People who love food but don’t have time to cook, often opt for slow cookers. It’s needless to say that slow cookers can be used to make amazing recipes but can be challenging to use at first. This is one of the reasons people struggle with Crock-Pot slow cooker problems. To get you ready for the slow cooker journey, we are sharing everything that you need to know!
Crock-Pot Slow Cooker Problems
1) Food Isn’t Cooked Evenly
No one spends hundreds of dollars on a Crock-Pot slow cooker if they cannot even get properly cooked food. To be honest, unevenly cooked food is a serious yet common issue with the slow cooker. To illustrate, if you are making beef stew with veggies, some food items will be too mushy while some might be hard.
The unevenly cooked food is the result of uneven food cutting. This is because if the food isn’t cut into the same and even size, it will result in cooking inconsistencies. That being said, always cut the food items properly and evenly to ensure the right outcome. However, if you are cooking soft vegetables, always add them at the end of the cooking cycle because they can become mushy.
2) Watery Food
If you waited for hours to get the thick gravy only to find out that the food is all watery, it can be frustrating. The watery food is the result of fresh herbs in the recipe. We are saying this because the fresh herbs can release water and add to the watery content of the food. With a slow cooker, it’s best to use dried herbs. Even if you have to add the fresh herbs, add them at the end.
Secondly, if you added broth or stock to the slow cooker, it might be the reason behind watery food. For the most part, you must start with a minimal amount of stock or broth. Also, if you want to cook gravy or food with a thick consistency, say no to cooking liquids.
3) Meat Is Tough & Dry
Whenever you want to cook meat in Crock-Pot slow cooker, keep in mind that the lean meat cuts are highly likely to get dry. That being said, you must use the fattier meat cuts for the slow cooker (these meat cuts include beef pot roast, pork shoulder roast, chops, and pork sirloins). In addition, if the meat cut has a fat layer or fat cap, don’t remove it because it keeps the meat intact and prevents drying out.
Secondly, people often make the mistake of cooking meat for too long because they think it will soften the meat. However, excessive cooking can result in dry and tough meat, so always follow the instructions mentioned in the recipe to ensure that the meat comes out juicy and tender.
4) Unavailability Of Automatic Timer
When we are talking about the automatic timer, Crock-Pot slow cooker users also struggle with the absence of an automatic shut-off feature. To be honest, it can get challenging to handle the recipes (and time). That being said, if you cannot have access to the automatic shut-off feature or timer, we suggest that you invest in the lamp timer.
The lamp timer can be connected with the slow cooker since you just have to plug it with the slow cooker. As a result, the automatic shut-off and timer functions will start working.
5) Slow Cooker Is Not Switching On
Imagine making cooking plans and the slow cooker stops working or stops turning on; quite a scene. In this case, there are various possibilities that limit the slow cooker from switching on. First of all, you must check the power cable attached to the slow cooker and ensure that it isn’t damaged. You must keep in mind that damages can either be external or internal or both.
Nonetheless, you have to replace the power cable to ensure that electrical signal transmission is uninterrupted, so the slow cooker works properly. Once you’ve replaced the power cable, ensure that you are connecting to the functional power outlet. Also, check at the backside of the slow cooker and connect the power cable firmly. Lastly, if the slow cooker is still not switching on, you have to call the technician to see if there are malfunctions with internal electrical components!