You can run cold water over the lid of a pressure cooker, and it will release abruptly. Most modern cookers include this in the instructions. Old cookers may no

You can run cold water over the lid of a pressure cooker, and it will release abruptly. Most modern cookers include this in the instructions. Old cookers may not be safe to do this, if they don’t have a geometry that directs a sudden blast of steam downward.