Thursday, December 3, 2009

Programmable Crock Pots Allow You To Save Time, Money And Share Great Tasting Meals with Your Family

By Emily Branklee

Although their designs have remained mostly the same, crock pots are not what they once were.

The comfort and satisfaction of a home cooked meal is something everyone delights in. But who can take the time to prepare a full meal these days? Not too many people that I know!

With the changing schedules a modern household has to endure, it hard to shop for food let alone make meals everyday, especially dinners. The old reliable crock pot or slow cooker has saved many a night with an easy meal. Though they have been around for decades, they have undergone updates and still save you money and time.

Due to recent diet trends and health advisories the crock pot or slow cooker of today prepares food faster than older models. You no longer want to cook meals for six to eight hours as in the past. Meats and vegetables are better tasting when they cook at slightly higher temperatures for less time.

Most crock pots come with programmable timers making sure that the roasts, stews or BBQ's they are preparing are kept at a higher temperature for a shorter period of time. These timers can be set to allow for different cooking times depending on the food being cooked. This really adds to their convenience.

You can still use you old tried and true Rival crock pot, but there are many new models to choose from now. The newer programmable crock pots come in various sizes from very small, individual slow cookers to large roasters capable of cooking full size turkeys or roasts.

Some ways you save money and time with a crock pot:

- Crock pots save energy using less electricity than ovens and no gas at all unlike ranges.

- Crock pots don't get hot, meaning less heat generated in your kitchen on hot summer days.

-Crock pots save you time and personal energy because you have done the all work before.

- Cheaper cuts of meat, tenderized by long, slow cooking, saves you money.

- Cooking slowing in its own juices, food retains its best flavors.

- Water is saved because steam is generated during crock pot cooking.

- Very easy setup, just add meat, vegetables and spices, liquids and set time and temperature and let the machine do all the work.

- Food stays moist even after hours of cooking.

- After the meal is finished, there is only one pot to clean.

- You can feed a big family or a large party with one crock pot.

You see that a programmable crock pot is the new slow cooker of choice for a simple way to make great tasting and simple meals for your family. Making quick and easy dinners and lunches from many different ingredients is a snap. You save money and time preparing great stews, roasts, curries, chili and even desserts and custards. The sky's the limit.

Give it a try. Remember, it's not your mother's crockpot anymore.

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