Living a Happy, Healthy Retirement

Best Lead-free Crock Pots

Mike

 

Lead Free* Crock Pots – The Busy Cook’s Best Friend

If you would like to go directly to read about Lead-Free Crock Pots, skip the introduction and go further down this page.

Today’s reality is that most of us are busy and on often the go. If you are a retiree, you have survived  years of work, sacrifice and saving for retirement and now ready to live the life of leisure. Retirement is your just reward for all of those years of toil and trouble and the last thing you may want to be doing is spending hours in the kitchen (however, I know for some people that may be a passion). This is where a crock pot (also called a slow cooker) can help ease meal planning and save you time and money.

Typically, using a crock pot involves quick prep followed by a slow cooking time. This can result in a simple, healthy, and delicious meal that’s waiting on you as soon as you walk in the door from your busy day. With a crock pot there is a wide variety of foods that you can prepare including soups, stews, meats and casseroles. Another benefit is it is a great tool for preparing and transporting meals to family and social gatherings. Below, I share many of the benefits of the crock pot as a kitchen appliance:

Looking for some recipes to get you started? Check out some of these great crock pot cookbooks
for beginners.

Lead in Crock Pots?

The health concern is that lead builds up in your system gradually, so even a small amount can cause serious health issues over time. This means that even if your crock pot leaks a tiny amount of lead each time it’s used, the heavy metal builds up in your body. This can cause long-term serious health problems.

Most experts feel that as long as your crock pot is not damaged and it is not used more than once a week, the health threat from the lead is negligible with modern day crock pots. However, if you are using a hand-me-down cooker or are a frequent user of your crock pot, you may want to consider replacing it with a “lead-free” crock pot.

 

Different Kinds of Crock Pots

Crock pots have revolutionized the way we cook. They allow for hot meals to be cooked all day with no supervision while a family works and goes to school or about their daily activities. There are various types of crock pots available. Crock pots are either ceramic, stainless steel or aluminum with a non-stick surface. They can come with simple manual controls or can be programmable. The crock pot you choose depends upon your needs and safety concerns.

Ceramic & Stoneware Crock Pots

Pros

Ceramic Stoneware crock pots are versatile and do a good job of heating food evenly. They can be used to reheat food, as long as the product says it is oven-proof. Most stoneware or ceramic crock pots can withstand oven temperatures up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. However, you should not use them under broilers.

Ceramic does not react with acidic foods such as tomatoes and you can store the leftover food in the ceramic pot covered with the glass lid in the refrigerator without having to worry about the flavor being tainted as is the case with a metal container.

Cons

An obvious downside to a ceramic or stoneware crock pot is that is can be cracked or broken, and it cannot be used to reheat food on a gas stove. These crocks will also be heavier than metal crocks.

As mentioned before, some ceramic crock pots have been found to contain lead, and when heated, they allow the lead to leach into the food. This is why I specify lead-free crock pots at the end of the article. For what it is worth, the lead in the glaze is what colors the ceramic or stoneware, so white or natural crock pots are less likely to be leaching lead.

Metal Clad Crock Pots

Pros

Metal crock pots, which can be made of stainless steel or aluminum, sometimes don’t heat food as evenly as ceramic crock pots. While metal crock pots cannot be used in the microwave, they can be used to brown food before slow cooking. They can also be used in the oven, even under a broiler, as well as on the stove top.

Cons

Aluminum crock pots with a non-stick surface inside are quite versatile, and can even be used as a pan for cooking on the stove or in the oven. However, I am not a fan of crock pots with non-stick surfaces, which of course can scratch and wear off over time. In addition, these aluminum crock pots are generally more expensive than ceramic or stainless steel crock pots. As for the stainless steel pots, they are more durable, but can scratch over time. In addition, one thing to note about stainless steel is that it contains chromium and nickel and a 2013 study found certain grades of stainless steel react with acidic foods, e.g, tomatoes, to leach nickel into the food.

This is primarily a concern for those with nickel sensitivities for whom nickel-free stainless steel cookware is a viable option.

Best Lead-Free Crock Pots (Slow Cookers)

Crock pots currently made in the US are regulated and should not have lead in their ceramic glazing. However, one cannot be sure about units made overseas. It is recommended that you purchase from a reputable brand such as Crock Pot, Kitchenaid, Hamilton Beach, Black and Decker, Cuisinart, etc. Note that I focused upon features, performance, and affordability in my list below of best slow cookers. I don’t believe any of them retail for more than $150, though you can spend over $300 if you are looking for the most, advanced, very best units.

 

Simple, Manual Crock Pots

Manual crock pots, as the name alludes, are simple machines with typically just 3 temperature settings; low, medium and high. You can walk away for an hour or two, but you won’t want to start it up before leaving for work and expect everything to be perfect when you return in 8-9 hours. They need to be checked periodically.

Best Small Manual Crock Pot

Crockpot 3-Quart Round Manual Slow Cooker

This is the crock pot that I own. It works perfectly for my son and I as we travel to medical clinics across the country. It actually comes in a 7 and 8 quart model as well. Frankly, if I were to buy a larger crock pot, I would want a locking lid and additional features (automation).

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Best Medium-Large Sized Manual Crock Pots

Hamilton Beach 8-Quart Slow Cooker

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Crock-Pot 7 Quart Oval Manual Slow Cooker, Stainless Steel

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Best Programmable Crock Pots

The programmable cookers have the advantage of automatically turning off when the cooking time ends and/ or keep cooked food at a safe temperature. So, all you have to do is enter the cooking time and temperature, turn it on and go! Continue about your day, and once you’re home, your food is ready!

However, if you are using a programmable cooker and the power goes out – even for just a second – the settings will reset and the slow cooker will be “off” with its light flashing even when the power comes back on. If you are using a cooker with a manual control and the power goes out, it will come back on and continue cooking when power is restored.

Best Medium Sized Programmable Crock Pot

The Crock-Pot 6-Quart Cook & Carry

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Best Medium-Large Sized Programmable Crock Pots

BLACK+DECKER 7-Quart Digital Slow Cooker, with Temperature Probe + Precision Sous-Vide

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Crock-Pot 6-Qt. Cook n’ Carry Programmable Countdown Slow Cooker; Stainless Steel (black is in picture below)

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Best Metal Clad Slow Cookers

Calphalon Digital Sauté Slow Cooker

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Instant Pot Electric Precision Dutch Oven

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Ninja MC1001 Foodi PossibleCooker PRO 8.5 Quart Multi-Cooker

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If you are new to slow cookers, considering picking up a low cost Crockpot cookbook. For even more cookbook ideas, so my post: Heart Healthy Cookbooks for Seniors.

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