How to Buy a Crock-Pot Slow Cooker

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In 1970, The Rival company acquired a little known company called the Naxon Utilities Corporation. The Naxon Corporation had developed a product called the Beanery All Purpose Cooker that used the process of slow cooking a bean meal without. attending it. In1971, the Rival Company acquired this company and re-introduced the Beanery All Purpose Cooker to the American public under the registered trade name of Crock-Pot®. The advent of The Rival Company's slow cooker came at a time, when many women were entering the work-force. It provided a welcomed convenience to many in the preparation and cooking of family meals. while at work.

Sales within the first year of the Crock-Pot's debut. totaled over 2 million dollars and in 1975, the Rival Company introduced removable stoneware inserts and within the same year boasted sales of over 93 million dollars. The demand for their product was so great that stores were confronted with the difficult task of keeping their shelves stocked . To meet the unheralded demand for their new product, the Rival company contracted the production of the Crock-Pot®. to a Japanese company - only to discover that the foreign market had become saturated with Crock-Pot® clones. Sales plummeted for their product as fast as they had risen. By 1976 the buying frenzy for the Crock-Pot® was over and The Rival company turned to diversification and the production of other products to remain solvent. Other companies that were also producing similar products were barred from using the trade name of Crock-Pot® and derived the description of their product from the process used as the basis of cooking in the original slow cooker by The RIval Company. Today the Rival Company still holds the rights to the trade name of Crock-Pot®.

Over time, the trade name of Crock-Pot® has become a generic reference to similar products, that use the process of slow cooking in a pot,. Today, the terms crock-pot and slow-cooker are used interchangeably, but there is a difference - a Crock-Pot® is a slow cooker, but a slow cooker is not necessarily a Crock-Pot®..

It has been over 30 years, since the buying frenzy for the Crock-Pot® faded . Within the last few years, the concept of slow cooking meals has been revitalized. More and more households are returning to the idea of preparing a cheaper and healthier home cooked meal while at work, rather that dining out at restaurants. The Crock- Pot®. or slow cooker in today's hectic world seems to have grabbed a second foothold in the way families prepare their meals. More and more family cooks are buying a slow cooker because of the convenience and benefits it offers through the process of slow cooking family meals../p" />

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Quite frankly, I am from the era when the first Crock-Pot® was introduced to the public. and like many others back then, the idea of slow cooking meats was totally foreign to me, but nevertheless, I bought a Crock-Pot® anyway. It had a metal crock with an attached base which made it not so easy too clean. It had no off switch only a high and low setting and simply plugged into a socket to turn it on. That old Crock-Pot® lasted 20 years, until one day it just stopped working. I felt lost without it and began searching far and wide to find another one without success.

Up until about 8 or 9 years ago, I thought they were no longer being made, until I happened to stumble upon a slow cooker by Hamilton Beach at Walmart. .I promptly bought it and immediately put it to good use. Today I am still using it. Of course. like everything else in the economy, the price has gone up, but the savings I have achieved in my grocery bill along with the time saved in the preparation and cooking of healthier meals has made it an appliance that I would be lost without. Although, I have only purchased two in my lifetime, I did so for the following reasons:.

• 1.Healthy and nutritious meals can be achieved with cheaper cuts of meat through the process of slow cooking on low moist heat.. Cheaper cuts of meat are cooked as tender as the more expensive cuts cooked conventionally.



• 2. Slow cooked recipes rarely call for added oils or fats since they use water or sauces to cook the food and as long as you trim the fat from the lesser cuts of meat, you're serving a low fat meal



• 3. No more worrying about the amount of preservatives and additives that frozen and processed foods have.



• 4. Buying cheaper cuts of meat can save money on your grocery bill.



• 5. The slow cooker is an easy and convenient way of dealing with a hectic schedule. It provides you with the option of easy to prepare nutritious one pot meals with a considerable savings in meal preparation and cooking time. Everything is placed within the crock pot at one time and you can set the timer and go - freeing up time to do other things.



• 6. It is much easier to clean than several pots left over after the preparing and cooking a meal. You simply place the ceramic liner in dishwater to soak and food easily comes off. If you already own a slow cooker, wattage is usually found on the bottom of the housing for the crock.



• 7. Slow cookers operate on a lower wattage than conventional electric stoves and can save money even with the use of a gas stove, making them far less expensive to use.



• 8. If you like entertaining at home, buffet style meals or pot luck dinners, the slow cooker can be useful in it's portability and keeping foods warm.



• 9. A slow cooker is a great gift to give for college students and almost any special occasion.

Deciding how and what to buy in a slow cooker can sometimes be a difficult decision to make as to size, style, colors and type. Try narrowing your choices by looking for the following 5 qualities in a slow cooker:
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• 1. Durability and performance- are the most important criteria in choosing a slow cooker. You probably know of at least one person who has had a crock-pot or slow cooker for years who can attest to the durability of older crock pots. Even though durability is one of the major factors in the decision to buy a slow cooker or crock pot, do not expect yours to last as long as the one grandmother had. Most appliances today are not built to last for 20 or even 30 years. This guarantees the manufacturer that you will be back to buy the same appliance again.
  
  Find out through reviews of other owners whether they can attest to it's reliability. Just keep in mind that the price of the appliance does not always indicate it's performance . Some of the more expensive ones do not perform as well as some of the cheaper models.
  
  Many of the programmable slow cookers are equipped with automatic food warmers and shut off which is activated at the completion of a specified cooking time. They often come with varied temperatures settings. and other amenities such as a temperature probes and/or a browning element*.



• 2. Ease of use - Some are progammabe and can present a challenge in learning to use their settings. and you may or may not want to spend time to learn how to program it for your needs. The manual ones usually have 2 to 3 temperature settings and can be used with a separate timer to achieve the same result as a cooker with automatic shutoff .



• 3. Ease of cleaning - Most, if not all are treated with a non stick surface that provides ease in removal of foods that stick to the sides while cooking. Allowing the crock to soak should make it a lot easier to clean.



• 4. Cost - is another important factor to consider.The average retail costs of a slow cooker can range from around thirty dollars to well into the hundreds. Smaller ones such as the 1 to 3 quart sizes usually cost less. You may also want to consider the replacement costs for easy to replace parts such as the crock or lid. Replacement costs can often be more than half the cost paid for an appliance and, in many cases, it is cheaper to buy another slow cooker than to repair it or replace a part. You want your slow cooker to be well worth the return on your investment in its cost when compared to the savings you achieve . My personal preference is a manual one that I use with a separate lamp timer for cooking and shuting off at a specified time.



• 5. Style - Style along with color, size and type of cooker is a matter of personal preference. Sizes range from 1 1/2 quarts to 8 quarts in 1/2 quart increments depending on the manufacturer of your appliance. The most popular sizes are 3 to 8 quarts, which should feed a family of 2 to 6 or more people, respectively, with left overs. However the number of people that a slow cooker is purported to feed is based on an average portion of food served per person. I've been using this type of cooker for years and have yet to meet any one who ate an average size portion of food, most people, at least the ones I know, eat more, so if you have hearty eaters in your family, you may want to go up a size or maybe two. The worst thing you can expect from doing so is to have leftovers - hopefully enough for another meal.


• 6. Make sure your appliance is UL listed. This is your assurance that you unit you purchased has been independently tested by a laboratory other than the manufacture's and that the unit meets the manufacturer's claims on its performance.

I should mention,here that some slow cookers come with a vented lid. Why this is done, is beyond my comprehension. The sole purpose of a slow cooker is to cook on a slow moist heat. By venting a lid, lets the moisture escape and you may find your food is crusty or dried out on the top. A typical slow cooker does not compensate for heat loss when the lid is removed and food will take longer to cook. However, on vented cookers, the manufacturer may state that the wattage has been adjusted for heat lossI prefer to use a cooker that seals the moisture in. A typical slow cooker does not compensate for heat loss when the lid is removed and food wil take longer to cook. However on vented cookers, the manufacturer will state that the wattage has been adjusted for heat loss. This means that the slow cooker will cook at a higher wattage and hotter to compensate for heat lost through the vent. This may require that you adjust your cooking time for other recipes that were not tested for
your particular brand of slow cooker.

*A browning element is not always necessary to achieve color satisfaction in meat. Browning or searing your meats before cooking in a separate pan offers the same benefits as a browning element, giving the same color satisfaction and sealing in the flavor.

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After you buy your slow cooker, there are a few measures you should take before using your appliance:

1. Slow cookers made within the last few years cook hotter than older slow cookers or crock pots. The temperatures were raised in the newer appliances to prevent food poisoning. However, there is no set standard on cooking temperatures for this appliance and temperatures can vary according to the manufacturer of your appliance. You should always test and determine the cooking temperatures of your new slow cooker and how it cooks before you embark on using it to cook complete meals. Testing your appliance can provide you with valuable information such as whether you need to adjust the cooking time and/or the recipe you plan to use.

You can test the temperature settings of your pot by filling it 1//2 to 2/3 full and allowing it to heat for 8 hours on low. At the end of this time, use a cooking thermometer or an instant read thermometer to test the temperature of the water. This should be done quickly, for once the lid is removed, the temperature will begin to drop quickly in degrees within a matter of seconds..

2. The average temperature of the newer models usually range from 200 degrees on low to 300 degrees on high - some maybe slightly higher or lower. The newer high temperatures have, in some cases, cooked food too fast and you may have to adjust either the cooking time and/or the recipe. Your Crock-Pot or slow cooker should be at least 2/3 full when in use, if not, you should adjust your recipe to fill the pot to this level. Slow cookers should reach a temperature of 140 degrees as quickly as possible to prevent bacteria from developing.

Recipes that come with your slow cooker have been tested and proven to work as described in your slow cooker. Other recipes such as those in older cookbooks and the ones that grandmother or mother used in their slow cookers may require adjustment for use in the newer models. The newer cookbooks for slow cookers have tips on their use and can provide you with a great deal of information on using your appliance effectively. Many sites that offer free recipes on the internet have also tested their recipes on newer and older models. It is wise to follow the recommendations on cooking various meats and meals, in order to have a satisfactory experience with your slow cooker. You may also want to access the manufacturer's site for questions you may have and tips in slow cooking your meals. My personal preference is to cook a meal while I am home to determine whether it is cooking to my satisfaction before deciding to leave it unattended. This way, I am assured that everything will turn out to my satisfaction. You ,on the other hand. may want to start off with cooking a smaller dish before tackling larger and more complicated recipes for your slow cooker.

Taking just a little time to both test and find out information on how your slow cooker cooks can .provide you with a rewarding experience in it's use and you may find yourself asking, "How did I ever do with out one?"

Both slow cookers and crock pots have come a long way in style , size, type and color since the inception of the first Crock-pot®. There are a myriad of slow cookers from which to choose, and it can prove to be difficult in making a decision about which one to buy. I've listed a few here that have ratings of four or more stars. Ratings are based on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the best . Parts are readily available for each slow cooker brand shown here online Click images for more information

The Hamilton Beach Stay or Go is a 6 quart slow cooker, light in weight, with top honors for a budget style appliance. It comes with 3 heat settings of low, medium and high. The glass lid has a rubber gasket that seals the moisture within the crock .The lid also comes with a spoon rest and clip locks to prevent spilling while in transport. The crock is large enough to accomodate a 3 pound roast or a 6 pound chicken. Shown is the manual stainless steel 6 quart model but there is also a 6 quart Stay or Go Plus programmable model in burnished copper. I have owned the display model for 7 years and it has served me well ( no pun intended) . I've had no problems in the way it cooks meats or one pot meals. Shipping weight for the displayed model is 14 lbs.

The Rival Trio slow cooker provides versatility with style in having 3 crocks 2 1/2 quarts in size, separate lids for each crock with stay cool knobs, 3 serving spoons and 3 separate control knobs located on the base with settings of warm, low and high. Shipping Weight is 30 lbs

The Hamilton Beach 3 in 1 slow cooker provides versatility with style with 3 different size crocks, that nest within each other for easy storage. It is a vented slow cooker with one lid that fits all three crocks. Crock sizes are 2, 4 and 6 quart. The base unit is stainless steel and has 3 heat settings, warm, low and high. with off. Shipping weight : 23 lbs.

The Rival 7 quart slow cooker is a manual crock-pot® that can hold a 7 lb roast, a large chicken or ham. It is large enough to feed up to 9 or moe people. It comes with high ratings from users and It has 3 heat settings of warm,low and high. Perfect for cooking a large batch of chili.,stews. soups, sauces and more. Very reasonably priced. Shipping weight: 15 lbs

Rival's 6 quart crock-pot represents counter top elegance. it comes with a touch screen control panel that lets you choose the cooking times and automatically switches to the keep warm setting when your meal is done. It has metal handles that are wrapped in silicone. The removeable pot is of cast aluminum and can be removed to brown meats on the stove. Shipping Weight:16 lbs..

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Many of your favorite recipes can be adapted to cooking in a slow cooker, if you have the time to experiment with them . If not, then there are thousands of recipes available free on the Internet that range from pot roasts to Turkey for the holidays, soups to sauces and even dishes for entertaining . You name it and it's more than likely on the Internet. Here is a sample of some sites you may want to visit:

• Southern Food.
:

• A Crock Cook


• Thats My Home.


• Betty Crocker

You may also want to access the manufacturer's web site for other recipes and cookbooks for sale for your particular brand of slow cooker or if you prefer a more diverse range of recipes on hand, here are a few cookbooks that may peak your interest::

This cookbook offers vegetarian, vegan and meat recipes. along with recipes for two people to cooking for a crowd. It also has a chapter for lowering the fat content of your favorite dishes. Recipes call for fresh ingredients that are readily available in your local stores . It provides a range of recipes for cooking beef to poultry. soup, stews, dips, appetizers and snacks and you'll find within it's pages, delicious and nutritious meals without the worry of gaining weight.

Within the pages of this book are lots of recipes for stews, casseroles, poultry, beef, side dishes and a lot more. This is a cookbook for those who love to cook. It uses fresh ingredients, making preparation time for meals a little longer than usual, but even beginners may find this book helpful by way of the introduction that gives quite a bit of information on slow cookers and recipe tips. The book lacks a lot of pictures for dishes, so if you are one who selects recipes by pictures of the finished dish, you may be disappointed. Nevertheless, the results achieved by the recipes are mouth-watering and nutritious dishes.

Another cookbook chocked full of delicious recipes. It offers timing charts with advice in finding the right slow cooker. Recipes are offered from curried vegetables to meatloaf and range from everyday cooking to fabulous dishes for entertaining. Most of the recipes call for the use of a 5 or 6 quart slow cooker. but there seems to be no problem in cooking for two by cutting the ingredients in half.

Offered within this cookbook's pages are a wide variety of main dishes-seafood, meats, veggies and legumes along with soups and sauces with tasty dishes for Tuscan sausage and braised beef with anchovies and rosemary. It also offers a chapter on deserts. Easy to follow instructions will appeal to both the experienced crock pot user or the novice to the process of slow cooking.

Once again Betty Crocker comes to the rescue offering 120 recipes from meat to meatless dishes ready to be put to use in your slow cooker. Within this cookbook are recipes for soups, goulashes, stews, pot roast, casseroles, pot pies, fondues, and even cakes. All recipes are easy to prepare and can be prepared the night before and be waiting for you to eat when you return home work, by simply turning the dial in the morning. This is a cookbook that will surely please both the experienced crock pot user along with those who are new to the use of a crock pot.

Busy schedule or tight budget , this may be the cookbook for you. 288 pages of recipes that are practical and easy to prepare that use readily availble ingedients. If offers a mixture of old fashioned and contempory recipes . Sections within the book include chicken recipies, soups and stews and recipies of 5 ingredients or less. There are over 190 recipies to choose from such as side dishes, desserts, ethnic recipes, appetizers, snacks, chili and more

Appliance timers for those of you who have a crock-pot or slow cooker without automatic shutoff.. When not in use for cooking, timers can be used for other appliances around the house.

SA 110 Sylvania 15 amp Heavy Duty Timer

SA 110 Sylvania 15 amp Heavy Duty Timer. Three-prong grounded outlet that adds protection from stray voltage. The SA110 comes with 48 possible daily settings--all marked by non-removable pegsI deal for lamps and small appliances when you are a way at work.

Woods Indoor 7-Day Mechanical Timer

Woods Indoor 7-Day Mechanical Timer is 3-Conductor with Never Lose Pins White #59201. 48 on/off settings per week. Programming repeats weekly. Unique easy to set, easy to read pin system. Non-removable pins..

Woods digital appliance timer

Digital Countdown timer by Woods with grounded outlet, programmable for 1, 2, 4, 8 hours and easy to use with just a push of the button.