Crock-Pots are great for slow cooking and tenderizing meat like stew or roast. All you have to do is plug in your pot, dump your ingredients, set the timer, and voilà. However, one woman urges viewers not to use the clamps on the side of a crock-pot.
In a clip with 3.3 million views, Instagram user Lydia Kyle (@lydia_kyl) reveals her crock-pot on her kitchen counter.
“I don’t know who needs to hear this bit the clamps on the crockpot are only for when you’re transporting it,” she warns in the text overlay.
Then, she opens one of the clamps on the side of the crockpot and moves it back and forth, the lid moving along with it.
“It can pressurize & explode if you have them locked while cooking,” she explains. Afterward, the content creator demonstrates you have to pull the metal latch up and release the lid.
“I hate to be the bearer of bad news but,” Kyle captions the video.
The Daily Dot reached out to Kyle via Instagram comment and direct message as well as Crock-Pot via media contact form.
Viewers disagreed
Because of the vent holes on the lid, viewers believed it was safe from explosion.
“But the lid has a vent hole,” one viewer wrote.
“My doesn’t work unless it’s locked. Too much heat gets out. Has a vent hole in the lid though,” a second remarked.
“The hole will prevent any pressure from being built up. You’re making comparisons to a pressure cooker but a pressure cooker doesn’t release anything while cooking,” a third explained.
“Been locking it for 30 years. It has a relief hole,” a fourth stated.
Can crock-pots explode?
Indeed, they can. The holes on the lid are to release excess steam. But it can explode if you buy a faulty one, such as the 6-Quart Express Crock Multi-Cooker. In 2020, CrockPot recalled this appliance after 99 cases of second and third-degree burns. It posed a safety and burn risk since the lid could unlock when pressure cooking mode. In addition, a Cook & Carry Slow Cooker can shatter if the clamps are on during cooking.
“A common mistake is when people think they should lock the latches on the side for effective cooking. Those latches are only designed to carry-out food somewhere to avoid spillage,” Imelda from the Crockpot Team told Southern Living. “Locking those latches during cooking might build up pressure and might cause the lid to shatter or even cause the Stoneware to break.”
Even if you don’t own a Cook & Carry Slow Cooker or a 6-Quart Express Crock Multi-Cooker, it’s best to consult the owner’s manual for the proper directions.
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