How to Buy the Best Slow Cooker
The slow cooker has been widely spread in the United States since the 1970s, when the new demands of modern life have begun to require greater speed and time optimization even in the organization of domestic and family life.
Table of Contents
Decisive factors for choosing a slow cooker
Types of cooking
The slow cooker has been widely spread in the United States since the 1970s when the new demands of modern life have begun to require greater speed and time optimization even in the organization of domestic and family life.
To meet these requirements, the slow cooker’s characterizing features allow you to cook the dishes, even if they are left unattended when you are not at home or while doing other things, without the risk of burning dinner.
In other words, the slow cooker requires only the preparation of the ingredients and an intricate setting of the program most suitable for the recipe you intend to prepare. With the ” electric pot, “you will not have to worry about constantly controlling the degree of cooking, as it is necessary to use the more traditional baking modes such as pan or baking.
As the same name suggests, the slow cooker is characterized by prolonged low-temperature cooking, which does not reach almost 100°C and remains below the boiling temperature. Hence, the ability to burn foods is very slim.
The slow cooker usually works with temperatures between 60°C and 90°C. Among the benefits of low-temperature cooking is the better preservation of vitamins and minerals contained in foods. Additionally, this type of cooking allows you to maintain soft and moisturized foods without adding excessive amounts of oil, thus adapting to dietary regimens.
On the other hand, the slow cooker is not suitable for those who want to ” improvise ” evening meals, precisely because this appliance cooks very slowly. However, a good slow cooker model can prepare a wide variety of dishes such as stews, steamed vegetables, soups and sauces, drinks, sweets, and puddings that may require prolonged low-temperature cooking.
The slow cooker or electric pot is an appliance that is particularly useful to those who work all day and have no time to cook. With the slow cooker, you can plan a good hot meal preparation so you can find it ready when you return home for dinner. Then, you only have to worry about preparing the ingredients and preparing the ideal cooking program.
As we have just pointed out, the electric pot’s versatility is a fundamental aspect. In fact, the more an electric pot will be able to offer a wide variety of cooking, the more valuable it will be.
So we’ll start to give you the factor about the possible cooking types, then talk about other factors that choose your slow cooker ideal, i.e., features, structure, ease of use, and finally, accessories spare parts.
Temperature and cooking times
A good-quality electric pot should perform very different recipes, thus offering different types of cooking. Slow cooking is the main mode. It may differ according to the cooking time and temperature. Depending on the slow cooker model, you can choose between different temperature levels and cooking times. To help you better understand what we’re talking about, we give you some guidelines:
- 78°C: prolonged cooking on low heat.
- 84°C: low-temperature cooking.
- 96°C: sweet cooking.
In general, cooking times vary depending on the amount of food in the pot, the type of food to be cooked, and the ambient temperature. You will find some references for ingredients, quantities, settings, and preparation times in the product’s instructions. For example, for a quantity of beef from 1.5 to 1.8 kg, you should use the baking mode for about 6 hours or average cooking for 3-5 hours.
Other cooking methods
In the best models, there are other types of cooking possible :
- Live fire cooking: it is also called Sauter cooking, and it is useful to burn foods and give them slight gilding before setting the cooking on a slow fire.
- Steam cooking: A good slow cooker should also allow rice and vegetable steaming with the appropriate water. This type of cooking is particularly suitable for maintaining foods’ properties and a more nutritious and healthy diet.
Finally, slow cookers can also cook pasta, risotto and prepare food in vacuum jars. These electric pots are the ones that allow water to reach temperatures above standard temperatures. We also note that some foods that may require 8 hours of cooking may not be ready yet, even though the recommended times have passed. In this case, the kitchen experience will help you adjust and perfect cooking times and modes.
Wattage
Keep in mind that the cooking times may vary depending on the slow cooker wattage, humidity, and altitude. Usually, the wattage of this type of household appliance is low. It is around 250 watts, just because this pot cooks at low temperatures for extended periods of time and does not require fast heating at high temperatures, as can be the case with an oven. However, in pots that can reach even high temperatures, you can find a higher wattage, even 1500 watts.
Functions
Following the considerations just made, it is clear that this appliance’s functions are closely linked to the possible types of cooking and constitute the next factor to be considered. The various functions available are adjustable thanks to the controls on the pot base, and at best, they can be highlighted by the presence of a display or an iconic button system.
The main functions will then be :
- On/Off: This is the classic power on/off function.
- Slow Cooking Control: As we have seen, the best slow cookers have the choice of more or less intense cooking types from a minimum of 2 preset levels, up to 4 or more. There are also further advanced slow cookers that allow you to adjust the temperature extremely precisely, even with recipes’ help.
- Timer: Certainly, the presence of a timer can help you manage your food preparation schedules. In the most advanced models, you can set the timer up to 24 hours.
- Heat retaining function: Some models allow hot food to be cooked. The times available for this function may vary, and it will be clearly preferable to have a slow cooker that can keep the food hot for a longer number of hours.
- Buffet function: in some more sophisticated models, the buffet function may also be present, which should provide a slightly higher temperature than the hot maintenance. You can serve your meals in this setting while having dinner with friends without risking the chill.
Structure
The structure is an essential element for the slow cooker’s choice because it will vary the internal capacity accordingly. Therefore, it is good to check that it is suitable for the usual number of diners for which cooked.
You can then choose between a slow cooker more or less large and more or less large. That’s why we consider capacity as the most significant structural element of the slow cooker.
Capacity and weight
Keep in mind that a slow cooker can be of different capacities expressed in liters. Below you will find some reference data:
- Small slow cooker for 2 people: it can have a capacity of about 2.5 liters and a weight of 3 kg.
- Medium slow cooker for 4 people: it can have a capacity of 3.5 liters and a weight of about 4 kg.
- Large slow cooker for 8 people: can reach almost 7 liters and weighs up to 6 kg.
About internal capacity, the measurements and thus the size of this type of product will also vary. For the size, you have to keep in mind that a slow cooker of 4 people can have a size of about 30 x 30 x 30 cm.
Dimensions are important not only for the support plane during use but also for the space you need to put the machine off. And that is why, regardless of internal capacity, it will be important to evaluate how much this appliance is compact.
The slow cooker consists of an electric kettle connected to the mains power cable. The main elements that makeup it is:
- External structure: it must be made of stainless steel, equipped with handles and internal heating resistance.
- Removable internal container: in most cases, it is ceramic. Alternatively, you will find it in non-stick materials. It must also have handles. Ceramic is good for heat and distributes it evenly but at the same time is a delicate material that rapid temperature fluctuations could damage. For this reason, you may often find ” do not introduce frozen foods ” or ” do not introduce too hot food ” in product instructions.
- Cover: It should preferably be in glass so that you can see the interior without having to open it and disperse the heat if you want to monitor the cooking state.
These structural elements determine the capacity, the weight, and the product’s size and are relevant to the usability that we will deal with at the next point.
Practical use
Some aspects can help you with ease of use, and so you can keep in mind when choosing the slow cooker that best suits you. Let’s see it below.
Display and type of commands
The pot structure display is significant because it allows you to display some information and control over the baking process. For example, you can then find the timer and temperature displayed and the type of program selected.
Commands can be of a different kind. In the simplest and most economical models, you will find a few keys or even a simple wheel for adjusting the cooking levels (which are, in most cases, two).
By this and what is stated in the section dedicated to cooking types, a versatile and quality slow cooker, in addition to the display, can have several keystrokes for selecting preset programs as well as a timer and temperature control.
There may be a warning light indicating when the machine is running with the presence of the display.
Thermal insulation
For safety reasons, as the pot tends to heat a lot, it is important to check that the handles and feet are heat-insulating.
We also recommend using the pot on a not particularly delicate flooring plate to tolerate the pot’s heat. Keep in mind that the pot will tend to heat up a lot even outside, so be careful to put it away from cooking objects or instruments that could be damaged or deformed with heat, like other plastic household appliances.
Wash
Another important aspect is certainly washing, which should be possible both by hand and dishwasher. As for removable ceramic or non-stick inner containers, be careful not to scratch in contact with other objects in the dishwasher. In particular, if the inner container is ceramic, wait for it to cool completely to room temperature before washing.
Accessories and spare parts
A good electric pot will allow you to buy spare parts if, for example, the inner ceramic container or the glass cover is damaged. Some models that include the steam cooking mode will also find a grill to be rested inside the container. As an alternative to the grill, you can find a scoop-shaped basket in multifunctional models that include pasta cooking.
Some models also have a removable shovel to mix the contents, a measuring stick, and various palettes and ladles. These additional accessories can make a difference, especially if you use the slow cooker for risotto preparation.
Cookbook
Returning to the central factor of the first factor considered, i.e., the types of cooking and the possible recipes, a handy accessory that will help you prepare the dishes is a recipe book to find online the best-producing companies in the printed form.
The most well-known manufacturing houses provide information boards or recipes, which show the times and types of cooking for various recipes.
Keep in mind that you will find a minimum of cooking times in the product packaging instructions booklet. The best recipes will tell you many recipes, both for traditional stew cooking, steamed vegetables, risotto, and the preparation of sought-after recipes, including international ones and special dessert sauces. Of course, the recipes will reflect the possibilities offered by each machine.
Other factors to keep in mind when choosing a slow cooker.
Are the materials important?
The electric pot’s constituent materials are important, especially in the interior. They must distribute the heat well and be non-stick to prevent the food from sticking to the container.
As we have already pointed out, most slow cookers have a ceramic interior because this material is ideal for slow cooking. However, it has the disadvantage of being a bit delicate and requires extra attention during slow cooking. Use and washing.
The lid will then be preferable in transparent glass to allow you to see the state of preparation of the dishes without having to open the lid and then disperse the heat or steam.
As for the exterior, we suggest ensuring that the structure is reliable stainless steel, which guarantees sturdiness and long life, and any internal grill for steaming. In addition, the pots and the inside handles must be in rubber, non-slip, and insulating materials, thus avoiding using fabric presses to slip the ceramic container.
Is the brand important?
We recommend relying on affirmed brands and long experiences in this area, such as the American Cuisinart House or other brands such as Crock-Pot and Russell Hobbs. In addition, a slow cooker specialized manufacturing industry will guarantee a wide range of models to meet various needs and personalized customer service and purchase separately any spare parts such as lids and an inner container of Ceramics, which could be more prone to breakage.
Is the price important?
Slow cookers can have different price ranges, which vary mainly depending on the cooking options and the size and capacity since the number of people you can cook can range from a minimum of 2 people up to 8 people.
A slow cooker of between $100 and $200 will probably offer, for example, more versatility and a chance to customize the cooking, with a timer and a display to monitor the preparation. On the contrary, a low-price cooker can cost around $50. It will have small dimensions, allow only a few cooking settings, and probably have no accessories or displays.
Cuisinart MSC600 
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