Whirlpool / Maytag Dishwasher VS Instant Pot Duo Plus
Verdict DROP IT DROP IT
The Reality CPSC's own recall history shows this exact rinse-aid-dispenser fire defect recurring across multiple recall cycles over nearly a decade. In 2007, Maytag recalled about 2.3 million Maytag and Jenn-Air dishwashers because leaking rinse-aid could contact internal wiring and short-circuit, creating a fire risk. Around 2010, Maytag recalled roughly 1.7 million more dishwashers for a heating-element fire hazard, with 12 reported electrical failures leading to fires. In 2015, a related rinse-aid dispenser recall covered Maytag, Whirlpool, KitchenAid, and Jenn-Air models made between 2009 and 2013, with Whirlpool reporting approximately 557 incidents of dispenser leaking, including 7 reports of fires and 23 reports of smoke or burning smells. In 2023, CPSC separately fined Whirlpool $11.5 million for failing to promptly report a different defect (glass cooktops posing burn and fire hazards) as required by federal law. CPSC's 2022 recall notice documents a real fire hazard specific to roughly 2 million Duo Plus 6-Quart units: the appliance could overheat, melt, and spark during normal use, with reports of resulting property damage and at least one reported injury. This wasn't an isolated incident for the Instant Pot brand -- CPSC records show separate prior recalls, including a 2015 shock-hazard recall of the original Smart/Smart-60 models and a 2018 recall of about 104,000 Gem 65 8-in-1 Multicookers for an overheating/melting fire hazard.
SHORT ANSWER
Whirlpool / Maytag Dishwasher: A rinse-aid-dispenser fire-hazard defect triggered separate Whirlpool-family dishwasher recalls in 2007 (2.3 million units), 2010 (1.7 million units), and 2015 (557 incident reports across Maytag, Whirlpool, KitchenAid, and Jenn-Air), and Whirlpool was separately fined $11.5 million in 2023 for failing to promptly report an unrelated cooktop hazard.
Instant Pot Duo Plus: A 2022 CPSC recall covering roughly 2 million Instant Pot Duo Plus 6-Quart units found the appliance could overheat, melt, and spark during normal use, marking the brand's third distinct safety recall since 2015.