Slow Cookers

[W2R]

Easysurfer, I'm nearly to that point myself. These recipes sound so delicious.

Not to hijack this discussion, but does anyone have an opinion on what should one look for in a slow cooker? I have never had one, and would be cooking just for myself and freezing any excess.

 

[MissMolly]

Easysurfer, I'm nearly to that point myself. These recipes sound so delicious.

Not to hijack this discussion, but does anyone have an opinion on what should one look for in a slow cooker? I have never had one, and would be cooking just for myself and freezing any excess.

I have only owned 2 crockpots. My first was the old fashioned avacado green Rival (35 years ago) that you could set on Low/High/Off. It was all one piece and a horrible pain to wash. It exploded about 5 years ago, so my number one requirement in the new crockpot was that the crock had to be separate from the heating element. Since I tend to cook everything about 8 - 10 hours on low, other fancy settings weren't that important, although my new one has Low/High/Keep Warm and can be set for 4, 6, 8 or 10 hours.

 

[W2R]

I have only owned 2 crockpots. My first was the old fashioned avacado green Rival (35 years ago) that you could set on Low/High/Off. It was all one piece and a horrible pain to wash. It exploded about 5 years ago, so my number one requirement in the new crockpot was that the crock had to be separate from the heating element. Since I tend to cook everything about 8 - 10 hours on low, other fancy settings weren't that important, although my new one has Low/High/Keep Warm and can be set for 4, 6, 8 or 10 hours.

Thanks, MissMolly! That sounds like exactly what I would want, too. I don't want to cook anything fancy but some of the "bachelor style" whole chicken recipes where you throw a chicken and a few other things in the pot and let it cook all day sound easy and convenient.

 

[easysurfer]

Here's a link to the model I got tonight:

Clothing, Toys, Electronics, Jewelry, Jaclyn Smith - Kmart.com

I'm satisfied with just the three settings. I know other models have more settings and are programable, but the simplicity should work for me.

I also have a round slow cooker from years back, but that is too small to fit a whole chicken which is my immediate desire. I like having the meat drop off bone and chicken broth that a crock pot does.

In the past I had a slow cooker that even in the low setting would cook too much. Hopefully, my new one won't do that.

 

[W2R]

That looks very nice, Easysurfer, and at a good price, too. Thanks.

 

[easysurfer]

There was another one I saw that had a clip on cover as sometimes covers can come off and also that was to make sure the cover stays on if you travel (such as bringing a slow cooker meal to a pot luck dinner). But the clamps seemed too tedious to me and I don't plan on traveling much with it.

Crock pot cooking brings back memories of days of w*rking. I'd fill it up in the morning, then after a long stressful day of w*rk, come home to an already prepared meal. Comfort food to forget about the j*b.

 

[W2R]

I wouldn't ever take it anywhere, either.

Now that I am retired, I am thinking a slow cooker would be really nice, too. I could start it before leaving the house for the day's activities. Then, in the evenings I could leave it on "warm" until I was hungry.

 

[KB]

I cook whole chickens with herbs, turkey breasts, small pork roasts or boneless pork chops in teriyaki sauce. I often buy rotisserie chickens and freeze the scraps and the carcass after cutting the meat off. When I have 2, I make chicken stock in my crockpot by covering them in water and cooking all day. Very easy. Ham is good in the crockpot too since it doesn't dry out like it can in the oven.

I will cook bone in chicken breasts and then use the meat to make chicken salad.

Checkout this blog; she has a ton of recipes on her site. She also has 2 cookbooks. A Year of Slow Cooking

 

[Gotadimple]

W2R,
I have two of them. A 4 quart Rival Crock Pot that is very simple: Off, Low, High. The crock is a separate piece of pottery that can go in the dishwasher.

Then, I got intrigued with getting a larger crock pot that had a timer on it and push pads instead of a switch. It's a 6 quart that will accommodate larger recipes and whole chickens. Again, it's a Rival brand with a separate piece of pottery. The lets you determine when it will start up, and it does go to a warm setting at the end of the cycle.

The second one is great when you want to delay start of cooking, in terms of when you turn it on. But, I find I use the smaller one more and if I want to delay cooking, I use a plug-in timer that tells it when to start and stop.

It's great for making a full recipe and then freezing what you don't eat.

As for recipes, you can find may good ones at the manufacturers' web sites, cooking sites such as Cooking Light and Eating Well.

Rita

 

[W2R]

Thanks, GotaDimple, for your very helpful post. I started out thinking of a 4-quart, but I'm not sure that would be big enough to cook an entire chicken. On the other hand, some might be and they would take up less counter space. I am also thinking of a bigger one, though, since I would like to cook a larger quantity and freeze in portions (to then microwave later). I definitely want one that will go to "warm" automatically after cooking.

 

[Goonie]

I have a fairly large crockpot, 6 or 8 quart but don't remember off hand which (and it's at home in IL and I'm in FL so I can't look.....dang it! ). I've been pondering picking up a smaller one, because for some things the big one is just overkill when cooking for two people. Of course I know my neighbor prefers that I use the larger one, since he enjoys a lit of our extra leftovers!!!

 

[Goonie]

Oh, and I forgot to add that I have the 'Crock•Pot' App on my iPhone that has a lot of good recipes in it. A lot of the time though, I just wing it and try my own concoctions, and if they turn out good....it's a keeper! If it turns out not so good, I just don't tell anyone!!!

 

[W2R]

Hmm! That's interesting that you are thinking about a smaller crockpot, Goonie. Reviews of one oval four quart slow cooker I have been looking at say it can hold a whole (small) chicken. Maybe that one would be big enough for me.

Often I buy a rotisserie chicken, but I am thinking that a crockpot chicken would be healthier due to less salt, butter, and so on.

 

[Nuiloa]

3 of my favorite recipes:

1) throw boneless chicken parts in with 1 cup BBQ sauce, some onion and spices (your preference) & 1 can of diet cola. Cook until done

2) Boneless chicken with 1 package of taco seasoning mix and a cup of salsa. Just before serving, remove chicken and shred it, add 1/4 FF sour cream to the sauce and serve over rice. The chicken is also good cold, so I use it for tacos the next day

3) Blend 1 full mango with red chili paste (to taste) and 6 or 8 pieces of fried bacon. Pour the mix over pork loin (probably good with chicken too, I imagine). This is absolutely delicious!


We use the crockpot to keep mashed potatoes or gravy warm during family get togethers and buffets.

I have a 112-page recipe book of low fat crockpot recipes. If anyone wants it, please send me a private email and I'll forward it to you.

Nui

 

[Texas Proud]

One thing I will say... do not do what my wife did... (I just can't help myself )...

We had a removeable crock... so she put the leftovers in the fridge... the next day she takes it out and puts it on the stove... and turns it on

I think it took less than two minutes for it to crack... lucky that it did not explode...

 

[Goonie]

Hmm! That's interesting that you are thinking about a smaller crockpot, Goonie.

There are many times that I'd like to make some soup or chili for dinner, but I don't want to make a big batch that will provide for leftovers. And since whatever size pot, pan, kettle, or crockpot I use, I'm going to fill it up!!! It's just a habit....'if some is good, too much is better'. So a smaller crockpot would corral me in a bit.....maybe.

 

[Bestwifeever]

I have only owned 2 crockpots. My first was the old fashioned avacado green Rival (35 years ago) that you could set on Low/High/Off. It was all one piece and a horrible pain to wash. It exploded about 5 years ago....

I still am using this exact same model! So exciting to think it will explode soon!

 

[MBAustin]

One thing I will say... do not do what my wife did... (I just can't help myself )...

We had a removeable crock... so she put the leftovers in the fridge... the next day she takes it out and puts it on the stove... and turns it on

I think it took less than two minutes for it to crack... lucky that it did not explode...

+1 Don't do this: YMWillNotVary

I was at a friend's house recently and the soup she was reheating in a slow cooker wasn't heating up fast enough, so she took the removable crock out and put it on the stove. A few minutes later - a broken crock and soup all over the place. Not pretty. (Note - I was in another room but would have been a good friend and told her not to do that had I been in the kitchen!)

 

[easysurfer]

Hmm! That's interesting that you are thinking about a smaller crockpot, Goonie. Reviews of one oval four quart slow cooker I have been looking at say it can hold a whole (small) chicken. Maybe that one would be big enough for me.

Often I buy a rotisserie chicken, but I am thinking that a crockpot chicken would be healthier due to less salt, butter, and so on.

W2R,

Here's a couple of pictures of my new crockpot so you can get a perspective of size.

I have a 7 quart crockpot and that's about a 5.5 lb chicken inside. A 7 quart size leaves plenty of room for vegetables along the sides.

The other picture is the free carrying bag (with crockpot inside) that came with the crockpot. At first, I didn't think much of it, but now I really like the bag. It's a nice fit if I ever travel with the cooker and also keeps the dust away for storage.

Easysurfer

 

[W2R]

W2R,

Here's a couple of pictures of my new crockpot so you can get a perspective of size.

I have a 7 quart crockpot and that's about a 5.5 lb chicken inside. A 7 quart size leaves plenty of room for vegetables along the sides.

The other picture is the free carrying bag (with crockpot inside) that came with the crockpot. At first, I didn't think much of it, but now I really like the bag. It's a nice fit if I ever travel with the cooker and also keeps the dust away for storage.

Easysurfer

Thanks, Easysurfer! There is definitely a lot of room in there. Whew - - - it is huge. After looking at it, I am much more certain that I should get a smaller one. Again, thanks.

 

[Goonie]

I went to Books-A-Million today to browse and grab a cup of coffee. I wandered down one aisle that was about 40 feet long and it was ALL cookbooks, on both sides! There were at least a hundred different slow-cooker cookbooks there! Later, after a coffee break, I found another aisle (just as long as that first one) that had MORE cookbooks.....about 3/4 of that aisle on only one side! Easily thousands of cookbooks of every flavor!

And so, I walked away with 2 new slow-cooker recipe books! I also had bought another one a few days ago at a Cracker Barrel restaurant, along with one for cooking in cast iron!!!

I guess when I get back home, I'll have to get cooking in earnest!!!

 

[audreyh1]

Thanks, Easysurfer! There is definitely a lot of room in there. Whew - - - it is huge. After looking at it, I am much more certain that I should get a smaller one. Again, thanks.

I get a lot done with a 3 1/2 quart slow cooker. 4 quart might be better.

 

[W2R]

I get a lot done with a 3 1/2 quart slow cooker. 4 quart might be better.

Thanks. After seeing how large Easysurfer's 7 quart slow cooker really is, I was thinking somewhere in the 3-5 quart range. 4 quarts might be just right.

 

[audreyh1]

With a small one you probably want an oval one if you plan to do a whole chicken. Otherwise, the shape doesn't matter that much.

 

[NW-Bound]

We have a couple of crock pots, and for some reasons my wife has not been using them recently.

Her new [-]toy[/-] kitchen tool is a "thermal cooker". I wonder how many here have this. A thermal cooker is basically a big thermos bottle. It has an inner pot that you bring its content to a boil on a stove, then put that pot inside a larger double-walled container with vacuum to keep it hot and to simmer.

A thermal cooker does not have a heating element. Therefore my wife uses it mainly to simmer soup bones, either chicken or beef bones, to make soup for me (I've got to have soup stock from real bones, no bouillon cubes for me). She got a big 2-gallon model, and it does that very well. Because there is no heating element, it can be left unattended, and cannot burn food at the bottom.

Right now, she has a batch of bolognese sauce simmering in it.