Slow Cooker

Slow Cooker

What brand of slow cooker should I buy?

I am planning on buying a new slow cooker to manage my time.I heard there is a chance of fire hazard since you leave it on for hours while you are absent... Is there a brand I can trust more than others? Thanks in advance.

I don't think there is much difference in safety between brands. All must be UL (Underwriters' Laboratories) approved if sold in the USA. For safety, use common sense, like placing the cooker on a firm surface, not surrounding it with any flammable material, placing it underneath anything else (a cabinet, for instance). Most kitchen countertops would qualify. Don't put it on, for instance, a folding TV table.

What you really want in a slow cooker these days is one that is programmable, so you can set the cook time in advance, preferably in 30 minute (or smaller) increments. The cooker should have a "shift to warm" function, so that it shifts from high or low cooking to a warming setting when it is done. This helps avoid over-cooking, which is always a pitfall of slow cookers.

The other feature you want, which is present in most modern slow cookers, is a removable crock, which can be taken out and put in the dishwasher. I *hate* washing crockpots by hand!

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Slow Cooker

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