can you put your crock pot insert in the oven

A Crock-Pot is possibly one of the most useful appliances to have in a kitchen. Let’s explore whether it can be used in the oven and, if so, under what circumstances. The Crock-Pot is one of the most well-known brands of slow-cooker. When we talk about a Crock-Pot in this article, we are talking about the brand itself and not slow cookers in general. Different slow cookers have different safety guidelines, and it can’t be stressed enough that you need to check the manual for the specific brand and model you have.

Ceramic insert pot of a Crock-Pot IS oven-safe. However, outer casings and lids are NOT. There are a few guidelines and precautions that you need to be aware of if you want to do this safely and keep your Crock-Pot in good working condition. You should always check the manual before you put your Crock-Pot in the oven.

We will look at some of the safety precautions that need to be considered before you put your delicious roast or casserole into the oven. But before we look at that, it is important to start by looking at exactly how the Crock-Pot works.

How Does a Crock-Pot Work?

Typically, a Crock-Pot has a durable ceramic pot insert, a well-fitting lid, and a metal casing that houses the controls and the built-in heating element. The lid is generally made of glass with plastic handles. The Crock-Pot usually has low, high, and warm settings, with temperatures of between 175°F and 215°F.

The heat begins at the base and makes its way up the sides and into the food. The heat that is produced generates steam which creates a vacuum seal with the lid. The consistently low heat ensures that your meal will retain its moisture during cooking. Since the liquids in the food don’t “reduce”, it doesn’t become concentrated.

Which Parts of the Crock-Pot Are Oven Safe?

Diagram of oven safe crock pot parts

Generally speaking, the removable ceramic inserts of the Crock-Pot are oven-safe up to 400°F. They are also microwave-safe. The metal casings and the Crock-Pot lids are neither oven nor microwave-safe. This is because they are made of plastic, and they will melt.

The entire Crock-Pot cannot be used on a broiler. Broilers become hotter than the oven-safe temperature of 400°F.

What about the stove-top? Using the insert pot is not usually recommended – you would not normally use ceramics on a stove plate. The direct high heat can cause thermal shock. Thermal shock happens when a breakable item is exposed to an extreme change in temperature. The sudden expansion and contraction can result in the pot breaking into pieces. There are, however, some brands of slow cookers that have pots that are adaptable to a stove-top, so check your user manual.

Top tip: Speaking of stoves, provided that your stove is not in use, the stove-top can be an excellent place to set up your slow cooker for unattended cooking. It can easily withstand heat, moisture, and splatters that come from a day of a meal bubbling away. Failing that, a wooden board or a baking sheet would also work well.

A Deeper Look at Slow Cooking Temperatures

As we mentioned earlier, Crock-Pots, and slow cookers in general, typically have three settings – high, low, and warm. We might think the high would indicate a higher cooking temperature than low – but this isn’t the case.

Both settings reach the same maximum temperature of 209°F. The difference is in how quickly they reach that temperature. It takes about three or four hours to reach the maximum temperature on the high setting. On the low setting, it takes between seven and eight hours to reach the maximum temperature. The warm setting keeps the temperature between 165°F and 175°F.

Based on this information, you should probably use a different pan and roast in the oven if the recipe requires temperatures higher than 209°F. On the other hand, if you just need to add more heat in the beginning or at the end of a slow-cooking process, you should be able to put the ceramic Crock-Pot dish into the oven at up to 400°F.

Some other brands allow you to set the slow cooker’s temperature, but most don’t exceed 300°F.