Crockpot Cooking: Utensils and Accessories

If by chance you've read any of my other crockpot cooking hubs; then you may have notice it is time for me to suggest some Crockpot Cooking: Utensils and Accessories that an individual can use to take care of and assist in prolonging the life of one's stoneware appliance. You may have noticed to that in several other hubs, I’m showing the Breville EasySear Cooker that is in the video to your right.

Well, I’ll admit that since first viewing this slow cooker I fell in love with the idea that you could remove the liner place it on your stove and properly sear or brown your meat. This appliance to me is the best time saver yet, because it eliminates one from having to use an additional pan and perhaps other cooking utensils during food preparation.

If however, you like me and really cannot afford to invest in Breville EasySear appliance at this time; nonetheless, if you are in the market to purchase a new crock pot, look for one that has a removable liner like this one. Or perhaps you have one of the standard crockpots that has nonremovable liners; now there are cooking bags that can be used to assist in making cleanup easy.

The easiest way to determine the correct utensils to use within your crock pot is to take a look at the types of utensils that the manufacturer has designed for their appliances. The Official Crock-Pot website provided the most thorough information on their utensils and accessories so I’m using that as a guideline to create this portion of the hub. By no means are these the only Crockpot Cooking: Utensils and Accessories on the market. Regardless of the name brand of utensils and accessories that one chooses; the tools should be specifically designed to work with the crock pot slow cooker making it easy to prepare the meals.

Consider finding utensils that are heat resistant to at least 400 degrees, that will not scratch or damage the surface, and that gives you flexibility to scoop, dip, and or stir from the top to the bottom. Shown in the photo at the top of the page are as follows: The 1^st utensil is a spoon which offers a unique flat bottom that is designed with a steep angled handle to help get around the tight corners. It allows the spoon to be used for double duty as a turner of food and a spoon at the same time. The 2^nd utensil is slotted spoon and offers the same features as the regular spoon with the added benefit of being able to drain or strain foods like green beans or peas.

3^rd is the turner and the 4th is the slotted turner that has a head designed for a variety of uses and slots for draining and walled back and sides. This slotted tool is great for draining meats when transferring from a frying pan to the crockpot or vice versa. It’s great for slicing and separating individual servings such as lasagna or brownies.

5^th is the ladle which helps you get around the crockpot slow cooker with ease plus it’s the idea size for that single perfect bowl of soup, stew, or beans. This utensil also has a variety of uses however; it’s a great tool to use for strains and liquids. And the 6^th utensil is the tongs which are designed to cradle a roast; while the teeth inside the head grip the meat to ensure that the roast remains intact. The pinchers of the tongs allows one to pinch small items such as potatoes and vegetables.

If you would like to purchase the Official Crock-Pot brand of cooking utensils then you can find them at the website link above. One can also purchase replacement parts form the same website. Or you can purchase some of the other selections included on this hub.

Personally, I prefer the clean sleek look and feel of stainless steel, however to avoid damaging my crockpot I use the steel handles with silicone heads as my cooking utensils. The material composition of kitchen utensils can immensely affects the cost and performance of your cooking with these utensils. Utensils can be made from a variety of materials and or substances including aluminum, copper, cast iron, glass, porcelain, plastic, steel, tin, and silicone.

These properties determine practical applications for each product and should meet all Food Safety and Health standards. In addition, such materials must be constructed to prevent scratches or damage to the stoneware itself. The same care used in cleaning and handling the family’s flatware and other cooking utensils should be done for your crockpot slow cooker utensils. Be sure to follow the manufacturer’s suggested cleaning instructions to avoid any health or safety issues.

The video to the right will definitely prove to you the importance of using the proper cooking utensils within a crockpot. This poor fellow has a lot going against him in getting this stoneware clean.

• One problem is that the slow cooker is over 20 years old
• Another issue is that the inside stoneware has been scratched and damaged
• In addition to the fact that his cleaning actions are abrasive which damages the appliance even more.

This individual needs to purchase a new crockpot and buy the proper kitchen utensils to use within the slow cooker.  With today’s new materials there should not be a lot of sticking if the stoneware is properly sprayed with a non sticking vegetable oil or a plastic liner is used at the beginning of cook time.  Also, it is important to use a non abrasive dish detergent to clean the appliance properly.

This is the conclusion of Crockpot Cooking: Utensils and Accessories as one can see cooking with this stoneware has become easier than ever.  Be sure to check out my other hubs on crockpot cooking. This is part of a series of hubs discussing cooking techniques and soon there will be more recipes; please see the tab below near the comments section for a link to the next hub.

And so in departing a note to my readers: I hope you liked this article and I would appreciate if you leave a comment, rate it, share it, and/or Digg it. Thanks You!

Namaste’