

It's simple physics.

:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Your "physics" theory DOES NOT WORK MOST OF THE TIME(Probably because it is the hRUBBER GASKET that has stuck to the metal of both lid and pot and won't let them slide.) Expansion of metals is IRRELEVANT to opening stuck pot.

The last time I had to use this method, THE CANNER PRESSURE HAD JUST RELEASED AND THE DAMNED CANNER WAS AS HOT AS YOU CAN GET ONE and it wouldn't open. After it cooled I tried rewarming it and still no luck (EVEN WITH SRONG 18 YR OLD GRANDSON HELPING!). THEN two minutes with parachute cord and BINGO I open it all by myself.

Years ago, before I figured out this quick fix, I had company who had come for a pot roast dinner AND 3 HUSKY men could NOT open the pressure cooker and we tried re-heating it, heating lid and chilling base and everything they could think of so after an hour and a half we went out to eat at a restaurant. I ended up throwing away the pressure cooker with both handles broken off from all the "tricks" the guys tried AND THE BIG POT ROAST STILL INSIDE!!
 
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Brutus

Brutus

Inactive
I ended up throwing away the pressure cooker with both handles broken off from all the "tricks" the guys tried AND THE BIG POT ROAST STILL INSIDE!!
Click to expand...
You know, if you were going to sh*tcan the cooker anyhow, you could've at least busted it open with a big hammer and recovered the roast, which was surely worth quite a few $$$$.

:rolleyes:
 
ainitfunny

ainitfunny

Saved, to glorify God.
Brutus said:
You know, if you were going to sh*tcan the cooker anyhow, you could've at least busted it open with a big hammer and recovered the roast, which was surely worth quite a few $$$$.

:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I don't know how big your hammer is but no hammer the guys found succeeded in opening it even by trying to "bust" it open, we tried that. It was a rather small pressure cooker so it was comparatively thick walled. Nobody wanted to bother hacksawing it cause that would have made the meat inedible anyway. Too bad I hadn't learned by then how to open a stuck pressure cooker.
 
M

Michiana MaJo

Deceased
Your tip came too late for me, Ain't-----a few years ago, I pitched a beautiful Mirro canner, because I couldn't figure how to open it.

I replaced it with an All American canner, which has the metal-on-metal base and top, so I never have to worry about it sticking shut. I read so many great reviews about this canner, on TB2K, so got one, and am really glad for how easy this one is to use.
 
Wise Owl

Wise Owl

Deceased
All my cookers (I have three sizes) are gasket models. I had the small one stick once but brute pressure on my part did manage to get it open. The trick to it not sticking is to make sure the gasket is really clean before you close that lid. Also that the pot is clean really good. Any kind of grease or food stuck on that didn't get cleaned off will create a problem later and you will hate the results. I usually run the gasket under really hot water just before I seal the pan up after drying it really good.

I love my pressure cookers. Short work to make tough meat edible and really tasty. Like venison or moose meat or anything that is tough to chew. I can make a tough roast fall apart in around 60 mins.

Thanks for the tip tho. I will remember that!
 
E

Emily

One Day Closer
I am not very knowledgeable about these things but I wanted to ask a question.

Would it be helpful to put vaseline on the gaskets before sealing? I notice one person doesn't use gaskets but uses vaseline. Maybe adding that lubricant to the gasket will eliminate the possibility of sticking.

Is this not a good idea?
 
Satanta

Satanta

Stone Cold Crazy
_______________
Yo Brutus. It's a tip. Use it or do not ise it but refuting one tip is assinine.

Don't know if it works or not but have dealt with the frelling lid not coming off so I'll try it.

I will also try reheating the canner.

If one or both works then I am ahead by two points.

So thanks to both for the tips, now knock of the teen food fighting.

Thanks.
 
Walrus Whisperer

Walrus Whisperer

Hope in chains...
Emily,
Vaseline WILL make rubber deteriate. Theres one certain kind of canner that is a metal on metal with no gasket-its the kind that needs the vaseline.
 
ainitfunny

ainitfunny

Saved, to glorify God.
Ok folks here are the photos showing what I did: Just use something (I used rolling pin) to twist loop tighter and tighter till lid opens,
 

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N

Nana

Senior Member
Thanks so much Aintfunny. Saved your pictures for future reference. (Hope I don't need them though. :) )
 
Brutus

Brutus

Inactive
That's reminiscent of an old steel fitter's trick I've seen used. When you have two pieces of beam, etc. that don't quite meet at a corner, throw a loop of chain around the opposite side member and twist it in the middle with a large wrench, piece of pipe, etc. until it draws the two together.

:)
 
E

Emily

One Day Closer
Walrus Whisperer said:
Emily,
Vaseline WILL make rubber deteriate. Theres one certain kind of canner that is a metal on metal with no gasket-its the kind that needs the vaseline.
Click to expand...

Thank you. I guess that makes since - I believe they are both a petroleum product so they would 'marry' again.

I learned that the hard way. My husband and I were on our boat and we had engine problems so we pulled up under a bridge for him to fix it.
There was a problem with the fuel line He asked me to quick give him something to catch the fuel in and I handed him a Styrofoam cup.

Needless to say the fuel went right through it since they are made from the same 'stuff'

We had a good chuckle about it and he said, next time - don't hand me Styrofoam. :lkick:
 
H

Hermit

Inactive
By the way, styrofoam dissolved into gasoline makes something evil, I'll bet Echelon's ears just perked up a bit.
 
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