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That's Hot
by Guest Writer, Valerie WhitmoreNo, I'm not referring to the catch phrase of a certain celebutante, I'm talking about your crockpot.
Did you know that not all crockpots (aka slow cookers) are created equal? When we get comments, reviews, or questions from users who try a crockpot recipe and it doesn't turn out - 99% of the time their complaint is that it overcooked
First of all, no food should ever dry out in the crockpot. When a crockpot heats properly, and has a properly fitting lid, it creates steam inside that keeps the food moist. Now, if the lid doesn't fit right (as with some cheaper models with plastic lids) you lose that precious steam. Also, if the unit heats too hot the steam burns off instead of keeping the food moist.
Crockpots used to cook at a more consistent temperature. And by "used to", I mean the units made more than 10 years ago. Some manufacturers decided to increase the heating temperature to reduce concerns of food safety. These crockpots now cook at a higher heat than other makes and models, and most older units. To combat this, you can either reduce the cooking time, or cook on the lower temperature setting (if the recipe calls for cooking the food on HIGH, use LOW instead)
But how do you know if you have one of these overheating beasts? There are tests you can try to determine what temperature your crock cooks at. Fill the unit 3/4ths full with water and set on low with the lid firmly in place. Take the temperature with a cooking thermometer after 8 hours. The water should not be boiling (which is 212F). If it is that hot then you have an overheater and will have to reduce either your temp or time when cooking with the majority of recipes you find online
I won't lie to you - it will probably take some trial and error (and possibly a few failures) to really get to know your crockpot. But once you get a feel for how things cook in it, it will become your biggest kitchen ally
Did you know that not all crockpots (aka slow cookers) are created equal? When we get comments, reviews, or questions from users who try a crockpot recipe and it doesn't turn out - 99% of the time their complaint is that it overcooked
First of all, no food should ever dry out in the crockpot. When a crockpot heats properly, and has a properly fitting lid, it creates steam inside that keeps the food moist. Now, if the lid doesn't fit right (as with some cheaper models with plastic lids) you lose that precious steam. Also, if the unit heats too hot the steam burns off instead of keeping the food moist.
Crockpots used to cook at a more consistent temperature. And by "used to", I mean the units made more than 10 years ago. Some manufacturers decided to increase the heating temperature to reduce concerns of food safety. These crockpots now cook at a higher heat than other makes and models, and most older units. To combat this, you can either reduce the cooking time, or cook on the lower temperature setting (if the recipe calls for cooking the food on HIGH, use LOW instead)
But how do you know if you have one of these overheating beasts? There are tests you can try to determine what temperature your crock cooks at. Fill the unit 3/4ths full with water and set on low with the lid firmly in place. Take the temperature with a cooking thermometer after 8 hours. The water should not be boiling (which is 212F). If it is that hot then you have an overheater and will have to reduce either your temp or time when cooking with the majority of recipes you find online
I won't lie to you - it will probably take some trial and error (and possibly a few failures) to really get to know your crockpot. But once you get a feel for how things cook in it, it will become your biggest kitchen ally