Using 6 Slow Cooker Strategies Like The Pros

The Best Slow Cookers


Slow cookers are popular--over 80 percent of American families has one.
In such a crowded area, it's tricky to sort out which is the best one to purchase, especially
When they seem pretty much identical. I've spent the last year doing almost nothing
But slow cook, writing a book called Adventures in Slow Cooking, which is
published in October by William Morrow.
I have learned that there are
Factors among slow cooker models which make a significant difference in both your expertise
using the appliance and in the quality of the finished dish.
The slow cooker was invented by Irving Naxon in 1940. He called his gadget a Naxon
Beanery, as it had been motivated by the slow-simmered Jewish bean stew called cholent. In
Some
Modern versions provide useful programmability and other bells and whistles, but the basic
Cooking mechanism hasn't changed much since Naxon first came up with it.
"crock") sits within a casing which contains a wrap-around electrical heating element. The
Control panel on the exterior of the casing provides warm, low and high heat settings.
The super-simple, closed design of this slow cooker is in the heart of its strengths and
Its weaknesses: It excels in any dish that needs low, moist heat. Obviously, that
Contains anything braised or steamed, but it could also gently poach delicate fish, or be
It uses less
Energy than the oven or stove (most need about the same wattage as a lightbulb or
2), and you can leave it on all day without stressing you're going to burn your house
down.
However, a slow cooker can over-cook your food.
Hotter than the originals in the '70s, because of concerns about food safety. (The rule
Of thumb is that cooked food shouldn't be held between 40˚ and 140˚ for over
four hours.) And there's no typical temperature for the low, hot and warm settings.
They can vary by up to 30 degrees from model to model. That is why it's so
Important to choose the right machine: If you are using the slow cooker for all-day
Cooking, you need one that runs as low and slow as possible.
So, from the hundreds of slow cookers on the market, I analyzed some of the most
Popular to learn which one performs the best. I started with these three guiding
principles:
1. The most useful size for a slow cooker is a five- to seven-quart oval. A six-quart
Oval slow cooker can create a recipe that serves four, but it will also accommodate large
roasts or whole chickens. A two-quart souffle dish or a loaf pan can fit inside, for making
bread pudding or cheesecake. There is nothing you can do with a four-quart slow cooker
That you can not do with a six-quart, but the reverse is not correct. There is no question that if
You're going to buy one slow cooker, it should be this size and shape.
2. Programmability is a must-have feature. A programmable slow cooker allows you
To set cook time and heat level (say, 4 hours on low) and after the time has elapsed, the
Cooker will automatically switch to heat, decreasing the temperature. The warm setting
Shouldn't be abused--you can't just leave chicken on warm for four hours and expect it
To still be juicy. But it's a lifesaver for a gap of a few hours between when a recipe is
Done and when you get home. Dishes like marinara sauce and polenta can sit on warm
For hours without suffering. The older and simpler models just run on whatever heat
Level you have set it to until you get home and change it off, making overcooking much
more likely.
3. It's nice, but not necessary, to Be Able to sear or brown in the slow
cooker insert. Many recipes call for sautéing aromatics and/or browning meat before
slow cooking. If you can do this in the slow cooker fit, you do not have to use a
Separate skillet on the stovetop.
Starting with those parameters, I analyzed seven popular slow cookers from six distinct
Brands, four with browning ability, to see which provided the best user experience and
low, even cooking.