Are electric crock pots useful... and hygienic?

[AlexR]

Hi,

This was one of those "gadget gifts" popular about 20 years ago, but I see they have made a resurgence.

It was also the kind of appliance people tended to leave in the cupboard and use about once a year... if.

Still, I quite like the idea of the crock pot because:

- They can be programmed and left on for hours
- They can cook cheap cuts of meat very well
- I believe that beans come out with softer skins
- Some sauces come out really rich and tasty with that kind of cooking

For these reasons, I was toying with the idea of buying one.

Does anyone here use a crock pot?
Is it easy to "drive"... and to clean?
Do they last?
Can food easily be over-cooked in it?

Or is it more of a gimmicky thing?

Would a stew, let's say a boeuf bourguignon, taste better, worse, the same in a crock pot?
Can you fry stuff in it too and, if so, does the bottom wear well?

You were probably puzzled about why I mentioned hygiene. Well, my better half wonders if the food is heated up hot enough to kill any germs or bacteria...

Thanks in advance for your advice,

Best regards,
Alex R.

 

[Andy M.]

Slow cookers (Crockpot is a brand name) are not a gimmick and are quite useful.

It's easy to use and clean. Especially if the pot part is removable. They should last a very long time. As with any cooking method or device, food can indeed be over cooked in it. That's not the appliance's fault but the fault of the person who sets the timing.

I don't think any food tastes better or worse properly cooked in a slow cooker vs. a stove top dutch oven.

You cannot brown foods in it. Typically, when a recipe calls for browning meat, they tell you to do it in a skillet then move the browned meat to the slow cooker.

Modern slow cookers made for use in the USA are federally mandated to have certain minimum temperatures they can operate at for food safety reasons. Used properly, they are perfectly safe.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

You cannot fry in a crock pot.

However, the crock pot is perfect for long braising of meats and making soups and stews. I've never cooked beans in mine, only added already cooked beans later.

The new crock pots do heat your food to the levels that kill bacteria. I always use the high temp to bring it up to temperature quickly and then lower for the rest of the day.

 

[Selkie]

I use my electric crock pot about once a week, for making soups, stews, small braised roasts, etc. It's got a removable glazed ceramic liner that you do the actual cooking in, and that makes it very easy to clean either by hand or washing it in the automatic dishwasher.

As far as heat is concerned, mine comes up to a nice boil with the setting on high, and gentle simmer on low.

Crock pots impart no taste. That is entirely dependent upon the quality of the cook and what they add to the crock pot!

I wouldn't call it a fad or gimmick since I and many of my fellow cooks have been using crock pots for 25+ years.

 

[Dawgluver]

I have 4, and love them. You can make great stock from rotisserie chicken carcasses in addition to many other things. They are great for potlucks.

You can get liners for them at the grocery store, they really make cleanup easy.

There are a number of good cookbooks dedicated to the crock pot. I really like "Fix It and Forget It Cookbook", by Ranck and Good.

 

[Katie H]

Hi,

Does anyone here use a crock pot?
Is it easy to "drive"... and to clean?
Do they last?
Can food easily be over-cooked in it?

Or is it more of a gimmicky thing?

Would a stew, let's say a boeuf bourguignon, taste better, worse, the same in a crock pot?
Can you fry stuff in it too and, if so, does the bottom wear well?

You were probably puzzled about why I mentioned hygiene. Well, my better half wonders if the food is heated up hot enough to kill any germs or bacteria...

Hi Alex.

I love my crock-pot and I still have (and use) the first one I purchased in 1971, which was the year Rival introduced this handy little appliance to busy cooks.

Drive? Do you mean to transport from home to somewhere else, such as a potluck or gathering? If so, I've never had any challenge doing that with mine. I just put it, nestled in some bath towels in a box, on the floor of my car during transport. Some of the newer ones have strap-like devices to hold the lid in place, but that's never been an issue for me.

I've never had a problem cleaning my crock-pot, even though the "crock" part is not removable. I do have another pot that has the removable crock, which does making cleaning quite easy. Even dishwasher-safe.

Hmmmm. Do they last? Well, if mine is any indication, I suppose they do. I raised 8 children and my crock-pot got a workout on a regular basis. Then, after I moved to Kentucky, I lived in a house that didn't have air-conditioning, which meant that during the warmer months, the kitchen could get rather uncomfortable. That's where my crock-pot came to the rescue. As a matter of fact, during one especially oppressively hot summer, I cooked every evening meal for a month using the crock-pot. It was a lifesaver.

Overcooked? I've never experienced this, even when I've forgotten to turn the pot off or to "warm." Occasionally, I've arrived home significantly later than I'd anticipated and still found my meal just fine. Although, as with anything, I'm relatively certain that some foods would suffer from overextending the cooking time.

A gimmick? Don't think so. This appliance has been around for 40 years and has become "new" on a recurring basis. Sort of like, what's old becomes new again. You understand what I mean. There are now new iterations of this device, some good and some not much of an improvement, in my opinion. Because of today's "food police," as I call them, the newer crock-pots seem to cook at much higher temps and I've heard complaints about foods not being what the cook had anticipated based on experience with an older appliance.

Beef stew, etc. as you ask, would all be very good done in a crock-pot. These dishes are among our favorites cooked in this appliance. I'd recommend trying a few recipes to judge for yourself.

I'm not aware of any true crock-pot that can be used for frying, but I haven't had any reason to look into the world of crock-pots for many years. There might well be some that do have a frying capability.

Food safety? In my experience, I'd say if they are used according to the manufacturer's recommendations, there should be no danger of illness from foods cooked in them.

The only suggestion I can offer if you are considering buying a crock-pot, I'd purchase a mid-size to large one. I have a smallish one and it gets used rarely, even though I only cook for my husband and myself. I always seem to reach for my good, old big one.

Hope I've given you some "food for thought" and you enjoy your crock-pot if and when you get one.

Bon appetit!

 

[Dawgluver]

One of my c/ps came with an insulated case. Great for car trips. I also have a big Nesco combo slow cooker and roaster. I think you could fry in it. It does everything but wash your windows. It doesn't get as much use as it should as there are just the 2 of us.

I would say a slow cooker is indispensible. I would agree with Katie, bigger is better. I have a couple little ones that are good for dip, but that's about it.

 

[Timothy]

My large crock pot has settings for 4, 6, 8 and 10 hour cooks. I mostly use the 10 hour setting and I measured it at a very constant 300F. It varied by one degree either way, but held it there after reaching temp.

I'll have to measure the other settings with just water in the pot and see where they reach.

I also pre-heat things that are going in it. I'll bring the liquid part of the recipe up to boiling and add it to the slow cooker.

I love long cooked stews. All kinds. Haven't met a stew I didn't like.

Being a sauce fiend, if a stew has a thick, rich and creamy broth, it's a hit with me!

Crock pots? Love em. My oldest one is the kind that is a Teflon pan, (about 4 quarts), that just sits on a hot plate part that has a dial for temps that is 1-2-3-4, with 4 being the hottest. It has a nice glass lid that I've managed not to break for all these years and moves.

I bought that one when I was in my mid 20's and still use it. I'm 58 now.

 

[Selkie]

... I have a couple little ones that are good for dip, but that's about it.

I use my small 3 qt. about 20 times more often than the large one. I find it useful for making soup, stew or chili without making too much to have to freeze. I don't always want to freeze leftovers.

It makes just enough for four servings; 2 meals for one person with second helpings, or one serving for two meals for two people.

For a single person or a couple, it's the perfect size.

 

[Katie H]

I use my small 3 qt. about 20 times more often than the large one. I find it useful for making soup, stew or chili without making too much to have to freeze. I don't always want to freeze leftovers.

It makes just enough for four servings; 2 meals for one person with second helpings, or one serving for two meals for two people.

For a single person or a couple, it's the perfect size.

I understand what you are saying, Selkie, but my biggest challenge with the smaller appliance is it's a bit of a challenge when I wish to cook a whole chicken or similar large piece of fowl or meat. The larger crock-pot just works better for me most of the time.

 

[AlexR]

Gosh, a lot of wonderful answers!
Thanks SO MUCH to everybody who took the time and trouble to light my lantern.

I saw this in a store in Bordeaux, and it seemed terribly exotic, and I'm not sure there is more than one model to choose from.
Still, it looks good. I'll have to go back and take a closer look at the contraption in light of what's been said.

All the best,
Alex R

 

[PrincessFiona60]

I use my small 3 qt. about 20 times more often than the large one. I find it useful for making soup, stew or chili without making too much to have to freeze. I don't always want to freeze leftovers.

It makes just enough for four servings; 2 meals for one person with second helpings, or one serving for two meals for two people.

For a single person or a couple, it's the perfect size.

I have two 2 quart, they are perfect for sides, dips or soup for two. My crock pots are well worth the time and space for taking to work and potlucks. I almost always have one of them going in the winter, cooking up chili, soup or stew.

 

[Alix]

Got a pot roast going in mine right now. I don't know if we'll be hungry when we get back from the ballgame, but dinner is ready to go.

 

[Timothy]

Got a pot roast going in mine right now. I don't know if we'll be hungry when we get back from the ballgame, but dinner is ready to go.

Do you sear a roast on all sides, on high heat first? Then add it to your crock pot?

 

[Selkie]

At this moment I'm eating my pot roast, along with oven roasted carrots, Yukon fingerling potatoes, and covered with red wine gravy from the braising liquid.

 

[Dawgluver]

I use my small 3 qt. about 20 times more often than the large one. I find it useful for making soup, stew or chili without making too much to have to freeze. I don't always want to freeze leftovers.

It makes just enough for four servings; 2 meals for one person with second helpings, or one serving for two meals for two people.

For a single person or a couple, it's the perfect size.

When I say little, I mean a two cupper. I also have a side by side for dips, about 2 cups each. I too use my 3 and 5 qt. regularily. I probably have too many slow cookers. I figured I would get a couple dozen cats, and maybe make the news...

 

[Selkie]

When I say little, I mean a two cupper. I also have a side by side for dips, about 2 cups each. I too use my 3 and 5 qt. regularily. I probably have too many slow cookers. I figured I would get a couple dozen cats, and maybe make the news...

I've never seen a 2-cup!

 

[Timothy]

...slow cookers... I figured I would get a couple dozen cats, and maybe make the news...

OMG!

Run Dinky, RUN!

 

[licia]

I have several crock pots - one of the first with the liner attached to the heating unit, a large one with several different controls, 2 2qt pots that I use mainley for veggies for dh and me and another one that I think may be about the same size. I bought it thinking it was larger than the 2 qt so I haven't used it. I may give it to our son if he wants to do crock pot cooking. I've been very satisfied with each one. I like to cook green veggies in them because there is never a chance of them being overcooked. I use the older one at the farm and the big one I use when making large batches of chili, brunswick stew, etc.

 

[babetoo]

my large crock-pot is going now with pork country ribs and sauce. it will be ready for dinner when i decide to eat. i also have a small one,. i cook only for one, and it comes in handy for small portions. chicken thighs, small serving for ribs. it however only has a high setting. just have to pay attention to the time. i always spray the pot with canola spray. that makes it even easier to clean. the liners are expensive in my opinion and unnecessary. i love them both.