Crock pot recommendations


 
JohnTak

JohnTak

TVWBB All-Star
I have had both and I am leaning towards going back to the crock pot. The pressure cooker is great for fast but not as good for low and slow cooks. Any recommendations for a new crock pot?
 
So many brands but I would recommend one that browns first. Wife just bought a Ninja all in one or something like that.
The old style " Crock " pots are still out there but the new ones have all kinds of features.
 
If you insist on owning one, I would recommend the cheapest one with a simple dial. Hard to mess up cooking with these.

A crock pot is ideal for church picnics and the like.

I really don't understand crock pots otherwise. You can cook low and slow on the stove or in the oven without special equipment. I also don't get the removable insert other than making cleanup easier - you can store the food, but you still need a separate pot to reheat it.
 
I like crock pots. Mississippi pepper pot roast is a perfect vehicle for the crockpot. The biggest thing o would advise is get one with a removeable crock so you can properly wash the darned thing!
Crockpots have as many excellent points as anything else. My wife just got me a replacement for one that had been broken years ago! I now have a “classic” deep dish 6 quart cooker and a new replacement steel crock which rests on a heated base suitable for grilling cheese sandwiches as well. there are many options, finding the right one is a challenge.
 
Wow! If I didn't know any better, I'd have thought that I stumbled into a "Why bother with a crock pot" thread. ;) :)

I second crock-pots....I love 'em, especially in the Fall & winter. They're convenient and make delicious meals almost effortlessly. I'd own one just for Mississippi Pot Roast alone. We take it when we rent a cabin for at least one no-fuss dinner. I love my Dutch oven, but that's for days off, and weekends.

As for recommendations? Any 6 quart oval shaped one should work for you. No bells and whistles are needed...a simple warm, low, hot switch is fine. I think ours is a Hamilton Beach or Crock-pot brand and has a removable crock. We've had it least 10 years, back when we replaced on that we got as a wedding gift back in the 80's
 
We have a 6-in-1 Ninja thing that does decent jobs at slow cook, air frying, and pressure.

Nice thing about multi device is I can sear the meat for a bit before switching to slow or pressure cook in the same pot for example.
 
Crock pots are great. A Dutch oven is not a replacement for a Crock pot unless you're ok with very possibly burning your house down. Crock pots can cook completely unattended. In fact, they gained popularity because working folks could make a great, healthy meal for dinner while they were at work.
Putting a pot of any kind on any kind of stove with no one to mind it is foolish.
 
To pick a nit..... Dutch ovens are also highly useful for long braises in the oven, not just on the stovetop.

We have several ceramic slow cookers, ranging from 1 qt. to 6 qts. I've found myself using them to keep food warm for service, but not for cooking duty.
 
JKalchik said:
To pick a nit..... Dutch ovens are also highly useful for long braises in the oven, not just on the stovetop.

We have several ceramic slow cookers, ranging from 1 qt. to 6 qts. I've found myself using them to keep food warm for service, but not for cooking duty.
Click to expand...
But would you leave your house with the oven on?
 
Raymond Gatnor said:
But would you leave your house with the oven on?
Click to expand...
Yup. Then again..... I have rather thoroughly inspected the oven, and checked for exterior hotspots on sides & rear. It's also got an 8 hour safety shutoff. I also leave the house with the furnace on, the water heater on, etc. I sure don't feel the need to stand in front of the oven whenever it's on.

Obviously, there are heat sources that I don't trust for long term usage without attendance, like stove top burners. And, in all honesty...... some of these slow cookers do have their own issues, you do want to be careful about anything close to them.
 
This is possibly a choice driven by one's own psyche but i won't vacate the house while any cooker is running, crock pot or otherwise.

Having said that, you could walk through my house and point out several contradictions against that mindset.
 
I leave the house like that all the time. Same way I leave the house or go to sleep with my pellet grill(s) happily smoking away with a butt or a brisket in there. With an indoor oven I feel a little better using an electric one rather than a gas one. Far preferring electric ovens to gas. But as I've noted. I've got some cast iron Dutch Ovens (Lodge, Griswold, and Le Creuset) and I gave away the crock pots. I'd lay odds far more house fires happen with those small counter top appliances than a regular oven
 
BFletcher said:
I'm going into the weeds but none of you can criticize me, lol!

It would be interesting to hear from @Brett-EDH on a pareto of house fire causes.
Click to expand...
Crockpot fires are incredibly rare if at all.

Dryer vent fires, grease (kitchen) fire and electrical fires are most common.

Even smoking in bed has reduced dramatically over the years.

And out west, wildfires are a big issue.

We see more water losses than anything else. And they’re destructive and cost a ton of money and human hours.

If you can, get an automatic water shutoff valve installed, like a moen Flo.

These new technologies are built to prevent losses. And dealing with a water loss is incredibly frustrating as water seeks the lowest point in a home so water runs till it can’t anymore.

Now, I don’t own or use a crockpot. I’d rather eat a bowl of cereal. But that’s me. We didn’t grow up eating crockpot recipes so I have zero affinity for them.

Now I do love my Dutch oven. That was a game changer when I bought it. And my new oven is WiFi enabled. So I can control the oven via iPhone. That’s another winner.

Now if I can get someone to cook for me. Then I’d be set. Thus, we go on vacations.

But I complained today that lucnch wasn’t my mojo. So I defaulted to a European lunch. Baguette, Calabrese salami, fresh mozzarella, tomatoes , rocket salad, evoo and balsamic. And a beer to wash it down. I was happy.
 
I replaced our CrockPot with an Instant Pot. Well, really I just added the Instant Pot because the crockpot is still going. I haven't tried my old crockpot recipes in the Instant Pot yet. I've had too much fun trying new ones. So my consensus is: they're both great.
 
For years I deeply disliked crock pot fare but, then I figured out a few things, don’t try to do anything very involved, it will taste like you either forgot something or someone came in while you were out and threw a ton of unrelated crap in and the resulting stuff is inedible. But, the flip side is corned beef! I have had tremendous luck with that! Whether home corned or prefab, long slow simmer wonderful results! The afore mentioned Mississippi pepperoncini pot roast is great! Chili, reheating for buffet service of braised “stews” etc, it’s great. I don’t use one often but when I do I’m happy to have it!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

 

Back
Top