"Brooklyn1" <Gravesend1> wrote in message
...
> On Sun, 25 Dec 2011 11:48:30 -0700, Christine Dabney
> > wrote:
>
>>On Sun, 25 Dec 2011 10:39:26 -0800, wrote:
>>
>>>On Sat, 24 Dec 2011 19:43:24 -0800, David Harmon >
>>>wrote:
>>>
>>>>Watching Rick Bayless just now, he is going to cook some pork in a slow
>>>>cooker. But first, he takes the (apparently) ceramic crock out of the
>>>>cooker and puts in on top of the gas stove. When it is good and hot, he
>>>>uses it to brown the pork in some oil, before putting it back to cook.
>>>>
>>>>Is that safe? I would be afraid that heating the crock on top of the
>>>>stove would be uneven and risk having it crack in two right down the
>>>>middle. I don't remember anything in the skimpy instructions from my
>>>>Hamilton Beach cooker that would suggest that procedure.
>>>>
>>>>Does anybody here do that?
>>>
>>>I saw that crock pot in a catalog, can't remember if it's a William
>>>Sonoma or Sur la Table. The insert can be used on top of the stove for
>>>browning etc...It runs about $295.00
>>>
>>>I can't remember if it's a Cuisinart or a Calphalon, one of the two.
>>>
>>>koko
>>
>>It's a Cuisinart. I saw Ming Tsai using it too, and was intrigued.
>>Maybe some day I will spring for one like that..
>>
>>Christine
>
> A $300 slow cooker... have you lost your mind?!?!?
> See, that's why I gave up watching foodtv, it's all about selling
> pretentious useless kitchenware.
A lot of crock-pots have come up in price but you can still get some cheap
ones. My first was something like $19.99. I know because I had to replace
it after a few months. It quit heating. That apparently was a problem with
them in earlier days because I had roommates who had them and they did the
same thing. I paid more money for a useless rack designed to keep the meats
from touching the bottom and a pan that could be used for baking cakes and
breads. I did make many a loaf of bread in there but I always wished I had
a second pot for the soup to go with it. The pot itself was a poor design
in those days because it wasn't removable making it pretty hard to clean.
My first pot with a removable crock was a display model bought on clearance
at the military store. It only cost a wee bit more than my other one and
was a bit larger. I soon learned that I needed two pots because to do roast
beef and veggies took up the whole pot and there were no leftovers. I soon
learned that I needed one for the meat and another for the veggies. And I
learned that today's meat is a lot leaner. The original roasts that I did
gave off soooo much grease I had to spend a lot of time defatting the
resulting broth. I no longer need to do that.
Then I discovered a crock-pot recipe site and learned that I really needed
the 6 quart which I now own. I also own a little one for dips.
But there are all sorts of other ones out there with more features. Which I
suppose if I had a big family and if I worked outside of the home, I might
want. If I worked all the time I probably wouldn't mind spending that much.
But now for something I only use once in a while, no way.