Question:
I found a beautiful Red Wing Provincial Ware pot with lid #20 at a thrift store and was excited to cook in it …until I noticed some very small cracks in the bottom (just along one side of the slight dome). The cracks are only visible on the outside bottom but do not affect the red brown glaze on the inside. My intention is to use this item for cooking by the method of soaking it in water, adding ingredients and starting it in a cold oven. Is this a bad idea? I can return it and continue hunting for more intact treasures. Please advise…or can I repair it?? Thanks. Christine

Answer: Sorry but I have no answer for your question. My area of knowledge is dinnerware identification, history and values, not cooking. Without a photo of the cracks I can’t evaluate the extent of the damage or how best to deal with it. If the exterior cracks are not deep, they may be flaws from the manufacturing process. These old Provincial cooking pots don’t have much collector value so if yours happens to break apart the loss isn’t great. And they are quite common as well so a replacement or substitute shouldn’t be hard to find. Sorry I can’t be of more help.

Larry