Just got a 4 qt crockpot

[gcal]

Had a big one years ago and used it a lot. Forgot how beautifully they make potroast. Goofed, tho. Should have gotten one with better temperature control instead of just low/high/on-off. Even on low, contents simmer. Next one will have a "warm" setting to just keep contents serving tempratue. Also, need a light that lets me know when it is on or plugged in. I dropped a chicken in it on Monday, flipped the switch to Hi, and left for shopping without realizing that DH had unplugged the crockpot to plug in the toaster.

 

[ArtW]

I have one of those, never use it, every time i do, the meat gets mushy
I like chewing my food

 

[gcal]

I have one of those, never use it, every time i do, the meant gets mushy
I like chewing my food

Yes, the meat does fall off the bone. Even wild game comes out tender. I never had it get mushy, tho. Not just meat, but soups, baked beans, au gratin potatoes - it is something I used a lot in the winter.

 

[ArtW]

Mine does make good chili, but I have to brown the meat on the stove first

 

[bcbullet]

Due to too many concerns about food-borne illnesses etc., true slow cookers are no longer made. All of them default to well over "kill temperature" with a very large margin of error. As gcal stated, they will not actually go below a simmer. The old ones are the only way to go.

 

[ArtW]

maybe that's why my slow cooker meats turn to mush, all the recipes call for 'low' for a looooong cook time

 

[TrainChaser]

ArtW, that's WHY they call them SLOW cookers.  

 

[ArtW]

Yes, TC, but according to bcbullet, they aren't as SLOW as they used to be, and mine is a newer one, maybe those recipes haven't been revised to the higher 'low' setting

 

[highdesertranger]

that's why I use a dutch oven. I have total control of the heat. if I am going to cook something with low heat I also precook the meat. highdesertranger

 

[gcal]

Due to too many concerns about food-borne illnesses etc., true slow cookers are no longer made. All of them default to well over "kill temperature" with a very large margin of error. As gcal stated, they will not actually go below a simmer.  The old ones are the only way to go.

I know I have to get food hot and keep it at a high enough temp to kill bacteria. I would just like to be able to turn it down to serving temp and hold it for a bit if dinner will be delayed.

 

[Gunny]

I use a 4 qt. also since it's just me most of the time. Allrecipes has some good slowcooker recipes and it will allow you to adjust the ingredient amounts for fewer people.

I don't cook anything in it that has a lot of ingredients, I think the flavors tend to blend. A small chuck roast and a few veggies will last 3 days in various forms, dinner, hot roast beef sandwiches and a sort of stew with the last of it.

Mine will go to warm after the cooking time and I haven't had any problems with it. It's fairly new (and cheap) but works well.

 

[jimindenver]

I know I have to get food hot and keep it at a high enough temp to kill bacteria. I would just like to be able to turn it down to serving temp and hold it for a bit if dinner will be delayed.

If you can't find one that turns down, you could use a thermal wrap on the insert. It will keep it hot quite a while. Long enough that people heat their food up and then wrap it for a while, heat it back up and wrap it longer not just to keep it warm but to cook.

 

[Oopslala]

This thread got me craving some crockpot cooking, I think it's time to invest. Just have to check and see if my only 12v outlet actually works. Fingers crossed!!

 

[Lorrie]

I know I have to get food hot and keep it at a high enough temp to kill bacteria. I would just like to be able to turn it down to serving temp and hold it for a bit if dinner will be delayed.

You are correct. I had one with Liw and High and bought a new one.
There are not any knobs at all.

 

[SternWake]

This crock pot run on an inverter?

Regarding a lower temperature, i am not sure if this will work, but perhaps putting it on a router speed controller like this:

https://www.amazon.com/MLCS-9400-Standard-Router-Control/dp/B001JHQ3G8

I use one of these to speed control fans, blowers, belt sander via grid power and MSW inverter. Never tried it on a resistive heating element.

Experiment time. Will return after testing 200 watt lasko heater on RSC on MSW inverter.

 

[Sabatical]

Another great use for the crock pot is soap making.

Sent from my SCH-I435 using Tapatalk

 

[SternWake]

Ok test complete.....results Looking good.


First hooked Lasko 200 watt resistive heater to grid power and let it run for 5 minutes to heat up as much as it would.

Hottest temperature I was able to find was 251.5 degrees when hunting with my IR temperature gun aimed into faceplate.

I then hooked it to router speed controller and started out at max speed, and found nearly exactly the same 250F when hunting for the hot spot.

I then lowered dial to 9 and then hottest spot found was then 214f.  The small internal fan spun the same speed, audibly, even at a speed of 5 of 10 on the RSC..  5 of 10 yielded a 148F max temperature.  Seeing it was effectively lowering temps I did not really test the complete range of temperature vs dial setting.

Move RSC and Heater to 800 watt MSW inverter, put clamp meter over (-) cable of MSW inverter.

On initial turn on amps spiked to ~24, then over the course of a minute settled to 16.82 amps.

When I dialed it down to 9.5 of 10 on the dial, amps dropped to ~13 amps, and after that amp draw seemed linear to dial setting.  I tested it as low as 3 on the dial and it was taking about 2.5 amps and not putting out much heat at all.  The Lasko's fan was still spinning the same speed according to my ear.

So I believe the RSC will work to throttle back the Crockpot further.  I would use the high setting and throttle it back on the RSC rather than use low on the RSC though.

My electric motors do not like being on LOW speed, then have the RSC throttle them. They buzz and whine.  Much better to put fan on High then throttle it on RSC even if the range from highest to lowest is effectively from 10 to 8.5 on the RSC dial.

NOt sure if the same would apply to resisitve heating elements, but whatever method the crock pot employs on Low vs hot to throttle heat, might not like the PWM of the RSC output.

But It works on MSW inverter, and it effectively throttles both Heat and Amp draw of my Lasko 200 watt heater, and should do the same to a crock pot that is not allowed to go low enough because lawyers and the Nanny state had to jump in and protect humanity from their own ignorance.

I have the exact RSC that I linked and it has been used a lot previous to today's test.  it likely has over an hour of use on a MSW inverter when I would use an angle grinder and flap sander to foil wooden fins, So the MSW at least does not instantly kill the RSC.  It has accumulated many dozens of hours using it since it powered that angle grinder powering fans belt sanders, angle grinders and my Buckethead vaccuum.

Do not the RSC does not work properly on the 120vac powertools that have a soft start feature.

The only possible issue I see as a possibility is that effectively lowering crock pot temperatures to just below bubbling levels, might require 9.75 of 10 on the dial, so some experimentation and a fine touch might be required to dial in the temperature desired.

 

[XFILE36]

Regarding a lower temperature, i am not sure if this will work, but perhaps putting it on a router speed controller like this:

https://www.amazon.com/MLCS-9400-Standard-Router-Control/dp/B001JHQ3G8][

Can you explain what that is for?

 

[BigT]

I bought a crock pot about a year ago... It's still in the box in a cupboard in the kitchen. I'll drag it out one of these days.

 

[decodancer]

I use my crockpot several times a week in the winter. To walk in after a long day of work to the smell of a home cooked meal is well worth any problems.