"Wayne Boatwright" > wrote in message
...
> On Sun 04 Sep 2005 05:01:05a, Andy wrote in rec.food.cooking:
>
> > I finally bought a slow cooker. It's a 7-qt cooker, the All-Clad sold at
> > Williams-Sonoma.
>
> As slow cookers go, you could probably have done just as well with a Rival
> for a whole bunch less.
>
Yup, I own two Rivals. One is a 5 quart, the other a 7-1/2 quart oval. The
third is just a no-name bitty little thing I mainly use for making hot dips.

> > In the instructions it says do not slow cook a whole chicken because the
> > temperature doesn't get hot enough. The unit is rated at 330W but
> > nowhere does it mention what the HI and LOW temps really are. Is this
> > typical, not cooking whole chickens?
>
> Oh, pshaw! Most slow cookers are rated low in wattage and most folks cook
> whole chickens in them. Someone probably knows, but I've never actually
> seen temps listed for the HI and LOW settings. I suspect that the LOW
> setting maintains just around simmering.
>
Any slow cooker I've ever had came with a recipe booklet and one of the
first things mentioned in each is a whole chicken. Just be prepared for it
to stew in its own juices (literally). If you want crispy chicken or
"roasted" chicken, go to KFC Speaking of which, a slow cooker is great
for making chicken stew!

The HI and LOW thing is basically how long do you want to cook it? LOW 8-10
hours or HI 4-6 hours? My larger oval cooker also has a "keep warm" setting
which is great in pot luck situations at the office. It also came with a
thermal carry case and heavy stretchy straps to anchor the lid down when
transporting.

Ever have one of those "darn, I should have patented this" ideas? I'd been
using big rubber bands to secure the lid down on my 20 year old slow cooker
(stretch across the lid and then around the cooker handles) for years before
I bought the new one. They just made the rubber bands "prettier"

Jill