CPSC, The Holmes Group Expands Recall of Slow Cookers

Name of Product: Rival® Slow Cooker

Units: About 2.6 million

Manufacturer: The Holmes Group, of Milford, Mass.

Hazard: The handles on the base of the slow cookers can break, posing a risk of burns from hot contents spilling onto consumers. These Rival® Slow Cookers, sold from January 1999 through May 2002, were previously recalled for the same hazard. The recall has now been expanded to include all units manufactured before September 2004.

Incidents/Injuries: CPSC has received a total of 126 reports of handles breaking, including 33 reports of consumers who reported burn injuries from the hot contents of these slow cookers.

Description: The recall includes Rival® Crock-Pot® slow cookers with model numbers 3040, 3735, 5025, 5070 and 5445. The model number is printed on the UL label located on the bottom of the base. The recalled Rival® slow cooker has a removable ceramic bowl that sits inside of a metal base. The Rival® logo is printed on the front of the unit above the control knob. The bases are round or oval shaped and were sold in various colors and designs. A date code is stamped on the side of one prong of the power plug. The first two digits represent the week of manufacture and the last two digits represent the year of manufacture. Any plug with a date code from 0199 (1st week of 1999) to 3504 (35th week of 2004) is included in this recall or the previous recall.

Sold at: Wal-Mart, Kmart, Target and additional discount department stores nationwide from January 1999 through May 2005 for between $15 and $40.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the product and contact The Holmes Group to receive instructions on receiving a replacement base.

Consumer Contact: Visit The Holmes Group’s Web site at www.rivalrecall.com or call (800) 299-1284 anytime.