energy efficient slow-cookers

[glowstick]

I've googled the topic and any article that I've found just says that " the low setting is equivalent to the wattage used by a light bulb". My problem is that they also mention that you can use the detachable crock on the stove top to brown any items ahead of time....my crock can't do that! Does anyone here have one that does and, if so, what brand or make is it?:)

[Exmortis]

We bought a crock-pot from Canadian Tire two years ago with a dettachable lining (for lack of a better word). It's made of thick and heavy porcelaine (I think), but it's much easier to clean than trying to do it with a full solid crock-pot (i.e. it fits in my dishwasher ;) ).

If you're going to buy one, get one with a detachable lining and an automatic timer that falls back into "warm" mode after it's done cooking. And everything done in a crockpot tastes good!!! :)

[glowstick]

Thanx a bundle Exmortis!

[AMD]

If you're after energy efficiency, a slow cooker may not be the way to go due to keep-warm feature. (not sure, no info to back this up)

[glowstick]

I've not got a "keep warm" feature. I was just wondering....since cooking always seems to require an extended period of time...just how "energy-efficient are slow-cookers to use especially in view of energy costs going up?

[Exmortis]

If you don't have a "keep warm" feature, then your food will stop cooking after a while and you'll return home to a cold meal or it will overcook. Quite often, I only need 6 hours of cooking, but everyone's away at work for more than that so a "keep warm" feature keeps everything ready when we come home.

[BEM]

Interesting topic.

Ones detachable lining would effect the energy efficiency directly; as how well the transfer of heat from the element to the inner liner was made. Look at stove top pots, high quality sets still use heavy copper plates on the bottom to help transfer heat into the pot and thus the food and also the extra mass helps to regulate the heat.
As far as cleaning goes I can see the benefit of a detachable liner.

Cooking is all about chemistry and to have a reaction in cooking generally heat is added and it requires a certain amount for each process and so over a time period, short or long, the same amount of energy is needed to be directly added to the food. It’s the energy that does not get to or stay with the food that we need to be concerned about wasting.

I still like My Radar Range.
Freezer to Gut in five minutes! ----My modern world.


Guess I’ve got no taste buds so a slow cooker just like a slow cook will do nothing but frustrate me and my stomach.

I bought one of those microwave BBQs too; you know the one you fire up and throw the burger on and in five minutes its black. Just how I like it; and all the mad cow gone too.
You see my old BBQ was too slow so I bought this new one and drilled out the orifice twice the size and now I can heat up the BBQ in seconds and in the winter I need no coat on to cook, toasty inside and out. The neighbours are concerned when I light it up as the roar and flash flame seems to bothers them.
I'm more concerned when I turn it off the tank handle is hot and I get a large swish and pop sound sometime like a pop gun other times like a cannon but it adds life to the neighbour hood to me just a sign dinner is ready.

[Ken_ver_1_5]

The two types of simple crock pots I have one has a removable liner
and one does not. For efficiency the one without the the removable
liner wins hands down.

Now I will tell you why....
Fist its in how the two units are made first the one that the removable
liner has its element in the case not the liner itself. When in use the
outside gets very hot and thus energy is being wasted by loss of
heat to the outside.
The unit with the non removable liner has its element embedded in
the liner. when used the outside is much cooler. this means more
of the energy is being used to cook the food.

Neither of my crock pots have a stay worm or auto shut off feature.
But this can be accomplished by the use of an appliance timer.
Set the start time lets say 6 hours to begin at that time and be done
when you get home. this way there is almost no waste of energy.

[tweakthis]

Hmmm, I haven't used my crockpot in years. Google brings up too much info. Where do you get your fav crockpot recipes? Care to share?

[Ken_ver_1_5]

I just wing it ;)