Crock-Pot Created A Twitter Account Just To Comfort 'This Is Us' Fans

Doha Madani

The latest episode of “This Is Us” was so powerful that it even prompted Crock-Pot to start tweeting. (Warning: Spoilers ahead.)

The slow-cooker manufacturer created a brand-new Twitter account, @CrockPotCares, on Wednesday after an episode of the hit NBC drama shocked fans.

After a night in watching the Super Bowl, America’s favorite TV dad Jack Pearson (Milo Ventimiglia) goes to clean up the kitchen and turn off the family’s old slow cooker — a hand-me-down appliance from a neighbor who warned that the switch was a little tricky. So even though Jack turned it off, the slow cooker turned back on, starting the house fire that will likely kill Jack.

In response, fans began eying the kitchen appliance with distrust, with some vowing never to touch their slow cookers ever again.

The Pearsons’ slow cooker brand was never named, but since Crock-Pot is currently the No. 1 brand for slow cookers, they took a lot of heat.

“This Is Us” creator Dan Fogelman probably felt a little guilty about the mass hysteria, because he tried to reassure fans, too.

“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,” Fogelman tweeted.

Crock-Pot confirmed that their new Twitter account is indeed real. The brand spent some time the day after the episode aired in an attempt to reassure Twitter users of the safety of their product.

“Our hope is that the team at NBC’s ‘This Is Us’ will help us spread factual information regarding our product’s safety,” a spokeswoman for Crock-Pot told HuffPost in a statement. “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.”

Again, the Pearsons’ slow cooker was a gift they received when they first moved into their home in the ’70s, and it was pretty old by that time.

Current Crock-Pot products are low wattage with self-regulating heating elements, the brand told HuffPost in a statement. Their appliance switches are subjected to some heavy testing, including a “Rotary Knob Endurance test, Rotary Knob Force Test and Flame Burning Test and constructed of self-extinguishing, flame resistant material.”

If you’re still not reassured, HuffPost spoke to the New York City Fire Department about some basic cooking safety tips, and how to tell when it’s time to replace your favorite kitchen appliances.

Fans will learn Jack’s fate in a special post-Super Bowl episode, so it’s likely Crock-Pot will have to do some heavy tweeting once fans watch the dreaded tragedy unfold.

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Myth #1: If You Open The Lid During Cooking, You'll Ruin Dinner

Here's the thing about peeking inside: Every time you take the top off to sniff or stir, the temperature inside the pot drops 10 to 15 degrees, and <a href="http://www.extension.umn.edu/food/food-safety/preserving/safe-meals/slow-cooker-safety/docs/factsheet.pdf" target="_blank">you extend the overall cooking time by 30 minutes</a>. If you can wait until you're within an hour, or so, of the finish time, though, you're probably not going to do any damage by opening the lid. <a href="http://stephanieodea.com/" target="_blank">Stephanie O'Dea</a>, who has written four slow-cooker cookbooks, says that if, for instance, a recipe suggests a six-hour cooking time, you're likely okay checking the dish after five hours; since, by that point, the majority of the cooking is done, and the flavors are just deepening and melding.

Myth #2: The Pot Must Be Two-Thirds Full At All Times

We've seen this advice in countless slow-cooker recipes, and O'Dea explains why: The cooking time is partially determined by how much food is in the pot. A standard slow cooker holds six quarts, so if you're only making enough food for two people, the ingredients will probably only fill one-third of the pot&mdash;and they'll cook a lot faster than they would if you had more in there. So, it's not a problem to turn the appliance on with a small amount of food in it; just adjust the cooking time. Or, O'Dea suggests, put the ingredients in a smaller, one- to two-quart oven-safe casserole dish (such as <a href="http://www.corningware.com/" target="_blank">CorningWare</a> or <a href="http://www.pyrexware.com/" target="_blank">Pyrex</a>) and set that inside the slow cooker.

Myth #3: You've Got To Brown The Meat First

The idea that you can throw a bunch of raw ingredients into the pot, clamp the lid on, set it and, yes, forget it (at least for six hours) is awfully appealing&mdash;which is why we sometimes shy away from recipes that tell us to brown the pot roast or chicken thighs on the stove first. Can you get away with skipping this step? Yes, says O'Dea, especially if you're just trying to get dinner on the table on a Wednesday night. In side-by-side comparisons, she can tell the difference between meat that was browned first and meat that wasn't (the browned meat has a deeper flavor and a crisper exterior). But for everyday cooking, it really isn't a deal breaker.

Myth #4: You Can Just Throw The Ingredients In And Walk Away

Here's one instance where a tiny bit of fussiness actually does pay off. O'Dea says you should put harder root vegetables (such as potatoes or parsnips), as well as tougher cuts of meat, in first. That way, they'll be closer to the heating element, which they need to be to fully cook. If you've got broccoli, asparagus or other more delicate ingredients, lay those on top. Then, pour the liquid over and around the ingredients.

Myth #5: There's Nothing You Can't Make In A Slow Cooker

We were thrilled to learn that aside from the usual <a href="http://www.oprah.com/food/6-Ingredient-Slow-Cooker-Pot-Roast-Recipe" target="_blank">pot roast</a> and <a href="http://www.oprah.com/food/Pulled-Pork-Recipe" target="_blank">pulled pork</a>, Crock Pots can also turn out <a href="http://www.oprah.com/food/Slow-Cooker-Brownies--Slow-Cooker-Brownie-Recipe" target="_blank">perfectly gooey brownies</a> and <a href="http://www.oprah.com/food/Puttanesca-Pizza-Recipe" target="_blank">even pizza</a>. There are limits to the craziness, though. O'Dea once tried making hard-boiled eggs in the cooker and wound up with stinky, greenish orbs that had to be triple-bagged before going into the trash. Bacon-wrapped scallops were another mistake. But, in general, if you can make it in the oven, you can make it in a slow cooker.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.