Any recommendations about slow cooker ware?

[abicahsoul]

Hello all!
I would like to know if there are some slow cookers out there that are tried and tested, or perhaps some recommended goods. I am thinking about it, just don't know what to look for. It would be nice if it was possible to set the temperature low.
I tried to find a thread about this but couldn't.
Perhaps you want to move this, since it is not part of the Wai, in that case I don't mind.
Also, best wishes to the baby! RRM

[abicahsoul]

i also realized that there is a cooking method called sous vide:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sous-vide
at ca 60 degrees celsius..
I am not sure what the lowest temperature is that you can cook meat etc in..

[dime]

RRM wrote about a method where you only need a pan, you put water and let it stay on the lowest temperature on the oven.
Otherwise slow cookers are all same I guess (+/- some fancy features like timers), you just need to pick the right size for you :)

[abicahsoul]

Thanks Dime
From energy saving perspective slow cooker seems to be better for me, cuz my oven is a monster that takes so much power to run. Some slow cookers have a few different heat options.. Usually 2 plus keeping warm, but one I found had 4 temperatures and keeping warm.
Thanks for the info..

I also do wonder how much of the HCA and changes in protein chains that can be avoided. Clearly the texture changes so something still happens, but I wonder if there is some positive difference..

[dime]

I also do wonder how much of the HCA and changes in protein chains that can be avoided. Clearly the texture changes so something still happens, but I wonder if there is some positive difference..

Not sure, you'll have to search for studies if you're interested in the details. It's certainly better than steaming, boiling, baking, grilling..

[RRM]

RRM wrote about a method where you only need a pan, you put water and let it stay on the lowest temperature on the oven.

I wasnt clear, i think, but i didnt mean 'oven'.
I meant to say that you just need a pan that is wide enough to allow sufficient evaporation of the water,
(much surface water) to prevent the temperature from rising too much.
You just need to put the pan on the smallest pit of your stove (gas or electric), on the lowest setting.
something like this (but one with varying sizes):

Gas stove.jpg

[Mr. PC]

So my friend eats chicken regularly but only white meat, and has offered me her dark meat free. I tried putting it in the oven today on the lowest temperature, left it for 15 minutes, then turned the oven off, and left it like that as I ran back to my school to get something (took 45 minutes). When I got back it was still warm, and it was almost cooked (just a little blood). I ate it but didn't eat the blood part, but I don't know if it was really 'slow cooked'. It took maybe an hour to cook through (which I believe is too short, right?).

Could I have taken my (teflon) frying pan, added some OO on it, and put an entire chicken sans breast on that (maybe with some onions) and a thin layer of water ok top of the OO? (The OO would help because of the teflon and also took cook the onion, give more flavour, and some more fat).

[RRM]

Slow cooking chicken takes a few hours. If it was 'done' in 15 minutes, the temp was too high. Maybe you didnt wrap the chicken in alu foil?

Could I have taken my (teflon) frying pan, added some OO on it, and put an entire chicken sans breast on that (maybe with some onions) and a thin layer of water ok top of the OO? (The OO would help because of the teflon and also took cook the onion, give more flavour, and some more fat).

The onion needs to be cooked, so you need to cook that first.
You can use that frying pan for slow cooking the chicken, but then the chicken needs to be entirely covered in water. If not, it will be cooked for real at the downside, and raw at the top. Fill it with water and make sure that the water never starts to boil.

[Mr. PC]

So with the frying pan, I would have to first cut the chicken up in order to get it small enough to fit under 1 inch of water, right? Would I be losing nutrients to the water this way?

I didn't cover the top of the chicken. So the aluminum slows down the heat?

Could I leave onions in as an indicator (if the onions cook I've used too much heat).

I slow cooked some eggwhite in the pan today; took 2 hours for 4 eggwhites. Just used OO, added some tomato slices and squeezed an orange on for flavour. When I took it out of the pan the 'whites' were white, rather than clear, but still soft and broke apart as I scooped them out, as opposed to being rubbery/strong when they're regularly cooked. It tasted pretty good.

[RRM]

So with the frying pan, I would have to first cut the chicken up in order to get it small enough to fit under 1 inch of water, right?

Right.

Would I be losing nutrients to the water this way?

No, its not boiling. Boiling ruptures cells. Heating up to 80 degrees celsius does not.

I didn't cover the top of the chicken. So the aluminum slows down the heat?

It prevents dry hot air circulating in the oven from oxidating the meat.
When its covered, its solely about the temperature.

Could I leave onions in as an indicator (if the onions cook I've used too much heat).

Not very reliable. Its better to get a thermometer, or check the water regularly; is it (nearly) boiling?
Also dont forget to add sufficient water in between, as the water evaporates (that whats keeping the temp below boiling point).

I slow cooked some eggwhite in the pan today; took 2 hours for 4 eggwhites. Just used OO, added some tomato slices and squeezed an orange on for flavour. When I took it out of the pan the 'whites' were white, rather than clear, but still soft and broke apart as I scooped them out, as opposed to being rubbery/strong when they're regularly cooked. It tasted pretty good.

Nice.
Egg whites dont take that long on 70 to 80 degrees celsius. It means that you have used quite a low temp; something like 50 or 60 degrees celsius.
(which is excellent of course)

[dime]

No, its not boiling. Boiling ruptures cells. Heating up to 80 degrees celsius does not.

Are you sure? I thought above 40-50C most proteins start to denature?

[RRM]

Would I be losing nutrients to the water this way?

No, its not boiling. Boiling ruptures cells. Heating up to 80 degrees celsius does not.

Are you sure? I thought above 40-50C most proteins start to denature?

Denaturation is the unfolding of proteins.
'Pure' denaturation (40-80°C) does not cause a significant loss of amino acids.
Cooking/boiling (> 100°C) comes with a substantial loss of specific amino acids, eg methionine (but not cysteine).
But Mr PC was talking about nutrients. In general people dont have protein in mind, but vitamins and minerals.
Cooking vegetables in water for example, does come with a loss of vitamins / minerals that migrate in the water.
This is mainly due to ruptured cells losing water that was inside those cells, including vitamins and minerals.
Thats why cooked fresh food (not cooked dried-foods) usually contains less water after cooking.
This includes various meats. Hence that slow cooking produces more juicy meat (more water remaining) than regularly cooked meat.

[Mr. PC]

Si with the egg whites, water is not neccesary? I have found actually when I use olive oil with them I become confused about when they're finished, because the OO ooks like uncoooked eggwhite, and I end up overcooking.

How long should they take to cook at 70 - 80 degrees? I'm glad to hear I can do it faster because I didn't feel it was a practical amount of time (though I did become very good at controlling the fire of my stovetop.

[RRM]

About 15 / 20 minutes

[Mr. PC]

And the number of eggs doesn't matter? What if i were to cook 8 whites?

i also noticed today when i cooked on lowest temp, it took more than 20 minutes, but then i left it too long and it browned a little. I assume this is bad. Is it possible to overcook like this at slowcook temperatures?