I get this question (in some form or another)…
…ALL.THE.TIME!:
“Tamara, which crock pot do you recommend?” or
“Tamara, which slow cooker is Lead-free?”
My answer: I do not ever recommend ANY ceramic-lined crock pot or slow cooker in ANY brand or model or style. Period.
Why? Well…
- Ceramic-lined crock pots are far more likely to have at least some amount of Lead (than most other types of pots and pans.)
- These slow cookers are often used to cook acidic foods.
- For many folks, these small, convenient set-and-forget appliances are often used daily and constantly — especially by larger families and families with young children.
- Lead levels in these products tend to vary from batch to batch.
- To date, no brand that I have tested has been consistently Lead-free.
- Ceramics with Lead have been shown to leach over time – despite whether they were initially found to comply with current leach-testing standards at the time of manufacture.
Thank you for reading and for sharing my posts.
Please let me know if you ever have any remaining questions after exploring the posts on my blog.
Tamara Rubin
#LeadSafeMama
What about the slow cooker function on an insta-pot? Isn’t that ok since the pot is stainless steel?
https://tamararubin.com/2018/08/asktamara-does-your-instant-pot-have-lead-xrf-test-results-for-a-6-quart-instant-pot-purchased-in-july-2018-from-amazon/
What about slow cookers with unglazed clay, such as stoneware or purple clay(zisha) etc?
Yes, I would love to know this as well.
This is the one I had purchased;
Chefman Slow Cooker, All Natural XL 7 Qt. Pot, Glaze-Free, Chemical-Free Stovetop, Oven, Dishwasher Safe Crock; The Only Naturally Nonstick Paleo Cert https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071FBQHZ5/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_Nwit9vvvMkIsc
It says right in the description that it has 70% less lead than other slow cookers but I wonder what amount it still emits.
Tamara – any thoughts on this? Had the same question as well.
I cannot recommend any slow cookers.
Even the VitaClay (which heavily markets itself as being a “lead-free” product – has Lead. I am sorry I don’t have an answer for you on this one.
Here’s the VitaClay post: https://tamararubin.com/2018/11/yet-another-lead-free-product-tests-positive-for-lead-vitaclay-chef-slow-cooker-70400-ppm-lead-please-click-and-read-for-more-info/
Here’s a Lead-free unglazed bean pot (perhaps that is of interest?): https://tamararubin.com/2019/02/rancho-gordo-tehuacan-clay-bean-pot-unglazed-from-puebla-mexico-lead-free/
Tamara
Hi, I was wondering on the COSORI 6 Qt 11-in-1 Programmable Multi-Cooker Pot. Says it is lead-free. what do you think?