A slow cooker may take up valuable kitchen cabinet space but most people find it earns its spot and would not want to live without one. It is an essential tool when you have limited time and need something to eat.
No matter the type of slow cooker you have, the basics steps of using it are similar. It is easy to use, and you can easily understand the setting of the timer even when using it for the first time. This gives you a chance to end the guess-work which is common when first using new appliances. When using it, you will quickly gain confidence due to the simple cooking rules. Below is a guide on How To Get The Most Out Of Your Slow Cooker:
1.Have Ample Counter Space
It is a standard procedure to leave your cooker unattended and let it do the cooking. However, you should take some precautions. It is important to leave ample space of about six inches between the cooker and any wall. This ensures that it has space to dissipate heat that otherwise could damage parts of the walls. You should set the bottom of your cooker on a flat surface and located in a place so that pets or young children cannot reach.
2.Prepare All The Required Recipe
Ensure that you have all of the ingredients needed for your recipe and be aware of the order at which you place them in your slow cooker. All you have to do is to prepare them all before placing in the cooker for an easy procedure and to avoid delays. You can do the cutting of vegetables, trimming of meat before putting everything into the cooker. You should have all the ingredients before you start putting them into the cooker to avoid wasting time and energy.
3.Put Your Ingredients You Want to Cook In The Cooker
To enjoy the best cooking, make sure that your cooker is between half and three-quarter full. In case your recipe has liquid, it should generally cover the ingredients about half way. When you have liquid less than the standard required, it may evaporate and affect the cooking process.
4.Put The Cooker’s Lid On
Ensure that you have the lid on. It should fit tightly over the cooker without leaving any gap for steam to escape. The cooking principle of the cooker depends on bringing the food to a certain specific temperature of about 210 degrees and maintaining it there. In case there are gaps where the steam escapes, it is a waste of energy and affects the efficiency of your slow cooker negatively. If the lid has fallen on the ground several times and possess some broken spaces, wrap an aluminum sheet foil over the tops of the appliance to prevent loss of steam.
5.Set Your Cooking Time
There are usually some options when setting the cooking temperature. Many recipes will give you an option for both the low and the high settings.For example, the slower setting might take between 8 and 10 hours to heat the food gently while the higher setting might take about 4 hours to do the same work. Therefore, you set depending on your preferred time.
6.Let It Cook
The best thing you can do when using this appliance is to let it cook and walk away for some time. Do not even think about it! You are not required to stir the recipe you are cooking or even to check the progress. This can interfere with the cooking process and let some heat escape which is a waste of energy. The only thing you can do to some recipes is to add some quick cooking ingredients such as seafood, vegetables, or pasta while in other recipes you do not need to add anything.
7.The End Of Your Cooking
You should be present when the cooking set time ends. This is because the food cooked in such a cooker has to be cooled and then stored for a given period. The latest models automatically switch to a warming mode when the set cooking time is over. This ensures that the food is not overcooked when you are not there.
Those are some of the cooking tips to guide you use your slow cooker in an effective way. The cooking procedure above ensures that your cooker is efficient and safe.
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