Q: After seeing your recipe for Slow-Cooker Beef Shanks, I've been thinking about buying a slow cooker. I have some questions, though.
Since the slow cooker uses electricity over such extended time (4 to 6 hours), do you know if using the oven or a slow cooker is more energy-efficient, or costly? Could I use the oven instead of the cooker? Would it have the same taste?
Sent by Angela
Editor: Although we're usually using the slow cooker for longer periods of time than our ovens or any other appliance, it doesn't use that much energy overall. It's a small appliance and maintains its heat fairly efficiently using low amounts of energy.
According to the California Energy Commission (and based on California energy costs), a slow cooker operating for seven hours uses about .7 kilowatt hours and costs $.06. An electric stove at 350°F operating for one hour uses about 2 kilowatt hours and costs about $.16. Exact usage will vary based on your model and prices will vary based on your location.
This said, you can most definitely prepare slow-cooker recipes in the oven! This is actually a very old technique called braising. Set the oven to around 325°F and cook the dish in a heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid, like a dutch oven. Dishes will usually cook more quickly in the oven, so check it every hour.
Here is some more information about energy usage and slow cookers:
• Stoves, Ranges, and Ovens from the California Energy Commission • Crockpot Meals: How to Braise in a Slow Cooker • Weekend Cooking: Break Out the Slow Cooker! • Slow Good: 17 Incredible Recipes for the Slow Cooker • Love Me Tender: 15 Braises from The Kitchn
Readers, anything to add from your own experiences?
Related: How to Convert Dutch Oven Recipes to Your Slow Cooker
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I prefer my dutch oven to my slow cooker - especially for pork or beef since searing the mead before hands and then deglazing the pan adds more flavor - in my mind at least. and my slow cooker wont do that...
that said - i've braised at lower temps for a longer period of time (more like 225 to 250 degrees), and the one big drawback is that i need to be at home for the whole time.
My husband uses our dutch oven when he cooks, and poo-poos the slow cooker because he doesn't feel like he can get the same (amazing) results. But he's not the one cooking every night. I use the slow cooker when I'm making forgiving food like chili, or a whole lot of meat (ie shredded pork) for use in several different meals.
For us it is worth the space it takes up, though it doesn't get used all the time.
I use my slow cooker while I go to work, and would feel uncomfortable leaving on my (gas) oven for 9 hours... so I'd vote slow cooker.
I think I read on Stephanie O'Dea's blog (A Year of Slow-Cooking) that a crockpot only uses like $0.02 of electricity per hour. I think that beats the oven, plus there's the safety/fire hazard considerations.
Happy slow cooking!
The slow cooker is better for *certain kinds* of cooking. It depends on the results you want. I recently learned how to roast a whole chicken in the crockpot, and it's absolutely delicious. It's also great for soups, chili, and meats that work well shredded--BBQ pork, chicken in salsa, etc.
Plus, there's a hot meal waiting when I get home from work!
yes. absolutely. it can be used for sooooo many things. And they're relatively inexpensive, so I say yes.
When my 15-yr old slow cooker died about 1 1/2 yrs ago, I was so happy - now I had space to replace it with a pressure cooker. I live above 6,000 feet, and the pressure cooker is necessary to cook dried beans. I thought it would replace my need for a slow cooker, but I was wrong.
I recently bought a new slow cooker. It is so useful for bringing food to various functions (e.g. my kid's school activities including chili for after-school IB meetings). Also my kids enjoy cooking with the slow cooker. Personally I'm more of a hands-on cook, but there are times it is really useful. And after a very long day of work, its wonderful to walk in the door and be greeted by the glorious aroma of something that has spent all day cooking just for you!
I recently purchased a Fagor multi-cooker: slow cooker, rice cooker and pressure cooker in one. I love the versatility - especially the function for browning ingredients prior to pressure or slow cooking them.
i think I could happily give up every one of my kitchen gadgets except for my slow cooker. It's the only way to make truly fantastic stock -- you need to cook it for about 24 hours. I make a lot of stock. And it's so great to use in the summer when you don't want to heat up the whole house by turning on the oven. Also, pantry chili. and barbecue in the slow cooker is the best.
yes.. a few vegetables & potatoes, a nice roast, and a can of root beer, a bit of water..and 3.5 hours later you have an amazing falling apart piece of beef.. mmmmm
there's no rule that says you have to do all the cooking for your recipe in the slow cooker.
You can do everything conventionally on the stove until you get to the point where the recipe says cook at a slow simmer for 3 to simmer hours. then you can transfer your dish to the slow cooker and no have to worry about hanging around to watch the oven.
I use the slow cooker for doing the final simmer on Hazan's ragu Bolognese and it comes out wonderfully.
Like Allie_P, I use my slow-cooker every couple of days to make stock. Nothing beats its convenience.
Absolutely, yes.
Can you get better results with a dutch oven? Totally! Can you leave a dutch oven on the stove all day while you're out and have the oven cut off on its own after eight hours? No. You can leave it in the oven, if you have a oven you can program, but I bet you don't have an oven that will turn off once your meat reaches the optimal temperature.
It's also great for serving groups. I can plug it in anywhere and keep the chili/dip/soup/wassail warm, and keep people away from my stove.
Also, I wanted to add:
If you do meat in the slow cooker, it's worth it to brown it first. It's not the end of the world if you don't do this, but it does make for a tastier result and nicer presentation.
How strange to read this on AT when I was thinking of buying a slow cooker too.
UNTIL my partner found out that we can just use our electric rice cooker to do the same :)
A slow cooker you can leave on while you go to work...and oven you really should not. I think that's the main difference here.
There is now a slow cooker that lets you take out the metal cooking portion and place it on the stove to sear meats. It's freaking amazing!!
Get that nice brown crust on your meats and vegetables with lots of fond at the bottom of the pot before you put it in the slow cooker. Yum!
Most definitely. I've picked up quite a few recipes that beg for slow-cooking, and it's one of those things you can turn on before work and have a hot meal as soon as you get home. Definitely sear your meat and deglaze your skillet before dumping it in the pot, if you can.
Becster, if you see this, would you mind sharing your technique for cooking a whole chicken? Thanks!
I never thought I would buy a slow cooker until I moved to the hot, humid Florida pan handle. During heavy air condition season, my slow cooker is used almost non stop.
Don't forget they're also super handy for parties, picnics, potlucks etc. And cooking without heating up your house. And I'm pretty sure they last forever.
A slow cooker can produce pretty similar results to a dutch oven on the stove or in the oven if you do it right, i.e. use real ingredients, real recipes, defrost your meat, and sear it first. And if you have time to do that you might as well do it on the oven in the weekend.
But most slow cooker recipes are pretty terrible combinations of junk meat + processed, canned toppings. And it does work better on high for the shorter time so it won't get you through a work day. Works best for hands free cooking when you want to be out of the house for a bit.
I wrestled with getting a slow cooker for a really long time. Now that I'm working full time and have an hour commute, I bought one and I love it. I definitely prefer a Dutch oven, but I use that on the weekends and the slow cooker during the week. Finding recipes that don't say "add a can of condensed cream of whatever" is a bit tough, but there are loads out there. I'm preferential to what I call a "dump-and-run" method like this chili lime Mexican chicken.