Replace crock pot for HP

[Ugeauxgirl]

I inherited an old slow cooker, which has turned out many batches of HP soap. The ceramic liner is no longer shiny- I'm guessing the lye has gradually dissolved it. It's strictly reserved for soap. My question is, should I continue to use it like this or replace it? If not now, is there a point where I need to do that?

 

[Dawni]

In interested in this too.. All my slow cookers were bought second hand or given and I still have no idea what I should look for to know when to replace them.

That being said... My ceramic liners have never been shiny in a long time LOL

 

[earlene]

I use my crockpots until they wear out, break or in some way malfunction. I've been through a few. Usually the handle for the lid needs replacing long before I have to replace a ceramic liner. I've only broken 2 ceramic liners in my life so far, and once the actual base stopped working. I've been using the same 2 oval-shaped crockpots (one for cooking only, the other for soaping only - after it graduated from cooking) for 2 or more decades. I have a smaller round one (bought second hand) that I use occasionally when I travel (I don't always bring it along unless I have specific plans for it.) That one does double duty: when I cook with it, I use a crock-pot liner plastic baggy thingy sold specifically to line a crock pot for cooking. That one has a shiny inner surface on the ceramic. The other two haven't had a shiny inner surface in so long I cannot recall. The one that I use only for cooking lost the shine ages & ages ago.

As far as malfunction, what I look for is if they heat unevenly. It can happen when the base starts going bad. I have not had the ceramic liners ever show any signs of cracks or whatnot. They only break if I drop them, which is something that I have done. I expect the potential weakening of the ceramic liner with daily long-term use would shorten the life for the ceramic liner, and could potentially cause breakage. But I don't make HP soap very often anymore, so I doubt I'll ever see that happen. They are quite thick so I suspect it would take longer than weakening glass. Besides, I am more likely to break the liner during the washing-up process.

 

[user 49910]

My question is, should I continue to use it like this or replace it? If not now, is there a point where I need to do that?

Just keep it. Use it till it doesn't work anymore.