Crockpots (slow cookers) are a favorite tool in a frugal home. Why? Crockpots allow you to put dinner together in the morning or even the night before and have it waiting for you when you are ready. This reduces the chance that you will either purchase expensive pre-frozen or pre-packaged meals for busy nights, or go out to eat. Some studies have shown that crockpots use less energy than does an oven or range, saving you money. Because of the cooking method, crockpots allow you to use less expensive cuts of meat, rendering them tender.
There has been a surge of interest in crockpot crookery and with it comes an entire range of styles and features in crockpots. How can you choose? I hope that I can help.
First, decide on the size of the crockpot you want. They come in all sizes, with 2-quarts, 4-quarts, 5-quarts and 7-quarts being very popular. For a family of four, a 4-or 5-quart is great and may yield you some leftovers. In crockpot cooking, you want to make sure that you fill the crockpot at least 2/3 full.
Round or oval? I have one of each, a smaller round crockpot that does most of my cooking, and then a larger oval one for doing whole chickens and roasts. The oval shape accommodates these foods nicely. I also use the oval one when I triple my batches for freezing.
Features? For me, less is more. As long as it has a low and a high setting, I’m good. My larger crockpot has a built in timer, and it actually is more of a pain to use, than it is worth. If you really want a timer feature, save yourself some money and plug the crockpot into an inexpensive timer you can purchase from the home improvement store. A delayed start makes no sense to me either, since anything I put in the crockpot is usually perishable and should not sit out without cooking.
Worth the price: Definitely purchase a crockpot with a removable ceramic pot. Make sure that the heating element is all around the entire crockpot, not just at the bottom. I tend to be loyal to Rival crockpots, because I have used them through the years without any problems.
If you have any questions about crockpots, please leave a comment, and I will get right back to you.
Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, technology in the Computing Blog, and creating a home in the Home Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here.
Check out the Food Blog for crockpot recipes.
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