Design Series 7-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker with Locking Lid, Is It Non-Toxic?
Skip until Crock-Pot discloses interior coating composition.
Crock-Pot does not disclose the ceramic coating composition or PFAS status. Ceramic coatings may contain PFAS; interior materials remain unverified by the brand.
The better-graded swap
Made In
Made In Stainless Clad Fry Pan
100/100 safety
Same rubric that flunked this product. The swap earned Excellent.
Still want this one anyway? Check the price on Amazon. We’d swap it.
Material
Stainless steel heating vessel, ceramic-coated interior
Brand disclosure
Brand is silent on PFAS
Lab data
No public lab test
You may also be interested in
Top-graded picks in the categories readers replace first, every one scored on the same rubric.
- polypropylene filter housing, carbon/sediment cartridge
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Bacterial growth in spent cartridges
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Aquasure
Premier Series 75 GPD Under Sink Reverse Osmosis Water Filtration System
- RO membrane, carbon filters, stainless steel housing
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Bacterial and microbial growth in housing and filters
4 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Avocado
Vegan Mattress
- organic cotton, natural latex, coconut coir, recycled steel coils
- The brand calls it PFAS-free, which we have not verified
- Heavy metals
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Is Design Series 7-Quart Locking Lid non-toxic? What it is made of
The heating vessel is stainless steel, which does not leach under normal cooking conditions. The interior is ceramic-coated, a glassy surface applied over the metal. Ceramic coatings can chip, crack, or degrade with thermal shock, acidic foods, or abrasion, potentially exposing bare metal underneath. The locking lid material (plastic or silicone gasket) and heating element composition are not specified in available product data.
What’s concerning
Non-stick, chemistry undisclosed
Marketed as non-stick without stating the coating chemistry.
Category baseline
The starting point for this type of product, before anything specific to this product is counted.
No PFAS disclosure
No public statement from the brand about PFAS in this product.
Ceramic coating degradation and chipping
Ceramic-coated interiors on slow cookers degrade with normal use. Chips expose the underlying metal; flaking particles may enter food. Thermal cycling and acidic foods (tomato, citrus, vinegar-based recipes) accelerate this process.
Lead
Ceramic cookware glazes can contain lead or cadmium if not formulated to FDA limits. Crock-Pot has not published glaze composition or third-party test results for this model. Leaching risk increases if the glaze is damaged or if acidic/salt-containing foods are stored in the cooker for extended periods.
Source, ATSDR ↗Plastic components and silicone gasket degradation
The locking lid mechanism and any plastic knobs or handles are not specified. Silicone gaskets can degrade with repeated heating cycles and may impart off-odors or particles into food over time. Replacement gaskets may be difficult to source depending on brand availability.
PFAS
The ceramic coating composition and presence or absence of PFAS-based additives (used for non-stick or water-resistant properties in some cookware coatings) have not been disclosed by Crock-Pot. This model receives a Poor PFAS grade (15/100). Absence of disclosure warrants caution pending manufacturer confirmation.
Source, ATSDR ↗What’s reassuring
Stainless steel leaching (nickel, chromium)
Stainless steel itself is not known to leach nickel or chromium under normal slow-cooking conditions (low to moderate heat, neutral pH foods). Risk is minimal unless the underlying metal is exposed by coating damage, at which point food contact is minimal due to slow-cooker design.
How is this PFAS grade calculated?
The brand's record and disclosure
Crock-Pot has not publicly disclosed the specific chemical composition of its ceramic-coated interior or confirmed PFAS-free status. The brand has not pursued third-party certifications (such as NSF or CPSC testing reports) prominently marketed for this model. No product recalls specifically tied to coating leaching or heavy metals in ceramic glaze have been established on public record for this model line, though ceramic dishware and cookware recalls do occur across manufacturers when lead or cadmium exceed FDA limits.
How it compares in its category
Ceramic-coated slow cookers are common and occupy a middle ground, less durable than enameled cast iron, less chemically transparent than bare stainless steel or glass-lined vessels. Competing brands (Instant Pot, Hamilton Beach, All-Clad) offer glass lids and some disclose coating materials more explicitly. Stainless steel slow cookers without ceramic coatings exist but are less common; ceramic offers non-stick appeal at the cost of degradation risk.
If you buy it
Avoid thermal shock, do not move a hot slow cooker to a cold surface or add cold liquid to a hot vessel. Hand-wash the ceramic interior gently; aggressive scouring or dishwasher cycles accelerate chip and crack formation. Inspect the coating monthly for damage; discard or stop using the cooker if bare metal is exposed or coating flakes into food. Replace silicone gaskets every 1-2 years if they show wear, as degraded seals can allow moisture into the electrical housing.
What is not known about PFAS in this product?
- Basis
- Model estimate, 55% confidence, not a lab result
- Lab test
- None on record for this exact product
- Brand statement
- Crock-Pot has made none
Formulations change between production runs, so check the current label. How we grade.
What are the PFAS-free alternatives to Design Series 7-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker with Locking Lid?
- Stainless steel clad construction, no nonstick coating
- The brand calls it PFAS-free, which we have not verified
- Clad separation or delamination over time
- stainless steel clad construction, no nonstick coating
- The brand calls it PFAS-free, which we have not verified
- Nickel leaching from stainless steel
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- Clad stainless steel, no coating
- The brand calls it PFAS-free, which we have not verified
- Metal ion release during cooking (iron, nickel, chromium)
More cookware grades
How we score, every product runs through the same public 0-100 rubric based on materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls. See the full methodology → Spotted a mistake? Report an error.