en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slow_cooker#Design
This one has a removable 'pot' (upper left), lid (lower left), and heater/housing (right). This one has a removable 'pot' (upper left), lid (lower left), and heater/housing (right).
temperatures, with correspondingly long cooking times (several hours). Many recipes simply call for the ingredients to be put in the cooker with little preparation. The slow cooker can then safely be left to run unattended, making it a convenient cooking method.
Slow cookers come in a variety of sizes, with capacities starting as small as 16 oz. Many slow cookers have two or more temperature settings (eg, low, medium, and high). A typical slow cooker operates at 80C (176F) on low, 90C (194F) on high, and 1 hour at 90C followed by 80C on medium. Often slow cookers sold in the US in the past several decades will not slow cook at all: all of the settings bring the contents to a full boil, with the only difference in setting being the amount of time to come to a boil.
edit Operation Raw food, and a liquid which is predominantly water, such as water, wine, stock, (but not oil without water), are placed in the slow cooker. Some recipes work best if the liquid which is added to the other ingredients has been already heated to boiling point, for example, in a kettle. It may have different heat settings, typically, high, medium and low, and the recipe should indicate which is appropriate. Some slow cookers also have an Auto setting, which switches the element on and off over time. The heating element heats the contents to a steady temperature in the 175-200F (80-95C) range.
atmospheric pressure, as the non-hermetic lid does not allow pressure to build up. The contents are enclosed by the crock and the lid, and attain an essentially constant temperature. Little vapor is produced due to the low temperature, and condensed vapor tends to form around the lid, keeping evaporation very low. Vapor may condense on the lid and fall back on the contents, keeping them moist if above the liquid level. The liquid has the important function of transferring heat from the pot walls to the contents, and it also distributes flavours. A lid must be used to prevent warm vapor from escaping, cooling the contents. The lid should not be removed to stir the food or for any other reason, as this would significantly prolong required cooking time due to heat loss.
edit Recipes Recipes intended for other cooking methods must be modified for slow cookers. Often water must be decreased, as cooking at higher temperatures requires enough liquid to allow for evaporation. many slow cooker recipes are to be found in cookbooks and on the internet. A small number of cookbooks seek to make complete dishes in a slow cooker using fewer than five ingredients, while others treat the slow cooker as a serious piece of culinary equipment capable of producing gourmet meals. With some experience, timing and recipe adjustments can be successfully made for many recipes not originally intended for these cookers. The long, moist nature of the cooking method gives good results even with cheaper (and tougher) cuts of meat--in fact, cheaper cuts often have more flavour.
edit Advantages In a slow cooker, the temperature is low enough to avoid badly overcooking food even if cooked for far longer than necessary. However, success will rely on careful timing, as in all cooking. Meat may become nearly tasteless or "raggy" if overcooked, but the slow cooking process is especially useful to tenderize cheaper cuts. Some foods are better cooked at temperatures below boiling. In particular, the tough connective tissues of meat are broken down without affecting the texture of the meat. Slow cookers enjoyed a surge of popularity in the 1970s and 1980s, as former housewives joined the workforce and enjoyed the prospect of a hot meal available on returning home from work. The lengthy cooking times allowed them to start dinner cooking before leaving for work. Overnight cooking, utilizing economy rated power, cuts the cost of the meal. For best results, many cooks part-cook root vegetables and sear meat prior to inclusion; then the slow cooker finishes the process of blending flavours, adding convenience and reducing washing up, as this is a "one pot" cooking method.
denatured and have less time in which to act during cooking. Since slow cookers work at temperatures well below boiling point and do not rapidly denature enzymes, vegetables tend to lose trace nutrients.
Blanched vegetables, having been exposed to very hot water, have already had these enzyme rendered largely ineffective, so a blanching or sauteing pre-cook stage will leave more vitamins intact. Green colors are retained better when vegetables are cooked quickly as plant cells are less likely to lose acids.
phytohaemagglutinin, which is destroyed by cooking at boiling point but not at the operating temperature of a slow cooker. They become safe to eat after prior boiling for a minimum of ten minutes, or if they are sourced from a tin.
Kidney beans can be as much as five times more toxic if cooked at 80 C than if eaten raw, so exposing them to a high temperature for an adequate time prior to slow cooking is vital.
nor do they cook quickly enough to cook newly added food thoroughly before the next withdrawal becomes likely. This relatively slow recovery of temperature after an addition or withdrawal may cause safety problems. Removal of the lid lets heat and moisture escape, prolonging cooking time and giving microbes the chance to grow.
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