A line of cookware sold by Costco is receiving a number of complaints after several consumers claim the pots melted on their stoves, causing serious damage and injuries.
Kevin Powers was steaming broccoli in a Kirkland Signature brand pot when he realized the pot had boiled dry. When he lifted the pot, the copper bottom had melted and liquid metal poured out.
The molten aluminum caused $2,000 damage to his kitchen floor.
A similar incident with a Kirkland Signature brand pot happened to two Victoria roommates who contacted Steele on Your Side.
"I went to lift the pot up and move it over to the sink and the bottom fell off and splashed molten all over our kitchen floor," said Melissa Bruneau.
Bruneau suffered first-degree contact burns, and her floor was also damaged from the hot metal.
She admits she let the pot boil mostly dry while watching TV, but believes the Kirkland pots have a dangerous design flaw. She says the copper bottom can separate from the rest of the pot, allowing molten aluminum to spill out.
Costco told CTV’s Steele on Your Side that it's standing behind its Kirkland Signature pots.
"We're constantly testing our products, especially this is our brand name, and we have found no quality control problems with our pots," said Ron Damiani, Costco spokesperson.
Still, the consumers CTV spoke with are not satisfied and want a recall.
"This should not happen. We need to pull these, we need to accept responsibility, right…and nobody is," said Powers.
But Costco is refusing to budge, claiming there are no quality control issues with the pots in Canada or the U.S.
Costco’s spokesperson told CTV News the company feels badly that people were burned, but says you cannot leave a pot unattended – and if it burns dry you are not supposed to pick it up off the element. Costco says if the consumers had simply turned off the burner, and let the pot sit there and cool by itself, nothing would have happened.
Bruneau is not impressed by Costco’s suggestion and says it’s instinct to remove a pot from the element when it has burned dry. She says she’s now considering hiring a lawyer.