I didn’t watch This Is Us, but because I test slow cookers for the Good Housekeeping Institute’s Kitchen & Cooking Lab, everyone made sure I knew about the Great Slow Cooker Trauma that one fateful episode inflicted on the nation. (A slight spoiler, several years later: a faulty slow cooker causes a house fire.)
Is it safe to use a slow cooker overnight?
The answer is a cautious yes. If your slow cooker is well maintained and in good working condition, 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 mains lead to make sure it’s in good condition and not frayed.
✔️ Place your slow cooker on a flat, sturdy, heat-resistant surface, away from water and out of reach of children and pets. Keep tea towels, utensils and other items clear of the cooker.
✔️ Add enough liquid to keep the food moist and help heat circulate throughout the dish.
✔️ For longer cooking times, such as overnight, use the Low setting. Slow cookers are designed to cook food gradually; follow your model’s instructions and make sure the food is fully cooked before eating.
What to read next
The High setting is better for shorter cooking times, usually around four hours. It can cause liquid to evaporate too quickly in some recipes, which may lead to scorching or affect the food’s texture.
✔️ Do not use the Keep Warm setting for extended periods; aim for no more than two hours.
✔️ If you’re not eating straight away, transfer the food to a shallow container to cool, then refrigerate it within two hours. This helps limit the time it spends at temperatures where bacteria can multiply rapidly.
✔️ Don’t clamp the lid shut while the slow cooker is in use. The clamps are for keeping the lid in place during transport. In rare cases, trapped steam could build up enough to crack the lid or the crock.
Why trust Good Housekeeping?
Sarah Gregory is a deputy editor in the Good Housekeeping Institute, where she’s been testing slow cookers for the past five years.
Sarah (she/her) is a deputy editor in the Good Housekeeping Institute, where she tests products and covers the best picks across kitchen, health, and food. She has been cooking professionally since 2017 and has tested kitchen appliances and gear for Family Circle as well as developed recipes and food content for Simply Recipes, Martha Stewart Omnimedia, Oxo, and Food52. She holds a certificate in professional culinary arts from the International Culinary Center (now the Institute of Culinary Education).
Stacey looks after all food and drink reviews — from coffee pods and veg boxes, to natural wine and tequila. Stacey is also founder of Crummbs, where she’s written nearly 2,000 restaurant and hotel reviews since 2013. Prior to this, Stacey wrote hundreds of in-depth buying guides for the Independent, i newspaper and BBC Good Food, as well as reviewing restaurants and interviewing celebrities in her column at Balance Magazine. Stacey has also appeared in BAFTA-nominated BBC documentary Blood, Sweat & Takeaways, where she investigated South East Asia's food production industry, appearing on both Newsnight and BBC World Service to share her findings. Regularly checking out the latest restaurants, bars and product launches, Stacey also loves experimenting with recipes at home, and is a WSET-certified wine and spirits expert, with over 10 years of experience in the business. You can follow Stacey on Instagram @crummbs_uk
