|

Can You Put A Crockpot In The Oven?

*This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure to learn more.

Crockpots are so nice to have on hand because they can make your dinnertime a breeze. You don’t have to spend all evening slaving over a hot stove. All you have to do is toss your ingredients into the crockpot, set it and forget it!

Crockpots are pretty unique. They have a base with controls and a heating element and then they have a ceramic dish that fits into the base.

Most of the time, that ceramic dish is removable for cleaning purposes and such. In addition, each crockpot has a lid and possibly has other accessories included as well. 

So you may be wondering if your crockpot offers even more convenience in another way.

Can you put a crockpot in the oven? You cannot safely put an entire crockpot in the oven, but you may be able to put the ceramic dish itself into the oven if you are careful about doing so.

This is a more complicated answer than just a simple yes or no. You cannot safely put the entire crockpot in the oven but you very well might be able to put the ceramic dish itself into the oven if you are careful about doing so. 

In this guide, we will share with you everything you need to know about whether or not you can put a crockpot in the oven. There are a lot of details to cover on this topic, including safety protocols and understanding the limitations that might need to be considered. 

Stick with us to learn whether you can put a crockpot in the oven and more. 

Can You Put a Crockpot in the Oven? A Complete Guide

There is a lot to know if you are considering putting a crockpot in the oven. Unfortunately, it’s not just a simple yes or no. There are several different things to consider before you know if you can put your particular crockpot in the oven.

You can put a crockpot in the oven – partially. And only sometimes. It comes down to the various parts of your crockpot.

You will want to get familiar with the materials your crockpot is made of if you’re not sure already. Not all crockpots are made the same; there are actually several brands out there that have lead in the ceramic. So it may not be smart or safe to use those for oven purposes. 

There may also be limitations as to how much heat (or how high of a temperature) it can handle if you can place it in the oven. 

In this guide, we are going to focus a lot on the Crock Pot brand crockpots for reference. Since there are so many brands out there, it’s best if you refer specifically to your brand or user guide to know whether or not your model is really oven-safe

Crock Pot Materials

When it comes to the Crock Pot brand, they are all pretty much made with the same materials.

For the recent models, each crockpot is made up of 3 primary parts:

  • Heating base with cord
  • Stoneware bowl or insert
  • Lid

While the bases and the lids and the settings might change from crockpot to crockpot, they each have the same glazed stoneware or ceramic bowl that comes out of the base, regardless of the variety of styles and sizes you can choose.

Although many brands have lead in their bowls and the materials, Crock Pot does not do this. As we said, that pot is ceramic and stoneware and easy to remove if it’s a recent model.

However, some of the older models may not have removable pots and these pots should not be placed in the oven under any circumstances. Just be aware of that before moving forward.

Check out this simple chart for a quick reference as to what can be placed in the oven from the Crock Pot brand. It’s pretty useful and the information is taken directly from Crock Pot’s service and support information. 

Crock Pot PartOven Safe?Dishwasher Safe?Microwave Safe?Stovetop Safe?
Electric BaseNoNoNoNo 
LidNoYesNoNo
Stoneware InsertYes**YesYesNo

**While the stoneware insert is oven safe, it should never be used with the broiler setting

You can see from the chart that not all pieces of the crockpot can be treated the same, which is why we didn’t come out and say you can use the whole thing in the oven.

You will notice that the electric base should never be used in any type of appliance, as you could probably guess already. It is its own electric appliance already so naturally it is not meant to be washed, cooked, baked, or heated. 

If this particular piece needs to be cleaned, you should wipe it down with a damp rag and let it dry before using it. 

Some users would tell you that you can heat things up on the stove and then transfer the insert to the oven but the Crock Pot site clearly states that the stoneware insert is not safe for the stovetop.

You will also notice that you can use the stoneware insert in the microwave as well.

However, the lid should not be placed in the oven or the microwave (or on the stovetop) but it is dishwasher-safe for cleaning purposes.

It’s pretty simple really. That stoneware insert is versatile. Since it is stoneware with a ceramic glaze, it’s pretty easy to work with. 

Using a Crock Pot in the Oven

We want to point out again that not every model is necessarily the same.

If you have an older version of the Crock Pot that does not have a removable insert, then this crockpot is not oven-safe at all. In this particular instance, it also cannot be used in the dishwasher or microwave either. 

All of their current models are made to be removable so it’s only if you have an older model that this may be an issue. We also want to point out again that if you have another brand besides Crock Pot, you should defer to their information. 

We looked up the oven-safe properties of some other popular crockpot brands and here is what we found:

Other Crockpot BrandsOven Safe?
CuisinartRemovable insert safe up to 400 degrees
All CladRemovable insert safe up to 400 degrees
Hamilton BeachRemovable insert safe up to 400 degrees
Black & DeckerRemovable insert safe up to 400 degrees

In general, most crockpot brands that have a removable insert can safely be used in the oven up to 400 degrees. This is also true of the Crock Pot brand. 

This seems to be standard across the board, but we can’t make any promises about your particular brand. It’s best to check individually.

The one thing you want to be most aware of if you are considering placing your crockpot in the oven is whether or not your crockpot possibly has lead in the insert.

Not all brands may be suitable so be sure to look at the details related to your brand for safety purposes before you do use it in the oven. 

Naturally, when you use a crockpot in the oven, you need to be sure to keep the temperature at 400 degrees or lower. This may affect which recipes you can use.

Of course, when you place a crockpot in the oven, be sure that you are only placing the ceramic insert in the oven.

You most likely wouldn’t even try to put the base in the oven since it’s typically attached to a cord but you might be surprised how many users attempt to put the lid in the oven.

The lid is not designed to hold up in the oven and could shatter or cause other issues. The lid of a crockpot often has plastic pieces or perhaps a rubber seal around the rim that locks in the heat.

Those materials are not oven-safe, even if the glass part of the lid might hold up for a short time. It’s not worth it, just don’t put the lid in the oven!

One more thing we want to point out here. Crock Pot recommends that you fill your ceramic insert at least halfway when cooking anything. This factor is best used in any cooking method and it simply has to do with getting the best heat distribution

Can a Crock Pot Go in the Microwave? 

This topic is again something that you will want to refer to your specific crockpot to really understand whether it would be safe in the oven. 

The Crock Pot brand does state that their stoneware inserts are microwave-safe. Most stoneware inserts are going to be the same.

Still, it’s always a good idea to double-check your owner’s manual or even customer support to be sure of your brand and model’s capabilities and whether the insert will truly be safe for microwave use or not. 

In addition, you should also check out your microwave’s user manual as it might provide you with specific instructions for microwaving stoneware. You never know what tips and tricks might be in there.

It’s a good idea to be familiar with all of the details before you try to microwave so that you can be sure things are happening correctly and safely for the process. 

Can a Crock Pot Replace a Dutch Oven? 

You might not be able to use your crockpot on the stove but it is designed in such a way that you might be able to use it instead of a Dutch oven.

Did you know that the crockpot was originally invented to substitute the Dutch oven so that people wouldn’t have to heat up their homes with the oven? 

Generally speaking, you can use your crockpot for just about anything you might use a Dutch oven for.

The challenge to this kind of substitution really comes with temperature regulation. For the most part, you cannot actually specify your temperature on a crockpot. You either have high, low, or warm in most cases. 

It might take some guessing or some trial and error to really figure out what works best when you are using a crockpot instead of a Dutch oven.

Here’s the thing: A crockpot temperature will be somewhere around maybe 200 to 300 degrees Fahrenheit depending on the setting, the brand, and how it’s made. The keep warm temperature may also be a little below 200.

Cooking your meal in a Dutch oven very well might be faster than using a crockpot but it is also more hands-on and might require more notice on your part during the process.

On average, a meal that takes about 8 hours in the crockpot might only take 3 hours in the oven with your Dutch oven. We can assume that the oven temperature will be higher overall. 

The downside is that you can use a Dutch oven on both stovetop and oven space but you cannot use your crockpot on the stovetop in most cases.

What you need to use in this circumstance might depend on what you are making and how quickly you want to accomplish the end task. If you want to set it in the crockpot and simply leave it alone for 8 hours, use the crockpot. 

If you’re looking for something faster or perhaps you want to use the stovetop first, then you should stick to the Dutch oven. 

Related Questions

We hope that you find this guide to understanding whether you can put a crockpot in the oven to be a valuable and informative resource. There are a lot of tidbits to know and be aware of but for the most part, your oven is safe for the stoneware insert of a crockpot. 

We invite you to take a look at the following question and answer section for some additional information. 

Can I Preheat My Stoneware Insert Before Cooking? 

Crock Pot recommends never trying to pre-heat the insert before cooking. It is definitely not necessary and might actually be damaging to the stoneware. Just throw the ingredients in and let the crockpot do the work.

Does the Stoneware Insert Get Hot? 

You should never touch your stoneware insert directly when it has been in the oven or when you have been using the crockpot. It will be hot. The lid might also be hot from the process so be careful and use hot pads for protection. 

How High Can my Oven Temperature Be for the Crockpot?

If you decide to use the crockpot in the oven, you should plan to use a temperature that is 400 degrees Fahrenheit or less.

This is the maximum temperature that your stone insert is designed to be able to handle. You might check your owner’s manual for specific recommendations. 

Up Next: The 5 Best Oven Safe Skillets

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *