Cooking new dishes that are delicious is always a pleasure, especially when we manage to recover those flavors of yesteryear, which remind us of when we were little and there were big family gatherings at the grandparents’ house. With the new slow cookers, you may get that special touch to all your meals.
Despite the fact that in the US it has always been considered as a paramount thing in every home, recently it has begun to fill the kitchens of the old continent. If you are one of those who are just beginning in this world, in this post we will teach you everything you need to know to obtain the best electric pot in the market.
But what is a slow cooking pot? They appeared in the USA for lovers of healthy and genuine cuisine.
Slow Cooker or Slow Cooker is a type of slow cooker for cooking fire lento. Como name suggests, is an electric cooker that allows you to cook all kinds of food slowly and taste the most authentic taste of many dishes such as beef broth, stew, and vegetables, as well as sauces, sweets, and puddings. It can also be used to cook rice and baked pasta.
Top 7 Slow Cooker
- Duo, the number 1 selling multi-cooker, combines 7 kitchen appliances in 1, Pressure...
- Features 14 Smart Programs - Soup, Meat/Stew, Bean/Chili, Poultry, Sauté/Simmer, Rice,...
- Easy programmable meals - no watching or stirring
- Easy clean touch pad with removable, dishwasher safe stoneware & lid
- 6-quart portable slow cooker serves 7+ people
- Handles make it easy to carry and lid-mounted locking system
- 6-quart Cook & Carry Slow Cooker serves 7+ people
- Digital countdown control lets you program cook times anywhere from 30 minutes up to 20...
- Instant Pot Lux 6 qt Multi-Cooker, combines 6 kitchen Appliances in 1, pressure cooker,...
- Built with the latest 3rd generation microprocessor technology, up to 240 minutes...
- 3 quart capacity
- Dishwasher safe stoneware and glass lid
- 7-Quart capacity serves 8+ people
- High/low cook settings with convenient Warm setting
Buying Guide-What to keep in mind before buying
If you want to buy the best electric cooker, you must understand that it is not as simple as finding which one has the most beautiful color or which one would look better with the decoration of your kitchen. The major brands of household appliances have brought to market products with important features that you must know before making your choice.
We recommend you keep in mind which are the most important, so you can ensure you get a functional product of the best possible quality. Not only for aesthetic purposes, but you must also know its size, functionality, power, among many other features.
The Shape
Among the varied range of this type of pots you can find different forms, is traditional and oval. It may seem like a simple case of aesthetics and personal tastes, but it is a key aspect. Those that are oval have more versatility, are generally larger and can receive better pieces of meat than a round.
The capacity
In the same way that it happens with all the pots that exist in the market, its capacity is measured in liters. You can find small ones of just 1 liter, ideal for simple dishes or garnishes, even those with a capacity of up to 10 liters that serve not only for large pieces of meat, but to make the whole meal of a large family.
The structure is a very important element for choosing the slow cooker since according to it the internal capacity will vary, and it is good to verify that it is adequate for the usual number of diners for which it is cooked. Therefore, you can choose between a slow cooker more or less spacious and, therefore, more or less large. For this reason, we consider that the capacity is the most important structural element of the slow cooker.
Keep in mind that a slow pot can be of different capacities expressed in liters. Here are some reference data:
- Small slow pot for 2 people: it can have a capacity of about 2.5 liters and a weight of 3 kg.
- Medium slow cooker for 4 people: it can have a capacity of 3.5 liters and an approximate weight of 4 kg.
- Big slow cooker for 8 people: it can reach almost 7 liters and weigh up to 6 kg.
The programmer
This particular appliance works through a control system that is based on controls (which can be wheels or buttons) that set the temperature you want to use. The more advanced the system of the device, the more likely it is to have a digital programmer, in some cases even with a screen.
This is important because being more advanced, allows you to access different functions, which not all have, but are indispensable and increase comfort, a serious example that will keep the food hot time after it is ready.
As for electrical consumption, a slow cooker usually operates at temperatures below 100 degrees. Despite being electric, it does not make the bill go up much. As an indication, its energy consumption can be compared to that of a 75 W bulb that stays on all night.
Functions
As a result of the above considerations, it is evident that the functions of this apparatus are closely related to the possible cooking methods and, therefore, constitute the next factor to be taken into account. The different functions available are adjustable thanks to the controls at the base of the pot. In the best case, they can be highlighted thanks to the presence of a screen or a system of buttons with icons.
The main functions will be, therefore, the following:
- On /Off: is the classic on and off function.
- Slow cooking setting: as we have seen, the best slow cookers offer the possibility to choose between several types of slow cooking, more or less intense, from a minimum of 2 pre-set levels, up to 4 or more. There are also even more advanced slow cookers that allow you to adjust the temperature in an extremely precise way, also thanks to the help of cookbooks.
- Timer: surely the presence of a timer will help control the time of preparation of food. In the most advanced models, there is the possibility of setting the timer up to 24 hours.
- Hot maintenance function: some models allow the hot maintenance of the dishes already cooked. The time available for this function may vary, and a slow pot will clearly be preferable to keep the food hot for more hours.
- Buffet function: in some more sophisticated models there may also be a buffet function, which should guarantee a temperature slightly higher than that of the hot storage. With this environment, you can serve your meal at dinner with friends, without risking a cold.