Increasing slow cooker recipe sizes

[sam.mcnamee]

I have recently purchased a 6 litre slow cooker, but almost all the recipes I come across are for smaller cookers. Does anybody know an easy way to work out how to increase the size to be able to cook it in a larger cooker?

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Should be able to just double the recipes.

 

[Addie]

Should be able to just double the recipes.

What Princess said. There are no real set rules for a slow cooker. You can make it for four or six or eight. Just increase the amount of ingredients.

Example: Cooking for four Beef Stew: 4 carrots, four taters, etc. For eight - eight carrots eight taters. And you would add enough meat and other ingredients that will feed eight folks. If you are cooking for five or six, go for cooking for eight. That way you have enough for second helpings, and some left over for the next day for lunch.

Welcome to DC.

 

[tenspeed]

In Beth Hensperger's "Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook", she suggests increasing cooking time by 1-1/2 to 2 hours when multiplying a recipe intended for a smaller cooker. I have no idea where she came up with that number, as cooking times vary quite a bit, so I would think that a percentage would make more sense. it seems reasonable to assume that it would take longer for a larger pot with more ingredients would take longer to come up to temperature.

I recently replaced a ceramic 4 quart cooker with a Cuisinart 4 quart Multi-Cooker. The MC has a metal bowl, which comes up to temperature much more quickly than a ceramic bowl. I usually cook on the low end of the time range, especially if I start out by browning the meat in the MC.

Beth also points out that slow cookers are designed to be 1/2 to 3/4 full due to the placement of the heating coils.