Think Your Slow Cooker Is Safe? 6 Ways You Can Lose It Today
Slow cookers are certainly popular--over 80 percent of American families
has one. In such a crowded area, it is tricky to sort out which is the best one
To buy, especially when they seem pretty much identical. I've spent the
last year doing almost nothing but slow cook, writing a book called
Adventures in Slow Cooking, which is published in October by William
Morrow.
My apartment looks like Hoarders: Slow Cooker Edition. I've learned that
There are factors among slow cooker models that produce a big difference in
Both your experience working with the appliance and in the quality of the completed
dish.
The toaster was invented by Irving Naxon in 1940. He called his gadget a
Naxon Beanery, as it had been inspired by the slow-simmered citrus bean stew
called cholent. In the '70s, he sold the rights to the Rival company, which
Some modern versions offer useful programmability
And other bells and whistles, but the simple cooking mechanism hasn't
Changed considerably since Naxon first came up with it. The pot (or "crock") sits
Inside a casing that contains a wrap-around electric heating element. The
Control panel on the exterior of the casing offers warm, low and higher heat
settings.
The super-simple, closed design of this slow cooker is at the heart of its
Strengths and its flaws: It excels in any dish that needs low, moist
heat. Clearly, that includes anything braised or steamed, but it can also
Gently poach delicate fish, or be set up as a water bath for making
(most require about the same wattage as a lightbulb or two), and you can
Leave it on all day without worrying you are going to burn down your house.
However, a slow cooker can over-cook your meals. Modern models run
Considerably hotter than the originals from the '70s, due to concerns
about food safety. (The rule of thumb is that cooked food should not be held
Between 40˚ and 140˚ for over four hours.) And there is no standard
30 degrees from model to model. That is why it's so important to choose the
Right machine: If you are using the slow cooker for all-day cooking, you need
One that runs as slow and low as possible.
So, out of the hundreds of slow cookers on the market, I tested some of the
Most popular to discover which one performs the best. I started with these
three guiding principles:
1. A sixquart
Oval slow cooker can create a recipe that serves four, but it will also
loaf pan can fit inside, for making bread pudding or cheesecake. There's
Nothing you can do with a four-quart slow cooker that you can not do with a sixquart,
But the reverse is not true. There's no question that if you are going to
Buy one slow cooker, it needs to be this shape and size.
2. Programmability is a must-have feature.
Allows you to set cook time and heat level (say, 4 hours on low) and following the
Time has elapsed, the stove will automatically switch to warm, decreasing
the temperature. The warm setting shouldn't be abused--you can't just leave
But it's a
Lifesaver for a difference of a few hours between when a recipe is completed and when
you get home. Dishes like marinara sauce and polenta can sit on hot for
The older and simpler models just run on anything
Heat level you have set it to until you get home and change it off, making
Overcooking much more likely.
3. It is fine, but not necessary, to Be Able to sear or brown in the
meat before slow cooking. If you can do this from the slow cooker insert, you
Don't have to use a separate skillet on the stovetop.
Starting with these parameters, I analyzed seven popular slow cookers from six
Different brands, four with browning ability, to determine which offered the best
The Slow Cookers
Basic models
Bella 5-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker
Probe, 6-Quart
Cuisinart 6.5 Quart Programmable Slow Cooker
Models with the capability to brown
All-Clad 7-Quart Gourmet Slow Cooker with All-in-One Browning
A note on one omission: I did not include the best-selling slow cooker on
Because, over weeks of use, I have found that it runs unacceptably hot,
Reaching a full, rolling boil when set to low for even a couple of hours.
The Criteria
Temperature stability: Can the slow cooker hold a low temperature (well
Under a boil, which is 212˚) for at least six hours?
Warming: When switched to warm, does the warmth drop precipitously to a very
Low (but still food-safe) temperature?
Even cooking: Does it cook evenly on both high and low, or does it have sexy
Spots which will scorch delicate dishes, like stratas, that are cooked directly in
the insert?
Controls: Is the control panel intuitive and simple to read and program?
Alarms: Does it have an alarm when the cook time has elapsed?
Comfort: How hot do the insert lid and handles get when cooking?
Searing: For People with searing ability: Does it sauté an onion and brown
Chicken skin and a skillet does?
The Tests
To answer those questions, I completed three tests on all the cookers.
Temperature tracking: I filled each cooker with 12 cups of cold (around 50˚)
water. Then I set them to cook on low for six hours and monitored the
Temperature of each one with an equal probe thermometer to determine how low
The low setting really was--ideally, it shouldn't rise much above 200˚. (In
Fact, the cookers ranged from 180˚ to 205˚ following four hours on low. For
Braising, I favor a bare simmer, with a bubble breaking the surface of the
Liquid every now and then, which happens around 190˚.) I then let them
Switch to warm for four hours to see how quickly and dramatically the
Temperature would fall--the lower the better, as long as it stays above 140˚.
Soaked black beans with 6 cups of water in every slow cooker on high heat
I was looking
For beans which were all well tender at exactly the same time, rather than beans that
Overcooked around the edges before those in the middle were done.
Strata: Making a braise is too easy; any slow cooker can do that. A strata--
Basically a savory bread pudding--is a more revealing test. Slow cookers
Can make lovely, delicate-textured stratas, but some models have hot spots
Along the wall of the add, where it is closest to the heating element. Those
I
Lined each slow cooker with parchment and then constructed this strata in
Each one, adapting the recipe slightly by upping the egg quantity to six for
Extra structure and swapping the Gruyere for cheddar, because, well, that's
I then cooked it on low for 4 hours.
I added one more test for the three cookers with stovetop-safe inserts:
Browning and sautéing: Stovetop-safe inserts should perform as well as a
Skillet, so I analyzed their ability to sauté and brown. In every one, I sautéed one
Large yellow onion in one tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat,
Stirring occasionally, to see if it would become equally soft and translucent within
10 minutes. I also browned skin-on chicken thighs over high heat in one
Tablespoon of canola oil, leaving them undisturbed for 2 minutes before
flipping. I was looking for deep, even browning on the chicken skin and a few
Fond (browned bits) left behind in the add.
Our Favorite Slow Cookers
Glass Lid ($78 on Amazon)
What worked: This cooker conducted the lowest and slowest by far: After six hours
On low it registered just 180˚ (the lowest temperatures of all seven) and when
It kicked over to heat it dropped all the way to 160˚ over the first hour and
Then to 147˚ after four hours--again, the lowest temperatures of the bunch.
Actually hold a very low temperature is the most important feature a slow cooker
Can offer, and it's what sets this one apart.
continuous adjustments to keep the temperature low, well below boiling.
Most other cookers allow the temperature climb slowly without modification. The
Electrical heating element can be specially insulated to prevent hot spots,
This was the only cooker to take six hours
To cook the beans (the average time was four hours), but if they were
Finally done, they were perfectly creamy, with no breakage. (And
Presumably, if you want to cook something quickly, you are not using the slow
cooker.) The strata was tender and evenly golden around the edges.
In addition to dependably low heat, this cooker has a wonderfully simple,
Intuitive control panel that's very easy to set and read. There are separate
Buttons for the three heat settings and + and - buttons that permit you to
Adjust the cook time up and down in 30-minute increments. The brightly lit
Display counts the time down as it cooks and an alarm sounds when the cook
time has elapsed. When it switches over to warm, the timer starts from zero
And starts counting up, so when you get home, it is obvious how much time it's
Been running on hot. During cooking, the lid handle stays cool enough to
Touch with your bare hands, as do the insert's handles.
What didn't: This was the only slow cooker to fulfill all the criteria. It doesn't
Offer in-insert browning, so you have to use another skillet for this, but the
Dependable slow heat and exceptional design is worth washing an excess dish.
Abby Hocking / Food & Wine
What worked: I liked this version ran slow, reaching 183˚ after six hours
On low and then falling to 169˚ after one hour on hot, and all the way down
To 150˚ following four hours on warm. It evenly cooked beans in 3 and a half
hours, and made a delicate, uniformly browned strata. Unlike traditional
slow cookers, which have a stoneware insert, this one is made of nonstick
Coated aluminum, which makes it stovetop safe--and also much lighter and easier
To handwash compared to heavier crocks. Over medium-high heat on the
Stovetop, it can sauté an onion to translucency in about ten minutes. Over
High warmth, it may brown chicken thighs into a crisp, medium gold in about 8
Minutes, and though it is nonstick, which is not perfect for searing,
There was some fond left on the bottom of the pan.
I also loved this cooker's easy-to-use control panel.
A good control panel would be a frequent thing, but it is not.) This one has a
Large dial that satisfyingly clicks into position to set the heat level, and + and -
buttons to adjust the time by 30-minute increments.
Stays cool enough to touch, though the grips on the insert do not.
What didn't: I wish there was an alarm when the cook time elapses, and
The insert's handles didn't get so hot during cooking. The insert is
Not dishwasher safe, and you need to remember not to use metal implements
On the nonstick surface.
Abby Hocking / Food & Wine
For in-cooker searing: All-Clad 7-Quart Gourmet Slow Cooker with All-in-
What worked: I really like this machine even though it has some drawbacks.
It runs a bit hot, topping out at 201˚ on low, but it's the same kind of
Internal thermostat that KitchenAid does, therefore it retains at about 200˚, nevertheless well
Below the boil, as opposed to continuing to climb. It is also well-insulated,
Cooking both beans and strata very evenly, with no hot spots. The beans
Were done in three hours, the shortest cooking time of all, partly because this
Model runs a little hot and partly because it is larger than the others, at
seven quarts.
What I really like about the All-Clad is its shape and searing ability, which
Makes it ideal for braises, soups and stews. The insert, which is made of
Nonstick-coated aluminum, is long, rectangular and relatively shallow
Compared to others, with a ton of bottom surface area. You can easily sear
Five big chicken thighs in it without crowding the pan. It's stovetop safe,
And performed in sautéing the onion and searing the chicken
thighs. But it also has the capacity to sear when put to the cooker casing--the
Only one I tested that has this feature--and it really works better that way.
It gets screamingly hot and can sear chicken skin into a deep, rich brown or
Quickly sauté an onion into gold. It feels really convenient to begin and finish
A braise with one pot in 1 place.
This model alarms Once the cook time has elapsed and counts up from zero
on warm. It's also a beautiful, sleek stainless steel machine--the luxury SUV
of slow cookers.
What didn't: This cooker is the most expensive by far at about $250. The
Control panel is simple to read, but not the most intuitive to place. It has
Minimum programmable times of four hours on low and two hours ,
That means you can not set it for, say, 2 hours on low, which can be irritating. (This is
Most likely a paternal effort to guarantee food safety.) The handle on the lid
Gets so hot that you need a potholder to open it, which seems like an
Avoidable annoyance, especially at this price. As with all nonstick cookware,
You need to remember to not use metal implements.
Also Tested
Bella 5-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker
What worked: This is a standard slow cooker that's a fantastic value. It topped out at
192˚ after six hours on low and finally dropped to 145˚ following four hours on
warm.
What didn't: The beans were respectable, but the ones against the back wall
Of the add cooked through much faster than others. That's because this
Model has a significant hot spot there: The strata burned across the entire back
side. The control panel was easy to read but not intuitive to place--the power
Button doubles as the "set" button, which will not make sense to me. There's
No alarm when the cook time has elapsed and it will only operate on warm for
Four hours, half the time of the others.
Hamilton Beach Set 'n Forget Programmable Slow Cooker With Temperature
Probe, 6-Quart
What worked: This version used to be my favorite--it's a reliable workhorse,
An exceptional value, and it comes with its own probe thermometer, in order to
Set it to change to warm when a certain temperature is reached. It also runs
Fairly slow, reaching 186˚ following six hours on low, but the heat attribute
Doesn't function as well as others. (It only fell to 165˚ following four hours on heat,
The hottest of the group.) It produced evenly creamy beans. I love It Is
Easy to place and has a loud alarm when it starts cooking and when it finishes.
The handle on the lid remains cool enough to touch and has a bonus spoon rest.
What didn't: The warm setting does not fall . And it has two
Significant hot spots: The strata burnt on both narrow ends.
Cuisinart 6.5 Quart Programmable Slow Cooker
What worked: This model made a very respectable showing--it is also one of
my old favorites. It cooks nice and slowly, increasing to just 181˚ over six hours
On low, the second smallest of the bunch after the KitchenAid. It cooked beans
perfectly. The control panel is easy to use and read and it beeps when the
cook time elapses. The handle on the lid gets a bit warm but remains cool
enough to touch.
What didn't: The warm setting didn't fall low enough (over an hour, the
Temperature decreased only 10 degrees, instead of 20-plus degrees in
Other versions) and it has a small but noticeable hot place where the strata
Burned against the back wall.
Crock-Pot Programmable Slow Cooker with Stovetop Safe Cooking Pot
What worked: This nonstick coated aluminum insert did a fine job sautéing
the onion and browning chicken skin on the stovetop. It made decent--if
Slightly unevenly cooked--beans and a uniformly golden strata.
What didn't: In my experience, Crock-Pots run too hot. This one was the
Hottest of the bunch, climbing to 205˚ after six hours on low. The control panel
Is simple to use, but it is hard to tell when it's started cooking--there is no
Indicator light, so you have to stand there and be sure that the timer starts
counting down. There is also no alarm when the cook time finishe
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