The encyclopedia · Product & Design · Product decision · 2025
Ninja Foodi: a pressure lid that opened while the pot was sealed
SharkNinja's Foodi multi-cooker could pop its pressure lid mid-cook and spray hot food. 2 million sold; 106 burns; recalled May 2025.
SharkNinja · 2025-05-01
What happened
SharkNinja sold the Foodi OP300 series as a multi-cooker that air-fries and pressure-cooks in one appliance. The pressure-cooking lid was the selling point — until it became the hazard: the lid could open while the pot was still sealed and pressurized, ejecting hot contents.
By the time the CPSC announced the recall on May 1, 2025, SharkNinja had logged 106 burn incidents, more than 50 of them second- or third-degree burns to the face or body, and 26 lawsuits. About 1.85 million units had sold in the US and another 184,000 in Canada since 2019.
The remedy was a free replacement lid, and consumers were told to stop using only the pressure-cooking function. The product was not withdrawn — the component that held the pressure was. A design choice meant to make the lid easy to open had made it openable at the worst possible moment.
Why it happened
- The pressure lid could open during use, ejecting hot contents — a safety lock that did not hold
- 106 burn incidents, over 50 with second- or third-degree burns, and 26 lawsuits by May 2025
- About 2 million Foodi OP300 units recalled (1.85M US + 184K Canada); buyers told to stop pressure-cooking
The lesson
A safety lock that can be defeated is a recall waiting to happen. If a lid can open while the pot is sealed, someone will do it; the mechanism must make it impossible, not merely improbable.
Sources
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