A pressure cooker includes a cooking pot (22) and a lid (23) removably attachable thereto by interlocking radially-extending circumferentially-spaced locking flanges on the cooking pot and lid. The lid and cooking pot further include handles to facilitate application of the lid to the cooking pot, and safety interlocks which vent the interior of the cooking pot to the atmosphere at all times except when the lid is securely locked to the cooking pot, and also prevent opening the lid when the interior of the cooking pot is pressurized. The lid further includes a manual pushbutton (73) to produce a rapid-release of the pressure within the cooking pot when the lid is to be removed.
