The One Thing You Might Not Know About Your Slow Cooker

It's officially Crock-Pot season. It's time to slow cook hearty soups and stews, pot roast, and chili. Let's be honest, we use our Crock-Pots all year long, but there's something about comforting, warm meals best made in a slow cooker that just scream fall.

Like many of our most-loved kitchen tools and appliances, Crock-Pots tend to get worked into the ground. Many cooks are still using the same Crock-Pot they've been cooking meals in twice a week for 10 years or more. But with anything that's made of multiple pieces and running on electricity, there's always the possibility that one part of the appliance will break or stop working before the rest of it. But rest assured, if part of your Crock-Pot breaks, you don't need to buy a new one altogether.

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Maybe you made the mistake of putting an insert straight from the refrigerator into the Crock-Pot base and it cracked. Or maybe you ran into a transport snafu and lost your lid or dial along the way. Whatever happened—don't panic. You can easily replace just the part that broke or stopped working properly directly from Crock-Pot.

The slow cooker brand has a whole section on their website dedicated to replacement parts. Most of their lids can be replaced for around $10. And the stoneware inserts can be replaced starting at $15. You can even get replacements for the smaller parts of the appliance, like the steam release valve, the control knob, the feet, and of course, the cord. This is a great offer from a company that knows it has loyal lifelong customers who might use a faulty slow cooker before giving it up. So, spread the word: Broken Crock-Pots are not done for. And even if your slow cooker isn't broken, there's no shame in buying a new stoneware insert or lid if yours has cooked-on stains that just won't budge. At that price, why not?