Slow Cookers -- Hot or Not?
I've recently received a slow cooker (a.k.a crockpot) as a gift and am deciding if I want to keep it or exchange it. On the one hand, I am very excited by the notion of coming home to a delicious-smelling apartment and having food for the week. On the other hand, why wouldn't I just cook in my dutch oven on the weekend, the way I do now? Plus, I can't really fathom browning meats and veggies (which is still necessary, from what I gather) before I head to work in the morning -- I can barely make it out the door on time as it is.
Would love your input, pros/cons, recipe ideas, etc.
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28 Comments:
I use my crockpot to make oatmeal, mostly. 1c steel cut oats, 4c water, 1/2c half and half, throw it all in overnight on low, and you have very nice oatmeal when you get it.
thepictsie at 4:55PM on 01/08/09
So brown them the night before, throw 'em in the fridge and set the pot up with all ingredients before leaving. The big question is, do you like the sort of food the slow cooker makes best, stews and such?
lemons at 4:55PM on 01/08/09
I'm with you, Laren.
I haven't touched my slow cooker since I got my Le Cruset dutch oven.
The thought of browning the night before, after I have already cooked dinner,just to prepare for tomorrow night dinner... I cook on weekends and
freeze leftovers.
stacemace at 5:08PM on 01/08/09
I love my slow cooker! Then again, I don't have a dutch oven (yes, its a tragedy). That said, the slow cooker is good for some things the dutch oven is not:1.) really super slow cooking soup/stew/chili 2.) savin' energy. Think about it- sticking the dutch oven in your oven for 8+ hours probably uses about 10x the energy of using the slowcooker, which is like a toaster. Also you definitely don't need to brown veggies (why would anyone tell you that?), and really only need to brown meats which you like crusty (like pot roast).
Embackus at 5:18PM on 01/08/09
The basic, fundamental difference between using a dutch oven and using a slow cooker is that slow cookers are generally felt to be safe to leave on entirely unattended (ie, you can leave the house) where as a stove or oven is not generally seen the same way. If it doesn't fit into the way you want to cook, no worries and you return/exchange it. We've found that we can use it to excellent effect sometimes.
As with pretty much any sort of cooking, it requires some combination of advance thought and planning and prep. You're always going to be putting some of that into what ever sort of cooking you're doing. You may put it in at the level of shopping (that is, buying ingredients that you can use to prepare dinners very quickly each night) or in quantity and variety (that is, making large batches of lasagna or pasta sauce or enchiladas and the like) and eating the same thing more frequently or you may put it in at the level of prep (ie, starting with large, whole things like chickens and vegetables and spending more time working them into a finished product). A slow cooker just offers one potential tool but not necessarily one that is better than others depending on when and how you want to put in the effort to make dinner. I know a few people who get up early, do some prep in the morning, throw the food into the slow cooker and then they know it'll be ready to go when they are within a fairly large window in the evening. It works out for their schedule. Others....the slow cooker just gathers dust in a cabinet.
If you can get your head around doing the prep the night before, you can literally have the pot loaded up and in the fridge, take it out and set the cooker in the morning in 60 seconds flat.
ccbweb at 5:19PM on 01/08/09
I have a slow cooker curse. Everything that I have cooked in it is terrible. I know other cooks enjoy theirs but I don't. I swore never to use mine again but I may try that oatmeal. Tossing out oatmeal won't be as sad as the brisket I had to give to the dogs. In spite of my bad luck, keep it. You may turn out to be a crockpot diva.
vickiee at 5:36PM on 01/08/09
I like mine. They do have entire cook books devoted to slow cook recipes only. I never brown my meat first or cook veggies first. I throw it in and that is it. I make all types of things even lasagna!
love2cook at 5:44PM on 01/08/09
I agree with ccbweb's general views on using a slow cooker.
One thing that you might consider is the next time you're sauteeing up some veggies to sautee up a bit extra for a crock pot recipe the next day and brown off what ever you need for a protein and refrigerate. The next morning pop the ingredients you have browned off with whatever else you need in there and let it go. There are just some things that love low and slow and sometimes we can't always babysit those dishes.
I find that the slow cooker makes awesome chicken stock. I just throw in the leftover carcass with some carrots, onion, celery and garlic (not even cut up) cover it with water and add some peppercorns and whatever aromatics you desire and let it go. I get a nice clear flavorful stock everytime!
dhorst at 5:54PM on 01/08/09
My daughter has a slow cooker and loves it! She works. I don't have one, never wanted one, and won't get one. I've always been home all day and can cook. I think they're great if you're not home.
Cobweb has it down. It depends on your like style.
NanaJoie at 6:30PM on 01/08/09
If you make your own stock, the crockpot is the ideal tool. Particularly with chicken stock. Whenever we have chicken, all the spare parts and bones go into the crockpot, and that usually happens after right after dinner. Some parts and bits might get a bit of a head start into the pot, depending on what sort of veg I'm using for dinner.
If you cook on the weekend for the whole week, and that works for you, then maybe a crockpot isn't going to be a big deal. But even on the weekend, you can load up the crockpot and let it simmer away while you go run errands.
Browning meats before they go into the crockpot is a nice idea, but you can also just toss in your stew meat or whatever and let it go.
dbcurrie at 6:57PM on 01/08/09
I'm gone all day every day at work or school, so a few times a month I put a soup or stew recipe in my slow cooker. It's wonderful coming home from a long day to have dinner ready already. I recommend the recipes where you just open a few cans, throw in some lentils or beans, chop a couple of vegetables, and let it go. They're impossible to screw up.
MeganCochran at 7:10PM on 01/08/09
the real question is: do you have the counter space to use it?
i use mine occassionally if i want to really cook the heck out of something.... pulled pork, stewed chicken gizzards for my OH, i also make my own dog food and will throw everything in the pot and let it rip.....
not that i use it all that often, but it's nice knowing it's there in the cupboard.
pooch at 8:48PM on 01/08/09
@pooch--what do use when you make your own dog food? And for what kind of dog? By the way, if you ever bring your dog with you when heading up to Syracuse and stop in Ithaca on the way, you have to go to Taughannock Falls State Park. Dogs absolutely love the place.
dhorst at 9:31PM on 01/08/09
Oh, definately HOT!! Just had a bowl of soup I made at lunch (after eating leftover homemade pea soup) I use my crock at least once a week in winter. I prepare the veg the night before, come home at lunch and throw everything in.... meat, STOCK (you have to use stock, makes the soups/stews magnificent) various veggies, depending on what I'm aiming for, herbs and spices. When I get home from work, I adjust the seasonings, one more hour and that's it!!! In at noon and ready by 6 or 7.
lamora at 12:50AM on 01/09/09
I have one but never cook with it. I should but just never gone around to it. I suppose if I did I would make whatever the night before and let it sit in the fridge till the morning, then turn it on and let it do it's thing. But I know people who swear by their crock pot.
pjracz10 at 3:35AM on 01/09/09
I love mine and alot of the time I am home all day. However running in and out, I dont have to shut things off and then bring them back up to temp, not to mention I love putting some ham hock on the night before and waking up to that smell in the morning. We eat alot of soups and stews though, so it's wonderful. Even if all you would use it for was stock making it would be worth it. It really takes all the guesswork out. I dont have to worry if I'm simmering something to hard etc.
huneybumper at 8:10AM on 01/09/09
It is a wonderful tool to have if you love stews and long simmered roasts and things. The new slow cooker liners have made it even more wonderful since the pot doesnt have to be scrubbed. I use it at least once a week in the winter. I do find that mine cooks things in less than 7 hours routinely so I often cook overnight.
ocarol at 9:18AM on 01/09/09
I got one as a wedding gift many years ago. When we moved and were packing up I realized I had used it only once in the 9 years we were in that house.
Soooo... evaluating space taken up vs. usefulness, it got sold at our garage sale for $2.00. I haven't missed it once.
Having said that, I would literally shrivel up and die if anyone took my heavy dutch oven!
terigo at 9:34AM on 01/09/09
@dhorst - hi! yes, i have 3 rescue dogs, 20 lbs and under -- 2 shitzus & 1 yorkie (all with sad stories, but now they are in heaven) .... i make a batch in the crockpot or in my plug in roaster.... i usually do either chicken thighs, livers, gizzards, sweet potatoes.... cook until the meat falls off the bone, remove bones, put in some fresh veggies, string beans, broccoli - parsley, whatever green i have around..... and cook a little more. the other recipe is: beef hearts, livers, brown rice and veggies. they love this one, they just eat it up. i give them raw bones also, from time to time. i used to work for a butcher so i'd get some scraps .... i get the chix when it's on sale. they eat eggs, yogurt, fruit -- not fussy. love them little suckers.
hey, i love ithaca -- their farmer's market is so great. went last summer and was blown away. i do a farmer's market table myself in rhinebeck, ny... so it was nice to see the mother of all markets up in ithaca. do you go often?
pooch at 10:16AM on 01/09/09
@pooch--that's great that you have rescued 3 dogs! We have a golden retriever who will be year old on Monday. Perhaps I will try your beef recipe for a special birthday dinner for her. Her name is Ellie, short for Eliana which means daughter of the sun. She also goes by Ellie Bean (jelly bean word play) and just Bean which comes up during rather fragrant moments.
Anyway, Ellie loves Taughannock Falls which is maybe 10 minutes north of Ithaca on the west side of the lake. You can walk up the river bed in the summer and fall and wade--water doggie heaven. Buttermilk Falls is also a great place to go in Ithaca. I have yet to go Ithaca's farmers market, but seeing as we try to go every other weekend to hike during the spring, summer and fall I guess we'll be stopping for some great produce from the sounds of it. We often grill at one of the parks when we're there, so maybe some sweet corn and whatever else catches my eye will be thrown over the coals. Oh, I've heard great things about Taughannock Farms Inn--it overlooks Cayuga lake and the menu looks pretty good too. Ever been to the Moosewood in downtown Ithaca? I really like their food.
dhorst at 10:36AM on 01/09/09
@pooch, I used to make my own dog and cat food also! Essentially chicken liver and hearts, brown rice, bran, veggies, vegetable oil. Dump everything into the cooker, and leave for a few hours. My animals loved it and were spoiled rotten, wouldn't even eat canned wet food.
I use my slow cooker fairly often, at least every couple of weeks. It's great for stews and slow cooked roasts and such. I love my Dutch oven, but with this I can go to work with it on and come home to a tasty meal.
chisai at 11:11AM on 01/09/09
HOT! And you don't have to brown the meat. I've been told that it's better if you brown ground meat for say, chili, but that's about it. It brings out more flavor if you do, but your dish won't crash and burn if you put the meat in raw. Beans, stock, and anything that really needs to go for many hours is great in a crock pot.
I'm fairly new to mine, but so far I've made: whole chicken (skin is not crisp, but the meat is fall off the bone awesome), black bean chipotle soup, chili verde, lamb shanks w/ root veggies, french onion soup, falafel, and pork roast w/ sauerkraut. And stock. I am simply not home long enough to babysit a pot of stock for hours (unless I am sick), so I basically don't make stock unless I make it in my crockpot. And now I have homemade crab, veggie, and chicken stock in my freezer :) All of it has been delicious so far.
If you are often home for long stretches and don't find the idea of babysitting low & slow stuff for 4-8 hours annoying, then it might not be worth it for you, especially if you have something in mind to exchange it for that you find yourself constantly wishing you had. I would say try it out for a few dishes and if you're really not into it, clean it up and return it.
That said, I'm ordering my belated Christmas present of a Staub dutch oven soon and I'm PSYCHED. I can't bake a roux for gumbo in my crock pot or take my crock pot camping, so I'm really excited about it :)
joyyy at 11:15AM on 01/09/09
I most certainly do NOT have the counterspace for it (nor for anything else I have -- which all stay in the closet until I use them), but that's not an issue. Not being house-bound is definitely appealing . . . .
Laren Spirer at 12:50PM on 01/09/09
@joyyy -- falafel?
Laren Spirer at 2:12PM on 01/09/09
@Laren -- yes, falafel
joyyy at 2:31PM on 01/09/09
@dhorst - golden retrievers are beayoutiful..... yours is having a birthday??? great.... dogs are just the best company.... always happy to see you.... hey, your part of the state is just so pretty up there.... i'm sure those falls are great. your retriever must love that. yes, please check out the ithaca market, you'll love it. such a great atmosphere in a lovely spot.
it's great that you get out into mother nature.... i love that too when i get a little time....
@chisai - yes your dog food recipe sounds similiar -- the bran sounds like a good idea.... our doggies are very, very lucky we have CROCK POTS.
pooch at 12:26AM on 01/10/09
Slow cooker (crock pot) is one of those things that you think you'll use a lot, but don't. I find that any appliance that is put away into a closet or a pantry between uses, doesn't get used very often. I drag it out for about 2 or 3 uses each year. Once or twice a year I make a Pork Butt for pulled pork. McCormack makes a spice combo that you mix up with brown sugar, ketchup and vinegar and add to the crock with the pork, and it turns out fantastic. Other than that, about the only use it gets is to keep a hot party dip hot. If it was more convenient to leave it on the counter, I'm sure it would get more use. Just my opinion!
dmcavanagh at 12:55AM on 01/10/09
I love my crockpot and use it at least once a week year round. I have a cookbook dedicated to crockpots called "Fix It And Forget It". I use it for soups, roasts, veggies and hot appetizers for parties. I only brown my meat for some recipies that call for ground beef, otherwise i throw everything in and leave it. If I'm on the ball, I'll put everything in it the night before (which isn't a lot of work) and turn it on low when I leave for work. When I come home the house smells wonderful and I know dinner is ready.
maryoneski at 1:10AM on 01/10/09