# Slow Cookers and Lead?



## Metasequoia (Jun 7, 2005)

I stumbled upon this old thread & have found that (as far as I can tell) West Bend, Hamilton Beach & GE are free of lead & cadmium. Rival is suspicious as it doesn't say that it's products are lead free. I emailed Farberware & Rival & am awaiting a response.

I am SO tired of researching the perfect slow cooker! I found a review on Amazon on a Farberware FSSC500 5Qt & a customer listed the actual temps & the reviews said that it was a "true slow cooker" & didn't burn food on a high temp. ***UPDATE*** I posted a response from Farberware/Salton in post # 15, sounds like they have lead.







:

So, who knows what about lead & slow cookers?

*ETA, I think I like this Hamilton Beach Stay or Go better!







Hamilton Beach says on their site that their slow cookers are lead & cadmium free.*


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## oneKnight (Aug 4, 2006)

I hope you find out for us, I have a Rival 5qt
subbing....


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## Greensleeves (Aug 4, 2004)

: I was looking all over for info a while back too, finally gave up.


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## Metasequoia (Jun 7, 2005)

I emailed Rival, here is my question followed by their roundabout response:

Quote:


Originally Posted by *me*
Do your crock pot inserts contain lead or cadmium?


Quote:


Originally Posted by *crockpot.com*
I have just received your email and would like to thank you for writing. the liner is made of ceramic and The glaze is made of silica flour, clay, feldspar, something called "frit", and a few minerals. These are ground up mixed, in specific quantities, with water. The resulting slurry is sprayed onto the pot (or the pot is dipped in it) and it is fired in the kiln at or around 1200-1600 degrees. It all melts together on the outside of the pot and basically turns into a type of glass. *The FDA specifies allowable amounts of lead, cadmium and other substances. All of the glazes that we use meet or exceed FDA requirements.*

Sounds like a reluctant "yes" to me.


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## erin a (Mar 15, 2006)

Yup, that sure sounds to me like they've got lead in them or they would have given you a straight 'no'...







: Damn, I've got a rival crockpot







:


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## MidwifeErika (Jun 30, 2005)

that totally sounds like a yes to me. "few minerals" could totally be lead. shoot. I have a Rival crockpot and really like it. I had never thought about how it could contain lead.


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## Metasequoia (Jun 7, 2005)

Sell it on Craig's List or Freecycle it, I've got my eye on the Hamilton Beach mentioned in the opening post - it's $29.99 at Target, not bad.....for peace of mind.


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## oneKnight (Aug 4, 2006)

Rival crock pots are made in China - says so on the shipping box.

If the stuff turns into "glass" though, at such high temps....I wonder if it can get out? Glass doesn't leach anything. And the crock pot isn't gonna reach 1200º...


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## Tanibani (Nov 8, 2002)

Well, I least I haven't used my Rival.







thanks for posting it!

I guess I'll give it away.







:


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## nicolelynn (Aug 18, 2006)

Blah yet another gadget I need for my kitchen now...a new slow cooker- yipes!


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## cloudswinger (Jan 24, 2005)

They sell lead testers. Just buy one and see if your crockpot has and detectible amounts.


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## Imvishta (Nov 6, 2006)

We love our crockpot! Yet another thing to worry about and research... What the poster said about them not reaching 1,200 degrees does make sense that it could be safe, though.


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## Imvishta (Nov 6, 2006)

Metasequoia;6848691
<snip>
Hamilton Beach says on their site that their slow cookers are lead & cadmium free.[/QUOTE said:


> Couldn't they _technically_ write lead-free if it simply meets the standards? Same way foods can be listed as _no trans-fats_ if the _serving size_ listed doesn't exceed a certain level, but eating several servings (which most people do with snacks) would exceed the limits which would require listing trans-fats, KWIM?


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## Metasequoia (Jun 7, 2005)

I don't know, I did send an email to Hamilton Beach, I'll see what they have to say.

As far as testing your crock pot yourself:

Quote:

Testing Dishes for Lead

You may want to test your dishes to see if they leach lead. Home test kits can tell you if there is lead that can leach from the dishes. These tests do not tell you the exact AMOUNT of lead. They are most useful in detecting high levels of lead. *In many cases, they are not sensitive enough to tell whether the dishes meet Proposition 65 standards.*
-Source

Quote:

Enamel-coated iron and steel is colorful, stain and scratch resistant and does not pick up food odors. *It does not contain lead, except in some glazes for slow-cooking pots (crock-pots). However, the amount of lead leached into food from these pots does not exceed FDA standards.*
-Source

From what I've read, you should test the food that is cooked in the lead-containing cookware. I guess if you're comfortable with the possibility that the food being made in the lead-containing cookware *could* have lead in it, *even an amount that the FDA allows*, that's everyone's personal decision. If I were to use my slow cooker 3-4 times a week as I intend to, personally I'd feel safer knowing that it didn't have any amount of lead in the glaze.

I'm really not one to trust the FDA! They tell us irradiated foods are safe, synthetic growth hormone, antibiotic residue, growth inhibitor, etc, etc.

General info on lead in tableware.
Regulation of lead in tableware.


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## Metasequoia (Jun 7, 2005)

I *finally* got a response from Farberware/Salton after at least a month...

Quote:


Originally Posted by *[email protected]*
Thank you for your email regarding our slow cookers. We do not have the information you have requested. Sorry for the inconvenience but these are made over seas and we don not know if the liners contain lead or cadmium.

Sincerely,

Wanda
Consumer Relations

Nice, huh? Me thinks that's another "yes."


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## Jwebbal (May 31, 2004)

http://www.dmaonline.org/fppublic/connect56.html
Crock Pots
Are there any hazards associated with crock pot cookery? At one time lead and cadmium were a concern in ceramic ware. Following a foodborne illness outbreak (lead poisoning) affecting a California family in 1971, the FDA tightened restrictions on these dangerous minerals, which were cropping up in ceramics imported from other countries. The minerals were in the pigments used in glazes. By all reports, this is not a concern today due to FDA control.


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## avendesora (Sep 23, 2004)

I have a Rival, darnit.

Other Rival owners - are you planning on giving yours away, or are you going to keep using it anyway?

So far, I'll keep using it anyway. I'll keep my eye out at my local thrift store though for a new one.

I'm a little nervous because I primarily do tomato-based stews, and the acid from the tomato might leach the lead out.

Aven


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## Greensleeves (Aug 4, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Metasequoia* 
I *finally* got a response from Farberware/Salton after at least a month...

Nice, huh? Me thinks that's another "yes."

Thanks for updating with their response!

Wow, I can't believe that copout of a return letter. They can't even provide vital safety information for their product because it's made overseas? That seems really unprofessional.







:

I wonder how many other products are made overseas unsafely because they have no idea about the conditions under which they're made?


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## Metasequoia (Jun 7, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Jwebbal* 
http://www.dmaonline.org/fppublic/connect56.html
Crock Pots
Are there any hazards associated with crock pot cookery? At one time lead and cadmium were a concern in ceramic ware. Following a foodborne illness outbreak (lead poisoning) affecting a California family in 1971, the FDA tightened restrictions on these dangerous minerals, which were cropping up in ceramics imported from other countries. The minerals were in the pigments used in glazes. By all reports, this is not a concern today due to FDA control.

See post # 14, I linked a few sources regarding lead in dishes & crock pots, yes, almost all ceramic dinnerware contains lead, the FDA allows a certain amount. I know that Macy's sells "Fiestaware" which is lead free (dishes/bowls/cups.)

As for slow cookers, if I know that certain brands contain lead, even "allowable amounts," and I'm going to be *cooking food* in them for my family, I'll absolutely buy the brand that doesn not have lead, yk? That Hamilton Beech slow cooker is about $30, IMO worth every cent.


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## davmon (Jun 21, 2003)

but if I remember right, when I was researching crockpots, the Hamilton Beach one's had non-stick (I assume teflon or something equally unappetizing) inserts. So which is worse - the chemicals used to make the liners non-stick or the lead??

WHY CAN'T WE BUY SAFE STUFF FOR OUR FAMILIES???!!!

Mona


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## Judegirl (Nov 11, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *avendesora* 
I have a Rival, darnit.

Other Rival owners - are you planning on giving yours away, or are you going to keep using it anyway?

So far, I'll keep using it anyway. I'll keep my eye out at my local thrift store though for a new one.

I'm a little nervous because I primarily do tomato-based stews, and the acid from the tomato might leach the lead out.

Aven

I stopped using mine and am looking for another (which is annoying since I'm trying to come as close as I comfortably can to compacting!) Now I'm nervous about older models, regardless of the brand. And I'm very much regretting all the use my rival did get!

Jude

Jude


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## *Jessica* (Jun 10, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *davmon* 
but if I remember right, when I was researching crockpots, the Hamilton Beach one's had non-stick (I assume teflon or something equally unappetizing) inserts. So which is worse - the chemicals used to make the liners non-stick or the lead??

WHY CAN'T WE BUY SAFE STUFF FOR OUR FAMILIES???!!!

Mona

I'm trying to find a new slow cooker (the PLASTIC lid on my Rival broke today....yay!







) and in my research it is West Bend that has the nonstick interiors, not Hamilton Beach.

ETA: I think I found the one I'm going to buy. It only has 1 Amazon review so if I do get it I'll be sure to let you all know how I like it.
http://www.hamiltonbeach.com/cgi-bin...0/prrfnbr/1014 and the Amazon linkadoo


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## Rikki Jean (Jul 15, 2005)

Wow, this thread has got me sick to my stomach. I'm so sad right now.







I have a Rival, and I love it. Well, I used to love it...

Quote:


Originally Posted by *cloudswinger* 
They sell lead testers. Just buy one and see if your crockpot has and detectible amounts.

Where do you get lead testers? I've been wondering about this, because I received some pots and pans on FC that are "old" (not really sure _how old_), and I want to test them too.


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## reducereuserecycle (Jan 16, 2007)

I heard you can get lead testers at hardware stores, but I havn't looked yet.


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## AutumnMelody (Feb 10, 2006)

OH COME ON!!!!!!!! I have three Rival crockpots. A large that came with a mini, given to me by DH, and a middle sized one given to me by my MIL (read as, none of the above researched by me). We don't have a stove or an oven in our new house yet, so I cook almost exclusively with them. In fact, I was only here to look up the crockpot recipe I was planning on using for dinner. So basically my babies, who already have major toxicity issues, have been eating meals everyday that may or may not be slowly poisoning them with lead. Fan-freakin-tastic. What the hell is wrong with the world??? Why is there nothing left anywhere that is safe???? Seriously, I'm in tears here. I have about 6 million things that our family *needs* to buy including things like car seats and clothes. And now I have to shell out more money for something that I already thought was taken care of? I'm not a happy mama right now.


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## reducereuserecycle (Jan 16, 2007)

I'm sorry Autumn Melody







It totally sucks doesn't it! I am afraid to use my crock pot anymore. My stove caught on fire a while back and I know how hard it is to live without one. As for your carseats, I got an ad in the mail from Big Lots today and they have some, if there is a Big Lots near you. They are still expensive, but maybe cheaper then they'd be somewhere else.


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## Metasequoia (Jun 7, 2005)

I bought the Hamilton Beach Stay/Go, nothing non-stick about it. I love how the lid clamps down! (And, look at all of the customer reviews!)


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## AJP (Apr 30, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Metasequoia* 
I bought the Hamilton Beach Stay/Go, nothing non-stick about it. I love how the lid clamps down! (And, look at all of the customer reviews!)

Cool. It's 6 quarts? The specs don't say what capacity, but one of the reviews I read said 6 quarts.


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## paakbaak (Jan 24, 2007)

what about the Morphy Richards? i live in spain and they dont exist here so i´m looking to buy one (help provided by a great momma here!!) but they only have rivals and Morphy Richards in amazon.uk. do you know about this one?


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## paakbaak (Jan 24, 2007)

well, i wrote to the company and the wrote back. apparently, there is no use of lead. did i understand it right? here is their answer:

Dear Carla

Thank you for your enquiry

I am advised that there is no lead used in the production of the 48710 slow cooker.

I hope this information is of assistance.

Yours sincerely

Linda Tate
Administration Manager


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## paakbaak (Jan 24, 2007)

she wrote again...
Dear Carla

I have enquired further about this matter and I am advised that there will be small traces of lead in the ceramic pot and lid, these would be one part to a million. The appliances do meet the Restriction of Acidous Substances European Directive 2002/95/EEC.

I hope this information is of assistance to you.

Regards

Linda Tate
Administration Manager

what does this mean?????????????????????????


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## melissel (Jun 30, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *paakbaak* 
she wrote again...
Dear Carla

I have enquired further about this matter and I am advised that there will be small traces of lead in the ceramic pot and lid, these would be one part to a million. The appliances do meet the Restriction of Acidous Substances European Directive 2002/95/EEC.

I hope this information is of assistance to you.

Regards

Linda Tate
Administration Manager

what does this mean?????????????????????????


Sounds like it means that there's some lead, but it's lower than the amount legally allowed in a food-related substance. You have to decide for yourself if that's OK with you









I bought a Hamilton Beach at Target this weekend, even though I have a sneaking suspicion that a PP might be right when she asked if a company could make the claim that its products are "lead-free" as long as the levels are below the legal limit. I figure I'm erring on the side of caution, and I'm justifying it to myself in that I had a gift card that covered all but the tax, and I wanted a bigger one anyway. Like the OP, I had a Farberware and am not pleased about their response to her query







:

This is all so







:


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## paakbaak (Jan 24, 2007)

i suppose they all have teflon for non-stick right?


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## Ruthla (Jun 2, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *oneKnight* 
Rival crock pots are made in China - says so on the shipping box.

If the stuff turns into "glass" though, at such high temps....I wonder if it can get out? Glass doesn't leach anything. And the crock pot isn't gonna reach 1200º...

That's what I'm wondering as well.


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## sixducksinarow (Mar 17, 2007)

Bumping this up to add my contact with Kitchen Aid.

I used the contact form on their website and asked,

Quote:

I am interested in purchasing a KSC700SS 7-Qt. Slow Cooker . Can you tell me if the ceramic cooking pot is manufactured with lead or cadmium?
They replied,

Quote:

Our Slow Cooker Crock is Ceramic with food-grade black-glaze paint coating.








So, I guess that is a "no, I can't tell you". I found a lot of complaints about the KitchenAid crock cracking anyway. I ended up buying the Hamilton Beach 6qt programmable. We really love the temperature probe, spoon rest, and lid rest. I have a large family, so I really wanted that extra quart in the KA but not if it contains lead. Two HB slow cookers cost less than one KA anyway.

Thanks so much for the research done in this and other slow cooker threads.


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## kjbrown92 (Dec 13, 2007)

Because hardly anything is made in the USA anymore and the FDA and every other government watchdog agency is understaffed.
Kathy


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## MiaMama (Jul 21, 2007)

I have a cast iron dutch oven that I can start on the stovetop and also move into the oven for slow-cooker recipes. Maybe that is an option for those who can't find an acceptable electric plug-in model? Doesn't really help the mama with no stove, though. Sorry.


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## kpb (Jul 1, 2006)

I'm dense.
what's the consensus then?
is hamilton beach ok or no?
vita clay is cool, but made in china....
and most dutch ovens that i've found are made in china or thailand....

what gives?


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## Therese's Mommy (Jan 15, 2005)

There are ovens that can be used as slow cookers. I have one, it is a Kenmore. I have never used it that way, but it is a possible alternative, albeit an expensive one.

Beth


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## sixducksinarow (Mar 17, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MiaMama* 
I have a cast iron dutch oven that I can start on the stovetop and also move into the oven for slow-cooker recipes. Maybe that is an option for those who can't find an acceptable electric plug-in model? Doesn't really help the mama with no stove, though. Sorry.

Well, the main reason I use a slow cooker is to avoid using my oven because it heats up the house in summer. I believe a full-size electric oven uses a lot more energy than a slow cooker.


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## tbone (Dec 17, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *kpb* 
I'm dense.
what's the consensus then?
is hamilton beach ok or no?
vita clay is cool, but made in china....
and most dutch ovens that i've found are made in china or thailand....

what gives?

I'm not sure what the consensus is, but I just wanted to add that my HB is also made in China.


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## Flor (Nov 19, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by **Jessica** 
I'm trying to find a new slow cooker (the PLASTIC lid on my Rival broke today....yay!







) and in my research it is West Bend that has the nonstick interiors, not Hamilton Beach.

ETA: I think I found the one I'm going to buy. It only has 1 Amazon review so if I do get it I'll be sure to let you all know how I like it.
http://www.hamiltonbeach.com/cgi-bin...0/prrfnbr/1014 and the Amazon linkadoo

I have a West Bend and it has ceramic not non-stick.
http://www.westbend.com/catalog.cfm?...ction&linkid=5


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## anewmama (Feb 25, 2007)

It's pricey: http://www.kitchenkapers.com/vitacla...ooker-pro.html

http://www.fernsnutrition.com/hmrice.html

Any one use one? What about Breville Slow Cookers?


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## Jojo F. (Apr 7, 2007)

Could I/we buy crocks, like from Lehman's, and then use them as the insert? Providing they fit. I have a small crock pot so that seems feasible to me.


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## Hazelnut (Sep 14, 2005)

So were there any updates on Hamilton Beach negating the previous findings? it's lead free still?


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## Jojo F. (Apr 7, 2007)

I wrote to hamilto beach. I recieved the most generic answer ever.....

"Thank you for contacting us!

For over 100 years it has been our priority and privilege to develop and manufacture high quality small appliances. Please be assured that our products and components meet all government requirements and are FDA and UL approved. They are also tested by independent laboratories to ensure the high quality that is expected of Hamilton Beach brand products. The rigorous tests we employ often exceed the standards set by our government making us a leader in the industry for quality and safety.

We will continue to demand excellence on your behalf because that is what you deserve. The success we continue to enjoy would not be possible without you, our valued consumer.

Thank you for your patronage!

Sincerely,

Stacy
Consumer Affairs"

Blah, blah, blah, I just won't use my slow cooker, barely use it anyway:/


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## Metasequoia (Jun 7, 2005)

I updated in the other, more recent thread (posted on 3/6):

Quote:


Originally Posted by *bonbon mama* 
I bought a stay-or-go a month ago and called Hamilton Beach to verify their lead content and they said that they used it in their product but had no specific information other than assuring me their product was safe. I returned it and am now at a loss.

See my response below.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *bonbon mama* 
Do you think that the Hamilton Beach representatives just make it all up as they go along? I purposely bought it because I had read in various threads here on MDC that the representatives were claiming to be the *one* manufacturer without lead. I was suspicious after I bought it and could find no claim on the box or the inside literature.

It does say on their website that there is no lead:

Quote:

Does the crock contain lead?
No. There is no lead or cadmium in the crock.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *ChristieB* 
*Metasequoia*, did you ever hear back from Hamilton Beach? I'm curious, because I have one and figured it was safe, given what you had posted in the other thread.

See below...

Quote:


Originally Posted by *summerlilies* 
I would love to hear what Hamilton Beach said. I guess I am deciding between Hamiliton Beach, CorningWare, and All-Clad. I can't tell what the interior of the All-Clad one is -- I emailed them. Does anyone know?

See below...

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Jojo F.* 
I have a Hamilton Beach and contacted them. It took a while for a response but this is the lame one I recieved-

I simply asked if there was any lead or cadmium in their crock pots....

"Thank you for contacting us!

For over 100 years it has been our priority and privilege to develop and manufacture high quality small appliances. Please be assured that our products and components meet all government requirements and are FDA and UL approved. They are also tested by independent laboratories to ensure the high quality that is expected of Hamilton Beach brand products. The rigorous tests we employ often exceed the standards set by our government making us a leader in the industry for quality and safety.

We will continue to demand excellence on your behalf because that is what you deserve. The success we continue to enjoy would not be possible without you, our valued consumer.

Thank you for your patronage!

Sincerely,

Stacy
Consumer Affairs" end quote

I'm not happy about this response and am about to e-mail miss Stacy again:/

That is the generic response I received from them too. I emailed back & asked for a simple yes or no answer.

*However, I did just call & talked to someone who seemed to know what she was talking about. She said that they do NOT use any lead in the glaze - the only chance of any lead being in the crock would be in the clay where it naturally occurs (but would be sealed in by the glaze.)
I gave her my email address & asked that she send me a statement in writing.*

*And this is what it says in Hamilton Beach's FAQs:

*

*Quote:*

Does the crock contain lead?
No. There is no lead or cadmium in the crock.

Still waiting on the written statement...


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## organicmommy (May 16, 2005)

If you get a LODGE brand cast iron dutch oven they are made in the USA.
Just thought I would share that.

Hugs
Jessica


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## Metasequoia (Jun 7, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *organicmommy* 
If you get a LODGE brand cast iron dutch oven they are made in the USA.
Just thought I would share that.

Hugs
Jessica

I really use my slow cooker for making bone broths, I make 2-3 batches a week. I'm not sure that cast iron would be compatible with A) all of that water or B) the apple cider vinegar.


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## ElisMomma (Mar 20, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *davmon* 

WHY CAN'T WE BUY SAFE STUFF FOR OUR FAMILIES???!!!

Mona

No kidding. It seems like we just have to choose between the better of two evils. In everything!

I love crock-pots. I use it all the time but now I don't know if I will because that really scares me. I mean if toys are being recalled for lead... We're actually EATING this.


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## octobermoon (Nov 22, 2007)

subbing


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