Few things save a person more time and energy in the kitchen than making their trusty slow cooker a series regular during meal prep. Just pop a handful of ingredients into the pot at the start of your day and poof—you've got a delicious dinner ready for you once you're off the clock. Piece of cake. The cleanup afterward, though? Not so much.
Enter single-use slow-cooker liners, which slash the grind of post-meal scrubbing and stain removal from your to-do list. "Instead of scrubbing the pot, you just throw away the liner," says Janilyn Hutchings, a certified food safety professional at StateFoodSafety. "There may be some moisture left in the pot from the cooking process, but all you need to do is wipe it out with a clean cloth or paper towel."
Still, now that we're well-versed in the health concerns that surround using plastic during the cooking process (specifically, the risk of chemicals from the plastic leaching into your food), what does this mean for how safe disposable Crock-Pot liners are?
What Are Crock-Pot Liners Made Of?
Slow-cooker liners are typically made of a heavy-duty nylon resin that's built to resist high heat (around 400°F, depending on the brand). They're also manufactured to be durable enough not to melt or tear while in use.
Plastic products, like Crock-Pot liners, are usually some combination of a polymer resin (the raw material for manufacturing plastic products) and additives that are mixed in to enhance the performance of the product itself, according to the Pacific Northwest Pollution Prevention Resource Center. In the case of slow-cooker liners, they likely contain additives that allow them to withstand extended periods of high heat and food contact.
Unfortunately, the exact resin and additive composition used to manufacture Crock-Pot liners depends on the brand (and is unavailable to the public), so there's practically no data indicating whether specific parts of the composition might leach into food during the cooking process.
The chemical compound found in various types of plastic food containers that raises the most eyebrows is bisphenol A (BPA), with research suggesting a possible link between BPA and increased blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, among other health issues, according to the Mayo Clinic. And BPA substitutes, such as BPS, might not be any safer.
"Currently, the official stance of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is the amount of BPA currently contained in food containers is safe," says Hutchings. "However, the European Food Safety Authority recently released a new scientific opinion on the risks of even small amounts of BPA, leading some groups in the United States to petition the FDA to impose stricter limits on the amount of BPA allowed in food containers and packaging."
So, Are Plastic Crock-Pot Liners Safe?
Because research on the compounds found in plastics that come into contact with food are ongoing (there are hundreds of chemicals currently considered safe food contact substances), it's hard to give a definitive answer on exactly how safe slow-cooker liners are, Hutchings says.
Don't worry, there's a but: To be used in food contact products, like Crock-Pot liners, all resins and additives used not only must be authorized by the FDA, but also must stay within the limitations or specifications for their intended use, such as allowed concentrations of each additive in the final product and the temperatures during use that are acceptable.
This means that so long as the liners you buy are FDA-approved and free of BPA and BPA substitutes (Reynolds Kitchens Slow Cooker Liners and Crock-Pot Slow Cooker Liners are two excellent—and popular—picks), you'll help to minimize any potential chemicals leaching into the foods you cook as much as possible.
FAQs
This means that so long as the liners you buy are FDA-approved and free of BPA and BPA substitutes (Reynolds Kitchens Slow Cooker Liners and Crock-Pot Slow Cooker Liners are two excellent—and popular—picks), you'll help to minimize any potential chemicals leaching into the foods you cook as much as possible.
Are plastic crockpot liners safe to use? ›
Slow cooker liners are safe to use on the appliance's low, medium, and high settings up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Opt for BPA-free liners made of heat-resistant, food-safe nylon, which can stand up to hearty ingredients without tearing, Charry Brown, senior manager of the Reynolds Test Kitchen, told Allrecipes.
Are Reynolds kitchen slow cooker liners safe? ›
Yes. Slow Cooker Liners are BPA-free and FDA-compliant for cooking.
Why do people put plastic bags in slow cooker? ›
Slow cooker bags line the base of your slow cooker to prevent food from making the inside of the pot dirty. Once the base of the pot is lined with the slow cooker bag, you can then add food and turn on your slow cooker. Most slow cooker bags are made to fit 3-7 quart oval and round slow cookers.
Do crockpot liners affect cooking time? ›
A: No, it hasn't affected my cook time. Helpful? Thank you for your feedback!
Can I use aluminum foil as a crockpot liner? ›
To use the slow cooker for delicate dishes like salmon, or harder-to-remove items like stuffed peppers and baked goods, line it with a piece of parchment paper or aluminum foil that is long enough to come over the sides. The cooked food can then be easily lifted out and transferred to a serving platter fully intact.
What can I line my slow cooker with? ›
For the easiest cleanup ever, line your slow cooker with parchment paper. This is especially useful for dishes that you might want to remove (or replate) in one piece, like cakes or frittatas, says DiGregorio. Just line with parchment, cook as usual, then lift up and out.
What can I use instead of a crockpot liner? ›
A Crock Pot Liner Replacement Designed with Safety in Mind
RCG bags are easy to handle, leak-proof, and have a tamper-evident seal. Although they are designed to vent at the top (to release steam), no liquids will escape during cooking.
Do all slow cookers leach lead? ›
Avoid Crock Pots with Different Colors or Gloss
Such glazes have lead in the form of leaded silica or leaded frets. This is not lead in metal form or oxide form, so manufacturers generally do not mention this lead. It is better to choose unglazed pots over ceramic slow cooker pots.
Can I use an oven bag as a crockpot liner? ›
Can you use oven bags in a slow cooker? We do not recommend it. Try Reynolds Kitchens® Slow Cooker Liners. They were specifically developed and sized for use in slow cookers, while Reynolds Kitchens® Oven Bags were designed and sized to hold large cuts of meat for pan-roasting in the oven.
Crock pot tip - add aluminum foil to cover the lid. The heat bounces off from the lid and allows your food to cook faster. Also, you will not lose any of the steam that usually evaporates.
Can you just throw everything into a slow cooker? ›
One of the main attractions for many people is the ease of a slow cooker, so when you're looking for recipes, avoid those that suggest a lot of pre-preparation. For many dishes, particularly soups and stews, you really can just throw all the ingredients in.
Can I use a chicken bag in the slow cooker? ›
Slow Cooker Chicken Made in a Cooking Bag
Once the meal is finished cooking, they can remove the bag from the slow cooker, eat their meal and recycle the bag once finished. For chicken dishes prepared in a slow cooker using a cooking bag check out beloved classic slow-cooked chicken and dumplings.
Do crockpot liners leach chemicals? ›
Chemicals leaching from slow cooker liners
The toxic chemicals like BPA, phthalates and POPs found in plastic liners and food storage bags leach significantly more while cooking heat acts as a catalyst.
Should you leave a crockpot on overnight? ›
However, if you are planning to leave your slow cooker on overnight, make sure it's on a low heat. You may wonder how long can you leave a slow cooker on low for? Well, the recommendation is a maximum of 8 hours on a low heat for most slow cookers.
What happens if you leave a crockpot on too long? ›
The food will not only stain the cooker's interior, but it will also be soggy and overcooked and be left open to bacteria. Most of the programmable slow cookers available today have a 24-hour cycle, which would shut the slow cooker off automatically, but older models don't necessarily have this function.
Do slow cookers leach chemicals? ›
Glazed ceramic slow cookers – avoid
Some ceramic glazes are non-toxic, but some pose a risk of leaching heavy metals like lead and cadmium into your food.
Are plastic oven liners safe? ›
Are oven liners safe? Oven sheets are generally considered safe when used properly. They are typically made from materials such as PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) or silicone, both of which are heat-resistant and non-toxic when exposed to normal cooking temperatures.
Can you use plastic bowls in slow cooker? ›
If you are using a plastic pudding basin then it should be fine just sitting in the slow cooker.
