A Slow Cooker, Why You Should Want To Use One in 2026
Most folks, who do any cooking at all, consider using a slow cooker at one time or another. You may have asked yourself if a slow cooker, or crock pot, is the right appliance for you and your family. What are the reasons for using a crock pot? There are several reasons, actually, why a person may want to use a slow cooker.
Convenience
This may be the first thing that pops into your mind when you think of cooking with a crock pot. You can picture yourself throwing together a nice stew in the morning, switching on the crock pot, and walking away to take care of your day’s work and errands. When you walk in the house at the end of the day, you’re greeted with the lovely aromas of a delicious, hot meal just waiting for you and your family to dig in! That’s not only convenient, it’s a nice scenario, to be sure. Don’t forget big family gatherings, like holiday meals. A crock pot can free up valuable cooking space when you’ve got a complicated menu.
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Crock-Pot Large 8-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker with Auto Warm Setting Black Stainless Steel
Elizabeth Neas (Libby) is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com
Cook Economical Foods
You’ve heard about how you can cook less expensive cuts of meat and they turn out nice and tender. This is a fact. A crock pot simmers the meat at a low, constant temperature that breaks down the sinew of even the most stubborn cuts of meat. Slow cooking is the perfect way to cook meats such as brisket and shoulder roasts. Dried beans and peas are another way to feed your family protein, and a crock pot perfectly cooks these inexpensive sources of protein with slow, steady heat.
Uses Less Energy
According to The Department of Energy, a conventional oven uses roughly 2500 watts, while a crock pot uses about 200 watts. A pot roast cooked slowly, about 3 hours, in a conventional oven would use about 10kWh. Cooked in a crock pot, even doubling the time cooked, that meal would use about 1.2 kWh. Even compared to a large pot of soup on top of the stove, crock pots are designed to hold the heat, so can operate at lower temperatures, while a large pot on a burner lets the heat escape, being less effective overall, therefore wasting energy. Also, consider what heating up your whole oven on a hot, humid day does to your air conditioning system.
Ease Of Use
Being able to walk away from a simmering pot without worry is definitely a benefit of using a slow cooker. Rather than checking and re-checking to make sure your chili is still simmering but not boiling, you can be sure that your crock pot is keeping it at just the right temperature. Making certain foods, like dried beans, peas, and chowders, can be a concern in a pot on a burner; there’s always the scorching problem. But, not with a crock pot.
Got You Thinking About Using A Crock Pot? What’s Next?
Even if you have never before considered using a crock pot, you may now agree that cooking with a crock pot can save you time and money, is convenient, and easy to use. Or, perhaps you were an avid fan of crock pot cooking, but your crock pot has been relegated to the back of your pantry for some time now. In any case, you most likely have some questions regarding the use of your crock pot.
You are not alone if you are wondering about how to best choose and use a crock pot. Many folks who own a crock pot are not using it to full advantage. And, many folks who have never bought a crock pot are confused about how to choose one to suit their needs.
A crock pot, or slow cooker, is quite versatile. However, there are a few basic items to know before you either purchase your new crock pot, or get your abandoned crock pot up and running. The following are just a few issues to consider when you are ready to start crock pot cooking.
Do You Own A 20th Century Crock Pot?
This may seem a little silly, but think back to when crock pots first became popular. Slow cookers date back to the 1970’s, and believe it or not, there are folks still firing those antiques up on occasion. If your crock pot looks like it dates back that far, it’s time for a new one. I know you want to be frugal and not waste a perfectly fine crock pot, especially if it was rarely, and in some cases never, used. However, advances in insulation, power cords, and energy usage are just a few of the reasons you will want to buy a new crock pot. Safety reasons outweigh any frugal or nostalgic reasons for holding on to an antiquated appliance. If you are sentimentally attached to your antique crock pot, go ahead and plant some flowers in it and keep it displayed for all to admire.
Do You Own A 21st Century Crock Pot?
If your crock pot is less than 10 years old, you may be able to use it without reservation. However, there have still been many advances lately in the technology and features of slow cookers, so you may want to check out some of the newer models before you decide to start using your old crock pot. If your crock pot suits your purposes and you are not ready to trade it in for a newer model, just be sure to give it a good safety check. If the cord shows signs or wear-and-tear, whether cut or bent, be sure to replace either the cord or the entire crock pot. If the crock insert is chipped, the crock pot needs to be discarded. Use your judgment just like you would with any appliance. If your crock pot shows areas of deterioration of any kind, it’s time for a new crock pot.
Do You Not Yet Own A Crock Pot?
If you have not had the pleasure of owning a slow cooker yet, then you are in the market for a new one. When you decide to buy a new crock pot, check out the features available in all the price ranges. If you suffer a bit of “sticker shock” when you start looking, that may be due to the fact that so many slow cookers now are loaded with conveniences that have never been seen before. It’s like many things you buy; there are going to be the stripped-down versions at a low price, and the fully-loaded versions selling for the price of a small vehicle. Consider your lifestyle, your budget, and your cooking style; then start narrowing down your options.
Buying A Crock Pot
If you don’t own a crockpot yet, or you simply want to upgrade to a newer model, here are some things you want to keep in mind when choosing a new one. We’ll go over various features and functionality in the section below.
Elizabeth Neas (Libby) is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com
The Design Basics To Consider Have Not Changed
A few considerations when choosing which crock pot to buy never change. Here are just a few suggestions about what to look for when you make your decisions about what crock pot meets your family’s needs.
Size and Shape
How many people will you be cooking for routinely? What sort of dishes will you be cooking? Large families who cook a lot of roasts, for instance, will be happier with a larger slow cooker with an oval shape, as the size and shape will accommodate a big slice of meat better than a smaller round crock pot. If you cook a lot of soups and stews, then a deeper, round crock pot may better suit your needs. If you are cooking for one or two people, a smaller crock pot will be more economical and more sensible for your needs.
Basic Design
If you buy a crock pot that doesn’t have a removable liner, you are very likely to be disappointed. As a matter of fact, most manufacturers have discontinued manufacturing anything that doesn’t have a removable crock. If you find a crock pot that has a separate “hot plate” type cooking mechanism, keep looking. Although most of these types of crock pots are off the market, there still exist a few stragglers. The idea of the heat source being just on the bottom of the pot defeats the effectiveness of crock pot cooking, turning your crock pot into not more than a saucepan on a burner. Look for a solidly built slow cooker with a removable crock insert and tight fitting see-through lid. The rest of the features are in addition to this basic design.
Portability
Will you be routinely transporting your crock pot full of goodies to a potluck, office party, family gathering, or other event? If so, look for a tight fitting lid, preferably with a latch of some kind if available. There are also slow cookers on the market that have cases and insulated covers to help in getting your food safely to its destination, and keeping it warm once you get it there. There are also models with retractable cords so you won’t be losing your crock pot cord at the church potluck.
The Cooking Features To Consider Have Changed A Great Deal
If you haven’t seen a new crock pot since they first came out in the 1970’s, you are in for a big surprise. Even if your crock pot is somewhat newer, there are still some changes that you should be aware of. It’s true that some of the high-end slow cookers have always had fancy features, but those features are starting to creep into the mid-priced crock pots, and even lower-priced crock pots. What are all those “bells and whistles” for, anyway? Let’s take a look at some of the features to consider when purchasing a new crock pot these days, starting with some of the fanciest features.
Programmable Timer
This feature may be very desirable to folks who would benefit from being able to have the crock pot start cooking while they are still away from home at work or school, etc. You set the timer to start the meal while you’re away at work so it’s ready when you get home. If you need your meal ready to eat at 7:00 p.m., but you work a ten hour shift that doesn’t end until 4:00 p.m., it’s rather difficult to start the crock pot to cook for only 6 hours before you leave the house. Programmable timers can be a real asset for a family who works long shifts, or have other demands that don’t allow for setting a crock pot manually.
Programmable Temperature Probe
This feature is geared toward the meat and fowl connoisseur, or anyone who wants to make sure the meat has reached the right temperature inside and is done perfectly. The temperature probe not only reads the internal temperature of the meat, but actually is connected to the electronic temperature controls. The probe monitors the temperature of the meat, not just reads it, and automatically adjusts the crock pot temperature to cook the meat until the desired internal temperature of the meat is reached, ensuring that the meat is cooked as specified in your settings.
Electronic Temperature Monitoring
One of the high tech advancements made in slow cookers is the use of microprocessors to guarantee precision temperature control. A sensor monitors the temperature and actually regulates it to keep your food cooking properly. If constant supervision of your crock pot has been a problem for you, this feature would put an end to that inconvenience.
More Cooking Temperature Ranges
If you are used to choosing cooking temperatures of either Low or High, you’ll be surprised to see the choices now available. Many of the new crock pots offer an array of settings, which can include Buffet, Warm, Low, Simmer, High, and Auto. Even some of the less expensive models offer temperature ranges such as turning to warm after the pre-set cooking time has been reached, eliminating the worry of having to be home to unplug the crock pot before your dinner burns.
Digital Settings and Displays
Many models now offer digital displays with easy to read and clean LCD panels. The more programmable a crock pot is, the more likely you are to find a well-designed display panel. However, even some of the less expensive slow cookers offer some sort of touch-pad control panel to replace the dial.
Special Features To Consider
Some features to consider as you choose a new crock pot may not have a lot to do with the design or the cooking, but may make a difference in whether you choose one over another.
Retractable Cord
This may make a big difference if you are taking your crock pot to events often. There’s nothing worse than either battling with a dangling cord or forgetting to bring it with you when you take food to a potluck or holiday party.
Rubber Feet
If you’ve ever owned a crock pot that didn’t have rubber feet, you’ll know what I mean.
A big, heavy pot of hot food needs to stay put on your counter top. This is a feature that I would recommend and even the less expensive models now normally have good, solid rubber feet.
Cooking Guides Written On Lid Or Sides
All crock pots now come with good printed guides and recipe books, but there are some models that offer a little cooking reference printed directly on the lid or the side of the crock pot, much like many microwaves. This is handy, but certainly not necessary, although sometimes it’s nice just to glance at the reference to see if you’re on track with your planning.
Reserve Power
Some of the more expensive models offer a reserve power which restores the cooking temperature after the lid has been lifted or the power goes out for a brief time. This is not designed to regain a slow cooker’s settings after an extended power outage, but could help if you experience frequent short-term power failures.
I absolutely love my slow cooker! There is nothing better than a meal cooked in a slow cooker. I have never been disappointed by anything that I have made in it. I love all of the new ones that are made now, maybe someday I will upgrade.