Crockpot also known as a slow cooker is an amazing helping hand in your kitchen. For all-days-in-office or all-days-in-sofa, the crockpot will always help you out. Just throw your ingredients in the pot and plug it on, at the end of the day and done! However, to get the best potential from your crockpot, you need to know the basic settings and how to use the gadget effectively.
Therefore, what are the basic settings on a CrockPot?
There are temperature settings, cooking timers or other additional settings. In this article, I’ll elaborate on all the essential settings on a CrockPot and additional tips! Let’s move on then!
What are the Basic Settings on A CrockPot?
Now here, I’ll describe some basic settings you need to know and use to monitor your crockpot. So, let’s dive in to the main segment.
1. Temperature Settings
You’ll find three settings in the crockpot from any brand. Those are-
- Low Temperature
An ideal setting for a crockpot aka slow cooker. If you set a low temperature, it maintains low and consistent heat all day and delivers a rich and flavorful dish. It’s perfect for tenderizing meat or flavored food like soup or stew. The low temperature is between 164-182°F.
- High Temperature
When you need a quick meal, high temperature is a suitable option for them. The high cooking temperature is 205°F+. Recipes with shorter cooking times such as
is perfect for this temperature.
- Warm
Just like a rice cooker, in a crockpot warm setting is to keep your food at a safe warm temperature after cooking. It’s handy to keep your food delicious, warm and safe until you serve it.
2. Cooking Time
There’s an interrelation between cooking time and temperature settings. Understanding this is extremely important,-
- Low Setting
In low settings, the cooking time is from 6-8 hours. It works for most recipes including tenderizing meats and enriching flavors.
- High Setting
To speed up the process, in high settings, the cooking is finished in between 3-4 hours.
- Warm Setting
Without further cooking or boiling, this setting keeps your dish warm until you serve it.
3. Liquid Level
As the lid will be closed for a long period, make sure there’s enough liquid for the meal in your crockpot. For most of the recipes, it’s necessary to cover up the ingredients and then close the lid. Nevertheless, make sure to follow your recipe guidelines for better results.
4. The Lid
Make sure the lid is on and not opened during cooking. The lid traps moisture and heat creating a moist and flavorful environment which results in a fantastic dish. Note that opening the lid can delay the food process.
5. Layer Ingredients
Always remember to place a dense item at the bottom. Slower cooking ingredients like root-based vegetables and meat at the very bottom. And quicker cooking items like tofu/eggs on top. Also, no need to stir the ingredients while cooking, it may disrupt the cooking process.
Beside, You may check Best Non Toxic Slow Cooker For Your Kitchen To Keep Your Family Safe In 2023
Bottom Line
Along with these settings, don’t leave your crockpot unattended for an extended period and plug it with a safe power source. In addition, add dairy products like cheese or herbs just before the last 30 minutes of cooking. Always maintain your crockpot and keep it clean. Most of the parts are dishwasher safe, still double-checked.
If you master all these basic settings of your CrockPot, you’ll effectively open up the potentiality of your culinary possibilities. Follow the processes and create delicious, fuss-free meals. Happy slow cooking!
Now it’s to end this article but before that here’s a recommended article on – how do you reset your crockpot blinking.
