Crock Pot Handle Safety Concerns

Reported by: John Matarese

Almost every homeowner has a slow cooker...and the majority of those slow cookers are Rival Crock Pots. They've cooked millions of great meals over the years.

But some owners these days are complaining about what they call a potentially dangerous problem.

The Lid Fell into the Pot

Laurel Jones loves to cook. And she especially loves slow cooking with her Rival Crock Pot.

But one day, while cooking stew beans, she says,"I went to remove the handle to give it a stir, and the lid fell off the handle into the pot!"

She says the glass lid fell down into the boiling beans, nearly splashing her with scalding liquid.

So she called Rival, and since it was under warranty, they sent her a new pot. But soon after, she says, "that one was in use just two months, and the lid broke again."

Lots of Complaints Online

Frustrated with a second broken handle in two months, Laurel got online, where she found a whole community of people with broken handles.

"I Googled a little bit and found hundreds of people with the same problem," she says.

Laurel also found online advice on a two dollar fix with a bolt, nut, and lock washer, available at any hardware store (Click above for repair info).

So she fixed it herself, saying "it's nice and secure now! It isn't going to come off.

Next: What Rival Says, What You Can Do