If you are still making crockpot recipes in an ancient crockpot, it might be time to replace it. Pots and pans only really need updating when they wear out or when you need bigger ones but there are various features on modern crockpots which are missing from the older models.
If your crockpot gives you the choice of high or low, you might be interested to learn that new crockpots also have a warm setting. Not only can you cook on the warm setting but they have a “keep warm” setting too, which means that when your meal is ready the slow cooker stops cooking it and keeps it warm for you instead. This is something that older crockpots do not do.
You might have received a crock pot at your wedding or been given one by your grandmother, which is all well and good, but like other kitchen appliances and kitchen gadgets, crockpots do need to be updated sometimes and it might be time to invest in a better model if you use it frequently. You can do more with a modern slow cooker.
The Best Crockpot Features
The “keep warm” feature is obviously very handy. If you are delayed for an hour, a crockpot is not going to do too much damage to a stew which ends up getting ten hours cooking time instead of nine, but it is nice to be able to stop your food cooking when it is done and gently keep it warm for your return home.
You might want to buy a slow cooker which features a digital display. This can be handy so you know when your food has warmed up or when it has reached its ideal cooking temperature.
A lot of crock pot recipes are versatile, in that the recipe instructs you to cook the food “for seven to nine hours.” This means seven hours is fine, as is nine hours, but it is nice to know exactly what temperature your crockpot has reached and how quickly your meal is cooking.
A glass lid is also very handy. When you open the lid of a crockpot to look at the food a lot of heat is lost. A glass lid means you can twist it sharply a couple of times, until the condensation drips off, and see exactly how your meal is coming along. An opaque metal or ceramic lid does not let you do this.
Things to Bear in Mind When Buying a Crockpot
Remember that crockpots can be as small as one pint or as big as seven quarts. Before you invest in a new crockpot think about what size you will need. You might decide to buy two or three slow cookers if you have a large family, if you love to make crockpot recipes or if you cater for a lot of buffets or dinner parties, but do not buy an enormous crockpot if you are only going to cook for two people because a cheaper, smaller one will do fine.
If you are going to be cooking whole chickens, get an oval crockpot rather than a round one, simply because your ingredients will fit better. Choose a crockpot with a removable liner for easier cleanup. Finally, make sure the heating elements are in the sides of the crockpot rather than just in the base. This ensures more even cooking.