Crock Pot Buying Guide

A ‘crock pot’ (or ‘slow cooker’) is an electric cooker which maintains a relatively low temperature. Crock pots consist of a lidded cooking pot made of glazed ceramic or porcelain. That pot is surrounded by a metal housing containing an electric heating department. Unlike pressure cookers, crock pots pose no danger of abrupt pressure release: despite the steam it generates inside, a crock pot’s contents remain at atmospheric pressure.

Two or more heat settings are available on most pots: low, medium, high, and/or “Keep Warm.” The low setting will heat food to 77 °C (170 °F), and the high setting will heat food to 88-93 °C (190-200 °F). Due to the low temperature, it is impossible to burn food in crock pots even if cooked too long. Crock pots are less dangerous than ovens or stove tops, but if spilled they can cause serious burns due to the near boiling temperature of food contents inside.

Food can be set to slow-cook before leaving for the day, and it will be ready on return. Some models include timers or thermostats which bring food to a given temperature, and then lower it. Cooked food will stay warm long after the pot is switched off, so crock pots can be used to cook and then take meals elsewhere to be eaten without reheating (look for a pot lid that seals securely to prevent spilling during transport).

A crock pot is a safe, convenient option for tender, juicy dishes. Below are a some popular choices from Amazon.com. Each option is dishwasher safe and eligible for Amazon’s FREE Super Saver Shipping unless otherwise noted.

For under $20 you could go with the Crock-Pot 32041-C 16-Ounce Little Dipper, Chrome, which costs $12.55. Its ceramic pot is not removable, and the pot cannot be submersed in water. To make the cleaning process easier, find a ramekin that can fit inside and put food contents directly into that container. A bigger option is the Proctor Silex 33015 1-1/2-Quart Round Slow Cooker
, by Proctor Silex, which costs $19.99. This crock pot is big enough for 2-3 chicken breast halves, a small pork roast, or a small pot of soup (it cooks enough for 1-3 people). An even bigger option is the family-sized, Hamilton Beach 33141 4-Quart Oval Slow Cooker
, by Hamilton Beach, which costs less by some change at $19.74.

If you don’t mind spending anywhere from $20 to $50, try the $24.99 Crock-Pot SCV400B 4-Quart Oval Manual Slow Cooker, by Crock-Pot, which can cook enough for four or more people. Its “Warm” setting ensures that a cooked meal will always be ready to eat. The West Bend 84915 5-Quart Oblong-Shaped Slow Cooker with Tote
, by West Bend, costs $49.18. This pot is oven-, range-top-, and freezer-safe, and it comes with a glass lid and insulated tote-bag. Its heating base even doubles as a nonstick mini griddle. The Hamilton Beach 33967 Set ‘n Forget 6-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker
costs $49.88, has an LED digital control panel, an automatic keep-warm option, power-interrupt protection, a clip-tight gasket lid, and side handles for safe transport. With all that,, it includes a recipe book!

Finally, if you afford to spend over $50 on a pot, try the Cuisinart PSC Stainless Steel Programmable Slow Cooker
, by Cuisinart, which comes in a 4 quart ($56.90) and 6.5 quart ($84.99) sizes. These pots have a feature that allows for 24-hour programmable cook time, in addition to three temperatures and an auto-warm feature. For $99.99, the Frigidaire Professional 7-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker
, by Frigidaire Professional, is large and convenient, with a counter-space-saving oval design and Low, Medium, High, Buffet, and Warm temperature settings. The biggest crock-pot of them all, the Hamilton Beach 32229 22-Quart Roaster Oven
, costs $66.99 and is comparable to a regular-sized oven in terms of function: one can cook a whole turkey, or bake cakes and cookies with it!

Happy Cooking!