Slow cooker lid gasket smell

cleaningslow-cookingsmell

I bought a Hamilton Beach slow cooker a while ago. I never had success with it since all the stuff that I made didn't smell good. I finally figured out that it was the rubber gasket on the lid that smelled bad. I don't know if the smell was concentrated food aroma or burnt rubber. I soaked the lid in vinegar overnight and then rinsed it. The smell was gone. I then made some pinto beans in the slow cooker and the gasket again stinks, this time similar to a very very strong pinto bean smell. I am thinking of either giving up on slow cooking or buying a crock pot brand. My questions:

  1. Is the extremely strong smell from the rubber gasket a common occurrence in slow cookers in general?
  2. If not, I guess I should just go and buy a different brand/model and shouldn't have this problem.
  3. If they are, are there any gasketless slow cookers or lids that would solve this problem?
  4. Does overcooking tend to bring out different, or offensive smells from otherwise normal food and sauces?

Results: For those coming here with the same problem, I simply removed the gasket and everything was fine. Since the lid has a small hole to release pressure, there was no need for a gasket to make a seal in the first place.

Best Answer

  1. Well first off, most slow cookers don't have a gasket. So its not a problem for them. Rubber can often times take on strong smell.
  2. I would consider buying one without a gasket - I don't think its a majorly useful feature personally. Or, consider buying the more versatile enameled Dutch oven (there are some very affordable, excellent ones) .
  3. Yes, most don't have a rubber gasket. And it would solve that problem.
  4. Yes overcooking will lead to bad/different smells, even in good food otherwise. It will often lead to bad tastes and textures as well.
Related Topic