Slow cooker

A slow cooker is an electric pot with a removable ceramic or metal insert, a lid, and a heating element in the base. It holds food at a low, steady heat for many hours, so tough cuts of meat turn tender and you can leave it unattended. It is made for stews, chili, pulled pork, soups, beans and stock. Most have Low, High and Keep Warm settings.

How to do it

1. Brown meat and onions in a pan first if you want deep flavor. It is optional but makes a big difference.
2. Put dense vegetables such as potatoes and carrots on the bottom, where the heat is strongest, and meat on top.
3. Fill the pot between half and two-thirds full. Too little and food overcooks, too much and it may not heat fast enough.
4. Use less liquid than on the stove. Almost none evaporates.
5. Cook on Low for about 8 hours or on High for about 4 hours for most stews. As a rough rule, 1 hour on High equals about 2 hours on Low.
6. Keep the lid on. Each time you lift it, heat escapes and adds cooking time.

Common mistakes

• Putting frozen meat in the pot. It may stay too long in the danger zone, where bacteria grow fast. Thaw it in the fridge first.
• Cooking dried red kidney beans from raw. Low heat does not destroy a natural toxin in them. Boil them hard for at least 10 minutes first, or use canned beans.
• Adding dairy, delicate herbs and quick-cooking vegetables at the start. Stir them in for the last 30 minutes.
• Using lean cuts such as chicken breast or pork tenderloin for a long cook. They dry out. Choose cuts with fat and connective tissue, such as chuck, shoulder or thighs.
• Leaving leftovers to cool in the pot on the counter. Move them to shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours.
• Reheating leftovers in the slow cooker. It heats too slowly. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave.

In recipes

"Cook on Low for 8 hours" refers to the Low setting. Most stovetop braise recipes can be adapted by cutting the liquid by about a third. A pressure cooker gets similar results in far less time.