Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

The lid contains a plastic handle which collects and traps dish-water and cooking steam. Once inside, the water can not easily escape without disassembling the entire handle and cleaning. This trapped water can breed bacteria and germs. If not cleaned properly, the trapped water has the potential to drip onto the food as the water is positioned directly above the food. I called customer service on 8/11/14, seeking advice. They don't consider it an issue. The representative suggested I "do my best" to remove the trapped water by sticking a paper towel into the unsealed lid hole which is only 1/8th of an inch wide...the hole also has a plastic anchor stuck in it, further complicating the suggested fix. Maintenance is for automobiles and lawns...not cookware. The representative also stated ALL of their crock-pot lids have this design. No where in the product's manual does it suggest that the user clean-out the lid handle void or crevice. The manual states, "The lid and stoneware can be washed in the dishwasher...". This suggestion adds to the problem as water from the dishwasher intrudes in the handle. This is one of those problems that will get rectified after a customer becomes ill or dies from such blatant disregard of basic food safety initiatives. Image of trapped water: http://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-media/permalink/moIDFX5H11SK25/B004P2NG0K/ref=cm_ciu_images_pl_link Image of water that had been trapped inside for a couple weeks. http://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-media/permalink/mo1W0Q80097EZDI/B004P2NG0K/ref=cm_ciu_images_pl_link