Thursday, May 20, 2010

Is Your Crockpot Too Hot?

I have 3 crockpots. One is smaller for dips, but I use them all a lot, and love them. They are especially great in the summer when I don't want to heat up the kitchen just to have a good hot meal. However, I have one that seems to cook much faster than the other 2 and it can be frustrating to use. I read a great article not long ago on how to test your crockpot:

Some of the newer crockpots seem to cook at a hotter temperature, probably because manufacturers are concerned about food safety. You can check the temperature of your crockpot this way:
  • Place 2 quarts of water in your crockpot
  • Cover and heat on low for 8 hours
  • Lift the lid and immediately check the water temperature with an accurate thermometer
  • The temperature of the water should be 185 degrees Fahrenheit. If the temperature is higher foods may overcook and you should reduce the overall cooking time. If the temperature is lower your foods will probably not reach a safe temperature quickly enough, and the crockpot should be discarded.
I checked mine and yep...the one was closer to 200 degrees. Now I adjust the cooking time when using that one so I don't burn things.

3 comments:

sara said...

I have one that cooks faster too....I'm going to have to try this.

The Bug said...

Thanks for the tip - I think ours is hotter than normal too. I'll share this with the actual cook in the family :)

Cindy Lou said...

Oh I will have to try that...I have a couple that seem to cook faster than the others!! Thanks for the tip!!