Crock pot cooking

[Eaglelox]

i have used the slow cooker for some time now. when ever i cook a stew or pot roast in the crock pot it has a funny taste. i tried the new slow cooker that we just got and it has the same weird taste. if i put the same recipe in the oven at 200 deg all day, it would come out different tasting. im done with these things for whole meals. does anyone know what im talking about and why does it happen.

 

[Half Baked]

I know exactly what you're talking about but I don't know why it happens.

I only use it for keeping soups warm. I much prefer the food from the oven.

 

[GB]

I have never experienced this with my crockpot. Can you explain the funny taste?

 

[licia]

I've never noticed a different taste either, but some things I like better cooked other ways than the crockpot and some things are VERY good that way. I like green beans cooked in a crockpot because I can stop them at just the very second of tenderness without any overcooking. I don't like the raw taste that so many places use, but I don't want them cooked past a tasty tender-crisp stage. I'd rather have ham baked or roasted in the oven, but some people really enjoy using the crockpot for that - to each his own!

 

[XeniA]

Hmmm, this is disturbing! I ordered a crockpot (from the U.K.) only yesterday. Never owned one before.

Mind you, all I really want to do in it is cook beans, but still, I don't want odd-flavored beans!

Does yours have a stoneware insert (do they all?)

 

[GB]

I am not really sure what would cause an odd flavor other than some sort of outside influence like soap that was not completely washed out or something. A corckpot is just a vessle that you cook food in at a low temperature. There is nothing inherent in that which would cause any sort of flavor on it's own.

 

[thymeless]

It might be the lack of Maillard reactions as the meat isn't browned first. It's often put in frozen.

thymeless

 

[GB]

A lot of my crockpot recipes call for browning the meat first and then adding it to the crockpot.

I would (almost) never put frozen meat in a crockpot. The food would be in the danger zone too long for my liking.

 

[Half Baked]

Yes, I have the stonewear insert. Perhaps its not a funny/weird taste. It's just different enough for me to notice.

It might all be psychological!

 

[Katie H]

Interesting. I still have, and use, my crockpot I bought in the late '60s or so and have never detected any sort of off taste. It's one of the original earthenware-type Rival models. In fact, I have several crockpots in various sizes that I use regularly. I like to make applesauce in the crockpot. It's easy, delicious and makes the house smell yummy.

Meat loaf is good in the crockpot, too.

 

[Eaglelox]

It seems to only happen when I cook whole meals. I have noticed it in every crock-pot I have ever used. Im sure it isn’t soap or absorbed flavor in the pot itself. I have made enough oven pot roasts to know what I used will taste good. imp thinking that maybe the flavors blend differently than in the oven. I know there is more food contact and higher or taller water content. This has to let the flavors move more freely.

 

[Katie H]

It seems to only happen when I cook whole meals. I have noticed it in every crock-pot I have ever used. Im sure it isn’t soap or absorbed flavor in the pot itself. I have made enough oven pot roasts to know what I used will taste good. imp thinking that maybe the flavors blend differently than in the oven. I know there is more food contact and higher or taller water content. This has to let the flavors move more freely.

You know what, Eaglelox, you might try using one of those Reynold's, I think, crockpot liners and see if you still detect the off flavor. The liners are in the plastic wrap/aluminum foil/waxed paper section of the grocery store. They're designed to make cleaning up easier. Sort of like a bake-in-the-oven bag type of product but designed to be used in a crockpot.

 

[rosiewolf]

It seems to only happen when I cook whole meals. I have noticed it in every crock-pot I have ever used. Im sure it isn’t soap or absorbed flavor in the pot itself. I have made enough oven pot roasts to know what I used will taste good. imp thinking that maybe the flavors blend differently than in the oven. I know there is more food contact and higher or taller water content. This has to let the flavors move more freely.

I'm joining this discussion late after trying to find out if anyone else experienced this. There is definitely an unpleasant aftertaste to foods cooked in my crockpot. I got one to try out and there is this weird flavor as though there was some plastic additive to the food. It was less noticable with beef but was very noticable with vegetable soups and most recently with chicken broth. It's sort of a sicky sweet flavor that hits the back of the tongue. I was wondering if it was coming off of the lid since the crock itself is lined with crockery. Oh well...I won't be exploring this cooking method further.

 

[kimashswan]

What you might find is that the "funny taste" is the caramalised sugars from the food that is in the pot. I haven't aver tasted andy weird taste and actually find SC food tastier. Veggies will release a lot of liquid which will mix with the other flavours in the pot. Most of my best soups and meals come from my SC.
HTH

 

[Candocook]

Never had a funny taste either. I wonder what the recipes were like that produced it?

 

[Aria]

I am limited in my Crock Pot Cooking. I prefer the oven. I NEVER experienced a different taste because I used the Crock Pot. Now I use my Crock Pot Ceramic insert and a glass top to bake my BREAD. And this works
super.

 

[phantomtigger]

Well, I haven't noticed anything tasting funny. I've made 2 different recipes in the last couple of weeks, and no funny taste. I made some "fajitas" (they were more like a tomato-y type) and I also made stuffed bell peppers. I thought they tasted great. Just my two-cents worth.

 

[Michelemarie]

I use my crock pot often - nothing ever tastes odd - everything is very good!

 

[laura281]

Agree about the off taste

I totally agree that there is an off-taste when food is cooked in a crockpot. I've mentioned this before, and I'm surprised that some don't taste it. It's not soap or plastic, and it's not a burnt taste. I think it has something to do with the proteins in the meat and overcooking... maybe?? I don't know, but when I cook chili, spaghetti sauce, or anything like that, it gets that weird taste. I do not get that off taste when I cook something for a long time on the stovetop or in the oven. Needless to say, I'm not a big fan of crockpot cooking.

 

[elaine l]

Although I use my crockpot several times a month, I do notice that certain things do have a different taste. I use the same recipes as I would if not using the crockpot but the taste is there. One thing I know this happens with (and I no longer make it in a crockpot) are ribs or pork. It may be overcooking not sure. Having said that, there are certain recipes that definitely taste better in the slowcooker.