Slow cooker: how much do you need to spend?

Ready to buy a slow cooker?

So, you’ve decided you’re (finally) going to invest in a slow cooker…

Good decision! I’m sure you’ll really enjoy the luxury of coming home to a hot, tasty and healthy meal after a long day at work.

If you’ve been reading up on crock pots, I’m sure you’ve seen that there are many options and a wide range of prices.

My recommendation is that you first decide what size crock pot you need and then come back here.

Have you already decided what size?

Excellent.

Glad to have you back.

Now, as I mentioned earlier, the prices of all sizes of crock pots have a wide range.

For my purposes, I divide them into three groups:

• Budget models priced under $50
• Mid-range models priced between $50 and $100
• High-end models that are priced above $100

It is important to remember that the basic technology for all slow cookers is quite similar. There is a removable pot that is located in a heating unit. Ingredients are added, a tight lid is placed on the pot, and the heating unit is turned on.

This is going to be pretty much the same no matter which model you buy.

Price variation results from three main factors:

• Construction materials
• Sophistication of temperature controls
• added features

Let’s look at these factors one at a time.

Slow Cooker Building Materials

Slow cookers consist of two main components: the pot and the casing.

Pot materials range from stoneware to ceramic to stainless steel, sometimes paired with nonstick interiors.

Depending on the model, each of these options can vary based on weight and durability. This variation is often tied to price. This is something to keep in mind, especially if you’re interested in a lower-end model.

Slow Cooker Temperature Controls

As slow cookers have become more popular and small appliance electronics have advanced, slow cooker controls have become more sophisticated, more versatile, and more expensive.

Generally, economy models will have simpler and less sophisticated controls. They can even be simple knobs with the temperature options. You turn it on to your desired temperature, let it cook, and then turn it off manually, when the cooking time is up.

Once you leave the simple manually operated knobs, you are entering the universe of electronic controls. These are getting more and more sophisticated and more and more expensive.

Basic electronic models can be set to start at a specific time and end at a specific time. Often they will have a Keep Warm mode that they will switch to after cooking is complete. This is good because you can still come home with a hot, well-cooked meal, even if you’re late at the office.

What these models do not do is change cooking temperatures during the cooking process.

Advancing in sophistication and price, additional functionalities can be added depending on the model.

This is where you can have the option to start at one cooking temperature and have the cooker switch to a different cooking temperature at a specific time or temperature.

When evaluating these options, you’ll need to balance functionality against price. If you’re paying more for a feature you’ll never need, you may be wasting your money.

There are several models that come with temperature probes. If you plan to cook a lot of roasts, this can be an attractive feature. If you are a vegetarian, it may not be so appealing…

Additional Slow Cooker Features

These range from serving spoons that clip onto the cooker to a crock pot base that doubles as a griddle. Some of the myriad options add real functionality, others may look attractive but are actually quite useless in daily operation.

Again, the key here is to carefully consider your needs.

If you know you’ll be bringing a full crock pot to church dinners, look for features that make it easier. I’ve seen lids with gaskets that clip on securely, insulated carry bags, serving spoons that clip on to the pot, and a variety of other options.

When considering a specific feature, take the time to evaluate it in relation to your cooking habits. There is a crock pot available that comes with three different pots, each a different size. If you know you’ll never cook more than one slow cooker recipe at a time, this could be a great option. However, if you want the freedom of cooking multiple dishes at once, this may not be a good option for you, as it only has one heating base.

Slow Cooker Product Quality

Let me end with a few words about the quality of the product.

While researching these handy little gadgets and reading dozens of consumer reviews, I realized something interesting.

No matter the brand, no matter the price, and no matter the number of positive reviews, there will always be someone who ends up failing.

The conclusion I’ve come to is that if most of the reviews are positive and you want that model, go ahead and buy. Then while it’s under warranty, when you first get it, try to give it as rigorous a workout as possible.

If you have problems, feel free to return it under warranty. For whatever reason, it seems like some of these kitchens are lemons, no matter the price or brand. If you get one, replace it and continue.

For the most part, these small appliances can make cooking and eating so much more enjoyable, convenient, and healthy, even on these hectic days.