Slow Cookers 101: How to Use a Crock Pot | Wayfair (2024)

If you’re the proud owner of a Crock Pot or another slow cooker, you’re in for years of delicious, easy-to-make meals. To make sure you are wielding this powerful kitchen tool properly, read our guide on how to use a Crock Pot so you can use it with gusto. Timer set, go!

What Is a Crock Pot or Slow Cooker?
How to Use a Slow Cooker
Slow Cooker Features
What Can You Make in a Slow Cooker?

Crock Pot is a brand that manufactures slow cookers. Slow cookers are countertop appliances that cook food over low heat for a long period of time. They are designed to heat food for up to eight hours, so they’re ideal if you want a hot meal ready for you when you get home from work, or when you wake up in the morning. If you’re a fan of mostly hands-off food preparation, the slow-cooker should be your next go-to.

Types of Slow Cookers

Before you learn how to use a slow cooker, we recommend understanding what type of slow cooker you have. Read below to learn the different types of slow cookers. If you want to just learn how to use a Crock Pot, skip to this section below.

Classic Slow Cooker: These electric stovetop appliances are typically made up of a stainless steel exterior with two handles, an internal pot, a tightly fitting glass lid with a knob, and a control pad or dial with settings for temperature and cook time. Available in sizes from under 3 qt. to over 8 qt., this is the slow cooker you would want to use to prepare soups, stews, chili, one-pot pasta dishes, and a variety of game-day dips. The classic Crock Pot’s forte, thanks to its moisture-retaining capabilities, is braising: the low, slow cooking method that moistens and tenderizes tough meats and vegetables, and creates a rich, delicious stew from their juices.

Roast Oven: Similar in appearance to a classic slow cooker, but typically larger, these countertop ovens are often used in place of a conventional oven to roast meats and vegetables over a long period of time. Like a slow cooker, a roast oven is electric, with a large, removable pan inside a metal body with a lid, built-in heating capabilities, and a temperature control pad or dial. They also come with a roasting rack. Roast ovens are commonly used for cooking Thanksgiving turkeys, but can be used to bake almost anything made in a conventional oven.

Sous Vide Slow Cooker: Once a large, complex appliance used only in fine restaurants, sous vide slow cookers are now smaller and more user-friendly, allowing you to cook restaurant-quality dishes at home. Also called immersion circulators, these electric cookers heat and circulate water to cook food that has been submerged in a sealed jar or bag. Cook time can vary from one hour to seven hours. They can either be handheld devices or mechanized basins. They produce precise, consistent results and are good for eggs, tough or dry cuts of meat, and root vegetables.

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Because slow cookers are all about setting and forgetting, mastering their use is super simple.

Step 1: Prepare your ingredients.

If your recipe involves chopping vegetables or slicing meat, make sure that you cut each ingredient into uniform pieces so they cook evenly.

Step 2: Put your ingredients in the internal pot and close the lid.

Vegetables tend to take a bit longer to cook than meat, so if your recipe calls for both, layer the bottom of your slow cooker with vegetables and place your meat on top. In order for your food to cook evenly, your slow cooker should be filled at least half full but not over ¾ full.

Step 3: Secure the lid in place if your device has a lid lock.

Step 4: Plug your slow cooker in and program its temperature and cook time according to your recipe.

You can set the temperature to low if you want it to cook all day or high if you’re in more of a hurry. The high setting will cook food in half the time as the low setting. If your slow cooker doesn’t have a built-in timer, you’ll have to set one yourself.

Roast ovens operate similarly to Crock Pots, except that they need to be preheated for some dishes. Handheld sous vide slow cookers need to be submerged in a pot of water along with a sealed container of your ingredients before you apply your settings.

Step 5: Wait!

Once your food is done, you’ll have to turn the cooker off or apply the keep warm setting yourself, unless it does so automatically.

That’s all there is to it!

Tip!

Typical electric slow cookers can be preheated just like roast ovens. Try it with meat and poultry to ensure it isn’t sitting out for too long at too low of a temperature.

Not sure what all your Crock Pot or slow cooker features mean? Learn more below.

Portable/Locking: Spill-safe lids designed for travel and ergonomic handles enable you to take these Crock Pots with you to the dinner party or the tailgate.

Programmable: If using a Crock Pot wasn't easy enough, there are programmable models that have specific settings for different foods. Not only that, but some automatically lower the heat when your dish is done cooking so you don’t need to set it to keep warm manually.

Cool Touch Exterior: With this feature, bumping into these appliances is no big deal. Their exteriors stay cool even while cooking, so there’s no risk of burns.

Keep Warm Setting: Need to keep a finished dish hot? The keep warm setting maintains heat without burning.

Adjustable Temperature Settings: Slow cookers with only one or two heat settings are things of the past. These Crock Pots have multiple heat settings. Some let you choose a desired temperature down to the degree.

Auto Shut-Off: There’s no need to worry about these slow cookers burning your food – they shut off automatically when they’re done cooking.

Timer: You won’t need to worry about setting your alarm when cooking with these Crock Pots. Timers are built right in.

Delayed Start Setting: If eight hours isn’t enough, these slow cookers can be set to start at a later time. Just remember to be careful about what foods can safely sit uncooked for extended periods of time.

Easy-Clean Interiors: Slow cookers with removable interiors take the hassle out of cooking and cleaning. Those that are nonstick and dishwasher-safe can shave even more time off of cleanup.

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Slow cookers are ideal for turning tough cuts of meat into juicy, tender morsels. But that’s not all they’re great for! Here are some ideas for what to make with your slow cooker.

Entree

• Soup
• Stew
• Gravy
• One-pot pasta with pasta sauce
• Pulled pork
• Chili
• Pot roast
• Meatballs
• Glazed chicken
• Party dip

Dessert

• Dump cake
• Brownies
• Cinnamon rolls
• Monkey bread
• Cheesecake

Tip!

Add faster-cooking ingredients later on so that they don’t overcook and get mushy.

Slow Cooker Safety Tips

• Don’t cook food using the warm setting.
• Always remove the lid with oven mitts.
• Watch out for escaping steam when removing the lid – it will be hot!
• When using delayed start or auto shut-off settings, be extremely careful not to leave food out for too long. It could become unsafe to eat.
• If your slow cooker has a lid locked, don’t cook with the lid secured. Pressure can build up in the pot and the glass lid could crack.

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