Kicking off Press Week is a guest post from Cookware.com, discussing slow cookers and safety concerns!
The current state of our economy has caused many Americans to cut spending in a variety of areas in their lives and to work within their means. For many, this means that going out to dinner several times throughout the week is out and making home cooked meals with our cookware sets is in. With that being said, the slow cooker can be a saving grace for a family of any size as this convenient small kitchen appliance can cook a large, delicious meal while you’re out making money at work. Slow cookers or crock pots eliminate the stress that comes with having to cook a meal after a long day at the office by giving you the opportunity to add in all of the dinner ingredients to your pot before you head to work. This slow cooking process is timed to cook vegetables and tenderize meat perfectly by the time you arrive home in the evening.
One of the biggest safety concerns slow cooker owners have is the idea of leaving this appliance on throughout the day while no one is at home. However, a slow cooker uses indirect heat unlike a flame from a gas stove or electric stove burners that are never safe to leave on unattended. After being plugged in, the interior coils of the crock pot will produce a low amount of heat that is safe to cook your food anywhere from 6-10 hours throughout the day. For most models, the lowest and highest heat settings are at 200 and 300 degrees, respectively. A slow cooker that cooks between 170 and 280 degrees is considered a safe environment for cooking meat thoroughly and can be left unattended. As a precaution, be sure to check to see if your pot has any cracks in the cover, interior, or exterior and check that the plug is always in good condition before use.
If you’re looking to add a crock pot to your dinnerware collection, it’s important to consider the amount of quarts of food it can hold as well as the power (in watts) used to cook your meal. A standard family size crock pot holds around 4-5 quarts while a 6-8 quart cooker is great for larger families or if you’re planning on making extra portions for the week’s leftovers. Crock pot cooking is one of the most economical forms of making a delicious meal for your family as it encourages you to buy meat and vegetables in bulk. Not to mention slow cookers use a low amount of energy throughout the day so you won’t have to worry about your energy bill skyrocketing month after month!
Interesting stuff, right? I know I love my slow cooker and will be using it for many years to come (recipes to come… eventually!).
Happy eating!!!
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