‘This Is Us’: Crock-Pot Tells ‘Heartbroken’ Fans Product Is Safe After Terrifying Episode

Creator Dan Fogelman chimes in to remind you to “not lump all those lovely hardworking crockpots together”

milo ventimiglia this is us jack
Photo by: Ron Batzdorff/NBC

Warning: Major spoilers ahead.

If you were thinking of throwing out your beloved Crock-Pot after the fiery ending of Tuesday’s episode of “This Is Us” you weren’t alone. Many fans took to social media to express their horror at the revelation that one of those appliances — which was super old and had a faulty switch — started the fire that killed patriarch Jack Pearson (Milo Ventimiglia).

But Crock-Pot wants you to simmer down while it explains why you have no cause for concern. Oh, and the NBC family drama’s creator Dan Fogelman agrees.

“Crock-Pot understands the concerns brought up by the recent episode of ‘This Is Us,’ and we too are heartbroken by the latest development in Jack’s storyline,” a Crock-Pot spokesperson said Thursday in a statement obtained by TheWrap. “However, it is important that our consumers understand and have confidence that all Crock-Pot slow cookers exceed all internal testing protocols and all applicable industry safety standards and regulations as verified by independent third-party testing labs.”

In response to the Crock-Pot backlash, Fogelman tweeted on Wednesday: “Taking a moment to remind everyone that it was a 20 year old fictional crockpot with an already funky switch? Let’s not just lump all those lovely hardworking crockpots together.”

If it makes you feel any better, you might soon have other things to blame for Jack’s death after a special post-Super Bowl episode of “This Is Us.” NBC aired a promo for the Feb. 4 episode, saying, “all your questions will be answered” that night. Actually, you may or may not be looking forward to that.

See Crock-Pot’s full statement below.

The next episode of “This Is Us” will air after the Super Bowl on Feb. 4.

“Crock-Pot understands the concerns brought up by the recent episode of ‘This Is Us,’ and we too are heartbroken by the latest development in Jack’s storyline. However, it is important that our consumers understand and have confidence that all Crock-Pot slow cookers exceed all internal testing protocols and all applicable industry safety standards and regulations as verified by independent third-party testing labs. For nearly 50 years, with over 100 million Crock-Pots sold, we have never received any consumer complaints similar to the fictional events portrayed in last night’s episode. In fact, the safety and design of our product renders this type of event nearly impossible.

In addition, and most relevant to the concerns consumers are having after watching the recent ‘This Is Us’ episode, our Crock-Pot slow cookers are low current, low wattage (typically no more than 200 or 300 watts) appliances with self-regulating, heating elements. The product is designed to cook foods over a longer period of time at low temperatures and the switches connect to only 1 side of the power line voltage, so there is never a high voltage applied directly across our switches. The switches within our slow cookers are subjected to additional internal testing, which includes a Rotary Knob Endurance test, Rotary Knob Force Test and Flame Burning Test and constructed of self-extinguishing, flame resistant material.

Our hope is that the team at NBC’s ‘This Is Us’ will help us spread factual information regarding our product’s safety. While we know their primary mission is to entertain – something they have continued to excel in – we also feel they have a responsibility to inform. Just like many fans, we will be watching next week’s episode to see how Jack’s story progresses and, regardless of the outcome, we want consumers first and foremost to know they are safe when using their Crock-Pot.”

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