I was making a pot of the easiest lentil soup ever last Friday night. I followed my own instructions, plugged in my slow cooker, and turned it on the low heat setting. Nothing happened, which is normal for a Crock-Pot on the low heat setting. They’re called “slow cookers” for a reason. A few hours passed and still nothing happened. I thought it was odd so I turned it to the high heat setting. Still nothing happened.
My Crock-Pot was dead.
When an old appliance dies, I am filled with dread. It’s unlikely that the replacement product will be as sturdy and sound as the old one. A new one may have the appearance of quality, but like everything else in this new junk era of disposable products, it won’t be built to last. My dead Crock-Pot also reminded me of being young and hopeful; I got it when I was a “new homemaker.” It may have been 25 years ago. My ex-husband never really liked anything I made in the slow cooker. I would make beef stew and after dinner, he’d be making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for himself. After a while, I just stopped making healthy meals.
That ugly old Crock-Pot made a lot of healthy meals for me in the last ten years, though.
According to eBay, my Rival Model 3100P Crock-Pot has become a vintage collectible and ranges in price from between $30 and $40. Would a vintage Crock-Pot last another 25 years?
A new Crock-Pot of similar size costs about $25. I went to the official Crock-Pot website and I can see that buying a new one will be a lot like buying yogurt. There are many options and choices. Maybe I don’t need to do anything right now. My lentil soup came out perfectly on top of the stove and to be honest, that was really the only healthy meal I ever made in my slow cooker anyway.
I’m too sad to post a picture; it wouldn’t be right because it’s a happy day here in New England. The Patriots beat the Texans yesterday and they’re meeting the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship next Sunday. All’s well in Trophy Town today and apparently, I can buy a Crock-Pot to prove it.
I’m not going to do anything about my Crock-Pot. I might be “just fine” without one more consumer good in my life. I may even find one on the side of the road this spring.
Go Pats!
Julie-Ann Baumer 
I hope it doesn’t bother you to get this in a post reply. First, I hope you tried the obvious and plugged it into a different wall outlet.
Assuming you did and it still didn’t work, time to put on your big girl pants Or your save-the-environment pants. Or your not-a-slave-to-consumerism pants. Or your rugged individualism pants. Whichever fit best.
http://www.fixitclub.com/Small_Appliances/Slow_Cooker.shtml
If you need parts:
http://www.crock-pot.com/customerservice.aspx
If you don’t have one, go to Radio Shack and get a multimeter. You don’t need an expensive one, you’ll use it primarily to test continuity. It and a screwdriver should be all you need to repair your crock pot.
So much in your kitchen is not repairable, or easily repairable. This is. And once you’ve fixed it, you’ve got another post for the blog–The Beginning of An Era (JAB fixes her own stuff). Cowgirl up!
Many of those sturdy old appliances are in fact, made to be repairable. Don’t give up the ship just yet captain crockot. There may still be hope.
Thank you, Andy! It’s exciting to see that my friends and blog followers want me to develop some transferable skills! Follow me on twitter @aunttomato!
Nana didn’t like the looks of my old, worn, dependable, trustworthy crockpot so she gift me with a huge (it’s 24″ long, holy crockpot) slow cooker. It’s nice. The crock comes out of the heating base for easy washing. It doesn’t fit into the feel of my little old farmhouse. And worst of all, it has a plastic cover that doesn’t retain heat. I have to put a towel over it to keep it warm.