I used to face the same issue but have solved. What I did was after the test, I unscrewed the top cap to release the air trapped within the desiccator, with the vacuum pump turn on. There will be a sound indicating the air is being released, turn off the vacuum and you are able to open the lid very easily.
If the desiccator has been closed for a long time and the grease is old and dry it can help to heat the grease with a heat gun to get it to flow again. Replace the old grease with new once you have managed to open the desiccator.