Does anyone know -- is a slow cooker the same as a crockpot?

[Saffron]

I bought a slow cooker just before Christmas, and it doesn't cook so slow! I made a breakfast casserole recipe (which was delicious, thank you who ever posted it!) last night that someone had posted here for a crock pot. It was meant to be eaten this morning, but it cooked so fast, we had it for midnight breakfast!!!!

Anybody know the difference or isn't there one? Did we get a screwy slow cooker?

 

[dmslush]

As far as I know they are the same thing, at least I think that my crock pot is a slow cooker. I do know, for recipes that are supposed to cook over night, I have to put the pot on low heat. High heat cooks it very fast.

 

[piratesmate]

At one time, the terms both applied to the kind with the stone crock & the stone was NOT removable. Then someone came out with one that had a metal pan/bowl/pot/crock with a no-stick surface that was separate from the heating element, which looked like a tray or hot plate. They also had multiple heat settings, not just High/Low. THOSE were called "slow cookers" and "crock pot" meant the Rival kind with the stone crock. People have pretty much continued to use the terms interchangably.

I think there may have been some kind of legal thing with Rival claiming the term "crock pot". . . If you go to the Rival Web site, it has shows the 'trademark' symbol behind the words Crock Pot - but it also says "Stoneware Slow Cooker."

I know my sister's slow cooker is much faster on its lowest setting than my crock pot is on Low.

d

 

[MerryPoppins]

I got a new one (the kind with the crock that come out) for Christmas. It cooks much faster on low than my old one. For example, I put sausage and saurkraut in it on low around 3:00 and by 5:00 it was starting to get really brown around the edges of the pot. I think I'll have to be really careful what I put on for a long time! Especially if I use High!

 

[Saffron]

Hmmm. This is an oval shaped cooker that lifts out of the metal heat part. The recipe I cooked said to cook on low for 12 hours or high for 8. It cooked on low for 2 hours and was done! Then, I thought I'd put it on warm and it kept cooking!

I guess I'll just have to watch what I cook and how I cook it.

Thanks everyone!

 

[piratesmate]

I was looking for a page I'd referenced on adapting recipes for the crock pot & came across the following:

"Crockery cooker or slow cooker - what's the difference?

The most common models have a crockery pot insert and the heating elements are housed in the sides, so the heat actually surrounds the food. The two heat settings are low (200 degrees) and high (300 degrees). The slow cooker, or "multi-cooker" usually cooks from the bottom and might have a thermostat allowing a wide range of temperatures. Even if your slow cooker has a crockery insert, you may need to stir some recipes occasionally to prevent scorching. Every time the lid is lifted, add 20 minutes to the overall cooking time.

The commonly used term Crock-Pot® is actually Rival Manufacturing Company's trademarked name. Most recipes designed for the crock pot are with the two-setting Rival model in mind, so adjust accordingly if using another brand of cooker, and read the manufacterer's instructions."



Crock Pot FAQs