So Many Crock Pots, So Many Uses

Made as small as a one to two cup liner, the Crock Pot has now been incorporated into home décor as a potpourri warmer. Various colors and designs help this little device fit into any home's theme or color scheme, but care should be taken with this particular Crock Pot; always remember to unplug it after a couple hours and the contents will eventually evaporate and/or dissipate. However, with just a cup of water and some liquid or gelled potpourri, your home will smell wonderful in a matter of minutes.
Larger Crock Pots made for cooking are also available in assorted sizes. When choosing a slow cooker, take into account the size of your household and the types of foods you intend to serve from this magnificent innovation.

For a household of one or two, there is a 3/5 qt slow cooker made just for smaller homes and meals. While there won't be much in the way of leftovers, there is a certain satisfaction in making "just enough". Generally, this size slow cooker is great for soups, soup beans, meatballs and Sloppy Joes.

For a slightly larger family, roughly three or four, a 5 or 5.3 quarter slow cooker is certainly the right size. Coming in both round and oblong sizes, you can make a roast or meatloaf, complete with vegetables and savory juices and gravy.

Larger families require larger slow cookers and they come in sizes big enough to cater to a clan. Available in six and seven quart sizes, cooking dinner for a family the size of the Denver Broncos defensive line need no longer intimidate or consume your time. Big enough to hold a jumbo cut of meat, as well as the accoutrements related to said meat, feeding the family need no longer be the chore it once was. With a choice of settings, low, high and "keep warm", a busy family can keep meals hot while awaiting the arrival of the active members of your tribe.

With so many choices and sizes from which to choose, a slow cooker is a purchase that can be made to see you through all stages of your life. As a single person, to newlyweds, to families, to grandparents, there's a slow cooker made to suit your lifestyle.

The name Crock Pot is actually a registered trademark of the Rival Company. However, as with the brand name "Kleenex" referring to any product used to wipe your nose, "Crock Pot" has become synonymous with any slow cooker and since its inception the name has stuck.

The modern Crock-Pot is the descendant of a rudimentary device called "The Beanery" developed by a company called The Naxon Company of Chicago in the early 1970's. In searching the term "Crock AND Pot", however, at the United States Patent and Trademark office, the first official patent held on a "slow cooker" was as early as 1920, held by Corning Glass, which patented a design for a tall cooking bowl that resembles an insert for a modern slow cooker. From that design came several more patents to follow. With each patent adding their own nuances to the procedure, the slow cooker evolved into what we now know as the modern device.

In the years 1937 and 1942 little was added to the appliance, though it did become "electric" with the patent in 1942. It could be said that 1951 was the year with the greatest changes being made as it is now being described as a French fryer, which looks a great deal like today's slow cooker. The patents in 1953 and 1955 (by this time, the device is called a Deep Fat Fryer) show the greatest progression in design but it is in 1971 that it is presented to the Patent Office as a food warmer. It is this patent that is sold to The Rival Company, who then registers an improved design in 1974 and the slow cooker was born.

In the 1974 design patent for the slow cooker, the less imaginative people at Rival licensed it as a "Combined Electric and Serving Device" as an "all in one" appliance. It wasn't until 1980 that Rival designed and patented the removable corrugated like ceramic liner that is so popular with today's slow cookers. Though there were earlier patents by Rival for a removable liner, none withstood the test of time and usage until the corrugated liner still in use today.

Since the slow cooker came to be, it was usually called an electric cooking and serving device but in 1972, Rival registered the trademark that allowed them to call it "Crock Pot". It could be due to the aggressive marketing of this device that the term "Crock Pot" has become synonymous with any similar appliance performing the same functions.

Due to the energy crisis of the 70's, the Crock Pot became a staple in most American households, touted as an energy saver in the kitchen. It could also be surmised that the slow cooker was the greatest assistant to many households due to more women returning to the work force, precipitating the need to help moms and dads cook dinner when they weren't able.

Now sold in a variety of sizes and uses, the Crock Pot is still a staple in most kitchens and shows no signs of slowing down in sales. With the current economic crisis, people are eating out less and searching for creative ways to serve meals. When in doubt, why not plug in the Crock Pot?

While a crock-pot purchase might seem like a minor or insignificant purchase, there are several things to consider before you buy.

The first rule to think about, when using a slow cooker, is that the appliance should be 1/3 to ½ full during cooking. Depending on the size of your family, and subsequently the food you'll be cooking, the size of the slow cooker should be large enough to accommodate the size of the meal. Given the size range of slow cookers, this might be more difficult than you think.

Beginning in sizes of 1 quart and becoming as large as seven quarts, it's easy to imagine a crock-pot that will be too large for the recipe you are attempting to create. If your primary intention for the slow cooker is to make soups, stews or meals for one, two or three people, a smaller three- or four- quart cooker should be sufficient. However, if you are the type who likes to prepare whole cuts of meat or poultry perhaps a larger six- or seven-quart cooker would be preferable.

Slow cookers also come in two shapes, oval and round. Again, this might seem like a small thing to consider but if you are one of the aforementioned whole chicken cookers, a crock-pot with an elliptical shape might be the better option. The first time you attempt loading up a round slow cooker will definitely be your last, as you struggle to make the entire piece of meat fit, while still getting the lid in place.

Another thing to consider is whether or not the crock-pot has a removable liner. For cleaning, a removable ceramic liner certainly makes life easier as you will have the option of cleaning it by hand or in the dishwasher without fear of damaging the appliance. Early crock-pits did not have this option and cleaning was a nightmare. However, if this is something that slips your mind when making your purchase and the result is a slow cooker without the removable liner, filling it with soapy water and turning it on high for about an hour will aid in cleaning, rendering stuck on food to become loose.

One final consideration when choosing a crock-pot is where the heating elements are located and the design of the appliance. Some slow cookers have the heating elements on the bottom of the device while others will locate them on the bottom and the sides. Having heating elements on the sides makes for more uniform cooking and assures the food heating up to a safe temperature more quickly. For those with a compromised immune system, making them prone to food poisoning, reaching a temperature of 140 degrees Fahrenheit is almost imperative. Make certain the slow cooker you choose has at least three settings, high, low and warm.

Crock-pots are certainly one of the greatest inventions of the 20th Century, freeing household cooks everywhere from being a slave to the kitchen two or three times a day. Certainly one of the greatest features of a slow cooker is coming home at the end of the day to wonderful, delicious aromas that will make your mouth water the moment you open the door!