Is It Safe to Use a Slow Cooker Overnight? Experts Weigh In

I didn’t watch the TV show This Is Us, but because I test slow cookers for the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen & Cooking Lab, everyone made sure I knew about the Great Slow Cooker Trauma that one fateful episode inflicted on the nation. (Semi-spoiler several years later: A defective slow cooker causes a house fire.)

Is it OK to cook in a slow cooker overnight?

The answer is a cautious yes. If your slow cooker is well maintained and in good working order, it’s generally safe to use overnight—as long as you follow basic food-safety guidelines.

Advice to follow for safe and delicious meals

✔️ Before using your slow cooker, inspect the power cord and make sure it is in good shape and not frayed.

✔️ Position your slow cooker on a flat, sturdy, heat-resistant surface away from any water sources or areas where kids or animals could reach it or accidentally knock it over. Ensure no items, such as a kitchen tool or towel, touch the slow cooker.

✔️ Include enough liquid to keep food moist and to distribute and retain heat throughout the dish.

✔️ Use the Low setting for longer cooking times, such as overnight or around eight hours. The goal is to keep your food out of the temperature danger zone, the range between 40°F and 140°F where bacteria can multiply rapidly.

The High setting is better suited to shorter cook times—generally around four hours. Be aware that the High setting may cause liquids to evaporate too quickly with some recipes, resulting in scorching or an unappealing food texture.

✔️ Do not use the Warm setting for extended periods; aim for two hours or less.

✔️ If you're not eating right away, transfer the food to a shallow container to let it begin cooling, then refrigerate it within two hours. This keeps your food out of the temperature danger zone.

✔️ Do not make the slow cooker mistake of clamping on the lid during operation. Those clamps are meant to keep the lid in place for transporting and—in extreme cases—could cause steam to build up and crack the lid or crock.