Have you ever had a kitchen experience that was so disastrous that you still recall it up to this date? What was it? For me, it was the time I put a hot lid upside down on my brand new glass top stove. I heard the glass crack, and can you imagine the horror? The stove was practically brand new and I had no idea that you should not place a hot lid facedown on it. This is why after this terrible accident, I paid more attention to safety in the kitchen, learned more about the proper usage of appliances and was very careful with them.
However, even with all that precaution, I still come across such incidents. A few days ago, I was going through my favorite kitchen stuff group on Facebook and I saw something that shocked me. There was one homeowner who had posted a picture of what appeared to be chili all over their stove. You couldn’t even see the surface; it was entirely covered in chili. She said that the chili was cooked in a crockpot on high for six hours. Since it was not yet fully cooked, she put it back on the stove for an additional hour. The crock had cooled off and when she went to put it in the fridge the bottom fell out and the chili spilled all over. I couldn’t even begin to think about how we would clean that up. I think if it was me, I would probably cry for five to six hours and then start thinking on how to clean the mess.
Where did things go wrong here? A lot of people commented on her post, and the consensus was clear: there is one thing that you should never, never do and that is to place a crockpot on the stove. But why is that?
Is it possible to place a crockpot on the stovetop?
No, you should never put a crockpot on the stovetop. Crockpots are slow cookers that use low heat to cook food for an extended period of time, and this is ideal for soups, stews, and chili. The crockpot’s ceramic insert is designed to be heated on low, steady heat of a slow cooker and not the high heat of a stovetop burner. Placing a crockpot on the stove is dangerous, and here is why:
Crockpots, or slow cookers, are constructed with ceramic crocks that can chip or break when exposed to drastic temperature changes or heat sources. If you put a ceramic insert on a stovetop, you are introducing it to a form of heat it was never intended to encounter. Stovetop burners, whether electric or gas, create a very focused heat source that can lead to the ceramic to heat up very quickly. This can cause cracks or even lead to the bottom of the crockpot cracking or breaking off as we saw on the infamous Facebook post.
What could happen?
If you place your crockpot on the stovetop, several things may occur, and none of them will be positive. The most frequent problem is that the ceramic insert will break or chip, and you will have a mess on your stove. This not only makes a lot of mess but also can lead to the risk of burns from the hot food. Also, the ceramic pieces may scratch your stovetop, especially if you have a glass or ceramic stovetop.
But that’s not all. However, the ceramic insert may not shatter on the spot and may develop micro-cracks that are not easily seen. These cracks can compromise the integrity of the crockpot and increase the chances of it breaking the next time it is used. We cannot rule out the possibility of electrical risks in case the heating element of the crockpot gets damaged during the process.
Is it safe to use a ceramic dish on the stove?
You may be asking yourself, is it okay to use any ceramic dish on the stovetop? The answer is usually no. Most ceramic dishware is not designed for use on the stovetop burner. Of course, there are some special kinds of pots such as flameware or ceramic cookware which can be used on the stove but these are not the norm. It is also important to follow the manufacturer’s guidelines when using any ceramic dish on the stove.
So, what can we conclude from this? Keep your crockpot on the counter where it belongs. This is a slow cooking pot and that is where it shines best. If you need to move your food to the stovetop, use a pot or pan that are meant for use on the stovetop. Trust me, your kitchen (and your sanity) will appreciate it.
This is coming from experience though, after my own mishap with the glass top stove I have become something of a kitchen safety enthusiast. I still enjoy experimenting with new recipes and using the many kitchen tools I have, but I do so with more care. And each time I hear of someone else’s kitchen disaster, I’m always reminded that we are only a moment away from the next big kitchen oops. So let’s be safe out there and keep the crockpots off the stovetops!