Crock Pot advice

[nanette1985]

I was thinking that a crock pot might be useful.

Saw a couple over at the good-will store, cheap. What to look for in an inexpensive crockpot?

Any crockpot experts here?

 

[Rumpltzer]

Not an expert, but I bought a crock pot last year for $10, and it seems to do what it's supposed to do. Might need something bigger if you have larger family...

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...ayedOrder&eml=

 

[zinfamous]

as long as it keeps set temperature for at least 6+ hours, should be good.

I've never used high setting on one, only the low and long time settings

Not like you can test these things...but it's one of those "make sure nothing looks broken" deals before you purchase.

 

[mikeford]

I'd buy at a yard sale before goodwill or a thrift shop. Walmart could be cheaper for something new and uninfected.

Things to look for on a crockpot.

Brand, size, style (two types, looks like a crock pot, looks like a baking pot on a tray).

Non stick food area.
Ability to stick the "pot" in the oven.

Our two most frequent uses; I make a batch of steel cut oats and fill containers to last me a week in the fridge, Slow cook a roast and shred the meat for taco's or sandwiches.

 

[EagleKeeper]

The heavier the inside unit, the better.

We take a crockpot on the road with us and wife loves having it.

There are a multiple websites out there that have crockpot recipes. Two that we use
crockpot365.blogspot.com and 365daysofcrockpot.com. Both cover meals and desserts

On caveat; pasta in a crockpot does not work well if not a short cooking cycle - breaks down.

 

[drnickriviera]

One thing I miss is a timer. I used to have one that had a delay start and length of cooking timer. Great for when the recipe only cooks for 4-6 hours.

 

[waggy]

The heavier the inside unit, the better.

We take a crockpot on the road with us and wife loves having it.

There are a multiple websites out there that have crockpot recipes. Two that we use
crockpot365.blogspot.com and 365daysofcrockpot.com. Both cover meals and desserts

On caveat; pasta in a crockpot does not work well if not a short cooking cycle - breaks down.

365 days of crockpot is great. i have tried a few of those recipes.

 

[Kaido]

The heavier the inside unit, the better.

We take a crockpot on the road with us and wife loves having it.

There are a multiple websites out there that have crockpot recipes. Two that we use
crockpot365.blogspot.com and 365daysofcrockpot.com. Both cover meals and desserts

On caveat; pasta in a crockpot does not work well if not a short cooking cycle - breaks down.

Those are two great sites for crockpot cooking. Another system to look into is Once A Month Cooking (OAMC), which is basically doing make-ahead freezer meals (make the meal from the raw ingredients, put in a Ziploc freezer bag, then pick one from your inventory and cook it as you get hungry). Do some google searches for "make ahead meals", "slow cooker", "crockpot", and "once a month cooking" to get recipes, you'll be amazed at the kind of meals you can prepare in such a simple appliance! Here's a couple resources to get you started:

http://onceamonthmeals.com/once-a-month-mom-slow-cooker-meals/

http://www.pinterest.com/2stinkingcute/oamc-freezer-meals-once-a-month-cooking/

There are also some really good books available, here's one I have:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Gourmet-Sl...dp/1580087329/

The nice thing with the slow cooker is that it's extremely low effort to cook in, and you can time things to be ready when you get home (some crockpots have a delay feature and since everything cooks for hours and hours, you can set it up to be ready for dinner time after work). Here's one of my favorite recipes:

BBQ Root Beer Chicken:

6 boneless/skinless chicken breasts (frozen or not)
2 bottles of BBQ sauce (I usually get 2 different flavors to mix it up a bit, Kraft is good - one sweet, one savory)
12 ounces of Root Beer (flavor cooks out and just leaves it sweet like pulled pork)
Whatever spices you have on hand (garlic powder, onion powder, Kosher salt, parsley, etc.)

Cook on low for 5 hours, then pull it all out and shred with two forks (leave the liquid mixture in the pot). Throw it back into the crockpot for another hour. This is basically like an ultra-tasty version of pulled pork, very sweet, but using healthier chicken and way less effort than smoking the meat.

I also sometimes just do plain chicken with some garlic salt sometimes - same idea, shred it up, and then throw it in Ziploc bags. Use it on sandwiches, mix it in with some mashed sweet potatoes for a quick lunch meal, fry it up with some olive oil, etc. For the same price as those little pre-made chicken strips you get in the deli, you can get a huge amount via DIY and do shredded, strips, etc.

Chili is also awesome in the crockpot, of course. The long cook times at low temperatures really infuses the flavor in the food. Ground beef chili, ground turkey chili, ground chicken chili, vegetarian bean chili, all kinds of stuff you can make!

Korean beef ribs are also great:

http://joelens.blogspot.com/2010/04/korean-style-short-ribs-crockpot.html

 

[xanis]

Those are two great sites for crockpot cooking. Another system to look into is Once A Month Cooking (OAMC), which is basically doing make-ahead freezer meals (make the meal from the raw ingredients, put in a Ziploc freezer bag, then pick one from your inventory and cook it as you get hungry). Do some google searches for "make ahead meals", "slow cooker", "crockpot", and "once a month cooking" to get recipes, you'll be amazed at the kind of meals you can prepare in such a simple appliance! Here's a couple resources to get you started:

http://onceamonthmeals.com/once-a-month-mom-slow-cooker-meals/

http://www.pinterest.com/2stinkingcute/oamc-freezer-meals-once-a-month-cooking/

There are also some really good books available, here's one I have:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Gourmet-Sl...dp/1580087329/

The nice thing with the slow cooker is that it's extremely low effort to cook in, and you can time things to be ready when you get home (some crockpots have a delay feature and since everything cooks for hours and hours, you can set it up to be ready for dinner time after work). Here's one of my favorite recipes:

BBQ Root Beer Chicken:

6 boneless/skinless chicken breasts (frozen or not)
2 bottles of BBQ sauce (I usually get 2 different flavors to mix it up a bit, Kraft is good - one sweet, one savory)
12 ounces of Root Beer (flavor cooks out and just leaves it sweet like pulled pork)
Whatever spices you have on hand (garlic powder, onion powder, Kosher salt, parsley, etc.)

Cook on low for 5 hours, then pull it all out and shred with two forks (leave the liquid mixture in the pot). Throw it back into the crockpot for another hour. This is basically like an ultra-tasty version of pulled pork, very sweet, but using healthier chicken and way less effort than smoking the meat.

I also sometimes just do plain chicken with some garlic salt sometimes - same idea, shred it up, and then throw it in Ziploc bags. Use it on sandwiches, mix it in with some mashed sweet potatoes for a quick lunch meal, fry it up with some olive oil, etc. For the same price as those little pre-made chicken strips you get in the deli, you can get a huge amount via DIY and do shredded, strips, etc.

I made this yesterday, but used bone-in pork shoulder. Delicious and extremely little effort. :thumbsup:

 

[Anubis]

The heavier the inside unit, the better.

We take a crockpot on the road with us and wife loves having it.

There are a multiple websites out there that have crockpot recipes. Two that we use
crockpot365.blogspot.com and 365daysofcrockpot.com. Both cover meals and desserts

On caveat; pasta in a crockpot does not work well if not a short cooking cycle - breaks down.

365 days of crockpot is great. i have tried a few of those recipes.

agree, there are some other decent books out there as well that i cant remember

have a kitchenaid one it works pretty great

 

[rudeguy]

get one that switches from "hot" to "warm" after X hours.


Changed my life!

 

[nageov3t]

I use my crockpot all the time.

the indispensable feature for me is a timer and warm setting... I'm thinking of getting a new crockpot because I saw one with a brown/sauté option and that would be great for making one-pot meals even when the recipe calls for meat to be browned before putting it in the slow cooker, but I'm not sure if that would count as low-end.

this is the one I've got -- http://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach..._title_kitchen

and this is the one I'm thinking about upgrading to -- http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-MSC-...I2NFU0I4MPIAG7

 

[Iron Woode]

I'd buy at a yard sale before goodwill or a thrift shop. Walmart could be cheaper for something new and uninfected.

Things to look for on a crockpot.

Brand, size, style (two types, looks like a crock pot, looks like a baking pot on a tray).

Non stick food area.
Ability to stick the "pot" in the oven.

Our two most frequent uses; I make a batch of steel cut oats and fill containers to last me a week in the fridge, Slow cook a roast and shred the meat for taco's or sandwiches.

seems like you are confusing a crockpot and a Dutch Oven.

The modern definition has crockpots being electrical and self contained. You can't use a modern crockpot in the oven.

And how, pray tell, does a crockpot get infected?

If you are worried about germs then I suggest washing it good.

 

[Iron Woode]

I use my crockpot all the time.

the indispensable feature for me is a timer and warm setting... I'm thinking of getting a new crockpot because I saw one with a brown/sauté option and that would be great for making one-pot meals even when the recipe calls for meat to be browned before putting it in the slow cooker, but I'm not sure if that would count as low-end.

this is the one I've got -- http://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach..._title_kitchen

and this is the one I'm thinking about upgrading to -- http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-MSC-...I2NFU0I4MPIAG7

that's a pretty serious crockpot.

here is mine: http://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach...706283&sr=1-25

simple and works great.

 

[surfsatwerk]

Came in here expecting advice on how to deal with crazy people.

 

[rudeguy]

Came in here expecting advice on how to deal with crazy people.

send them a holster

 

[W.C. Nimoy]

Find a vintage one at a garage sale with a real low.

Lately, maybe due to liability, there doesn't seem to be much difference in the temp settings on new crock pots, and instead of really slow cooking they boil hard on any setting, and you're done in a fraction of traditional recipe cook times. And tenderness.

 

[purbeast0]

Those are two great sites for crockpot cooking. Another system to look into is Once A Month Cooking (OAMC), which is basically doing make-ahead freezer meals (make the meal from the raw ingredients, put in a Ziploc freezer bag, then pick one from your inventory and cook it as you get hungry). Do some google searches for "make ahead meals", "slow cooker", "crockpot", and "once a month cooking" to get recipes, you'll be amazed at the kind of meals you can prepare in such a simple appliance! Here's a couple resources to get you started:

http://onceamonthmeals.com/once-a-month-mom-slow-cooker-meals/

http://www.pinterest.com/2stinkingcute/oamc-freezer-meals-once-a-month-cooking/

There are also some really good books available, here's one I have:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Gourmet-Sl...dp/1580087329/

The nice thing with the slow cooker is that it's extremely low effort to cook in, and you can time things to be ready when you get home (some crockpots have a delay feature and since everything cooks for hours and hours, you can set it up to be ready for dinner time after work). Here's one of my favorite recipes:

BBQ Root Beer Chicken:

6 boneless/skinless chicken breasts (frozen or not)
2 bottles of BBQ sauce (I usually get 2 different flavors to mix it up a bit, Kraft is good - one sweet, one savory)
12 ounces of Root Beer (flavor cooks out and just leaves it sweet like pulled pork)
Whatever spices you have on hand (garlic powder, onion powder, Kosher salt, parsley, etc.)

Cook on low for 5 hours, then pull it all out and shred with two forks (leave the liquid mixture in the pot). Throw it back into the crockpot for another hour. This is basically like an ultra-tasty version of pulled pork, very sweet, but using healthier chicken and way less effort than smoking the meat.

I also sometimes just do plain chicken with some garlic salt sometimes - same idea, shred it up, and then throw it in Ziploc bags. Use it on sandwiches, mix it in with some mashed sweet potatoes for a quick lunch meal, fry it up with some olive oil, etc. For the same price as those little pre-made chicken strips you get in the deli, you can get a huge amount via DIY and do shredded, strips, etc.

Chili is also awesome in the crockpot, of course. The long cook times at low temperatures really infuses the flavor in the food. Ground beef chili, ground turkey chili, ground chicken chili, vegetarian bean chili, all kinds of stuff you can make!

Korean beef ribs are also great:

http://joelens.blogspot.com/2010/04/korean-style-short-ribs-crockpot.html

ok i'm definitely trying this next week that sounds awesome.

i got one a while back to make a bunch of chicken salad for my lunches when i was leaning up and it worked wonders. i'd make like 6lbs of chicken salad at a time. very basic, just chicken breasts + chicken broth for 8 hours on low.

this is the one i have and it's great.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004P2NG0K/

 

[Zeze]

I love an idea of crockpot. Even the word sounds delicious.

HOWEVER,

I'm not a fan of slow cooked food. Most of the time, they're tough, chewy, 'shreddy' meat that I don't care for (similar to pulled pork).

I'd rather eat something that's high heat and tender inside.

I love making beef stew. But even then, I sear the meat on a skillet separately and add them almost last = super tender and juicy + all the wonderful slow-cooked veggies & potatoes.

But I AM keeping an open mind. Maybe there's a decent reason for crockpot? I do love soup.

 

[rudeguy]

I love an idea of crockpot. Even the word sounds delicious.

HOWEVER,

I'm not a fan of slow cooked food. Most of the time, they're tough, chewy, 'shreddy' meat that I don't care for (similar to pulled pork).

I'd rather eat something that's high heat and tender inside.

I love making beef stew. But even then, I sear the meat on a skillet separately and add them almost last = super tender and juicy + all the wonderful slow-cooked veggies & potatoes.

But I AM keeping an open mind. Maybe there's a decent reason for crockpot? I do love soup.

chili

 

[Kaido]

I made this yesterday, but used bone-in pork shoulder. Delicious and extremely little effort. :thumbsup:

Nice! What was your recipe? I just made my first bone-in pork shoulder in the oven the other day, it was pretty good, but I think it would be better in the slow cooker - not a lot of flavor in the oven version aside from the crust.

 

[Zeze]

chili

I make a mean chili myself. Don't need to invest in a crockpot for it. Just low heat with a pot.

 

[Kaido]

I love an idea of crockpot. Even the word sounds delicious.

HOWEVER,

I'm not a fan of slow cooked food. Most of the time, they're tough, chewy, 'shreddy' meat that I don't care for (similar to pulled pork).

I'd rather eat something that's high heat and tender inside.

I love making beef stew. But even then, I sear the meat on a skillet separately and add them almost last = super tender and juicy + all the wonderful slow-cooked veggies & potatoes.

But I AM keeping an open mind. Maybe there's a decent reason for crockpot? I do love soup.

Soup, chili, Korean beef ribs, stews, pulled pork, etc.

Mostly it's for convenience. Toss everything in, press button, come home to great-tasting food.

 

[nageov3t]

I love an idea of crockpot. Even the word sounds delicious.

HOWEVER,

I'm not a fan of slow cooked food. Most of the time, they're tough, chewy, 'shreddy' meat that I don't care for (similar to pulled pork).

I'd rather eat something that's high heat and tender inside.

I love making beef stew. But even then, I sear the meat on a skillet separately and add them almost last = super tender and juicy + all the wonderful slow-cooked veggies & potatoes.

But I AM keeping an open mind. Maybe there's a decent reason for crockpot? I do love soup.

I usually do soups and chilis with mine, maybe the occasional pot roast.

it's mostly for the convenience factor. there's no magic food that requires a slow cooker or tastes significantly better when cooked in one... food tastes about the same as if I'd cooked it on the stove, but I get the convenience of being able to throw everything into the slow cooker in the morning, going off to work, and coming home to find a hot dinner waiting for me.

 

[Zeze]

I usually do soups and chilis with mine, maybe the occasional pot roast.

it's mostly for the convenience factor. there's no magic food that requires a slow cooker or tastes significantly better when cooked in one... food tastes about the same as if I'd cooked it on the stove, but I get the convenience of being able to throw everything into the slow cooker in the morning, going off to work, and coming home to find a hot dinner waiting for me.

Wow, thanks for the sensible response.

I half expected 'CROCKPOT IS GOOD NOOB' reaction. Good to know I"m not really missing anything that a pot + slow heat + equal hours of cooking can't already solve.