are crock pots useless now?
- Thread starter raggie33
- Start date
PoliceScannerMan
Flashaholic
Crock pots definitely have their place. Crock pots also won’t send the lid thru your ceiling like a Instant Pot can lol.
Used one just last week.
Cook a roast in a crock pot for 6 hrs vs an instapot for 30 mins or whatever. There's a difference. I have both.
Pressure cookers have there resurgences throughout the decades. They were big in the 80s as well from my memory as a kid. They both have their strengths and weaknesses.
Pressure cookers have there resurgences throughout the decades. They were big in the 80s as well from my memory as a kid. They both have their strengths and weaknesses.
I’ve never used an InstaPot. But Crock Pots are super for keeping things hot for parties. Easy to scoop out your pulled pork or whatever while it sits for an hour or two. I dunno if Instapots do that. Also when I go to work all day sometimes I want the food to cook for 8 hours while I’m gone.
Poppy
Flashaholic
raggie,
useless is the wrong adjective. They are still useful.
Can an instant pot replace a crock pot? Yes.
For those who don't own one, an instant pot has a slow cooker setting.
Just as if you have a convection toaster oven, you don't need to buy a "Air Fryer"; if you have a "Instant Pot" you don't need a crock pot.
Instant pot is a convenient cooking tool, although I use it infrequently. One can set how long you want it under pressure, and then let it sit at warm for hours. I made a mean beef stew with it a few times (cooked in Guinness or cooked in Port wine). I bought it to make a Thanksgiving ham, which I cooked in apple juice... yum yum.
I made corned beef and cabbage in it... slow cooker style.
A glass cover is available, if you want to see your food cooking when not cooking under pressure, but it is not needed, to use Instant Pot as a slow cooker.
As a side note: I gave my crock pot to my son.
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I use my 7 quart all the time to make beef bone broth. 48 hour cooking time - give or take.
About as useless as a fly swatter or non stick cooking spray……
electrolyte
Newly Enlightened
- Joined
- Jan 4, 2019
- Messages
- 98
I don't use mine on a weekly basis, but if it broke, I'd be looking for another, 7-8 quart programmable version.
Do any of you use a liner in your slow cooker?
pnwoutdoors
Enlightened
A solid 7-8qt crock pot is still as useful as it ever was.
A good way to slow-cook a smaller roast, or make a stew. I've done a small batch of my homemade soup in the thing, once or twice, though I prefer a traditional soup pot for that (which, IMO, comes out tastier and is of better quality).
Of course, I've still got cast iron. Prefer a high-grade enameled cast iron to plain. Cast iron (enameled or not) so nicely handles the heat and evenly applies it to the food. Hard to beat, assuming you've got the time.
A pressure cooker is, basically, just a crock pot that adds pressure to the mix in order to reduce cooking times. I don't mind saving time, here and there where appropriate, but not at the expense of quality of the food. Which, from what I've seen, is better and tastes better when cooked in a more traditional manner. Back in the '70s I did a bit of cooking with pressure cookers. Wasn't that impressed. I suppose the added electronics and whiz-bang features on modern pressure cookers might be an enhancement, but they're still pressure cookers. IOW, "low and slow" is a lauded method for good reason. I haven't heard of the "lightning quick 'n' dirty" phrase as being the way.
A good way to slow-cook a smaller roast, or make a stew. I've done a small batch of my homemade soup in the thing, once or twice, though I prefer a traditional soup pot for that (which, IMO, comes out tastier and is of better quality).
Of course, I've still got cast iron. Prefer a high-grade enameled cast iron to plain. Cast iron (enameled or not) so nicely handles the heat and evenly applies it to the food. Hard to beat, assuming you've got the time.
A pressure cooker is, basically, just a crock pot that adds pressure to the mix in order to reduce cooking times. I don't mind saving time, here and there where appropriate, but not at the expense of quality of the food. Which, from what I've seen, is better and tastes better when cooked in a more traditional manner. Back in the '70s I did a bit of cooking with pressure cookers. Wasn't that impressed. I suppose the added electronics and whiz-bang features on modern pressure cookers might be an enhancement, but they're still pressure cookers. IOW, "low and slow" is a lauded method for good reason. I haven't heard of the "lightning quick 'n' dirty" phrase as being the way.
Yes. Works just fine.
We use our CP several times a month, especially in the summer.
I make meth in mine....meth-al-rice-aroni-cheesy-goo that is. Or slow cook a pork tenderloin.
alpg88
Flashaholic
- Joined
- Apr 19, 2005
- Messages
- 6,254
our instapot replaced a crock pot, we did use the CP but its insert started flaking the Teflon, we could have bought a new insert, but after it sitting in a cabinet for a year with no use, we decided we have no need for it, we asked people we know if they wanted it free, no one wanted so we trashed it. never missed it.
thermal guy
Flashaholic
I make a mean chicken noodle soup in my slow cooker 
hsa
Flashlight Enthusiast
Sounds good. Got a recipe for that?
PhotonWrangler
Flashaholic
I used to have a crockpot. Some really awesome vegetable stews came out of that thing.
bigburly912
Flashlight Enthusiast
Use mine very often to make chili beans and Mississippi venison roast. I’ve tried cooking chili every way possible and nothing melds those flavors in like a long slow cook in a crock pot. I have an insta pot and it’s been used maybe 5 times.
