temperature probe on slow cookers

[trudyg66]

Hi there,
Anyone try the new programmable crock pot by Rival? It comes with a temperature probe to use on the auto setting. Has any one tried this one before? any comments? Can anyone recommend a great slow cooker with a timer??
I am trying the slow cooker mentioned today because i was not happy with the last one i had. I was finding that everything i cooked was overcooked. Cant figure out what i am doing wrong. Any advise?

Maybe all my recipes should not be cooked nearly as long as what recipe calls for?

[Michael in FtW]

"In the beginning, Rival created the crock-pot .... and it was good!" ... and recipes were written for it. It also had one temperature setting - about 185-200-F.

Then came the early "Renaissance" period in slow-cookers - 2-temp crock-pots (200-F for Low and 300-F for Hi). Now - they are a mess with probes and timers that may have nothing to do with the recipe you are trying to use! The problem is that there are a LOT of old (LOW only temp) crock-pot recipes out there that folks with 21st Century (multi-temp) crocks are having a problem using.

If you are consistently having a problem with the food being "overcooked" the only logical explanation I can think of is that the cooking temp is too high! Unless the recipe explicitly states a certain temperature setting - use LOW if your pot has multiple settings.

[bandonjan]

I have a new Rival digital crockpot but no probe. The first time
I used it my recipe burned. There was plenty of liquid at the
onset of cooking. I used high for one hour and low for 2 hours.
I noticed it when I came home. Just the bottom was burned and
the BBQ sauce was "carmelizing" :-) I think I will use an oven
thermometer (sp) and see what it is really cooking at. Maybe as
Michael suggested, the new ones cook at a higher temp. Even the
keep warm setting was over doing it.

[kimashswan]

Trudy, I got a timer plug for my SC. You plug the SC into the adapter which has a timer switch on it and that works like a charm. I am sure you could get them from any electrical wholesaler or store.
I haven't seen a digital SC and the other forums I have been on haven't had a problem with them, or aren't using them. Sorry I couldn't help there.
HTH