Perhaps you did not put the lid on correctly?

Socks, the dishwasher may have dried it out. It's not seated right or your cooker would have come to pressure. You might try rubbing just a bit of cooking oil on it and trying it again until you can pick up new one, sometimes that helps.

I hand wash mine very carefully in warm soapy water, taking care not to stretch it. And I never put the lid on the cooker with the gasket in place when putting it away, I store with the lid upside down.

My newest cooker, a Fagor, has a silicon gasket. Love it. But I hand wash, air dry that gasket too.

If steam was coming out from under the lid and the pot did not come up to pressure, the lid was not sealed. The gasket is a prime suspect. Maybe it was displaced.

I thought (or think) it takes a long time and punishment for the seal gasket to deteriorate. They are available at 'old fashioned' hardware stores....where they carry canning supplies. I would re-seat it and try it again...and the cooking oil may make it more flexible. I think my 30+ year old gasket has had a long and healthy life and I also wash and store it and the pressure thing inside the pot. (I may have replaced it once in that time.)

OK everyone, thank you. I will oil it and try again. I know the cooker was properly closed and the gasket was in place. Maybe the heat of the dishwasher damaged it.

Edit : actually oiling it will probably just be a temporary fix if it works. I'll just get a new one.

If steam came out around the lid - I think that a new gasket is indicated, as those cookers are designed, when the lid is closed and twisted to seal, for the steam to come out only alongside the bobber - or by blowing the safety plug (to put bits of veggies, gravy and meat up on to your ceiling).

Not a pleasant experience: but better than blowing a(nother) hole in your head: most of us have enough of those now to meet our needs adequately.

ole joyful

I agree, Joyful.

Not to stretch a point too far ... but two heads really are better'n one, it appears!

When one gets a new bit of advice ... that may turn out to be useful.

(And ... straight out of the book, we're told!).

Lots of helpful people, here.

ole joyful

Unrelated to the pressure cooker, itself, I used to pressure cook chicken for my dogs.

You did that, Glenda!? Dogs prefer people food, don't they? What kind of dogs did you have? I cook chicken or turkey and some vegetables and mix with kibble. I freeze the fresh stuff in little containers to use as needed.

When cooking the chicken for my dog, I gave up on hoping the rocker would start when I smelled the chicken starting to burn. The bottom of the pot might be pitted now; not sure, gave it a quick wash and had to get busy working on Thanksgiving. It looked a little funny. When I get a chance I'll scour with SOS and see how it looks. Hope I didn't ruin the cooker.

I think you need to readjust your gasket. Run hot water over it then stretch it just a bit by hand. If the cooker doesn't start jiggling in a couple of min. try turning the bobber and see if you can get it started.

Just to follow up: I ordered a new gasket. When I placed the old gasket on top of the new one, the old one seems to have shrunk in the dishwasher as it was smaller. I haven't used the new set-up yet, but I feel confident it will be fine now. Lesson learned.

Also check the handles and make sure the screws that keep them in place are not loose. I find I need to tighten mine every few months so that the lid locks in tight.

You probably do need a new gasket.