Rival Crockpot Lid Explosion

Cheese bomb

One of two things is happening. Either terrorists have infiltrated the kitchen appliance industry or Rival (a big crock-pot maker) just makes a dangerous product.

Last night I was making rotel dip for some guests. About two hours in the cooking, the glass lid on the crock-pot just exploded. Hundreds of pieces of glass–big and small–were all over my kitchen. I’m too brain dead to tell the whole story right now. Here are some pictures of the aftermath.

One of two things will come out of this. Either Rival gives me a new crock-pot or you’ll watch RER become a part-time campaign against Rival and its ownership.

Update: Rival, indeed, provided me with a new crockpot. It has survived many a cooking session without explosion.

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Brad Willis

Brad Willis is a writer based in Greenville, South Carolina. Willis spent a decade as an award-winning broadcast journalist. He has worked as a freelance writer, columnist, and professional blogger since 2005. He has also served as a commentator and guest on a wide variety of television, radio, and internet shows.

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23 Responses

  1. I’m no doctor, but uh… I wouldn’t eat that.

  2. Carolyn Dixon says:

    I have the same rival crock pot. My lid didn’t explode. It burnt my counter top, and another family
    member had hers catch fire. So much for leaving for the day and coming home to no house!
    Not impressed!

  3. Kate says:

    OMG my lid exploded after we were washing it. We had it in the fridge and we have done this millions of times and never had this happen, my hubby was washing it and all of a sudden BAM BOOM Explosion!

  4. Julie Nolin says:

    I just had the same thing happen to me! The crock pot was just sitting on the counter waiting to be washed & my husband heard a noise & looked over to see the glass lid desintigrate before his eyes. SCARY isn’t it?

  5. Antonio says:

    To think I came a searchin thinking that I was the only one that had this happen. Mine was sitting there, just turned it to warm and it has been on for MAYBE 2 hours… Maybe. So I am in the other room completely quiet nothing then boom. I go into the kitchen thinking the dog knocked some crap over and looking around and there it is, the lid shattered, glass in the gumbo stew I was making for dinner and the handle shot off and was on the floor. WTF is going on here. Scientist, info please? also how do I replace the lid now. This think is brand new.

  6. Nancy says:

    The lid to my crockpot was sitting on the counter. We had jus finished Easter Dinner. The lid was not hot, not even warm. Nothing fell on it. No one was at the counter. There is no reasonable explanation. It just exploded. Glass all over the counter & clear over to the table. The only injury was to my daughter’s finger, cut by glass embedded in an electric cord that was near it.

  7. Pat says:

    There I was, bragging about my 4rth of July “Beanza” in the Rival Crockpot Sunday. I laid the lid down on the table and “boom” I’m holding onto the plastic handle, and shards all over the 6 quarts of gourmet beans. Thankfully I was about the last one through the line and only wasted half the crock… Rival says they didn’t know of this issue, but had one “ready” to send to me. Hope to see it soon… I recommend putting yellow “Caution” tape 1o feet around the crock while out of the cabinet.

  8. Tammy says:

    August 22, 2010 – In the process of cooking family dinner when a loud boom scared the beejeebers out of me a few shards of glass hitting my arm and leg. The crockpot lid had exploded. Mega mess! Will be phoning Rival customer service tomorrow.

  9. M says:

    ugh! The same thing just happened to me. I was 2 hours into cooking on high when I heard a loud “bang”. I went into the kitchen and the lid of my crock pot was shattered. I spent so much time and money preparing what was in there I literally think I am going to cry.

  10. Shirley says:

    The same thing happened to me, but mine is not a Rival, it is and original “Crock Pot.” My dinner was simmering on the counter, the pot had been on low for about 30 minutes when out of no where the lid exploded. Crazy.

  11. Barb says:

    Ditto. My lid was sitting on a clean cold crock pot. I heard a pop and was showered with glass. I was just ready to carry it to be stored and am thankful I wasn’t or would have had glass in my eyes.

    What number did any of you call or process you used to get Rival’s customer service to respond?

  12. Sandy says:

    What a waste. I made a wonderful batch of Meatballs for a surprise birthday party for my 16 year old step son yesterday. Had the Rival crock pot on warm on the serving table. His brother had already tested the meatballs and pronounced them “wonderful”. Well it seems he’s the only one to get to eat any them that day. We were all gathered in the next room, just getting ready to go in and start helping our selves to the buffet when we all heard a LOUD explosion at the table. The cover had exploded with shards of glass all thru the meatballs, all over the table and on the floor. It was quite a mess. Thank God no one was standing near it when this happened. All that food ruined and the party also. 🙁
    I went to the http://www.crockpot.com site and sent a message directly to Rival, waiting to hear back.

  13. Tristan says:

    This just happened to me. I had turned on my rival crockpot when I heard a pop and my lid had shattered. I obviously am not alone. I am going to contact them in the morning.

  14. lee says:

    mine exploded all over the kitchen. rival is owned by crock pot. called and was told they know it’s happening and are not doing a recall. offered a new lid. like i’m going to use their exploding crock? i asked for a manager, was put on hold, told no one could talk to me, was offered a new crock pot, took it, called consumer affairs, was told to call the florida att. general and to sue crock pot co. this is veeeeerrrrryyyyy dangerous. little girl that got hurt….parents you need to see about suing because this is something they know darn well is going on. i never had anything like this in decades of using slow cookers. call the att. genera!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, and sue if you have an injury or have an attorney who will take it on.

  15. Tory says:

    I had a rival cook pot thing and it exploded lol. but im ok.
    yayayayayay

  16. P. Baldwin says:

    I have a ‘crock pot’ original, the glass lid just shattered. Same as everyone else here. I heard the loud pop explosion and go to see what happened, a hole is blown through the lid, glass is shattered in a million pieces, luckily inside the pot, all over my chicken. Now I’m reading all kinds of stories about these things. This should not be happening.

  17. Rebecca says:

    Mine just exploded today, same as all of yours. Unfortunately, it’s an off-brand, Everstar, and I can’t find contact info to call and complain. I did submit a report to the consumer product safety division of the US Gov’t.

    SO glad nobody got hurt, but extremely irritated that our dinner is ruined and the crock pot is ruined and the kitchen is covered with tiny shards of glass.

    I’ll go back to using my older Rival crockpot–it has a plastic lid.

  18. Jennifer says:

    My lid just imploded yesterday (March 3,2013). I had just run the lid through dishwasher (as I have done for years), it was cool and dry and I had set it on my dining room table, handle side down (when I store it, I put it handle side in pot to find under shelving in cupboards) on the pot. I was on the other side of the room about 5 minutes later .. boom/crack/shatter, and it continued to make popping noises for a good 30 minutes longer! I was scared to go near the area but did take a picture and quick video. I was just lucky my daughter wasn’t near the pot at the time.

  19. Stephanie says:

    Wow, how weird, my Rival crockpot lid just did the same thing. After years of use, just sitting there on the counter. Crack/Boom/shatter is right & mine continued to make cracking & popping noises for a few minutes too! Can’t wait to call Rival on Monday morning…

  20. Dixie says:

    My pyrex cooking dish just shattered with my ham ruined. It is just the nature of cooking with glass!

  21. Darlene Loebel says:

    I can’t believe this happened to other people. Tonight the lid on my crock pot exploded, sending glass shrapnel everywhere, including slicing my face and nearly tearing my eye. I wonder who to contact about this…other than my lawyer.

  22. Tammy says:

    Was cooking rib eye steaks. Went to lift lid to turn steak and I heard a loud noise and realized the lid exploded. Yep glass every where. Including in my steaks. Had to throw out a $15.00 package of steaks due to glass in the meat. I’m not happy. Cuts all over my left hand. Don’t think I will purchase any kind of your pans again. Sorry.

  23. Jeanie Clem says:

    This just happened to me. I had been cooking on LOW for about 4 hours, and it exploded and shattered the lid. SCARY!