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Crockpot vs slow cooker

11 years ago

If a recipe says to cook in a crock pot is it ok to use a slow cooker instead? This is for cooking pork butt. What is the difference between the two?

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Comments (11)

Olychick
11 years ago
Crock Pot is a name brand of slow cooker. You're fine.
lazycook
Original Author
11 years ago
Doesn't it make a difference between those that have a ceramic pot inside vs one that doesn't? I have a so-called slow cooker that does not have a ceramic pot and only heats from the bottom.
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LindaC, it's all in what you're comfortable with. Remember, I'm the person who has had a couple of house fires and so I don't ever light a fire in the fireplace and I refuse to burn candles. It's my own particular phobia... I do have an old Presto pressure cooker which I don't use a lot but I really like it for certain thins. Elery uses it to make beans, I'd prefer to just dump mine in the crockpot in the morning. I do use it to make chop suey for Ashley, even slightly tough round comes out fork tender. I don't like taditional chili in the crockpot, the ground beef "overcooks". I am a huge consumer of vegetables, though, and sometimes make a vegetarian chili that's delicious. Plus, like Chase, it gets used as a "warming" device for office potlucks, to keep soup warm and even to make oatmeal because I'm not a morning person and would never make oatmeal before I go to work, and I detest the instant stuff. Annie
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The best slow cooker is no slow cooker. Get an electric roaster. Does everything a slow cooker does and much more. It's actually a portable oven. After buying a Nesco 4 qt and 6 qt I threw out my Crock pots. No comparison. And often they're cheaper too. That said, they do have a problem. 12 hour days are going to cause problems even for a roaster oven. And I totally agree about putting food in there to become a petri dish. Some have spoken highly of things like the AdvantiumÃÂ® oven but I've never used one nor experienced food from it so I can't comment on whether they're any good or not. Their problem is price. You look at probably $1500 or or more for one of them. Not sure they're worth it. Probably a better alternative for them is to start OAWC or OAMC and reheat.
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Comments (34)
I've tried a number of methods from essentially boiling it when you add a bottle of something or too much liquid and you wind up fishing around in this sludge to find the shrunken tough meat to sauces to other methods. Less liquid is better. The key, as Jim said is the proper meat. I like a chuck roast or a pork shoulder roast. They'll give off plenty of fluid. I like to put some onion on the bottom so it's not all gray on the bottom and it gets some flavor. Some put sacrificial veggies in there as a rack thinking it flavors the gravy, OK, maybe it does. But I like the taters on top in a drier atmosphere so it'll brown those babies and they're delicious. They'll give off moisture too so again, adding liquid is a recipe for soup. I definitely vote to brown the meat. Onions & garlic should be sautéed too if you want it better. People think a "slow cooker" is a magical chef that can make a lousy cook a good cook and eliminate basic cooking techniques a thought with which I don't agree but I digress. If you want it simple, put a can of mushroom soup on top of a piece of roadkill, sprinkle it with onion soup mix, make up some instant mashed potatoes and open a can of gravy. Serve with leftover green bean gasserole. (shudder) And of course if this is what you like, go for it and enjoy it, no need to bother bellyaching about it. I also firmly believe that you can easily overcook things in a slow cooker. You can easily boil/steam all the moisture out of meat, turn the vegetables into mush and I really think it's important to realize it's an appliance that needs to be properly used to achieve best results. I've had delicious meals from slow cookers and I've had what I wouldn't feed as dog food that was made in a slow cooker. Cook's Country this weekend did a show about using a pork roast in a slow cooker. Their emphasis was what I've found. Less moisture is better. Here's an adaptation using a beef roast
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Comments (15)
I agree with those that don't use crockpots much. Mine gets a dusting off once or twice a year for caramelized onions, or when i'm multi-tasking too many things and have garden harvest to process and stove-top and ovens are occupied... In defense of the op, liz_h, that might want something a bit better than the dump-n-run crock stew with soups mixes... some more modernist approaches are out there that up the flavors a bit. Food is expensive. Make it fine/ok/meh, but so easy to make it much better with not much more time, just time management. Lots of reasons folks have crock-pots beyond the 'quick cooking' craze and phase years ago. We buy crock-pots because we see them and think we need one. Not complicated, on-off, high-med-low. A good method since we are cutting up the beef into cubes anyway, and all the veggies...place the cold seasoned beef on a parchment lined sheet pan and pop it into the fridge uncovered. (even an hour or 6hours). It benefits from a bit of drying. Turn the crock-pot on high and your oven on 400-425. Prep your veg. Basic stew is onion, garlic, celery/carrot, maybe potato or any other roots like parsnip...While chopping, chop some of each a bit finer and add to the heating crock-pot. Larger cut veg add to a prep bowl. -a good stew has a nice small diced veg base that makes a good broth and larger veg that remains in good recognizable form to the serving platter or bowl. Your diced seasoned meat goes into the hot oven to sear instead of the laborious task of stove-top batches and mess. 20-30min and larger veg can benefit from an oven roasting as well. Either with the meat or just under on a separate sheet pan if a larger stew. If a recipe you like has liquid like stock or 1/2 a guiness or some wine, add that to your crock, then your cubed roasted beef and veg. Keep your crock on high heat for at least an hour, then down to med or low. The trouble with crock-pots is the guessing at temp. Look for a high heat simmer. Then move to a lower setting. -Why they are not considered a very good cooking method anymore. (older models are simple, newer ones have complicated digitals i still do not trust much). I personally prefer the classic enameled dutch oven that goes into the oven. Same process but more control with heat. Same prep, same easy clean-up with oven roasting the beef...and the oven is hot for the dutch oven to finish the roasting of the stew.
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nancylouise5me
11 years ago
It is as olychick stated. Crock pot is a brand name. They are all slow cookers. NancyLouise
Teresa_MN
11 years ago
I think you are describing one of the older crock pots. I recall those and I don't think they wouldd maintain heat properly to cook meat.

Teresa
wizardnm
11 years ago
I have one of the older slow cookers that has an separated pot on a heated base. I did roasts all the time in it. I love it because I can brown the roast on the stove and then just place it on the base. Cooks the meat fine.

Nancy
Teresa_MN
11 years ago
The one I had from the 70's sounds exactly like yours Nancy. However, I don't believe mine worked properly. It was either too hot or not hot enough. Ia. left it in Texas when I moved back to Minnesota.

Teresa

This post was edited by teresa_mn on Mon, Jan 14, 13 at 18:30
annie1992
11 years ago
I agree, CrockPot is just a brand name like Rival or Hamilton Beach or even All Clad. They are all slow cookers and it doesn't matter about the insert. The ceramic ones that are removable are easier to clean, but not necessary for cooking.

I actually liked the old ones best, there was a period of time when the new ones got so hot they overcooked everything. Now the newer "new" ones seem better, perhaps they are better regulated, but I don't know.

Anyway, they are all slow cookers.

Annie
lazycook
Original Author
11 years ago
Thanks for your quick response and for the info. I'll use my slow cooker that is part of the Kitchen Craft set that I purchased several years ago at the home show. Wish it was a little bigger but will give it a try.
Bumblebeez SC Zone 7
11 years ago
Some people(!) like to use a cast iron dutch oven and place it in the oven at 225 degrees. It does the same exact thing as a crock pot/slow cooker.
The only drawback I know of to this method is that some cooks don't like to leave the oven on for a long time.

I use both depending on whether I need the oven for other things. It's easier for me to brown a piece of meat in a dutch oven then place it in the oven, then drag out my crock pot (and not brown the meat or dirty another pan), however, there's a place for both.
coconut_nj
11 years ago
I have all kinds of crock pots/slow cookers. I even have one that is rectangular and the pot is thinish aluminum with nonstick interior and it just sits on the base that heats up. The base is non stick and you could cook a couple a pancakes on it. It's nicely adjustable and works fine as a slow cooker. Has a glass lid. Just saying it sounds like yours will be fine. I just bought a 18qt. Nesco for $59 on a nice sale and will use that for stock or a big batch of soup soon.
nancylouise5me
11 years ago
Bumblebeez, I think they now have slow cookers that you can brown your meat in and then just add the other ingredients right into the pot. There is another one to add to your collection! lol NancyLouise

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