I’ve had my fair share of rival crock pots, but this Rival smart pot is my absolute favorite. This programmable crock pot allows you to set the cooking time and when the time is over it will automatically move to the warm setting ~ keeping your food warm, but not cooking it anymore until you are ready to eat.

I had put dinner on one morning and then we had to run some errands in the afternoon. Errands always take longer than anticipated, and I was really worried we’d come home to a crock full of mush. However, the crock pot had switched to warm mode. Our dinner was ready and delicious when we got back. All we had to do was plate it up and eat.

My programmable crock pot is pretty basic. There are other programmable crock pots that have a lot more features. The Hamilton Beach 33967 Set ‘n Forget 6-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker has three different ways to program it. You can do the same as mine, and have it go to warm after a certain amount of time. You can also use the thermometer probe to have it change to warm when the food gets to a specific temperature. The third programmable feature actually takes the program out of it. You can do this crock pot on a manual setting. This just heats the crock and you turn it off when you’re ready, no timer involved. This is great for heating up leftovers, or when you are going to be around watching it.

The other super cool feature of this programmable crock pot is the snap on lid. I have never seen another crock pot with this feature. The lid actually snaps on securely. You can easily grab your crock pot and go and know you will not experience spills along the way.

If you have used a crock pot in the past, and found your food was overdone by the end of the day when you returned to eat, a programmable crock pot may be the perfect answer for you. I know it sure has been for us! I use it at least once a week all year round. It means I don’t have to heat up the house with the oven in Summer, and amazing soups and stews come out in the Winter. If you love slow cooking you will love a programmable crock pot.

First, there are slow cooker cookbooks on the market. They turn some of our favorite stovetop and oven recipes into slow cooker sensations. Dishes you may never thought of cooking in a crock pot cooker can be prepared without you even being there. I don’t know about you, but that idea sounds fantastic to me.

What you must remember when cooking anything in a Rival slow cooker is the liquid component. There must be some type of liquid in the bottom of the cooker to begin the cooking process. Without it, your dish will cook to the bottom and burn. There doesn’t need to be a lot of it, just enough to cover the bottom in most cases. The juices within the meat will mingle with the other liquid during cooking to create more of a stock. You can use water, or stock for this juice. This is a great way to create healthy meals with your Rival Slow cooker ~ you don’t need to add any additional oil.

When using a Rival slow cooker it should be at least half full for maximum cooking potential, 2/3 full is even better. This will allow for even cooking. It will also keep your food from burning and overcooking. . Keep in mind that the more food you add to the cooker, the slower it will cook. If you aren’t careful and don’t adjust the crock pot heat settings, you may find that an eight hour setting cooked your dinner in two and spent the other six drying it out. There are now programmable crock pots that basically erase this problem. They will switch to a warm setting when your meal is done. If you are choosing a crock pot I highly suggest one of the rival slow cooker models that is programmable.

Meats are the most common food cooked in a slow cooker. People use a a Rival slow cooker to cook main dishes for dinner since this is the meal we struggle with preparing most with a busy schedule. Any meat used needs to be thoroughly drained before adding it to the cooker. Since meat takes longer to cook, they need to make up the bottom layer. This will also help keep the meat moist since it will cook into the liquid underneath.

For safety, cook meats at least three hours so that an internal temperature that is high enough for proper cooking can be reached. This is not usually a problem since many use the crock pot at its lowest setting (six to ten hours depending on the brand of cooker).

If you plan to cook vegetables in your slow cooker, here are some tips. Tough fibrous veggies like carrots and potatoes can be tossed in at the beginning with the meat. It takes longer for the fibers to be broken down and the vegetables to be cooked all the way through. More delicate vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, and mushrooms should be added half an hour before the meal is done. If you put peppers in at the beginner they will have a bitter flavor by the end of cooking.

Using a Rival slow cooker can make dinner a snap. When you first use your rival slow cooker it’s best to try a few recipes while you will be home. This gives you a chance to get a feel for your particular rival slow cooker’s heat settings. It will also allow you know exactly how to set it for a set and forget it meal in the future. There are many brands of crock pot on the market, however, the Rival slow cooker has been on the market from the beginning and keeps on being the best slow cooker available.

Slow cooker is another way to say “crock pot.” Most of us are used to hearing the latter, but the terms are interchangeable meaning the same thing. Now, if you are considering using a slow cooker (and I suggest that you do), there are a few things you should know before you start to enhance your chances of creating a successful meal. Yes, even a slow cooker meal can be horrible if some basic tips are not adhered to. No one wants to come home with a hearty appetite and find a pot full of mush. Yuck!

So let’s start with the purchasing of a slow cooker. You can crock pots in various sizes.  From as small as one quart to as large as a 7 quart crock pot, you’re sure to find one that fits your needs. If you come across a larger one, that’s even better. Depending on your family size or the amount of people you’ll be preparing meals for with it, you may find the larger the slow cooker the better it will work.

Slow cookers also come with removable inner pots that allow for easier serving at the dinner table. A removable inner core allows everyone to sit and relax as they spoon their food onto the plate instead of standing at the stove. Some even come equipped with a non-stick inner pot, making clean up less messy.

Temperature settings vary among slow cookers. Many offer a range of temperature settings to meet the needs of the cook. Some have as little at two setting (high and low) and others include five settings that vary from high (two hours) to really slow cooking (ten hours). There may also be a warm setting in case the food has finished cooking but any accompanying side dishes still need to be prepared. This setting is also great for times when everyone isn’t ready to eat their meal just yet.

Be careful with your heat settings, however. As with ovens, temperatures and settings on the dial are a rough estimate. Don’t be like me who, at the expense of my meal, overcooked a roast the first time.  Even though I had it set to the eight hour setting to cook throughout the day, my slow cooker has a high temperature and cooks boneless meats quickly. I could have put it in the cooker when I got home and still had a delicious meal in less than two hours.

Just goes to show, you live and you learn. To avoid such a food crisis, test your slow cooker on the weekend when you are at home. Start a meal in the late morning hours, using the lowest setting and see how long it actually takes for the meal to cook. You may need to make adjustments to cooking times when you are away based on what you discover.

A slow cooker can be an extremely useful tool for busy families and even single people alike. With the suggestions above you’ll get used to preparing meals with your slow cooker while you’re not around in no time.