Cooking on High?

[Petek]

I've used a slow cooker for more than 30 years, but I don't recall ever using the "high" setting. Always figured that meat would be more tender and juicy if cooked on low. Can anyone who slow cooks on high comment on the quality of the result?

TIA

Pete K.

 

[suziquzie]

I generally don't have the time for low, 10-12 hours, we eat dinner about 5, I'd be chopping veggies at 4am.
I have no complaints, but I suppose I can't say a lot, not having used low very often.

 

[LadyCook61]

I've always use the high setting, meat was always tender.

 

[Katie H]

I rarely use HIGH. When I do, it's because I'm short of time and need to make up the cooking time a bit.

 

[GB]

I only use high for certain recipes. Soups can be done on high and so can things that have ground meat. If it is a whole piece of meat then I always cook on low.

 

[pacanis]

My slow cooker's setting go from 1-5. If the roast is started by 11 AM and I want to eat sometime between 6-8, 3 works well. If I want to eat in four hours, then I will turn it up a number or two. I never really noticed a difference, but then I never checked things out with a thermometer either. I just figured slow cookers have a lot of leeway.
You've got me curious the other way.... what would setting it at its lowest setting result in?

 

[Petek]

I have two slow cookers. Both have essentially two settings: low and high. One is at least 20 years old. Its low setting will bring water to about 190*. The newer one brings water to about 211* (and so its actual temperature probably is higher).

Pete K.

 

[kitchenelf]

I have very rarely cooked on my low setting. When I put a hunk of meat in I like it to be VERY tender to the pulling stage. Even at high you have to remember you are cooking "slow". I like a good 10 - 12 hours for a roast on high.

 

[mcnerd]

When I'm starting out with FROZEN chicken I will use HIGH for the first hour or so to bring the temperature up and then turn it to LOW for the rest of the day.

Some recipes add things at the last stages and a shift to HIGH so these items are properly heated/cooked before serving.

HIGH is also used to shorten the total cook time for many items to 3-4 hours. On LOW it is generally 6-8, though some dense meats go longer to really become tender.

 

[blissful]

I think it depends on the crockpot. I had a crockpot that I always cooked everything on high just to get it hot enough. Since then I have another and I always use low because high will cook it too fast and too hot.

when I first read the post I thought "Cooking on High"...isn't that something only a catholic would do? (having been brought up catholic myself) ~Blissful

 

[nbk12ul]

I agree with some here, even 'high' on my crockpot is SLOW cooking for this family. The results have always been worth the wait even with a high setting. I should try a nice stew on a long slow cook, maybe this weekend.

 

[lyndalou]

For certain recipes, I use the high setting to get things started. Never have it on high for more than an hour then down to low for the rest of the cooking.

 

[Petek]

For certain recipes, I use the high setting to get things started. Never have it on high for more than an hour then down to low for the rest of the cooking.

Yes, this is a useful technique. In fact, one of my slow cookers has a setting ("autoshift") that starts off on high, then automatically switches to low after an hour or so.

 

[Cath4420]

have always used high - only use low if I am getting near the end of the cooking time and want to keep it warm if there is a delay.

 

[MexicoKaren]

I usually start on high for a few hours, then switch to low. Funny how we all do it differently! And it all turns out well for everyone...hooray for slow cookers!