Can You Wash Your Crock-Pot In The Dishwasher?

Crock-Pots can be a bit of a pain to clean, can't they? Whether you're making a ton of Buffalo chicken dip for a party, slow cooker ribs for a tender dinner, or mashed potatoes for a holiday meal, food tends to get stuck inside your Crock-Pot, and it can feel almost impossible to scrub off. Good news: you can safely wash your Crock-Pot stoneware (and the lid) in the dishwasher.

There are a few guidelines that you'll want to follow before you do this. First, be sure to let your appliance cool down if you just got done using it. Ceramic material can crack if it's heated or cooled too quickly, so let your Crock-Pot come to room temperature before you pop it into the dishwasher. We know it seems obvious, but we have to say it: you only put the removable part of the Crock-Pot (where you actually put the food as it's cooking) and the lid into the dishwasher. You can wipe down the exterior of your Crock-Pot with a damp cloth if necessary, but never put the base of a slow cooker, with all its electrical wiring and complex mechanisms, into water.

While you might be able to get away with simply loading up your Crock-Pot and lid in the dishwasher and letting it go to town, there are a few things you can do to make it more likely that you'll get a sparkling clean result. If you can't scrub your slow cooker immediately, letting your crusty Crock-Pot soak a bit before you clean it can help get stubborn bits of food that are stuck to the sides to finally give way. Don't forget that you never want to put cold water in your hot slow cooker — either let it come to room temperature, or fill your hot Crock-Pot with hot water. 

If food is seriously stuck to the inside of your slow cooker and you're struggling to get it to loosen before you put it into the dishwasher, you may want to place it back on the heating element as it soaks. Water and heat can work wonders when it comes to loosening seriously stuck-on food. Add a little bit of soap or a few tablespoons of baking soda, fill your Crock-Pot with water until it covers the stuck-on food, and let it heat until you can remove it easily. From there, you can stick it back in the dishwasher one more time to make sure it's fully clean and sanitized.