Question from Christine
Hello- I am currently trying to find a slow cooker that is free of Lead Glaze. There seem to be a lot of slow cooker makers out there, but none of them state whether the inner pot that you put food in has lead/no lead glaze.
Yes, I could use the lead check swabs, but I don’t see how practical it would be, as there are more than 25 possible ones I have seen on the web. Order one and test and return if lead possitive? Nor really.
I contacted a few seller and manufacturors, but all of the sellers said they didn’t know, and I have not heard back from the others.
Any ideas where to find one?
Debra’s Answer
The VitaClay Chef Slow Cookers have a pot made from “natural pure unglazed clay.”
I read a post on another blog that said most of the crock pots made by major manufacturers DO have lead in the glaze. Also, an article called Cookware Safety says, “Enamel-coated iron and steel…does not contain lead, except in some glazes for slow-cooking pots (crock-pots). However, the amount of lead leached into food from these pots does not exceed FDA standards.”
An article from FDA Consumer in 1990 had this to say about lead in slow cookers:
Though the amount of lead in slow cookers may “meet FDA standards,” they are not zero. Though I couldn’t find the allowable standard for slow cookers, the FDA allows pitchers to leach 2.5 to 5.0 ppm, and plates and saucers, the level of lead that can leach into food over a 24-hour period cannot exceed 7 ppm. It is widely known that there is NO safe level for lead exposure.
Another point about slow cookers and any other small kitchen appliance is that the power cord contains lead, so if you are storing an appliance and plug it in before using, be sure to wash your hands before handling food, or wrap the cord with tape to encapsulate the lead.
Readers, if any of you want to call around to the manufacturers, or do some testing on a slow cooker you already have, please write in a comment to this entry and let me know your results and I will post them. I couldn’t find a review list of lead in slow cookers anywhere, and it would be great to have.
We use a white ceramic Corningware crockpot purchased 25+ yrs ago. These should be available “used”.
We don’t use stainless steel cookware, but for ppl who do, it seems some small appliance manufacturers are making available FOR AN EXTRA COST stainless steel cooking-inserts (instead of those awful nonstick inserts or awful “copper” inserts).
I use the Lead Check ones. I tested them on a glazed bowl from Mexico and it turned DARK red. Tested again on another piece from Mexico, again red. On my crockpot from ages ago no lead. I do believe these are accurate. LeadCheck.com
I’ve used them too and believe they are accurate.
What about Kitchen Aid Slow Cooker?
I can’t answer that question. I haven’t rested all the slow cookers. In general we need to assume if a company is not making it known that their product is “lead-free” it’s probably not.
Forgot to say, if it were me I would get some swabs and look for a good cooker at a thrift store and test them at the store. I currently have two just in case one goes kablooie.
Any thoughts on Kitchen Aid Slow Cooker? Are they safe to use? Thank you.
I’m looking for a slow cooker to roast a turkey and found this commentary:
http://noncreativemom.wordpress.com/2012/01/26/lead-in-crockpots/
I like the Oster 18 Qt. but the lid is aluminum. I don’t know if that’s a problem?
COMMENT FROM DEBRA:
I don’t understand your question. The Oster is not mentioned in the blog post you linked to. I’m more concerned about lead in the crockpot than aluminum in the lid.
Why is there so much discussion about crockpots? I cook my beans in my lead-free Xtrema pots in the oven. If you want to use a crockpot, take PureBody Liquid Zeolite and get the lead out of your body after you eat the food.