You're standing in the kitchen, the smell of pot roast is starting to fill the air, and then you hear it. That high-pitched, frantic hissing sound that definitely isn't the rhythmic jiggle of the pressure regulator. You look over, and steam is billowing out from the sides of the lid. Your heart sinks. You know exactly what it is. The presto pressure cooker rubber gasket has finally given up the ghost. It’s a tiny piece of hardware, honestly just a ring of specialized rubber or silicone, but without it, your expensive pressure cooker is basically just a heavy, inconvenient pot.
It happens to everyone.
Most folks think these gaskets last forever. They don't. In fact, if you’re using your Presto frequently, that ring is under an immense amount of physical stress. Think about it. It’s being crushed between a metal lid and a body, then subjected to intense heat and internal pressure that wants to force its way out. Over time, the heat leeches the plasticizers out of the rubber. It gets hard. It cracks. Or, conversely, it stretches out so much that it won't even sit in the groove anymore.
Why Your Presto Pressure Cooker Rubber Gasket Is Failing
There’s a lot of bad advice floating around the internet about how to "revive" a dead gasket. People say you should soak it in mineral oil or boil it to shrink it back to size. Honestly? Don't do that. While a little bit of vegetable oil can help a new gasket slide into place or create a better seal on an older one, it won't fix a gasket that has physically degraded.
The most common reason for failure is simple age. Even if you never use the cooker, the rubber oxidizes. If you pull your grandma's old 1970s Presto out of the attic, that gasket is going to be as brittle as a potato chip. It might look okay, but the second it hits 15 psi, it's going to fail. Safety is the big issue here. Presto designs their units with a "vent window"—that little cutout in the side of the lid. If the pressure gets too high, the gasket is actually designed to pop out through that window to release pressure safely so the whole thing doesn't turn into a kitchen bomb. If your gasket is hard and crusty, it can't do its job as a safety valve.
Then there’s the "stretching" issue. You’ve probably noticed that sometimes the ring feels too big for the lid. This usually happens because of high-heat exposure or just the mechanical action of pulling it in and out for cleaning. Once it's stretched, it won't seat properly in the rim. If it’s not seated, it won't seal. Period.
Identifying the Right Part Number
This is where people get frustrated. Presto has been making pressure cookers for nearly a century. They have dozens of models. You can't just walk into a hardware store and grab "a gasket." You need the specific one for your model.
Look at the bottom of your pressure cooker. You’ll see a model number stamped into the aluminum or stainless steel. It’ll look something like 0178107 or 704 or 706. That number is your golden ticket. Most modern Presto units use the Part Number 09924 (which often includes the automatic air vent) or the 09907.
Wait, there’s a nuance here.
Presto changed their gasket compositions over the years. The older ones were a dark, almost black rubber. The newer ones are often a greyish silicone. They are usually interchangeable if the part number matches, but the silicone ones tend to last longer and resist odors better. If you’ve ever cooked a spicy curry and then tried to make cheesecake the next day, you know that rubber gaskets hold onto smells like crazy. Silicone is a bit better, but even it isn't perfect.
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The Sealing Ring and Overpressure Plug Combo
When you buy a replacement presto pressure cooker rubber gasket, it almost always comes with a little black nub. That’s the overpressure plug. Do not throw that away. And for heaven's sake, do not try to reuse your old one.
The overpressure plug is a secondary safety device. It’s designed to blow out if the vent pipe gets clogged with food—like oatmeal or frothy beans—and the pressure rises to a dangerous level. These plugs are made of the same material as the gasket. If the gasket is old enough to need replacing, the plug is old enough to be unreliable. Replacing them as a set is the only way to ensure the unit is actually safe to use.
Installing the New Gasket Without Losing Your Mind
So you got your new 09924 kit in the mail. You go to put it in, and it feels like it’s three inches too big. You’re convinced they sent the wrong part.
Hold on.
New gaskets are often slightly "stiff." To get a perfect fit, try this: wash the gasket in warm, soapy water first. While it’s still damp, start fitting it into the lid. Work in sections. Start at the 12 o'clock position, then the 6 o'clock, then 3 and 9. Press the rest in between those points. This ensures the "stretch" is evened out across the whole diameter of the lid.
If it’s still being stubborn, a tiny—and I mean tiny—amount of vegetable oil rubbed along the edge of the gasket can help it slide into the groove. Just don't overdo it. You don't want a greasy mess in your soup.
Myths About Gasket Maintenance
I've seen people recommend putting the gasket in the dishwasher. Please, just don't. The intense dry heat at the end of a dishwasher cycle is the natural enemy of rubber. It’ll dry it out faster than anything else.
- Hand wash only. Warm water, mild soap. That’s all you need.
- Store it correctly. After washing, let it dry completely. Some people prefer to store the lid upside down on the cooker so the gasket isn't constantly compressed. This is actually a great tip. It lets air circulate and keeps the gasket from taking a "set" shape.
- The "Leaking" Test. If you see a few drops of water escaping during the first couple of minutes of heating, don't panic. This is actually normal. As the pressure builds, it pushes the gasket against the metal to create the seal. Once the internal pressure hits about 3-5 psi, the dripping should stop. If it doesn't stop once the regulator starts jiggling, then you've got a problem.
The Real Cost of Neglect
A genuine Presto gasket kit usually costs somewhere between $10 and $15. It’s cheap. Yet, people try to stretch the life of an old one for years. I once talked to a guy who used electrical tape to try and seal a leak on his pressure cooker. That is a recipe for a trip to the ER.
When a gasket fails catastrophically, it doesn't just hiss. It can spray boiling liquid across your kitchen. If you see any of the following, replace it immediately:
- Visible cracks when you flex the rubber.
- A "pitted" appearance on the surface.
- The rubber feels sticky or gummy (this means the polymers are breaking down).
- The lid closes too easily or feels "loose."
Genuine vs. Generic: Is it Worth the Risk?
You’ll find a ton of "unbranded" gaskets on Amazon or eBay that claim to fit Presto models for half the price. Are they okay? Honestly, it’s a gamble. I’ve tried a few. Some are fine. Others are made of inferior rubber that smells like chemicals when heated.
Because the gasket is a literal safety component designed to fail at a specific pressure point, I always stick with the genuine Presto brand. For the sake of five bucks, I'd rather know that the "blow-out" pressure was calibrated by the engineers who built the pot.
The most common genuine kits are:
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- 09924: Fits most 4, 6, and 8-quart pressure cookers and canners.
- 09907: For many of the older 4 and 6-quart aluminum models.
- 09901: For the big 17 and 22-quart pressure canners.
Check your model number twice. Then check it again. Presto's website actually has a pretty decent lookup tool if your stamp is hard to read.
Practical Steps for Longevity
To get the most out of your presto pressure cooker rubber gasket, you’ve got to be proactive. After every use, take the gasket out. Don't leave it in the lid. Food particles and grease get trapped behind the ring, and they can mold or cause the rubber to deteriorate.
Give the groove in the lid a good wipe-down too. Sometimes a "leak" isn't the gasket's fault at all—it's just a piece of dried-on tomato sauce from three months ago preventing a flush fit.
If you're a heavy canner—meaning you're running 20 or 30 loads during harvest season—buy two gaskets. Keep one as a backup. There is nothing worse than having 20 pounds of green beans ready to go and having your gasket fail on a Sunday afternoon when the stores are closed.
How to Know It's Time to Buy
If you can't remember the last time you changed your gasket, it's time. If you have to "fiddle" with the lid to get it to stop hissing, it's time. If the overpressure plug looks like it's bulging or has become rock hard, it's time.
Replacement is a five-minute job that restores your cooker to factory-new performance. It’s the simplest bit of maintenance you can do, but it’s the most important for your safety and the quality of your food.
Actionable Maintenance Checklist:
- Identify your model number from the bottom of the pot or the side of the lid.
- Order a genuine Presto Sealing Ring kit (which includes the overpressure plug).
- Inspect your vent pipe while the gasket is off; ensure you can see light through the hole.
- Install the new gasket by pressing it into the four quadrants first to ensure even tension.
- Perform a "test run" with just two cups of water to confirm a steam-tight seal before cooking food.
- Store the lid upside down on the cooker body to prevent the gasket from being compressed during storage.