Slow Cookers

Submitted by: Victor Thomas

A slow cooker is a very common cooking appliance that is used in almost all parts of the world. This kind of a cooker makes use of low temperatures when compared to the other cooking utensils available in the market. The basic slow cooker consists of some very fundamental components and one of the most important is the oval cooking pot that is made up of porcelain or glazed ceramic. This is surrounded by a housing of metal that contains an electric heating element. The lid of the cooker is mostly transparent and the vapour condenses in the groove of the lid. The lid is placed in such a way that it provides some low pressure seal to the air.

Even if the vapour gets collected within the lid, the ingredients of the crock pot are usually at the atmospheric pressure. There is some difference between a crock pot and a pressure cooker as the former does not release pressure abruptly. It also acts as a heat reservoir and a cooking utensil. The capacities of the slow cookers vary between each model ranging from 500 ml (16 oz) to 7 litres (7.4 US quarts). The heating elements are usually placed in the bottom or in the sides and hence there is some amount of minimum liquid level that has to be maintained to avoid too much heating.

Just like the capacity of the cooker, the heat settings also vary. Some of them have two or more heat settings such as low, medium, high or even keep warm. A normal slow cooker is designed in such a way that it can heat the food at a temperature of 170 F on low to about 200 F on high. In certain cases, any kind of liquid or sauce would reach the boiling point at the edges, while the main food at the centre will get cooked as the settings of the cooker are based on wattage and not temperature.

As there are several changes in the features, when purchasing slow cooker an individual has to look into all the details. The individual has to make sure the correct size is chosen and it is based on the usage on a daily basis. Removable insert is another very important feature that has to be checked for as it is the easiest way to clean the appliance. The user can remove and wash the components of the cooker without getting damaged with ease.

Heat settings of the cooker can be adjusted and it varies from one model to another. Depending on the needs of the family members, the cooker with the required feature should be purchased. These cookers can be used for several purposes such as cooking rice, baking and roasting the dishes. Hence such a cooker should be chosen. Also, the individual has to look out for a removable liner so that serving and storing of the cooked food is easy. Always the cooker with a glass lid has to be chosen as they are more durable than the plastic ones. With so many options, there is no doubt in the fact that purchasing a slow cooker is a good buy.

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