No Fuss Ways to Clean a Crock Pot of Baked on Food

I love my Crock Pot and use it several times a week to prepare soups and stews, bake bread, and even whip up fancy deserts for a crowd. I especially appreciate how the crockery liner of my Crock Pot fits neatly into my dishwasher for easy cleaning.

Unfortunately, not all stains and baked on food can be removed in a dishwasher. Sometimes it takes a little elbow grease to clean the crockery liner and get it looking new again. Here's two of the no fuss ways I clean my slow cooker:

Soak for an hour. Most baked on food can be lifted off after a little soaking. After transferring food out of the slow cooker and into a storage container, I'll remove the liner out of the metal holder and place it in the sink with hot soapy water so it can soak for an hour or so. A soft plastic spatula can help scrape baked on food off the base and sides after soaking; a nylon 3M pad will finish removing the rest of the food without damaging the crockery itself.

Don't forget to scrub the outside of the crock as well. Even though food doesn't drip on the outside of the crock, I've noticed that this area is prone to greasy buildup, not unlike the underside of an electric skillet.

Soak over night. For exceptionally heavy stains, a longer soaking will be necessary. My no fuss way to clean super heavy food buildup is to leave the Crock Pot in the warming unit and fill the Crock Pot with hot water to just above the stain line, add a teaspoon of liquid dish washing detergent, and replace the lid. Set the temperature setting to Low and let simmer overnight. The following morning, the food will have boiled off the crockery and can be wiped away with a dishcloth.

Don't forget to clean the metal warming unit as well. To remove greasy buildup on both the inside and the outside of the unit, unplug first, and then clean carefully with a damp cloth lightly spritzed with window cleaner.

More by this author:
How to make taco meat in your Crock Pot
How to make Boston Brown Bread in a slow cooker.
Sourdough bread baking in a Crock Pot.