The Crock Pot is a crock of lies?

[Lheticus]

I just had what has now turned into a regular argument with my father, about the quality of food produced from the "Crock Pot" or slow cooker. He says that the "general agreement" is that they bring out the flavor of that which goes into them and makes them delicious. But from everything I've tasted from that method, it's more like they bring the flavor of the food ALL THE WAY OUT of the food and leave none left IN the food by the time you're actually eating it. Most of what I've had from it is stuff like pork, and the whole St. Patty's "Corned beef and cabbage" dish. Thankfully we don't use it too often, but I always cringe when I see the darn thing out in the kitchen because I know dinner will suck.

Just how alone AM I in this?

[Dodom]

I see three possibilities:

1) The limited variety of dishes your family makes in the crock pot sticks to stuff you don't like.
2) Your dad isn't good at cooking.
3) The "easy" recipes cookbooks for crockpot one finds aren't very good. Especially the "healthy" ones. Diet all you like, but don't even think of a low-fat stew!

[Castaras]

I freaking love my Slow cooker. Makes fantastic tasting food and is really easy.

Beef stew is good, Pulled pork was fantastic. It even makes chocolate cake!

I mostly use it for Bolognase and Sausage Casserole, though I'm planning on doing sweet and sour pork in it more often, which tastes FANTASTIC.

[Lheticus]

I see three possibilities:

1) The limited variety of dishes your family makes in the crock pot sticks to stuff you don't like.
2) Your dad isn't good at cooking.
3) The "easy" recipes cookbooks for crockpot one finds aren't very good. Especially the "healthy" ones. Diet all you like, but don't even think of a low-fat stew!

I'll see if I can find the recipe dad uses for corned beef and cabbage that we're having tomorrow and post it here.

[Lentrax]

Yeah, I have never had a roast or stew come out of my slow cooker that WASN'T tantalizingly delicious.

My guess is it is something in the recipe.

[007_ctrl_room]

the flavor is all in the juices - when it's done cooking and ready to serve, just pour the juice back over everything, that's what i do haha

[KerfuffleMach2]

I'm gonna guess that your dad is messing something up. We use our slow cooker for a few different things, and they always turn out awesome. Stew, chili, spaghetti sauce, roast, pulled pork, and ribs.

I love our slow cooker.

[golentan]

Slow Cookers are amazing in my experience. Low and slow actually really does make everything taste better, and gives a lovely texture to a lot of it, in my experience: It's why I cook ribs or brisket at 250 degrees any time I'm making them and have a good 3+ hours to spend making dinner.

[Toastkart]

I love my crockpot. Ribs (boneless or not), pork loin, chicken, etc. are all easy to make and super tasty. One thing I find, especially if you have a newer crock pot, is that even the low temperature setting is too high and recipes that say they take 6-8 hours to cook really only take 4-5. That could be some of the source of your problem.

[Tvtyrant]

I am with you. I dread crock pot food. I break this down to two reasons. The first is that is renders meat soft and removes the meat's natural flavor. My parents both prefer their meat this way, and with the correct spices it can taste good. However I like the flavor and texture of meat, especially gamey meat, and so I find this a step down. Second is that it tends to blend together the flavor of the ingredients. I prefer discreet portions and firm vegetables.

[Dodom]

...
I prefer discreet portions and firm vegetables.

I had this issue too, until I figured out the ideal (to my tastes) cooking time of each ingredient. I cook the vegetables that can tolerate it or that I want to break down from the start, as well as the spices and anything else added purely for the taste, and add the rest in sequence. How long each vegetable should cook is a trial and error business, it depends on how you like them.

[Rodin]

I had this issue too, until I figured out the ideal (to my tastes) cooking time of each ingredient. I cook the vegetables that can tolerate it or that I want to break down from the start, as well as the spices and anything else added purely for the taste, and add the rest in sequence. How long each vegetable should cook is a trial and error business, it depends on how you like them.

Yup. For instance, when making a curry I love my mushrooms to be almost a part of the sauce, so I dice them well and toss them in quite early - pretty much as soon as the meat is cooked enough for me to break it down into bite size portions. My mother, on the other hand, likes her mushrooms very firm so she only sticks them in for the last 20 minutes or so.

Best dish I've ever made in a slow cooker is Pork Ramen, using some pork belly as the cut of meat. Melt off most of the fat in the crockpot, cut off the excess and then cook the rest with soy sauce, loads of ginger, sesame oil, chilis, and whatever other seasoning and veggies you fancy. At the end, toss in some eggs (I hardboil mine because that's how I like em, but I think soft-boiled is preferred). Skim off any remaining excess fat and pour over noodles.

It is a totally different flavor to pork chops, though. If I'm craving one, I'm probably not craving the other, and vice versa. Texture and cut of meat make a huge difference.

[themaque]

Crock Pot of Gold at the end of the rainbow. I used to have the same feelings as you, then I discovered a horrible horrible truth.

My parents where not good cooks.

http://www.software.ac.uk/sites/default/files/images/content/Ashamed.jpg

My father takes joy in cooking, but rarely has the time. My mother did it while growing up and mainly just did it because someone had to, and she was home first.

My wife showed me that the crock pot, when used responsibly is amazing. Sure many things are "set it and forget it" but you have to know what to do that with, use the proper spices and aromatics.

If you could taste HER pork loin or BBQ chicken thighs you would be a believer. You can't though. They're mine. Go away!

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/5/58/Larfleeze01.jpg/250px-Larfleeze01.jpg

[Jeff the Green]

I see three possibilities:

1) The limited variety of dishes your family makes in the crock pot sticks to stuff you don't like.
2) Your dad isn't good at cooking.
3) The "easy" recipes cookbooks for crockpot one finds aren't very good. Especially the "healthy" ones. Diet all you like, but don't even think of a low-fat stew!

This. Crockpot recipes are easy in the sense that they require little work and little skill. They're not easy in the sense that you can just throw any stuff in and have it work. You need to cook the right things. Red meat is usually the tough cuts with lots of collagen, like brisket, so it's really soft and the jus gets that delicious, unctuous gelatin. Spices and aromatics need to be abundant since you're cooking in liquid. And that liquid should usually be flavorful. Vegetables need to be ones that will either hold up or dissolve completely into the sauce.

You also need to treat your ingredients right. For meat, this usually means searing it first. Poultry really needs to be dark meat or the breasts need to be added at the end, otherwise they get tough and dry. Vegetables need to be cut to the right size and added at the right time.

Basically, if you treat it the way a traditionalist would a dutch oven, you'll do well. If you treat it like Williams & Sonoma told housewives to in the '50s, you won't.

[noparlpf]

If you lose all the flavor, you probably cooked it too long. You can't just cook it forever and still expect it to be edible. When I make chili I usually let it simmer on a low heat (on the stove or in a crock pot, depending on what's available) for a few hours but not for more than six-ish tops.

[Crow]

I just had what has now turned into a regular argument with my father, about the quality of food produced from the "Crock Pot" or slow cooker. He says that the "general agreement" is that they bring out the flavor of that which goes into them and makes them delicious. But from everything I've tasted from that method, it's more like they bring the flavor of the food ALL THE WAY OUT of the food and leave none left IN the food by the time you're actually eating it. Most of what I've had from it is stuff like pork, and the whole St. Patty's "Corned beef and cabbage" dish. Thankfully we don't use it too often, but I always cringe when I see the darn thing out in the kitchen because I know dinner will suck.

Just how alone AM I in this?

It sounds like you're adding water. Don't do that.

[noparlpf]

Oh yeah, that could also do it. Too much water will probably leech out some of the flavor, especially if you drain it after it cooks.

[Jeff the Green]

If you lose all the flavor, you probably cooked it too long. You can't just cook it forever and still expect it to be edible. When I make chili I usually let it simmer on a low heat (on the stove or in a crock pot, depending on what's available) for a few hours but not for more than six-ish tops.

Depends on the food, though. Tough meat like brisket (which I always go back to when talking about crockpots because it might as well have been made for the device) can go 12 hours sometimes. Traditional coq au vin, which is made with active, old, and thus tough roosters, is cooked 12-16 hours. (Don't do that with the stuff you buy in the grocery store, because those are young sedentary hens, and will become dry and mealy no matter how good the bordeaux you're cooking them in.) Depending on the cut, pork you plan on pulling can go 24.

But yeah, slow cooking corned beef and cabbage for an age and a half is a recipe for a stinky kitchen and a disgusting dinner. (Actually, I wouldn't slow cook the cabbage at all. Slow cook the corned beef, let it rest, then pop it in a pot of water with the cabbage and cook quickly. Like this (http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2011/03/homemade-corned-beef-brisket-with-potatoes-cabbage-carrots-recipe.html).)

You can lose flavor (or, properly, never develop it in the first place) from too short a cook time too. It's not a common issue with a crockpot, though. Cooking is a complex of chemical reactions taking place at different rates, and stopping some too soon, letting some go too long, and letting others happen at all is how you get bad food.

[Coidzor]

Do you hate stew and pot roast in general or only when cooked in a slow cooker?

[Maelstrom]

Depends on the food, though. Tough meat like brisket (which I always go back to when talking about crockpots because it might as well have been made for the device) can go 12 hours sometimes. Traditional coq au vin, which is made with active, old, and thus tough roosters, is cooked 12-16 hours. (Don't do that with the stuff you buy in the grocery store, because those are young sedentary hens, and will become dry and mealy no matter how good the bordeaux you're cooking them in.) Depending on the cut, pork you plan on pulling can go 24.


Bordeaux??? You, my friend, are doing. it. WRONG. (please note my location, the heart and soul of Burgundy, seat of the Dukes ;) But joking with ya....mostly)

Mmmmm, coq au vin. But now on the subject, you'll have to try boeuf bourguignon (not with bordeaux!!!) in your crockpot. Of course, it's starting to warm up to the point where it's no longer really the season for it, but there are still some cold nights ahead to take advantage of some nice hearty meals...

[Lheticus]

Okay, I feel I should clear something up: My parents who USE the Crock Pot see none of the problems that I do with what comes out of it each time. So I don't think it's to do with preparation, just...personal taste somehow.

[Mauve Shirt]

Slow cooked meats are going to be tender and fall-off-the-bone. If you're more into ripping flesh from the bones with your teeth and hearing the satisfying snap of tendons, yeah, don't cook your meat in a slow cooker.

Slow cooked veggies and meats really are vehicles for spices and sauces. Stews and soups are where the crock pot shines. If you want firm vegetables, roast those mother****ers.

You know what's awesome? This chicken and kale curry soup. (http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2014/02/slow-cooker-penang-curry-soup-with-chicken-and-kale.html) That's right, it's a soup. The focus is the taste of the spices and broth surrounding the tender chicken and cooked greens. If you want your chicken to be the focus of the dish, I recommend a grill.

There are ways to cook meat in the crock pot and have it be itself. There's a "rotisserie" chicken I've been wanting to try. But that involves more prep and after action than any "quick" slow cooker recipe. Use the crock pot as you would any kitchen tool, don't treat it like it's a magical cure to ever having to work at your food.

[Aedilred]

I don't know how old Lheticus is but stews, casseroles and the like are something I've only come to appreciate as I've grown older, I think. While I never outright hated them, I was always disappointed to be served them. Something about the undifferentiated "mess" of food put me off, I think.

A lot of it is about ingredients and technique, yes. Vegetables don't really want to be anywhere near the stew for most of the cooking time if you're expecting them to serve any purpose when they come out. But some onion and garlic and finely chopped carrots and celery can add texture and flavour to a stew and probably want to be there from the start.

The cut of meat that is used is also key. Other than mellowing out and distributing the flavour in a dish, slow cooking is really there to help break down meat and other tough ingredients, and meat needs to be quite flavoursome to benefit from the cooking time. The "best" and most tender cuts: fillet, loin, etc. tend not to have so much flavour in the first place, can be easily tackled pretty much raw, and so don't get anything out of being slow-cooked; in fact usually it makes them worse. It's an odd case where the more expensive ingredients aren't the right choice and will make the resulting dish worse, not better.

As Crow says, you want the minimum amount of water possible, only enough to cover the other ingredients, and even that should preferably be stock rather than fresh water. Water will leach out the flavour of the other ingredients and make the whole meal blander.

But overall you'll only get out what you put in. Cooking bland ingredients for eight hours isn't going to make them any tastier than cooking them for forty minutes: you need to put the right stuff in the pot in the first place.

[Lheticus]

Slow cooked meats are going to be tender and fall-off-the-bone. If you're more into ripping flesh from the bones with your teeth and hearing the satisfying snap of tendons, yeah, don't cook your meat in a slow cooker.

Slow cooked veggies and meats really are vehicles for spices and sauces. Stews and soups are where the crock pot shines. If you want firm vegetables, roast those mother****ers.

You know what's awesome? This chicken and kale curry soup. (http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2014/02/slow-cooker-penang-curry-soup-with-chicken-and-kale.html) That's right, it's a soup. The focus is the taste of the spices and broth surrounding the tender chicken and cooked greens. If you want your chicken to be the focus of the dish, I recommend a grill.

There are ways to cook meat in the crock pot and have it be itself. There's a "rotisserie" chicken I've been wanting to try. But that involves more prep and after action than any "quick" slow cooker recipe. Use the crock pot as you would any kitchen tool, don't treat it like it's a magical cure to ever having to work at your food.

The texture isn't at all a part of the problem unless it's slimy. A summary of the problem is that I believe the food that comes out of our crock pot is virtually tasteless, but my parents who eat the SAME food out of the same crock pot vehemently disagree.


I don't know how old Lheticus is but stews, casseroles and the like are something I've only come to appreciate as I've grown older, I think. While I never outright hated them, I was always disappointed to be served them. Something about the undifferentiated "mess" of food put me off, I think.

A lot of it is about ingredients and technique, yes. Vegetables don't really want to be anywhere near the stew for most of the cooking time if you're expecting them to serve any purpose when they come out. But some onion and garlic and finely chopped carrots and celery can add texture and flavour to a stew and probably want to be there from the start.

The cut of meat that is used is also key. Other than mellowing out and distributing the flavour in a dish, slow cooking is really there to help break down meat and other tough ingredients, and meat needs to be quite flavoursome to benefit from the cooking time. The "best" and most tender cuts: fillet, loin, etc. tend not to have so much flavour in the first place, can be easily tackled pretty much raw, and so don't get anything out of being slow-cooked; in fact usually it makes them worse. It's an odd case where the more expensive ingredients aren't the right choice and will make the resulting dish worse, not better.

As Crow says, you want the minimum amount of water possible, only enough to cover the other ingredients, and even that should preferably be stock rather than fresh water. Water will leach out the flavour of the other ingredients and make the whole meal blander.

But overall you'll only get out what you put in. Cooking bland ingredients for eight hours isn't going to make them any tastier than cooking them for forty minutes: you need to put the right stuff in the pot in the first place.

I never said anything about stews or casseroles. We only ever do the whole St. Patty's corned beef and cabbage and pork roasts in the darn thing.

[Mauve Shirt]

Well, it's not the crackpot that's bad, it's your parents' taste in food. :smalltongue:

[Socratov]

Method of cooking and the end result is very much dependant on what you cook with it. Longer exposure to lower temperatures generally help in breaking down tough stuff. Like fats and tough pieces of meat. Similarly they are used to keep an ingredient from drying out (see Alton's episode of Good Eats on poaching). Here is the problem with the Crockpot (or any 'new' cooking method): people think they are the end-all be-all of new cooking and you won't need anything else. That is not the case. When making a stew you still first need to sear the meat. Else you're basically making poached meat in its own juices (which will leak out during the process. The samen can be said of vegetables: the differences between cooking, blanching and frying are numerous and far between. Not every vegetable is good for a certain way of cooking and vice versa.

Besides, and please read this carefully, if your cooking apparatus (i.e. the metal thing) is giving off flavour to your dish then you're in for a world of hurting bowels. These types of cookware are usually lined with teflon, and your bowels aren't exactly the greatest teflon fans. similarly it could be traces of previous foods, which may or may not be exactly still fit for consumption.

[Keld Denar]

Unless I'm cooking in a very thin sauce or wine, I generally wait until after the slow cooking process to season my food because I have also found that the flavor kinda leaches out. I made some cheesy chicken dip for superbowl, and even the half a bottle of Frank's that I put in before cooking barely made it taste, but the other half I put in after I melted in the cream cheese once the chicken was cooked definitely added lots of flavor. Same thing when I do pulled pork. Cook the pork, THEN add the BBQ sauce at the very end. Even things like really really really hot peppers and strong curries will get muted out and should definitely be added in AFTER the meat has been mostly or completely cooked.

[Jeff the Green]

Bordeaux??? You, my friend, are doing. it. WRONG. (please note my location, the heart and soul of Burgundy, seat of the Dukes ;) But joking with ya....mostly)

Mmmmm, coq au vin. But now on the subject, you'll have to try boeuf bourguignon (not with bordeaux!!!) in your crockpot. Of course, it's starting to warm up to the point where it's no longer really the season for it, but there are still some cold nights ahead to take advantage of some nice hearty meals...

Yes, well, the French don't understand cooking with wine very well, even though they're claimed to be the masters. You can barely tell the difference between a Chardonnay and a Cab once you've cooked it with chicken, carrots, and onion, let alone a Burgundy and Bordeaux. Heat and air destroy the chemicals that make a difference. As long as it's dry and not the "cooking wine" you get in the grocery store that isn't actually wine, you'll be fine.

[Dodom]

Hmm, there has been a couple references to cuts of meat, but none to bone. To make meat smooth and soft, it takes a certain amount of fat and collagen, and I've yet to find better than bone and marrow to do the job. Well, heart broth does it quite well too, but nothing beats bone. It applies to non stewed food too, I rarely buy a whole chicken without then putting the defleshed carcass in rice's cooking water, it really improves everything.

[TheThan]

Last time I used the slow cooker, I made some slow cooked chicken in BBQ sauce. I overcooked it a little too much and the chicken was falling off the bone too much, you had to spoon it out of the sauce. It tasted great, but I guess I have to back down on how long I cook it next time.

But yeah, the key to cooking with any device is to learn how to use it properly. Also if the OP’s opinion is only based on what his folks cook (corned beef and cabbage) then he could find a good corned beef and cabbage recipe and show his folks how it’s supposed to taste; they’ll probably see the difference. Alternatively, he could make something else that’s good in the slow cooker and show his folks what good slow cooked food is like.

[Bhu]

Some of the problem you may be experiencing OP are teh recipes. A lot of crockpot recipes out there are godawful and almost seem designed to remove flavor. Try catching Cook's Country on PBS, they take crockpot recipes that are popular but flavorless and redesigning them. A few tips:

Brown meat and onions before putting them in the cooker to bring out flavor

A lot of recipes call for you to add liquid. Tons of liquid. They assume the liquid is a medium through which the heat travels to the food, which isnt true. That excess liquid does bland things out however.

Do not assume all ingredients go in all at once. Sometimes one item will come out done, while another portion has been cooked unto death

[Jeff the Green]

Hmm, there has been a couple references to cuts of meat, but none to bone. To make meat smooth and soft, it takes a certain amount of fat and collagen, and I've yet to find better than bone and marrow to do the job. Well, heart broth does it quite well too, but nothing beats bone. It applies to non stewed food too, I rarely buy a whole chicken without then putting the defleshed carcass in rice's cooking water, it really improves everything.

Bone, by itself, doesn't have flavor unless you crack it, nor does it have any real effect on what you're cooking except as an insulator. The stuff that sticks to it is what matters. Also, unless the collagen and fat are already in the meat, it's not going to get in.

[Dodom]

I take it you never tried it then?

[Crow]

I take it you never tried it then?

Truth. It makes all the difference.

[Bhu]

a good bet is getting a fatty cut of meat like some sort of roast, rub it with spices, and brown it. Then stick it in the pot with peppers and onions (NO BELL PEPPER, they come out bad), and shred when you're done. You usually cant go wrong

http://www.food.com/recipe/beach-boys-pot-roast-67240

http://www.thekitchn.com/avoid-these-5-common-mistakes-when-using-your-slow-cooker-tips-from-the-kitchn-211183

http://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/common-mistakes/article/6-ways-to-screw-up-crock-pot-recipes

[sktarq]

One thing to add to the above:

Several people have mentioned searing meats and/or browning various things like onions, garlic, mushrooms etc. This a good idea, a very good idea. When you do this make sure you deglaze the pan in which such browning/searing has been done and use that as your first liquid in the slow cooker. Use whatever stock or wine to deglaze that the meal calls for but don't let that flavorful residue go to waste

[Gritmonger]

It may be something your parents grew up with, so it might be more a taste of youth or family that just isn't there for you, or you could be like me and my parents chicken noodle, a dish I dreaded because it had no taste of its own. It was a bland paste of chicken chunks, overcooked noodle, and a vague clotted sauce that served mostly to make the chicken and the noodles indistinguishable.

There may never be any love lost between you and this food - but I wouldn't judge all crockpots by one dish, just like I wouldn't blanket condemn all casseroles due to the mess that was an other than me family favorite.

[PepperP.]

I couldn't read and not reply.. I freakin' LOVE my crock pot and easily use it once a week! If you would like some recipes to pass along to your dad, I would be more than happy to share! I feel your pain though, bad food is bad no matter HOW it's cooked. haha :smallyuk: