How I Got My Slow Cooker Fixed (And Honestly, It’s Even Better Now)

Anne Wolfe Postic
Anne Wolfe Postic
Anne Postic writes about cooking for her family on The Kitchn. She lives in Columbia, South Carolina with her husband and three very handsome sons. She loves talking cooking, travel, parenting and art, though not necessarily in that order.
updated Sep 30, 2020
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You remember my slow cooker? The one I broke? Twice? I really didn’t want to buy a new one, because I had already done that once and it’s important to me to make things last. (Evidence: My husband’s car has 175,000 miles. My car, “the new one,” has 95,000 miles, and we aren’t considering a car purchase anytime soon.) Before I replaced my cooker, I got in touch with Brenton Sadreameli of Mr. B’s Sustainable Glassworks, known for their authentic bottleneck guitar slides and other sustainable glassware.

I took my chipped slow cooker liner down to his shop and Brenton went right to work. He told me his plan — something involving sanding, ceramic paint and a kiln — but I wasn’t really listening, because I was doing my best not to let the two seven-year-old assistants who came with me destroy anything.

The shop is full of wine and liquor bottles, supplied to Mr. B by “restaurants, bars and winos” right here in Columbia, South Carolina. My assistants were intrigued by the bottles as well as the power tools. I escorted them to the plant nursery next door, which seemed safer.

(Image credit: Anne Wolfe Postic)

When we returned, Brenton — a perfectionist — asked if he could keep the liner an extra day. He wanted to improve on his original fix and sculpt a spout into the liner. Conveniently, I had cracked the corner, which made this an excellent idea.

Now that I am the proud owner of a custom Mr. B’s Sustainable Glassworks slow cooker, I’ve since made duck stock, and the new spout made straining it a lot easier. Bonus: When Brenton delivered the liner, he also fixed a broken door in our home. This guy is a good friend to have.

In theory, I would rather have something fixed than buy a new one. These days, that isn’t always practical. Either no one knows how to fix it, or the repair costs more than a replacement. I keep meaning to take a few classes in small electrics, carpentry and auto repair, but I never quite get around to it.

Visit Mr. B: Mr. B’s Sustainable Glassworks in Columbia, South Carolina

How far will you go to fix something? Are you a do-it-yourselfer or do you call on friends and professionals?

(Image credit: Anne Wolfe Postic)
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