Proctor-Silex 33043 4-Quart Slow Cooker

The Proctor-Silex 33043 Four-quart Slow Cooker is preferred by many people because of its efficiency and dependability. This portable, time-saving appliance makes it easy for people to cook delicious, healthy dishes.

It comes in black and has a dishwasher-safe glass lid and a stoneware bowl. This slow cooker is available in major stores throughout the US and Canada.

Online ratings for the Proctor-Silex 33043 Four-quart Slow Cooker hover between 4.5 and 5 stars.

History of the slow cooker

Irving Naxon is credited with inventing the slow cooker in the mid-1930s. This is the story of how the Naxon developed the slow cooker:

• Naxon’s Lithuanian mother, as well as Jewish women from Europe, cooked dishes like bean stew on the Friday before the Sabbath.
• The oven needed to be turned off from sundown on Friday through sundown on Saturday.
• Due to this, many put the stew preparation in the oven and allowed the slow heat to cook it over time.
• Initially, this food device was called the Naxon Beanery. In this model, a ceramic bowl sat atop a heating element.
• He received a patent for this device in 1940. In 1970, Naxon sold his patent, which gave rise to the Crock Pot.
• It should be noted that Crock Pot is a brand of slow cooker, so the Proctor-Silex slow cooker is not a Crock Pot.
• To use an analogy, Q-tips are cotton swabs, but all cotton swabs are not Q-tips.
• In 1952, West Bend, the Wisconsin-based company, started producing what was called the electric bean pot, utilizing a lid, a ceramic bowl, and a heating element.

Interesting facts about slow cookers

• The slow cooker has found its place in most US households.
• A 2011 survey indicated that 83 percent of US households own a slow cooker.
• It is believed that sales of slow cookers in the 1970s were in the millions.
• With the advent of the microwave, sales took a modest dip in the 1980s, but they are stable again.
• The original users of the slow cooker in the 1970s comprised career persons and college students.
• These groups were not supposed to have sufficient time to prepare conventional food.
• Today, the market crosses socioeconomic lines, and you can buy a new slow cooker for about $20.
• The slow cooker now includes a removable stoneware bowl, which has helped to improve its ratings.
• As mentioned before, the bowl and glass lid are deemed to be dishwasher safe or can be washed by hand.

Features and tips

• Today, the slow cooker comes with a removable stoneware bowl, a glass lid, and various quart sizes.
• It also has a selector knob for cooking at a high setting, a low setting or a keep-warm setting.
• The slow cooker bowl containing food may be stored in the refrigerator overnight.
• If you use this option, we recommend that you place the bowl on a towel covering the kitchen counter.
• Allow the bowl to come to room temperature before placing it in the base and turning on the slow cooker.
• Slow cookers perform at a peak temperature of around 170 degrees Fahrenheit on low and 280 degrees Fahrenheit at the high setting.
• Cooking frozen meat and vegetables is not recommended in the cooker.
• There may not be sufficient heat to eliminate all the bacteria, especially if food is cooked on the low setting.
• Allow some time for frozen food to thaw if you are going to prepare it in the slow cooker.

The following tips from the Food Network will help you to make the most of your slow cooker:

• Choose the right cuts of meat like short ribs, chuck roast, and pork shoulder
• Dark meat remains juicier compared to white meat when prepared in a slow cooker.
• Keep a lid on it. Removing the lid to check the food can prolong the cooking time.
• For best results, do not over-crowd the cooker.
• Ingredients should take up 1/3 to 2/3 of the allotted space in the cooker.

Summary

What the Proctor-Silex 33043 Four-quart Slow Cooker offers:

• Round in shape with one gallon capacity
• Stoneware bowl and glass lid are dishwasher safe
• High ratings of 4+ reflect high quality
• Selector knob provides keep-warm setting, cook on low or high settings
• The price is under $20