Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 4: Prepare the Kitchen
• Part 2 of 4: Prepare your ingredients for cooking
• Part 3 of 4: Slow Cooking Tips
• Part 4 of 4: How to Clean Your Slow Cooker
• Warnings
• What do you need

A slow cooker is a kitchen appliance in which food is cooked for a long time and at low temperatures. Cooking in a slow cooker takes 4 to 12 hours at temperatures below 100 ° C. This article will show you how to use it.

Steps

Part 1 of 4: Prepare the Kitchen

1. 1 Remove the slow cooker from the packaging. Clean the inner ceramic bowl and top glass with dish soap and warm water.
   • Use a soft sponge or the soft non-abrasive side of the double-sided sponge to avoid scratching the surface.
2. 2 Free up space on your work surface. The slow cooker heats up during operation, so you need to think about safety. Make sure there is space on all sides of the slow cooker, including the top, so that the heat dissipates during cooking and does not overheat.
   • The unplugged slow cooker can be stored in the kitchen cabinet. In this case, you will have to free up space for it each time before use.
3. 3 Choose a slow cooker that has a “warm” function that keeps food warm if you have left it to cook while you are away. Older models of slow cookers may not have this function and will turn off as soon as the food is cooked.
4. 4 Read the instructions for use. Slow cookers from different brands have slightly different settings and care instructions.
5. 5 Find the recipe for the slow cooker.
   • Find a recipe specifically designed for your slow cooker. You can find cookbooks and recipes online that tell you the right temperature and cooking time, and the right amount of ingredients. Please note that at least half of the slow cooker must be filled as the cooking times in the recipe are calculated this way. If you have a very large slow cooker or a small one, you may need to change the serving size. Most recipes are for a 4.7 to 5.7 liter appliance.
   • Find a common stovetop recipe and adapt it for a slow cooker. To do this, you will need to halve the amount of liquid ingredients, since the liquid from the slow cooker does not evaporate. Also, if in a regular recipe you need to fry or bake something at a high temperature, then in the slow cooker you need to select the high temperature mode, and for cooking over low heat, select the low temperature mode accordingly. At first, you will have to experiment with cooking times, but on average, all dishes are cooked within 4-6 hours.

Part 2 of 4: Prepare your ingredients for cooking

1. 1 Prepare the ingredients the night before if you plan on cooking during the day. In the evening, you can chop vegetables or meat and prepare the sauce. In the morning, the ingredients can be quickly put into the slow cooker, set to the desired temperature, and the dish will cook all day.
2. 2 If the recipe will cook the dish for more than 6 hours at a low temperature, then cut the vegetables into larger pieces. And so that the smaller pieces are not too boiled, add them to the bowl a little later.
3. 3 Brown the meat in a skillet before placing it in the slow cooker. The meat will be tastier and juicier (as the juices are "sealed" in it) if you fry it on all sides in a hot frying pan, adding a little olive oil.
   • This method is suitable for large pieces of roast beef and small pieces of meat. Fry it quickly and on all sides.
4. 4 Reheat the sauce before placing it in the slow cooker. Then the dish will cook faster and the sauce will mix properly.
   • If you prepared the ingredients the night before, you can pre-mix the sauce and reheat it in the microwave for a minute in the morning before placing it in the slow cooker.
5. 5 Choose fatty cuts of meat for the slow cooker.
   • Shoulders and chicken thighs are usually cheaper than brisket and chops. Thanks to the long slow cooking, the fat permeates the meat, and it turns out to be just as tasty and mouth-watering as the more expensive types of meat.
   • If you cook meat with layers of fat, then your dish will certainly be juicy.
6. 6 Reduce the amount of herbs and condiments you normally use. The flavor of the seasoning is further enhanced by long cooking times. This is especially important if you are adapting a regular slow cooker recipe.

Part 3 of 4: Slow Cooking Tips

1. 1 Use a slow cooker during parties and meals to keep sauces, soups, and snacks warm. Set the temperature low and the food stays warm even if you open the lid frequently.
2. 2 Go through trial and error. Start with the recommended cooking times in the recipe and see in practice whether you need to increase or decrease it.
3. 3 If the food is already ready, but you are not ready to serve it yet, turn on the “warm” function to keep it warm.
4. 4 Try not to open the lid while cooking. If there is more than half an hour left until the end of cooking, the contents of the slow cooker will cool down and take longer to cook.
   • Some experts believe that if you open the lid while cooking meat, bacteria will enter the kitchen utensils, tables and floors.Because the slow cooker cooks at a low temperature, foods such as chicken, pork or fish do not have time to heat up enough to kill these bacteria.
5. 5 Unplug the slow cooker after use. Wait until it has completely cooled down before washing it.

Part 4 of 4: How to Clean Your Slow Cooker

1. 1 Remove any remaining food from the slow cooker. Place it in a plastic container and rinse the slow cooker when it cools.
   • If your slow cooker has a removable ceramic container, remove it from the heating compartment to cool. Place on the stove.
   • If the inner container of the slow cooker is not removable, you must make sure that the appliance is unplugged and completely cooled down before cleaning the slow cooker with water.
2. 2 Wash the slow cooker with dish soap and warm water. It is quite easy to wash it. If food particles are stuck to the walls, pour warm soapy water into a slow cooker and soak for 5-10 minutes.
   • The removable ceramic containers are dishwasher safe.
   • If you keep having problems with dried food particles, you may be cooking the food for too long.
   • Do not use harsh sponges on the slow cooker as they can damage the surface.
3. 3 Wipe the heating container with a soft cloth dampened with warm soapy water. Then wipe dry.
4. 4 Remove water stains with vinegar. Then wipe dry to prevent stains from reappearing.
5. 5 Ready!

Warnings

• Do not slow cook frozen meat. It is unlikely to warm up above 60 ° C. At temperatures between 4 and 60 ° C, meat contains harmful bacteria.
• Do not wash the hot lid or hot ceramic bowl of the slow cooker with cold water, as they cannot withstand sudden temperature changes.

What do you need

• Dishwashing liquid
• Water
• Instructions for use
• Large pieces of vegetables
• Fatty cuts of meat
• Frying pan for browning meat
• Slow Cooking Recipes
• Soft rag
• Vinegar
• Dishwasher