I am a crock pot failure.....

[North of Mouse]

Asked for a new crock pot for Christmas to replace my 20 year old one that always burns the food. Sad to say the reviews I read on the new crock pot also say it cooks too hot and burns the food. What a bummer, I really wanted to enjoy the benefits of a crock pot but not at the expense of throwing food away. Can anyone share success stories/recipes with a crock pot? The new one I got is the
Crock-Pot SCCPVL610-S Programmable Cook and Carry Oval Slow Cooker.

Can't really know what's going wrong with your Crockpot, but I have had 4 Crockpots (Rival 'brand' - the original one) and have loved all of them. None of them have been too hot or ever burned food - that's supposed to be the beauty of Crockpot cooking - Fix and Forget!!!

Make sure you are putting in the required liquid (if called for), and fill it 'no less' than 2/3 full. I have used this brand for 45 years and never have had a failure!! Love doing 'all night' bean soups in winter - yummy!!!

Good luck, and don't give up - you will succeed!!!

 

[kamik86]

I love my crock pot. The only problem I have is that it makes so much food that it sucks if we just down care for the receipe. I made a turkey chili yesterday and it wasn't spicy enough for us. I added some hot sauce at the end put it still wasn't great on flavor... my husband refused to eat it. I ate it last night have some for lunch today but have 2-3 more meals of it left for a not great meal.

Now when I make stuff I really like it in that is awesome... just need to find some way of handling new receipes when having something that makes 6 meals... espeically since my husband is so picky and will just refuse to make things so often.

 

[karenbaco]

Can't really know what's going wrong with your Crockpot, but I have had 4 Crockpots (Rival 'brand' - the original one) and have loved all of them. None of them have been too hot or ever burned food - that's supposed to be the beauty of Crockpot cooking - Fix and Forget!!!

Make sure you are putting in the required liquid (if called for), and fill it 'no less' than 2/3 full. I have used this brand for 45 years and never have had a failure!! Love doing 'all night' bean soups in winter - yummy!!!

Good luck, and don't give up - you will succeed!!!

My original is a rival brand. I have to cut the time back on recipes or it will over cook and burn. Even on low.
Care to share the all night bean soup recipe?

 

[North of Mouse]

My original is a rival brand. I have to cut the time back on recipes or it will over cook and burn. Even on low.
Care to share the all night bean soup recipe?

You 'could' have a faulty Crockpot - it 'does' happen!!

I seldom measure for recipes (habit handed down from Mom) so that can be good or bad!! Most crockpot recipes are 'forgiving' and I've learned what amount and kinds of spices we prefer and liquids needed.

I'll 'try' to give you my recipe for the bean soup we love the most (just made one).

Navy Bean Ham Bone Soup

1 ham bone

1 lb. navy beans (washed and sorted)

1 c. carrots (diced small or shredded)

1 c. diced onion (usually use 1 large - may be more than 1 cup)

3/4 - 1 c. diced celery

1/3 c. brown sugar

1/2 - 1 t. powdered mustard

1/2 - 1 t. powdered spices with 'no' salt (herbs, cayenne pepper, garlic, etc.)

1/4 - 1/2 c. cooking wine

1 slice bacon (or 1 - 2 t. bacon drippings)

Water (or equivalent veg. broth)

Cook bacon, add vegetables and saute' until tender. Transfer to Crockpot, add all other ingredients listed, with water (broth) added to make Crockpot 3/4 full (not sure exact amount).

Add lid, cook on low approximately 10 hours - (depending on your pot, could be less, but till beans are softened). Add salt, or any other spices to taste at this time (salt 'can' cause dry beans not to soften sufficiently - that's why it's added after cooking). Don't open lid during cooking. Just made this and it was delicious!

This recipe is used in a 6-7 qt. oval Crockpot.

OP, as I said, any appliance can be a 'lemon', so would not leave yours unattended (nighttime) until you are sure about it's reliability. I've never had liquid cook out of my crockpot (they are made to 'hold' liquid) but, unless there is a problem, do not open lid during cooking.

Hope this works for you - as I said, had to 'guestimate' amounts I used as it's not a 'written' recipe. More or less of ingredients is not usually an issue - just consider size of your pot.

Happy cooking/eating!!!

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I gave up crock pot cooking. I sold the thing, gave my Mom the recipe books and called it a day.

I could never get anything to come out well in it - too greasy most of the time and a few times burned food.

 

[karenbaco]

Maybe I should try a pressure cooker instead?

 

[havaneselover]

I'm a crockpot dropout. I've tried to use mine five or six times and I just don't like the way anything tastes. I wish it worked for us because my life is very hectic and I'm a planner, but I just can't eat crockpot food.

 

[jenf22]

I've had problems with new crock pots getting too hot also. After reading reviews, I finally found one that said crock pots are required to reach a certain temperature within a certain amount of time now. They (the food police) figured food was staying in a bad temperature range for too long. Our new one continues to simmer even on warm (even when it's totally full). I liked our old one better! The only solution we have is my husband (who works from home) puts the food on low around noon, I turn it to warm around 3pm from I get home, and then we eat at 5 or 5:30. Obviously, this doesn't work if everyone is gone all day.

 

[smokeyblue]

Get an electric pressure cooker. It's so much more versatile, you can use as a slow cooker and a pressure cooker. The inside is non-stick and super easy to clean. My favorite feature is the brown feature. You can make several meals in 20 minutes or less and use meat right from the freezer. Go to QVC and look at some videos of what you can do. You don't necessarily have to buy one from there, you can usually get them cheaper elsewhere. Mine is a QVC brand but I got it on as a ebay daily deal a few years ago for $25.

I cooked the most delicious stuffed pork chops recently. I did buy the chops already stuffed at the store, seasoned them, browned them in the cooker, added a little apple cider mixed with some seasoned salt, put on high pressure for 15 minutes and they didn't taste like I had anything to do with cooking them!

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

I'm a crockpot dropout. I've tried to use mine five or six times and I just don't like the way anything tastes. I wish it worked for us because my life is very hectic and I'm a planner, but I just can't eat crockpot food.

This is me. I haven't completely ditched my slow cooker yet, but every time I make something in mine it's just blah to meh. Everything that goes in there seems to lack flavor.

 

[Stacy's a freak]

So glad I'm not alone! I'm generally an awful cook but I thought that no one could screw up a crockpot meal. I have tried to do pot roast 4 times. Only the 2nd time it was good and not chewy. I think I need to cook it longer AND maybe I need more liquid since mine also boils at a very low setting. It's try, try again for me.

 

[karenbaco]

Get an electric pressure cooker. It's so much more versatile, you can use as a slow cooker and a pressure cooker. The inside is non-stick and super easy to clean. My favorite feature is the brown feature. You can make several meals in 20 minutes or less and use meat right from the freezer. Go to QVC and look at some videos of what you can do. You don't necessarily have to buy one from there, you can usually get them cheaper elsewhere. Mine is a QVC brand but I got it on as a ebay daily deal a few years ago for $25.

I cooked the most delicious stuffed pork chops recently. I did buy the chops already stuffed at the store, seasoned them, browned them in the cooker, added a little apple cider mixed with some seasoned salt, put on high pressure for 15 minutes and they didn't taste like I had anything to do with cooking them!

Good to hear! Can you cook tender, juicy chicken breast in it too? That is my biggest problem, boneless chicken breast is always tough for me.

 

[Sarahbelle341]

I love my crockpot. I use it almost daily. I think the trick to boneless chicken is to put it in frozen. Some of our favorite crockpot meals

Potroast- beef boullion cube, bag of baby carrots, small baby red skinned potatoes, chopped onion, garlic salt, water cook on low for 8-10 hours
pork roast- pork tenderloin, can of sprite or ginger ale, envelope of dry italaian dressing, jar of roasted red peppers, onion, cook on low 6-8 hours
chicken tortilla soup- chicken stock, boneless chicken tenderloins, salsa, frozen fajita vegetables, black beans, frozen corn, rotel, sour cream. cook everything except sour cream on low for 6 hours. add sour cream and shred chicken and stir 30 minutes before serving.

 

[NotUrsula]

Did you know you can bake in them? I make a REALLY mean cheesecake in mine; it steams rather than actually bakes, which is lovely for a light-recipe cheesecake. (My big crock is 25 years old; got it as a wedding gift and it is still going strong.)

As a general rule, "delicate" flesh such as boneless white-meat chicken doesn't do well with that kind of cooking unless it's in soup. Fish tends not to turn out well, either, except when you double-wrap it in foil and poach it.

 

[smokeyblue]

Good to hear! Can you cook tender, juicy chicken breast in it too? That is my biggest problem, boneless chicken breast is always tough for me.

Yes, you can. I think the "rule" is that you have to put at least a cup of liquid in with whatever you are cooking. So for chicken breasts you could do stock or water or even a can of tomatoes. I've done chicken breasts from frozen and they turn out very tender.

 

[karenbaco]

Yes, you can. I think the "rule" is that you have to put at least a cup of liquid in with whatever you are cooking. So for chicken breasts you could do stock or water or even a can of tomatoes. I've done chicken breasts from frozen and they turn out very tender.

Which pressure cooker do you have? Do you have a recipe book you use? I am really interested in one.

 

[Dakota731]

Made a yummy recipe last night - chicken tenders, can of mushroom soup, 8 oz sour cream and a bag of frozen mixed cauliflower and brocolli and cooked low 6 hours. It was so good and the chicken was so tender

 

[smokeyblue]

Which pressure cooker do you have? Do you have a recipe book you use? I am really interested in one.

It is a Cooks Essentials, QVC brand. I bought it when it was a featured deal on ebay probably 4 years ago for $25! Got one for myself and one for my cousin who was getting married (she said it was the best present she got). I also bought the same brand many, many years ago for my boyfriend and at that time it was $100 with shipping and taxes from QVC.

I do not have a cook book. I just kind of guess how long something will take to cook or I just search online and see what other people have to say! If it isn't cooked, you can just turn it back on and bring it back up to pressure again; I think I've had to do this maybe once.

If you find a good deal on one I think it is worth a try!

 

[KKB]

Karen--I just got the one you have but not programmable--I now have 3! (it was only $10 after rebate at Kohls, I couldn't resist updating one that is dated & cracked, so it is going) I just used it yesterday & was pleased (I, too, had heard new ones run hot).

Tossed in a whole chicken & seasonings & NOTHING ELSE on low for 8 hours--moist & tender. (this is so easy--if you buy chickens that have no added water, add some water or chicken stock)

DS16 has basketball practice until 5:30 every night, and DD17 has dance beginning around 6PM every night so the crock pot is my best friend!

Most of my "recipes" aren't from a book, but just toss things in. Spice EARLY so flavors have a chance to develop--remember, recipes from a book can be tweaked to your taste. We like things pretty spicy, so I am liberal; I test chili throughout the day if I am home & add as I go if needed. I have a crock pot cookbook that I will peruse for inspiration--I usually choose based on what I have on hand or I combine recipes based on what sounds good.

Roast--place carrots, potatoes, half the onion on the BOTTOM (I cut small carrots in half, potatoes in 16 pieces or so), roast (no bone, most fat cut off), season the roast liberally, top with 1/2 c. red wine (more is TOO much) & 1 can tomato soup; top with the rest of the onion pieces. Be sure all the roast is covered in tomato soup--spots not covered get dry.

Chicken breast (I have used both skinless/boneless or not)--cover with salsa or BBQ sauce or cream of chicken soup

Pork chops/pork loin--cover with canned tomatoes plus onions

The key to those lean cuts of meat is LIQUID--I make sure they have no "bare" parts, so in essence they are poaching.

The other key is that 2/3 full rule--less & it will burn, more & it will not cook through. (now that is an approximation...don't get TOO hung up about it)

Have been crocking for 20 years & never burnt anything!

 

[karenbaco]

Just made some pulled chicken in the crock pot. Used frozen tenderloins and a frozen breast. Threw it in crock with McCormick's seasoning, ketchup, hot sauce and brown sugar. Cooked on high and in 2 hours they were cooked from frozen. See how hot my crock gets? If I didn't take the lid off to check they would have burned. The tenderloins were more tender than the breast. What good is a slow cooker if you have to keep an eye on it all day? It wasn't a complete failure this time but only because I kept my eye on it.