How-to
Learn when a pressure cooker gasket needs replacing, how to match the right ring, fit it in seven steps and test the seal before cooking.
A pressure cooker that hisses around the rim, or never quite builds pressure, is usually pointing at one inexpensive part: the sealing ring in the lid. The pot, the lid and the valves are rarely at fault, and swapping the ring takes a few minutes with nothing more than a brush, as long as the right part is on hand.
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A ring wears out slowly, so the first signs are easy to blame on something else. Heat gradually deforms and shrinks it, and rubber that is nicked or dried out lets steam escape as the cooker comes up to pressure. Maker guidance on age varies, from about every two years to every three, and sooner whenever the ring hardens, so check the manual for your model.
Replace the ring when any of these show up:
Rings are sized to the cooker, so the model number is what identifies the right one. It is usually stamped on the bottom of the pot, under a handle or on the lid. If the number is worn, a pencil rubbing over the area on white paper often brings it back.
Capacity and lid style change which ring fits, and the best indian pressure cooker covers both across Hawkins and Prestige models.
The routine is the same on most cookers whose ring sits in a groove under the lid: clean the groove, seat the ring section by section and check it before cooking. Start only when the cooker is cold, empty and fully depressurized. If the manual shows a different order or says to remove lid parts, follow the manual.
A short water-only run shows whether the new ring holds before a meal depends on it. Add water to the maker's minimum liquid level, close the lid and bring the cooker up to pressure slowly, watching and listening for steam at the rim as pressure rises. If it holds, keep it at pressure for about 10 to 15 minutes, then let the pressure fall on its own before opening. If steam escapes steadily, take it off the heat and let the pressure drop completely before touching it.
Once the seal passes, the pressure cooking time guide lists how long dal, rice and meat need.
After each use, wash the ring in warm soapy water, rinse it, dry it and set it back in the lid. Nicks and dried-out rubber are what cause leaks later, so handle it gently and avoid stretching it. Whether a ring wants a thin film of oil depends on the model, so follow the maker's instructions on that. Keep one spare on hand, since rubber ages whether or not the cooker is used.
No. Rings with the same diameter can differ in thickness and in the shape of the rubber, sometimes by about a millimetre. One that is too small leaks around the sides, while one that is too big will not let the lid close, so the model number is the safer way to order.
First check that the groove is clean and the ring is pressed in all the way round. A little moisture on the lid at the start of cooking is normal, but steady leaking that continues with a new ring can mean the rim or lid flange is damaged. The cooker then needs servicing by the maker rather than another ring, and it should come off the heat and be fully depressurized before anyone handles it.