How to Buy a Crockpotby Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger 23 Jan 2008 12:25 PM Crockpots (slow cookers) are a favorite tool in a frugal home. Why? Crockpots allow you to put dinner together in the morning or even the night before and have it waiting for you when you are ready. This reduces the chance that you will either purchase expensive pre-frozen or pre-packaged meals for busy nights, or go out to eat. Some studies have shown that crockpots use less energy than does an oven or range, saving you money. Because of the cooking method, crockpots allow you to use less expensive cuts of meat, rendering them tender. There has been a surge of interest in crockpot crookery and with it comes an entire range of styles and features in crockpots. How can you choose? I hope that I can help. First, decide on the size of the crockpot you want. They come in all sizes, with 2-quarts, 4-quarts, 5-quarts and 7-quarts being very popular. For a family of four, a 4-or 5-quart is great and may yield you some leftovers. In crockpot cooking, you want to make sure that you fill the crockpot at least 2/3 full. Round or oval? I have one of each, a smaller round crockpot that does most of my cooking, and then a larger oval one for doing whole chickens and roasts. The oval shape accommodates these foods nicely. I also use the oval one when I triple my batches for freezing. Features? For me, less is more. As long as it has a low and a high setting, I'm good. My larger crockpot has a built in timer, and it actually is more of a pain to use, than it is worth. If you really want a timer feature, save yourself some money and plug the crockpot into an inexpensive timer you can purchase from the home improvement store. A delayed start makes no sense to me either, since anything I put in the crockpot is usually perishable and should not sit out without cooking. Worth the price: Definitely purchase a crockpot with a removable ceramic pot. Make sure that the heating element is all around the entire crockpot, not just at the bottom. I tend to be loyal to Rival crockpots, because I have used them through the years without any problems. If you have any questions about crockpots, please leave a comment, and I will get right back to you. Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, technology in the Computing Blog, and creating a home in the Home Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here. Check out the Food Blog for crockpot recipes. Related Articles: Three Ways Your Crockpot Saves Money Creamy Crockpot Mashed Potatoes Frugal Food: Lentil And Rice Casserole for the Crockpot Breadmaker Breakdown of Savings (1) Breadmaker Breakdown of Savings (2) Learn more about Mary Ann Romans  Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat. Relevantfrugal tags User Comments jonesx6 (1606) 26 Jan 2008 11:08 AMI adore my crock pot. I use it at least once a week. They are great for everything. When ours died a few months ago I checked online reviews for different crock pots. I found the "stripped" down models got the best reviews. Laura  deedee1231 (4030) 26 Jan 2008 12:53 PMI am in the market for a new 7 quart crockpot, mine went out and I am stuck only with a 4 quart which is not large enough for my usual crockpot dishes (I am feeding a family of 6). Anyway, I found a great bargain on a 7 quart at a discount place and bought it before realizing that the ceramic pot is split in half; that is, it has 2 chambers for 2 different dishes rather than just one large chamber for a roast or a chicken. Well, I returned it because it wasn't what I wanted, but I now I keep thinking about it and thinking maybe I should go back for it. I keep telling myself that I only want it because it was only about $20, and that I would probably not use it. Furthermore, I really do need one with a large chamber for chickens and stews. Do you think a split chamber crockpot would be a good investment for a large family?  Mary Ann Romans (26876) 26 Jan 2008 04:16 PMPersonally, I wouldn't have a lot of use for a split pot. I can see making two different dishes in it at the same time, but they would have to be compatible dishes so flavors wouldn't mix, and dishes that cooked for the same amount of time or close to it. Instead, I would probably get the larger pot and keep the smaller one for side dishes. Can anyone else help DeeDee out here? Mary Ann Romans (26876) 26 Jan 2008 04:16 PMLaura, I can't agree more! What is your favorite recipe?  Valorie Delp (49340) 26 Jan 2008 07:14 PMDeedee. . .I actually own two crock pots. I know for us. . .a split chamber crock pot wouldn't feed all of the people in our house. Like you said, I need a large chamber for roasts, chickens, etc. jonesx6 (1606) 28 Jan 2008 09:53 AMMary Ann, I like to put whole chickens in the crock-pot on Sunday's, then the next day I will make a big pot of soup w/ the bones. I also put in pork tenderloins, roast beefs, and pork chops. Honestly, I don't have a favorite recipe b/c most crock pot recipes call for Cream of ________ soup. How about you? Laura Mary Ann Romans (26876) 28 Jan 2008 10:36 AMI would have to say that the one I make most often is lentils and rice casserole. I was surprised, but the kids and my husband really like it. Is there something about cream soups I should know? deedee1231 (4030) 29 Jan 2008 11:27 AMI just put a roast in my four quart crock pot and, alas, I had no room for new potatoes and baby carrots! So I am giving up the temptation of the (cheap) split crock pot for good. Next weekend I will bite the bullet and buy the new 7 quart crock pot that I really need. I would have gone this morning, but we have a blizzard happening in Kansas City today! mellyjanejedi (5) 25 Aug 2008 12:29 PMPlease tell me where I can buy a split or 2 chamber crock pot..Do you know the name brand of one you've seen in a store. I've tried to google one but get so many returns for regular crock pots and slow cookers it is riciculous. If you can remember the size of one, any details that I could use to narrow down my google search to find one. I've been looking for one for a couple of years now. Thanks! Mary Ann Romans (26876) 26 Aug 2008 04:26 AMHere is one http://www.jardenstore.com/product.aspx?bid=17&pid=5190 Community Tags crockpot, frugal, Food, slow cooker, saving money Discuss this article
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