Crockpot Help Needed (merged)

[Quint]

WOW !! some great stuff here love all the power calculations. I do have one question, many of the new crockpots have digital displays and controls, by dropping input voltages to 90vac you may well be dropping out of the low end that your electronics can operate at. Has anybody tried this yet to see if there is a problem.

As far as the timer suggestion, again with the newer electronic displays and controls operator interaction is required when the unit is turned on, so mine for instance will just sit there when the timer turns it on waiting for me to do something.

 

[EmsMommy7]

Ha!!! Found my original crockpot thread!!!

So the other day I was trying a new chili recipe in my crockpot. Turned out I couldn't fit it all in, so I grabbed my SECOND crockpot and cooked it in both. Wouldn't you know in my NEWEST crockpot the chili was hot and boiling and bubbling and crazy hot in no time, even on the LOW/10 hour setting. The chili in my mom's old crockpot just slowly cooked away all day long and was ready after 8-10 hours. Unbelievable how fast this crockpot cooks. I still am not sold against the idea that there is a malfunction going on, but again... this is actually the 2nd one. I returned the first "new" crockpot because of this and thought maybe something was wrong with that one. But now this one does too, so I really think it's just that the new crockpots cook so so much faster than the old classics. Today I'm using my crockpot, and I always reach for the "old" one that belonged to my Mom (with the replaced cord from hubby!) to use. Isn't the purpose of a slow-cooker to SLOW COOK? haha.... Anyway, looked to do a chicken in the crockpot today and was looking for a different recipe to try, as far as veggies, sauces, what to add in there. My search turned up this thread. haha! Long time no see! I miss this forum!

 

[mcnerd]

The "hot" slow cookers are newer RIVAL brand Crock-Pot®'s and they intentionally run hot by direction of their attorneys. They are afraid of being sued for cooking food slowly and not hot enough. Go figure. I buy Hamilton Beach brands until I come across an old slow cooker at a garage sale.

 

[Dillbert]

The "hot" slow cookers are newer RIVAL brand Crock-Pot®'s and they intentionally run hot by direction of their attorneys. They are afraid of being sued for cooking food slowly and not hot enough. Go figure. I buy Hamilton Beach brands until I come across an old slow cooker at a garage sale.

if memory serves, the (?)FDA passed some "rules" which now require slow cookers to cook faster - they were afeared a full pot of crock would spend too much time in ".....the danger zone........"

 

[mcnerd]

If you can find that FDA "rule" please share it. I have not seen it, though I have seen the comments from RIVAL on the issue. And so far as I know the other brands of slow cookers do not share the extreme heat issue.

 

[Michael in FtW]

Well, I spent quite a bit of time researching the temps of the old vs new crock-pots when this thread first got started a couple of years ago and I'm guessing that what I found then is still true today. The old pots had one temp, about 170ºF, when they added a High-Low switch the temps were 172ºF and 194ºF, today the lowest setting is going to be between 250ºF and 300ºF - which explains why the old pots didn't boil and the new pots can't help it.

 

[getoutamykitchen]

This thread really caught my attention since this year I'm doing my thanksgiving turkey in my slow cooker. I bought a Hamilton Beach 8 qt. last week and decided to test the temps yesterday after reading this thread. I filled it with water ( a bit more then 3/4 full). This cooker has 3 temps.
On the keep warm setting after about 3 hours the temp reached about 120-122 degrees.
I set it on medium and waited a few more hours and the temp reached 170 degrees.
Set it on high and after a few hours it was just starting to boil and the temp reached just shy of 220 degrees.

Just thought ya'll might be interested. By the way I'm cooking 6lb. boneless turkey breast and have no idea how long it will take. This is my first slow cooker thanksgiving. But since no else in my family volunteers to cook I figured they can suffer through my experimental cooking.

 

[Dillbert]

If you can find that FDA "rule" please share it. I have not seen it, though I have seen the comments from RIVAL on the issue. And so far as I know the other brands of slow cookers do not share the extreme heat issue.

reviewed the old thread (which was how to control slow cooker temp with a dimmer switch . . . )

I didn't re'find the exact references but apparently the FDA expressed 'concerns' and under apparent thread of regulation (?) the industry adopted a new standard (AHAM.org ? - don't recall exactly) which is how slow cookers got hotter&faster.

I wonder if slow cookers are required to observe the "industry standard" to get the UL label...?

 

[bigdaddy3k]

Ha!!! Found my original crockpot thread!!!

So the other day I was trying a new chili recipe in my crockpot. Turned out I couldn't fit it all in, so I grabbed my SECOND crockpot and cooked it in both. Wouldn't you know in my NEWEST crockpot the chili was hot and boiling and bubbling and crazy hot in no time, even on the LOW/10 hour setting. The chili in my mom's old crockpot just slowly cooked away all day long and was ready after 8-10 hours. Unbelievable how fast this crockpot cooks. I still am not sold against the idea that there is a malfunction going on, but again... this is actually the 2nd one. I returned the first "new" crockpot because of this and thought maybe something was wrong with that one. But now this one does too, so I really think it's just that the new crockpots cook so so much faster than the old classics. Today I'm using my crockpot, and I always reach for the "old" one that belonged to my Mom (with the replaced cord from hubby!) to use. Isn't the purpose of a slow-cooker to SLOW COOK? haha.... Anyway, looked to do a chicken in the crockpot today and was looking for a different recipe to try, as far as veggies, sauces, what to add in there. My search turned up this thread. haha! Long time no see! I miss this forum!

If you are talking about the 4, 6, 8 and 10 hour setting one, it initially gets up to boiling then turns down to low for the slow cook. If you look on the panel you will see that the 4 and 6 hour setting are refered to as "High" and the 8 and 10 are "Low". However all 4 settings will start at high temp.

 

[bigdaddy3k]

Just thought ya'll might be interested. By the way I'm cooking 6lb. boneless turkey breast and have no idea how long it will take. This is my first slow cooker thanksgiving. But since no else in my family volunteers to cook I figured they can suffer through my experimental cooking.

Is the crock removable? I do this but then at the end, I remove the crock, uncover and brown the breast in the oven to make it look perfect.

 

[mcnerd]

I wonder if slow cookers are required to observe the "industry standard" to get the UL label...?

I agree that the new standard is for a "hotter" temperature for slow cooker than existed with the one our grandparents had, but RIVAL went way beyond that on their own crusade, to-wit, the Crock-Pot® to me is no longer a "slow cooker."

The choice is still up to the consumer, but the information is important so people are not "surprised" when their food boils on the low setting and it is impossible to let the food cook all day while you are at work.

 

[getoutamykitchen]

Is the crock removable? I do this but then at the end, I remove the crock, uncover and brown the breast in the oven to make it look perfect.

Yes, it's a ceramic insert!