A crock pot with a cracked pot

[fan-of-fans]

So last Friday I made a trip to Goodwill to see if they’d gotten anything interesting. I found a Hamilton Beach slow cooker, pretty nice model with locking lid for transporting, temperature probe and automatic shifting. About an $80 unit new, here for $12. At first I wasn’t interested, but decided to grab it anyway.

I did quickly look it over and plug it in and all looked and seemed fine. I knew the probe was missing but figured I could find a replacement if I wanted to use the temp readout feature, otherwise could use without.

But when I got home I discovered a hairline crack in the crock!

Sometimes something seems too good and probably is when you realize there was probably a reason it was donated.

But do you think it’s safe to use with a cracked crock as long as I use those disposable liners? I’ll keep an eye out for another crock, but I doubt I’ll find the right one on its own. Can’t return it so I’m stuck with it now, I figure I might as well use it if I can with liner.

 

[huskyvacs]

All it is is a porcelain dish with a heating element under it. If you trust those liners not to leak you can still use it, but I wouldn't count on it holding. The thermal expansion of hot/cold hot/cold hot/cold will continue to spread the crack until the entire dish busts apart.

Check eBay for replacement crocks or buy an entirely new matching model from there and keep the spare base for parts. You can use the busted dish or the whole old unit minus cord as a flowerpot or something (herbs would be a cool and fitting repurpose).

I end up having to do this all the time. I buy something, find out its missing a bunch of stuff, then have to buy the missing stuff needed to complete it. Hard to make the decision when you're in the store and of course having never seen the thing before you don't know it's missing parts until you get home and research it.

 

[gottahaveahoove]

Same here.

I have an extra 'crock', but it is to a real Rival "Crock pot". It is nice, actually, to use as a casserole dish in the oven.


 

 

[human]

I bought a late '70s vintage Rival Crock Pot at Goodwill a few years ago, that was in great shape, except the plastic lid had been run repeatedly through the dishwasher—at least that's my guess—and had become cloudy. It was usable, but I just didn't like the way it looked. I'd had it in the back of my mind to find a glass one the right diameter, but as luck would have it, my neighbor was having a yard sale one Saturday, and they had the crock and a crystal clear plastic lid that matched my Crock Pot. She said the pot just stopped working one day, so she tossed it but I bought the pair for a dollar and now have the originals for spares. I later found a larger Hamilton Beach Crock Watcher with a glass lid. I still use both, depending on how much of something I'm cooking.

 

[gottahaveahoove]

I hated those plastic lids!!!

I feel that the glass ones are so much better.  The plastic ones always cracked.

 

[human]

Yeah, I'm not a fan of those plastic lids, either. Neither of mine has cracked, but they rattle around when whatever's inside the pot is boiling. It doesn't really form a seal until enough condensation runs down the inside of the lid and collects at the lip of the crock. I don't know that the cloudiness of the original lid is an indicator of compromised integrity, but I'm just as glad to use the one I got from my neighbor that's nice and clear. I also got an extra crock in that $1 deal.

 

[fan-of-fans]

I’ve kept an eye out lately but haven’t found any line crocks anywhere. I found replacements online but it’s looking like the cost will be around $40 with shipping, so I doubt it’s worth ordering a new one. And the probe would be another $20 should I want it.

I guess I’ll just chalk this up to a mistake on my part. I should’ve been more observant but I was in a hurry since the store was getting close to closing time.

My receipt shows that returns and refunds are not accepted.

I really don’t think my idea of using a liner is going to work either. When I lift the crock out I get an abrasive shifting noise coming from the crock itself, so I think it’s likely cracked nearly through so as to be dangerous. Since it’s a black color the crack isn’t very noticeable, but under bright light I can see a faint gray line going all the way across it.

I would drill holes in the crock for drainage and use it as a planter but I’m sure it would just break in half given its condition.

 

[fan-of-fans]

Plastic lid

I saw one of those Crock Pots with the plastic lid tonight at Goodwill.

The unit was a blue and white and the lid looked to be in good condition and clear. I didn’t ever understand why they made the lids out of plastic in that era.

I did find a replacement crock for my Hamilton Beach for a cheaper price, so I’ll probably be ordering one. I did order a replacement for the missing probe this morning. They were cheaper on the H-B website than eBay but their website showed them as out of stock so I didn’t have much choice.

 

[texaskirbyguy]

I know I am late to the party, but I see lots of crocks and parts at thrift stores. There are many stores around here, but not sure about your area. Search for 'thrift store' in google maps and see what you find..

 

[fan-of-fans]

Yeah, I make a circuit of thrift stores pretty often. I’ve seen a few green crocks for Crock Pots, but not ones for mine yet. I’ll keep watching thigh. If all else fails I’ll order one from Hamilton Beach directly or eReplacementparts. .

 

[fan-of-fans]

The “saga of the crock pot” now continues…

I didn’t have much success on finding a replacement for this cracked pot over the last year. I had purchased a replacement for the missing temp probe probably a year ago, but had tried to wait for a replacement crock to show up locally rather than buy one new or on eBay given the cost with shipping was nearly the cost of a whole new unit. I had seen a few lone crocks while thrifting but nothing that would’ve fit. I even bought one that I really thought was correct but it came nowhere close to fitting. $5 wasted. So I’d just set the unit aside and forgotten about it.

Yesterday I suddenly had the thought to donate that spare non-fitting crock along with some other stuff.

Then Tonight I made my Friday night browse through Goodwill. (How boring am I now that this is a Friday night excitement?!)

And what do you know, but the same programmable Hamilton Beach slow cooker that started this saga turned up! Well, not exactly the same, as this one has large chrome handles where the other has plastic ones. But otherwise, it’s the same size and features as far as I see.

I examined the crock VERY carefully inside and out this time and saw no hint of cracks. The base heated up when I plugged it in. So I grabbed it.

So now a little over a year later, I have at least a fully functioning unit. This one too, is missing the probe, but I can use the one I bought for the other one. And, if the crock and lid of it fit the other base, which I think they should, then I’ll keep that other one and have a spare base and lid from my original purchase.

So I guess this is one search that I can finally put an end to.

 

[justjunque]

Good deal!
Not exactly the outcome you were looking for, but it works.
You're certainly not alone. I would consider thrifting exciting, any night or day of the week!
I'm off it right now, for the past couple/few months, because I'm beyond out of room for anything else.
Very happy for you!

 

[human]

I hear you! I realized I was out of room about a month ago, when a friend brought by a set of Britannica encyclopedias she had snagged for me off of Freecycle. It turned to be 59 volumes (not a typo), including the 30-volume encyclopedia, 15 years of yearbooks, plus a decade's each worth of 'Medical and Health' and 'Science and the Future' annuals. One of the Medical and Health annuals was missing, thus the odd number. Once I got them out of the car and into the house, I came to the realization that I was out of room.