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.
