Slow Cookers In Review

Whilst the Crock Pot was the best known brand of slow cooker, it was not the original SLOW COOKER.The introduction by Rival to the slow cooker market of the Crock-Pot brand in 1971 was a seemingly overnight success, that enjoyed a popularity known only by the fondue set and became the culinary "must have" of the 70s.

A slow cooker, Crock-Pot in the US or Slo-Cooker in the UK, is an electrical appliance used for cooking that effectively uses low cooking temperatures in order to allow a comparatively safe method of cooking that you can set and forget.

A slow cooker is made up of a round or oval ceramic or porcelain pot inside a housing, that contains at least one heating element with a lid on it. Around the top of the outside housing there is a groove where the - usually - transparent glass lid is seated. As the food heats up, steam collects in the groove and a seal is created. The lid must be used to prevent the steam from escaping, which would effectively take the heat with it and allow the food to cool. The ceramic or porcelain insert, is effectively both the cooking container and a heat reservoir.

Usually you will find that slow cookers have two or more temperature settings as well as a "keep warm" setting. They are designed to heat food to nominated temperatures that are very low when compared to standard cooking methods.

What often happens when different types of liquids are involved is that the food around the edges will reach the boiling point, while food in the centre continues to be gently cooked. This is due to the fact that slow cooker settings are based on wattage, not temperature. It is important to note that recipes intended for standard cooking methods must be varied accordingly for slow cookers.

As very little water evaporates in slow cooking, the required quantities of liquids must be decreased. Most recipes for slow cookers are designed with convenience in mind and require few ingredients. The nature of the cooking method is such that tough and cheap cuts of meat can be used quite effectively to create delicious dishes that would normally require choice cuts instead.

Slow cookers cook at such a low temperature that it is virtually impossible to burn food even if left on for too long. There are many other advantages to the SLOW COOKING method too, such as no rush to prepare the evening meal when you get home from work. The house smells nice and welcoming when you walk in the door, the washing up time is minimised as there are far fewer pots than with normal cooking, and many more besides.

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