Have you ever had a disastrous cooking experience that you can still recall vividly?

What was it? For me, it was the moment I opened my brand-new glass-top stove to discover a hot lid upside down. Can you imagine my anxiety as I heard the glass crack? I had no idea you shouldn’t lay a hot lid face down on a nearly brand new stove. As a result of this tragic experience,

I became more mindful of kitchen safety, educated myself on how to use appliances properly, and proceeded with extra caution when using them.

Despite my best efforts, I still find myself in circumstances like this. I was going through my favorite kitchen-related Facebook group a few days ago when I came across something that surprised me.

One homeowner posted a snapshot of what seemed to be chili all over their stove on social media. It was entirely covered in chili, so you couldn’t see the surface. According to her, the chili was cooked in a crockpot on high for six hours. She returned it to the stove and cooked it for another hour because it wasn’t finished. When she tried to put the cooled crock in the refrigerator, the bottom burst out, spilling chili everywhere. I’m not sure how we’d tidy things up. If that were me, I would probably cry for five or six hours before attempting to find out how to clean up the mess.

Where has this issue gone wrong? Many people commented on her post, and the general consensus was that you should never, ever put a crockpot on the burner. However, why is this the case?

Can a crockpot be placed on top of the stove?

No, a crockpot should not be used on the stove. Slow cookers, like crockpots, are ideal for making soups, stews, and chili since they cook food slowly over low heat. The ceramic insert in the crockpot is designed to be heated on the low, continuous heat of a slow cooker, rather than at a high temperature like a stovetop burner. Here’s why putting a crockpot on the cooktop can be dangerous:

Crockpots, also known as slow cookers, are made of ceramic crocks that are prone to chipping or cracking when exposed to unexpected temperature fluctuations or heat sources. Placing a ceramic insert on a burner exposes it to temperatures that it was not intended to endure. Gas or electric stovetop burners generate a concentrated heat source, causing the ceramic to heat up quickly. As we saw in the viral Facebook post, this might result in cracks or the bottom of the crockpot breaking off.

What might happen?

If you set your crockpot on the cooktop, a variety of things can happen, none of which are good. The most common problem is that your stove will get disorganized because the ceramic insert may break or chip. This can cause burns from the heated meal while also making a huge mess. Additionally, if your stovetop is glass or ceramic, the ceramic particles may scratch it.

That is not all, however. However, the ceramic insert may not break immediately and may develop tiny, imperceptible flaws. These fissures may threaten the crockpot’s integrity, increasing the risk of it breaking when used again. In the unlikely event that the crockpot’s heating element is damaged during the procedure, we cannot rule out the possibility of electrical risks.

Can you safely use a ceramic dish on the stove?

Is it okay to use any ceramic dish on the stove? is a question you may be wondering. Usually, the answer is no. The majority of ceramic dishes are not designed for use with cooktop burners. Of course, there are some special types of pots designed to be used on the stove, such as ceramic cookware or flameware, but they are the exception. It is also critical to utilize any ceramic dish on the stove according to the manufacturer’s guidelines.

What conclusions can we make from this? Your crockpot belongs on the countertop. Keep it there. This pot is ideal for slow cooking, which is its intended usage. If you need to transfer your food to the stovetop, use a saucepan or skillet built for this purpose. You’ll love it for your kitchen (and your sanity), I promise.

However, this is founded on personal experience; since my own accident with the glass top stove, I’ve developed a mild preoccupation with kitchen safety. Even though I use my many culinary tools more carefully, I still enjoy experimenting with new meals. Furthermore, hearing about someone else’s terrible kitchen experiment serves as a constant reminder that the next major kitchen accident could occur at any time. So, let’s be cautious and avoid putting crockpots on stovetops!