Re: Choosing a Slow Cooker
Originally Posted by
Mups
->
OK. Thank you.
Just one more question please - Is there really any difference between cooking in a slow cooker and an ordinary oven turned right down low?
I like the "set it and forget it" convenience of a slow cooker. I can even leave the house for a while and not worry that my food is burning or worry about having to baste the food (in a slow cooker, the food bastes itself).
(in fact I have a whole chicken in my slow cooker right now that will eventually be chicken and noodles)
In a slow cooker, the meat becomes more tender and juicy than in the oven because it uses moist heat as opposed to dry heat. Slow cookers are great for cooking meats to tender, fall-apart perfection, which is especially good if you're making pulled or shredded chicken or pork.
However, with a slow cooker, the skin on a chicken won't be crispy like it gets if it's cooked in the oven. But there's a solution to that. Once the bird is done and it has rested for a short bit, you take it out of the slow cooker and place it in an oven-safe pan and stick it under the broiler for 3-5 minutes.
I have 4 slow cookers. A mini (good for fondues, melting chocolate, keeping gravy warm, etc) a round 3.5 quart, a big round 6 quart and a 5 quart oval. The 5 quart oval cooker is the one I've found I use the most.