Cooking question

Without meaning to seem rude, I kind of picture all the flashaholics on here sitting around their computers/workbenches knee-deep in flashlights and shoulder deep in pizza boxes(kinda like a lot of woodworkers I know!).
However,on the assumption that at least SOME of ya'll like to cook, I'm interested in your thoughts on crock pots vs. slow cookers.
Being single, my crock pot, microwave and toaster oven get a lot of use, but recently a buddy told me I should have a slow-cooker as well.
Is there really all that much difference between a slow cooker and a crock pot?
I understand the slow cooker is faster(oxymoron) but I'm not in any real hurry.
Should I shop for one or stand by my crock?

Hi Tom,

Here's one chef/flashaholic who must admit that I've never used a Crock-pot or slow-cooker. In the restaurant when we want to cook slow we just put the stove on low. The benefit as I see it though, is that a slow-cooker is safe to leave on and unattended, something not usually necessary in a commercial kitchen.

That said, I did poke around on the net and found your answer HERE. A Crock-pot is a brand-name of Rival for thier line of slow-cookers. So there is no need to get the same thing called by another name.

Happy Cooking,
Greg

Hello Tom,

It is my impression that the original slow cooker had a very limited range of settings. You have low, high, and auto shift.

The newer slow cookers have a wider range of temperature selection and some advance programing features.

Most soups, cereals, dips, and stews are well suited to the limited selections offered on the older units, but when my crock pot dies, I will replace it with one that has more features.

Tom

Hey Tom - yeah we like to cook and eat and....oh lots of things - but just sitting around, porkin' on pizza?

Evidently you haven't seen some of jtice's threads?

Ok, back on topic...a small pressure cooker can sure whip out pot roast, or chili, or stew, or a chicken, or just too many dishes to list! Makes an inexpensive, tough cut of meat fall apart - and it cooks FAAAAAsssst!!

i am useing a crock pot as we speak coooking some beans well there cooked now and now i have it on very low to keep em warm they came out so good. only 80 caleires per seving

Hello Rick,

Does that smoker you have on the patio count as a slow cooker?

That would be the ultimate, and the food comes out oh so good...

Tom

SilverFox said:

Hello Rick,
Does that smoker you have on the patio count as a slow cooker?
That would be the ultimate, and the food comes out oh so good...
Tom

Click to expand...

That's my "Pit" for my genuine "Pit BBQ" - what did we have when you were visiting last time - pork loin?

Next time we'll have to do chicken or beef or ham or something runnin' round the neighborhood!

remember reading consumer reports years ago on crock pots(LOW,HIGH,OFF) compared to slow cookers(with temp. dial). recommendation was a crock pot as the heat was always on. with a slow cooker turned on very low temperature, the unit cycles off and on. when the unit cycles off the food cools and may allow bacteria to form. perhaps new ones have a temp. dial that does not go extremely low and avoids this problem. i love crockpot beans with ham and onions.

You know, I've always thought a Crock Pot and slow cooker were the same thing. I figured that "Crock Pot" was just a trade mark of Rival. We have a Rival Crock Pot, two actually. One is a large one that has its own case. On the case it says, "Rival Crock Pot", and right below that, "Slow Cooker". The other one, which is new model, has Low, Med, High, and Warm settings.

Crock Pots/Slow Cookers are great! I love buying corned beef brisquet, and cooking it in there on slow for about 10 to 12 hours. The meat just falls apart! Great for BBQ beef sandwiches, too. Eventually, the meat gets so tender it can be shredded with a fork.

trust me a crock pot is awesume as said above the meat melts in ya mouth its so good and easy to cook,its my fav kitchen thing

When possible to cook that way (and that's not so often) nothing can be compared with the old fashioned methods. Baking in an old oven with wood fire or under the xyz (the hot glowing "ex wood" thing that remains after the flame, don't know in Englis, here are some pics: Peka ) or the grill...

Of course one can not just set the timer and wait, you have to stand buy, but the outcome is like a handmade top quality something compared to mass production.

The food was much better when we were children, especially with grandparents cooking
Don't believe in technology when it comes to cooking as the best restaurants (and most expensive) are using methods like those above. No way it can be imitated by machines.

"the xyz (the hot glowing "ex wood" thing that remains after the flame,"

That would be the "coals", not to be confused with "coal", as in heating fuel.
And you are quite correct, cooking over the coals of an open fire, or baking with them with a Dutch Oven is a GREAT way to prepare food!

Crock pots are convenient and pretty easy. Recipes for them are infinite and the variety of things you can cook in them is huge.

And still most people don't use them to their full advantage, and a lot of people don't use them correctly at all.

The best results from these things come from recipes for braised dishes -- basically a technique of cooking meats in liquid (not completely submerged) under lower temperatures (usually about 350 F if they were to be done in the oven) after searing the meat. Longer cook times give better results.

Why the high and low settings? Fast and slow cooking for the most part. However, cooking meats that you would use in a crock pot on high won't always get them to come out quite as tender as they might. Low and slow can tenderize most any cut. If you want a really tough piece of meat, just turn up the heat on the stove or the oven and try to cook it fast.

"So, I just throw the meat in the pot, right?" Well, for many recipes it is better to sear the meat first, either on the stove top or on the grill. This seals in the juices for more flavor, more tenderness, and better texture. Preparation is faster for some slow cooker recipes, but there is still a reason to properly prepare the dish.

There are websites with slow cooker/crock pot variations of recipes. Try epicurious.com (search for recipes under "slow cooker") or wegmans.com (lots of braising recipes and most have slow cooker versions).

Be careful with a slow cooker or crock pot. These are heat sources and a lot of people leave them unattended while things are cooking. While this is probably safe enough, make sure that the area around the cooker is clear an everything is according to the instructions.

Also, once the food is done and reaches the proper temperature -- AND ALWAYS USE A MEAT THERMOMETER -- don't forget that leaving food unattended can be a really bad thing for your health. Keep food either above 140 F or below 40 F, since temps between that can cause bacterial growth. I have seen people leave food in an unplugged crock pot and eat out of it all day. Not a smart thing to do. No cooked food is safe is left out for more than 2 hours. It is usually not a "stomach bug," it's food poisoning.