Damage to Slow Cooker

September 19, 2017 5:58 AM

I bought a new slow cooker a few weeks ago, and each time I've use it the coating on the inside of the pot has changed colour, as if heat is damaging it. Can anyone explain what's happening? I'm a bit worried I'm going to be poisoned by it, so I've stopped using it. Here's a photo.

I'll contact the manufacturer as soon as possible, but it could take a while so I'd appreciate it if anyone could explain it.

posted by theyexpectresults to Food & Drink (5 answers total)

I have two different ones, a smaller brown and a large black crock. Both have a similar sheen on them from use over the years. (The black one has white cloudy marks, the brown has variegated speckles/lines on it) I'm not worried about it.
posted by k5.user at 6:05 AM on September 19, 2017 [1 favorite]

Is it just discoloration, or is the glazing coming off? If just discoloration, I would continue using it; ours is lightly stained, not as dark as yours but I don't know if there's a difference in what we both cook in ours (mine: mostly pork roasts and potatoes)
posted by AzraelBrown at 6:25 AM on September 19, 2017

The glaze on the crock is "crazing", which is caused by fast temperature changes (because the glaze and the ceramic don't expand/contract at the same rate), or getting water into the actual ceramic under the glaze and then heating it. If the outside bottom of your crock isn't glazed (mine isn't) and you soak it in the sink, the ceramic can absorb water and cause this. A pre-existing crack in the glaze on the inside of the crock can let water in too.

It's dark because it's absorbing some of whatever you are cooking.

I don't think it's going to poison you, but now that it's cracked, it will only get worse. I'd try to get a replacement under manufacturer's warranty but they will likely tell you it's your fault and make you buy a new one. If it's only a couple weeks old, they should be able to send you a new crock directly from the manufacturer.
posted by ArgentCorvid at 6:30 AM on September 19, 2017 [4 favorites]

Response by poster: Thanks a lot for the explanation! I definitely haven't put it in the fridge though, since I would have expected that to damage it. I also haven't soaked it in the sink, but maybe I didn't wait for it to cool long enough before washing the inside of it?

And I realise I could be mistaken, but I'm pretty sure those grey marks appeared during the first heating cycle, without it being exposed to cold water (let alone a refrigerator!). I'll try my luck with the manufacturer.
posted by theyexpectresults at 6:39 AM on September 19, 2017

> I definitely haven't put it in the fridge though, since I would have expected that to damage it. I also haven't soaked it in the sink, but maybe I didn't wait for it to cool long enough before washing the inside of it?

I've done all those things to all my slow cookers without anything bad happening. A good slow cooker should be able to handle it.
posted by The corpse in the library at 4:15 PM on September 19, 2017