Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
It used to be the best way to cook a cheap cut of meat, because the low, slow cooking melts the connective tissue and makes the meat tender.
Now that I'm used to the pressure cooker, everything in the crock pot seems to come out grossly mushy and colorless.
I agree 100%. For example, for a stew, I cook the meat for 10 minutes, release the pressure, add the vegetables and cook for another 8 minutes. The vegetables are not mushy - they have good texture.
The times are after it comes up to pressure, so the total time is longer.
I bought a Black+Decker because it has a non-stick pot.
It IS a boil. Not even a slow boil in the newer crockpots. The original crockpots simmered and were true slow-cookers. Then someone decided the temps were too low and required all crockpots to increase the temp to boiling point. The difference between "lo" and "high" isn't the final temperature, it's how long it takes to get there.
That's the problem. My older slow cooker was great. It actually cooked SLOW. It finally kicked the bucket.
The first couple of times I cooked in my newer one, I ruined the food because I followed the cook times on my old recipes.
I got used to it and adjusted cooking times as necessary, but nowadays, I don't cook as much in the slow cooker as I used to. I really do get the best results on the stovetop or in the oven, depending on what I'm cooking.
Does cooking in a crockpot simply amount to a slow boil?
For the most part, yes, but it is temperature controlled which you can not do on your own and it is very easy to set and forget. It is a very slow boil. I leave mine on all night sometimes or when I am going to be away from the house for most of the day.
Boiling-food in a crockpot happen, I try to avoid that situation.
yes, but only on high and most of us would not leave it on high and just walk away or leave the house. I do turn mine on high sometimes to get whatever I am fixing cooking well. Then it goes to low. I am sure most of do it that way.
I do like it better. It does in an hour or less what would take the crock pot 12 hours, which means I don't have to smell food cooking for as long, and it's better at preserving texture and flavor. It is possible to destroy veggies in it, but once you get past the learning curve, it's pretty good.
I have not used my slow cooker since I got my Instant Pot.
The Slow cooker is a countertop electrical cooking appliance used to simmer at a lower temperature than other cooking methods, such as baking, boiling, and frying. Some cookers automatically switch from cooking to warming (maintaining the temperature at 71–74 °C (160–165 °F) after a fixed time or after the internal temperature of the food, as determined by a probe, reaches a specified value.
Heating element heats the contents to a steady temperature in the 79–93 °C (174–199 °F) range. (Below boiling : 100 °C / 212 °F )
Food can be set to slow-cook before leaving for the day so it is ready on return.
Because of the longer cooking time, there is greater danger with slow cookers of having an extended power outage during cooking without the cook's knowledge; for example, the power may go out for several hours while the cook is away at work in places with unreliable power supply.
Altitude changes boiling point.
At 7,500 feet, for example, water boils at about 198 °F.
It is possible for a crock pot to "boil water" if the thermostat and altitude allow.
I have never made anything in a crock pot that I liked.
I DO use my insta pot a LOT, but haven't done the slow cook function yet.
__________________ ____________________________________________
My posts as a Mod will always be in red.
Be sure to review Terms of Service: TOS
And check this out: FAQ
Moderator: Relationships Forum / Hawaii Forum / Dogs / Pets / Current Events
I have never made anything in a crock pot that I liked.
I DO use my insta pot a LOT, but haven't done the slow cook function yet.
Don't bother then. You already know you don't like food made in a slow cooker, and the IP isn't a particularly good slow cooker (the heat is concentrated on the bottom and it doesn't cook as evenly as food in a dedicated slow cooker).
At this point, the only things I use my slow cooker for are caramelizing onions and for potlucks and buffets where I want to keep things hot (and my smaller crockpot has a nice little carrying case, so it's a lot easier to transport it to events away from home)
Don't bother then. You already know you don't like food made in a slow cooker, and the IP isn't a particularly good slow cooker (the heat is concentrated on the bottom and it doesn't cook as evenly as food in a dedicated slow cooker).
At this point, the only things I use my slow cooker for are caramelizing onions and for potlucks and buffets where I want to keep things hot (and my smaller crockpot has a nice little carrying case, so it's a lot easier to transport it to events away from home)
Yeah, the only thing I could see using the "slow cooker" setting for would be to simmer a soup or stew to meld flavors.
__________________ ____________________________________________
My posts as a Mod will always be in red.
Be sure to review Terms of Service: TOS
And check this out: FAQ
Moderator: Relationships Forum / Hawaii Forum / Dogs / Pets / Current Events
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
