What's the difference between using a crock pot and slow cooking in the oven?!
Answers: I asked for slow cooking recipes and people seem to assume I'm using a crock pot, even though I stated I'd be using an oven with an automatic timer, so I'm wondering - is there any difference between using a casserole dish in the oven turned down low and using a plug in crock pot?
Crock pot doesn't need to be watched, you can start it and leave for the cooking time. Oven, you need to stay there in case you need to add more liquid. Oven turned down low is best for cooking tougher cuts of meat, you can do it in a crock pot but I prefer oven. You can also slow cook a tough roast of beef on stove top in a cast iron dutch oven. I cook the meat for 2-3 hours and then peel about 3-5 pounds of carrots and add washed, pricked potatoes to it and let it cook till veggies are done. (Oh, when I put meat in, I add one whole onion and 1 pkg of dry onion soup mix and then just barely cover the meat with water.) A one pot meal that tastes great! Take everything out and reheat the broth on the stove and thicken for a tasty gravy!
sorry about that - just assumed you meant a crockpot with a timer :)
sure - use a casserole in the oven
slow cooking is about a low temperature for a long time, not about special equipment
enjoy
Crock Pot is the american term for a casserole dish in a oven.
The main differences seem to be:
Moisture: Crockpots if used correctly trap moisture in, ovens tend to dry things out.
Safety : Leaving a crockpot vs. leaving an oven on.
*Not to mention the great benefit of leaving something on before work and returning to a delicious aroma when you come home :)
electric crock pot/electric slow cooker is cheaper than putting your "big" oven on. It runs at a low wattage and from a 15 amp fuse, not the 30amp cooker circuit. The taste is slightly different too. There is a more "natural" taste to food from the electric slow cooker
The big difference is in your electric bill. The oven will use about ten times as much electricity as a crock pot.
There is little difference between an oven and a crock pot when it comes to end results. The Crock pot was invented more or less to eliminate the need for having your oven on while not at home, it also reduces your energy Bill, it does concentrate flavors better than an oven and many times the "pot" can be used as the serving dish. You can of course get close to the same results by using a casserole dish with a heavy lid and using oven temps below 300 degrees. High setting on a crock pot is approx 300 degrees, while low setting is close to 250. Reality is, before crock pots, slow cooked meals were done in the oven.
the main difference is control...when you leave home and go to work you dont have to worry about the food you're cooking in the crockpot...but would you go to work for 8 hours with something in the oven????
I cannot remember that question, but since I am a fan, I probably did. I am sorry for any offence. I usually do read the questions carefully.
There is not much difference between slow cooker and cooking slowly in an oven but the slow cooker uses in one day a fraction of the electricity of a light bulb, but an oven costs a darn sight more to run to do exactly the same job! Since I am very erratic with my eating times because of my lifestyle, I find the slow cooker cheaper and more convenient to run.