Inexpensive and easy to use, a slow cooker could quickly become one of your most-used pieces of cooking equipment. Use these tips on buying and using your slow cooker to get the most out of your slow cooker purchase.
Choosing a Slow Cooker
Slow cookers can range in price from $20 to $150, yet most have pretty similar features. They consist of the base, which contains the heating element, a removable stoneware insert, which is what you put the food in, and a lid, usually glass. The most important choice you need to make when you buy your slow cooker is what size to get. They range in size from tiny cookers that are good for one-person recipes or to use for heating or cooking dips, to large-capacity cookers (6 or 7 quarts or larger) that can prepare stew for a crowd. Keep in mind that many recipes specify the size of cooker needed. If you use a cooker that is too large, you risk burning your food. And, obviously, a cooker that's too small won't hold all of the ingredients. For a family of four, the best slow cooker is probably 3 to 4 quarts.
Slow cooker crocks come in round or oval shapes. The round shapes are best for making soups and stews, and oval shapes are good if you think you'll be making a lot of large cuts of meat, such as roasts or whole chicken.
As for features, the most basic slow cookers are pretty much the same: The controls have a high or a low setting. Many also have a "keep warm" setting, which is useful if you're using your slow cooker at a party and want the contents to stay warm for a few hours, or if you want to keep meals warm for latecoming family members. Some slow cookers also have a feature in which you can program the amount of cooking time, after which the cooker will automatically turn to the "keep warm" setting.
