While it might seem that a slow cooker, also called a crock-pot, would not be able to compete with the fast-cooking microwave, the fact is that those who learn to think like a slow cooker can actually spend less time in the kitchen.
Using a slow cooker, not only means spending less time cooking and more time with the family, but at the same time they can even provide better and more nutritious meals. While not wanting to stir up a controversy, there are now some considerable concerns about potential negative effects of microwaving foods. Using a slow cooker delivers a great deal of convenience, while avoiding these possible microwave issues.
One of the best things about slow cookers is that folks across the board, from the kids to the adults to guests, tend to be in agreement that meals cooked in crock-pots are often some of the most delectable that they have ever had. One reason for this is that the food is given plenty of time to both release its own flavors and to absorb added seasonings. At the same time, a slow cooker does not have any problems with hot spots and foods do not dry out or become rubbery. These are some of the problems that occur with food that is fully prepared in a microwave oven. However, these problems simply do not exist when a meal is allowed to slowly and gently cook for a few hours.
One of the best things about using a slow cooker, and which has helped to make crock-pot cooking so popular, is that you can prepare all of the ingredients for the meal before being drawn into a busy and over-scheduled day. You simply place the ingredients into the slow cooker and follow the instructions in the recipe for the heat setting, put the lid on the crock-pot, and then go about your day. The meal cooks itself while you are at work, running errands or managing the household.
In many cases, busy mothers will use a slow cooker in conjunction with other time saving cooking products, such as electric fryers, fish cookers or rice cookers. These other appliances can be useful in helping to prepare other elements of a complete meal, although more and more cooks are enjoying the benefits of the one pot meals that can very effectively be cooked in a slow cooker.
Some folks have the mistaken idea that you are quite limited in the types of foods and recipes that can be prepared with slow cookers. However, this is simply not true, at least not these days when you can find hundreds of recipe books that have dozens of delicious recipes for crock-pot cooking. Moreover, with time, many folks learn to adapt just about any recipe to slow cooking methods.