User Guide
10
SLOW COOKING TIPS
General
• The important difference between HIGH and LOW settings is how long they take
to bring food to a simmer. Choose LOW when you want foods to cook all day
(for instance, during a work day); choose HIGH when you want foods to cook
in about 4 hours.
• To ensure onions, potatoes, and other root vegetables cook through at the same
rate as other ingredients, cut them into pieces no larger than 2 inches.
• To ensure thorough cooking, place potatoes, onions, and root vegetables at the
bottom and sides of the insert, and place meats on top of them.
• Ground meats should always be browned on the stovetop before slow cooking.
• Avoid lifting lid, except to add ingredients, as it allows heat to escape. Add 15 to 20
minutes to the cooking time each time the lid is lifted.
• If adding quick-cooking vegetables, such as green beans to a slow-cooked dish, add
them during the last 30 minutes of cooking to keep them from becoming too soft.
• If adding sh to a slow-cooked dish, add it during the last 15 to 30 minutes of cooking
to prevent overcooking it.
• Dried herbs and spices can be added at the beginning of cooking. Add fresh herbs
when cooking is completed.
• Thaw foods completely before adding to the Slow Cooker.
• Dried beans should be soaked overnight, drained, and rinsed before being cooked.
Make-Ahead
• Many slow-cooked dishes, like stews and braises, taste even better the day after they’re
made. Simply follow the recipe as written, cool completely, then refrigerate, covered,
in the cooking insert. The next day, remove any solidied fat on top of food, then put