# Cooking in a Crockpot **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 16, 2011, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-in-a-crockpot/599846 "2011-10-16T21:47:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![squeekster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/779978/32.png) [@squeekster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeekster)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2011, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-in-a-crockpot/599846/1 "2011-10-16T21:47:22Z")
Since this is really a “less than cosmic” topic I put it here. However if it needs to be moved, feel free. I’m relatively new to cooking in a crockpot. I’ve had one for years, but just never used it much at all. I recently bought a new crockpot. Nothing fancy, just one with Off, Low, High and Warm. I have Beef Stroganoff cooking in it at the moment. I believe it’s normal when cooking on Low for the liquid to slowly boil, but is it normal for the liquid to stick to the sides? ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2011, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-in-a-crockpot/599846/2 "2011-10-16T21:58:59Z")
Like a crust? Yes, just like when you boil in a pot. As the liquid evaporates, it makes “scum” on the side. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2011, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-in-a-crockpot/599846/3 "2011-10-16T22:46:17Z")
Yup. To get it off, put soapy water in over the level of the crust, then turn up the crockpot and “cook” it for a while. Check on it after a half hour or so, see how it’s doing. It should loosen up just fine. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2011, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-in-a-crockpot/599846/4 "2011-10-16T22:56:26Z")
The low setting of today’s crockpots is well above the high of yesterday’s models. So it is normal for your new model but crock pot cooking is much different then in used to be. ---
**Author:** ![Critical1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Critical1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical1)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2011, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-in-a-crockpot/599846/5 "2011-10-16T23:28:28Z")
ug I returned the last crock pot that was boiling food on low, once everything is up to temp you should have a very very low simmer going, if its more than that you might have an industrial style crock pot. there isnt much point to a slow cooker that cooks fast now is there? ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2011, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-in-a-crockpot/599846/6 "2011-10-16T23:40:55Z")
Moved IMHO --\> Cafe Society. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2011, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-in-a-crockpot/599846/7 "2011-10-16T23:45:03Z")
> [@Critical1](#): > > ug I returned the last crock pot that was boiling food on low, once everything is up to temp you should have a very very low simmer going, if its more than that you might have an industrial style crock pot. > > there isnt much point to a slow cooker that cooks fast now is there? Out of curiosity did you have a Rival brand Crock Pot or a slow cooker by a different brand? I’ve been very happy with every Crock Pot I’ve had (replaced only because the crock was dropped and broken). The only thing I want to make sure to get on my next one is one that has a small vent in the lid so water doesn’t collect around the rim and sputter out all over the counter. ---
**Author:** ![Snow\_Pea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Snow\_Pea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snow_Pea)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2011, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-in-a-crockpot/599846/8 "2011-10-16T23:52:57Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > Yup. To get it off, put soapy water in over the level of the crust, then turn up the crockpot and “cook” it for a while. Check on it after a half hour or so, see how it’s doing. It should loosen up just fine. Sorry, but that’s just a waste of electricity. Just soak the ceramic pot in cold water for an hour or so, or overnight and the stuff will come off easily. ---
**Author:** ![LVBoPeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/858c86/32.png) [@LVBoPeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LVBoPeep)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2011, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-in-a-crockpot/599846/9 "2011-10-16T23:59:47Z")
I have the same problem with the low boiling heat and I have a Rival. It’s my second Rival, the first did great - I just had to replace it after I cracked the liner. I’ve considered writing them a letter because it’s infuriating to come home to something cooked on low and have all the liquid boiled out of it. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2011, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-in-a-crockpot/599846/10 "2011-10-17T01:05:53Z")
> [@Snow\_Pea](#): > > Sorry, but that’s just a waste of electricity. Just soak the ceramic pot in cold water for an hour or so, or overnight and the stuff will come off easily. Or use a [liner](http://www.amazon.com/Reynolds-Slow-Cooker-Liners-4-Count/dp/B002U0KKK8/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1318813462&sr=8-3). ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2011, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-in-a-crockpot/599846/11 "2011-10-17T01:14:02Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > Or use a [liner](http://www.amazon.com/Reynolds-Slow-Cooker-Liners-4-Count/dp/B002U0KKK8/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1318813462&sr=8-3). I never liked those. They always seemed to leak. I found it’s easier to just spend 3 or 4 minutes scrubbing the thing when you’re done using it. ---
**Author:** ![Reeses\_Monkey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reeses_monkey/32/2885_2.png) [@Reeses\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeses_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2011, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-in-a-crockpot/599846/12 "2011-10-18T00:36:48Z")
I love my Crock Pot to death! I’m single and live alone so I like the idea of coming home to a hot pot full of chili or stew that’s ready when I get in the door, not after an hour’s preparation. Bonus: The whole house smells like dinner. Yum! For some nostalgic fun you can go to your local library and see if they still have the 1970’s Crock Pot cookbooks. They did some weird stuff in those books. PS. Did you know you can bake with a Crock Pot? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2011, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-in-a-crockpot/599846/13 "2011-10-18T00:40:22Z")
> [@Reeses\_Monkey](#): > > I love my Crock Pot to death! Personally, I refer to mine as a Crack Pot. It also has a permanent spot on my kitchen counter. If you like good heavy soul food type stuff I get a lot of my crockpot recipes from [here.](http://southernfood.about.com/library/crock/blcpidx.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2011, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-in-a-crockpot/599846/14 "2011-10-18T01:20:39Z")
> [@Snow\_Pea](#): > > Sorry, but that’s just a waste of electricity. Just soak the ceramic pot in cold water for an hour or so, or overnight and the stuff will come off easily. I’ve had some that didn’t come off with long soaks, especially my recipe for sourdough wild rice mushroom stuffing. That turns into concrete after cooking. I figure if you have a crockpot running for 8-12 hours, another half hour won’t matter. If it doesn’t come off with a little elbow grease, I just heat it up a tad. ---
**Author:** ![Critical1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Critical1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical1)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2011, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-in-a-crockpot/599846/15 "2011-10-18T03:42:22Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Out of curiosity did you have a Rival brand Crock Pot or a slow cooker by a different brand? I believe it was a rival, and yeah it almost destroyed a rather expensive batch of chili I was making for a special event. had I not come home (totally random event not even close to normal) mid day to get something else it would have been on fire, after just a couple hours it already had a burned dried out patch on the bottom. it was insane. I also refer to Crock pots as “Crack pots” cause they kinda are. food goes in, delicious comes out.