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The Slow Route for Fast, Easy Cooking
At the end of a long day, there’s nothing better than having dinner waiting for you. That’s where the slow cooker comes in. This easy-to-use mealtime savior is just the thing for cutting down your time in the kitchen, from preparations to clean up.
Quick & Easy
There are tons of slow cooker recipes out there, especially online, and most include very simple ingredients that you have around the house. To prepare a meal, you simply place the ingredients in the slow cooker and turn it on HIGH for the first hour to bring the contents to the target temperature (140 degrees), then bring it down to LOW for the remainder of the cooking time.
Time To Yourself
Cooking times can vary based on the ingredients. The recipe should tell how long. Most slow cooker meals take 4 to 8 hours to complete the cooking process. Which is great, because it means you can toss everything in that morning and not have to think about it until it’s ready at dinnertime. Just be sure that someone is in the house to keep an eye on it. Like any heated device, it’s not a good idea to leave it on while you’re out.
Keep a Lid on It
Make sure not to lift the lid while the mixture is cooking (unless the recipe instructs you to do so). The steam that’s generated in the cooking process creates a vacuum that seals the lid. Every time you open it, some of the steam and heat dissipates, which can make for a longer cooking process.
