Why You Should Make Meals With A Slow-Cooker

If you’re single and living alone, it’s important to know how to cook nutritious meals for yourself on a consistent basis.  Like practically everything else in today’s world, you need to learn this skill yourself: no one is going to spoon-feed you.  What I want to talk about today is an efficient cooking strategy that can optimize the time, cost, and nutritive value of your home cooking.  What I’m talking about here is the crock-pot (or slow-cooker).  Using a slow-cooker will save you a huge amount of time and money.

A crock-pot is a stand-alone “slow-cooking” appliance that is used to cook or heat meals prepared in one vessel.  Think of it as the modern version of the cast-iron Dutch oven that could be filled with food and set by the hearth in colonial times.  You may have seen these appliances at your local mega-store like Walmart or Target.  Let me explain first why I think these devices are an important addition to your kitchen arsenal, and why you need to get one now.  There is no real difference between a crock-pot and a slow-cooker.  The word “crock-pot” is actually a brand name, but has been used so often that it has become synonymous with slow-cooker.

Price

You can buy a good, reliable slow-cooker for under $20.  Mine was only about $15.  Considering how useful and efficient these machines are, this to me is a decision that should be an easy one.  I can’t think of any other regularly-used kitchen appliance that is this inexpensive.

Lifestyle Convenience

The whole idea of a slow-cooker is that you can load it with meats, vegetables, or other edibles, set the selector switch, and then leave it to do its work.  That’s all you need to do.  There is no monitoring or checking involved.  In fact, since many recipes call for cooking times of 6 to 8 hours (set on “low”) you can load it up in the morning and then have a meal waiting for you when you come home.  This can save you a lot of time.  Cooking is fun, but sometimes when we get home after a hard day, we don’t want to have to deal with food preparation.  The crock pot gives you this freedom.

Another great thing about the crock pot is that it doesn’t just give you one meal:  it can feed you for two or three days.  So when you make a batch of food, you won’t have to cook for the next few days.  You just store the leftovers in the refrigerator and then heat them up the next day.  This can save you a lot of time and energy during the week.

Variety

The great thing about crock pots or slow-cookers is that they always come with little recipe books.  The one I bought came with a book that had dozens of recipes for stews and soups of all kinds.  There will be recipes in these books that you would never have thought of.  And it’s nice to have everything in one place.

Another good thing about slow-cookers is that they encourage you to eat vegetables and beans.  I am not exactly the world’s biggest vegetable fan, but I do like eating them if they are cooked as part of an entire dish, and if they are flavored and seasoned.  Cooking with a slow-cooker relieves you of the task of cooking vegetables separately.

Preparation

Of all the kinds of meals you will make at home, I doubt you will encounter any that are as easy to prepare as meals made in slow-cookers.  Pretty much all you need to do is put the meats and vegetables in the crock pot, add your seasonings and stock, and then set the selector switch to “low” or “high” depending on the recipe.  That is all.

Choosing a Slow-Cooker

Choosing a slow cooker should not be a bewildering task.  I’m going to give you my opinion on the things you should look for, and what has served me well.  Each person, of course, will have to make his own decision on what works best for him.

When you go to the appliances section of your local megastore, you’re going to see a large number of slow-cooker options.  These can range in price from $15 to over $150.  Some look very sophisticated, and some do not.  This my advice:

  • Don’t bother getting a slow-cooker with a timer.  You don’t need a timer.  It’s just a marketing gimmick and is one more thing that can break or malfunction.  When in doubt, the simpler or less complicated machine is usually better.
  • Your slow-cooker should have a thick removable insert (preferably ceramic or other suitable material) that you can clean separately
  • Your slow-cooker only needs to settings:  low and high.  That is all.  Anything more than this is needlessly complicated.  I am not a fan of these programmable controls on cooking appliances.  All they do is break after a few uses and add to the cost of the appliance.  Again, when it comes to machines, simpler is usually better.
  • Your slow-cooker should have “legs” of some kind so that it is elevated when set down on a counter.  These things get hot, and you don’t want something that comes into too close contact with countertops that might become discolored from heat exposure.  Even if it does have legs, you should set the crock-pot on some kind of (wooden) cutting board when it is being used, so that any ambient heat is absorbed.
  • Your slow-cooker should have a glass lid so you can see inside it when it is cooking.  This is important, obviously.
  • Slow-cookers are available in various sizes, from 2 quarts to about 8 quarts capacity.  A single person living alone probably does not need one greater than 4 quarts.

So there it is.  For a minimum of investment, you can improve the quality of your meals, save money, and free up a lot of time during the week.  I think you’ll be glad you bought one.

Read More: How To Make Beef Jerky

172 thoughts on “Why You Should Make Meals With A Slow-Cooker”

  1. Can you use a slow cooker if you don’t know when you’ll be coming home? Sometimes I leave the house thinking I’ll be home in 8 hours, but with work and other things, I don’t get back for 12 or 14 hours.

    1. I’d get a slow cooker with an automatic timer if I don’t know when I’ll be home. Even if it’s just a cooker with a 4-hr cutoff and a “warm” setting (to reheat your food without bringing it back to full cook), it’ll give you peace of mind and allow you to reheat the food fairly quickly.

      1. Good advice, thanks. I also liked your comment about the pressure cooker. If it can really do a pot roast in 30 minutes, that might be the better option for me.

        1. A pot roast will actually take more like 45 minutes, but it’ll come out tender as anything.
          I’ve used quite a bit making stocks – I find the pressure breaks down the marrow faster, which results in a heartier stock. Chicken-and-rice used to be an overnight process (cook for an hour, cap and let sit overnight, reheat in the morning), but the pressure cooker actually gives the same results in about 30 minutes.
          I did not grow up using one of these tools, but it’s a game changer.

      2. Mine has a timer, but it’s super fast. Put it for 8 hours and it’ll be ‘finished’ in 6. Really weird.

    2. I have left a pork butt in on low for 12 hours. As long as you have liquid in there it will be fine.

  2. There was a time I lived on soups and rice, but I used the stovetop and a good pot instead of a slow cooker. In my opinion, if you have access to a stove there is really no reason to have the slow-cooker.
    Now a pressure cooker setup is a different thing, entirely. You can get a pretty neat pressure cooker for less than $100 that will make just about anything in 30 minutes. It’s an easy way to make sticky rice, it can make pot roasts, and without the pressure active it’s just a slow cooker.
    The versatility of a pressure cooker over a slow cooker makes it, in my opinion, a better use of your money and valuable counter space.

    1. while it is no where near practical, a sous vide set up is a very fun way to make excellent food.

      1. My dad got his hands on a sous vide, and we dined on the world’s most tender and rare steaks.
        For those who don’t know, a sous vide is a device that precisely controls water temperature (usually to well within 1 degree Fahrenheit). This allows you to basically slow-cook foods at very precise temperatures. As an example, you can vacuum seal steaks and keep them at the temperature that sterilizes the meat and softens gristle without cooking it fully, so that a quick sear results in perfectly tender and rare steak.

    2. There’s a very good reason to have a slow cooker: It runs on electricity. You can start a slow cooker meal and leave the house with peace of mind that it’ll still be there when you return eight hours later. You can’t do that with a gas stove.

      1. True enough. I’ve not had a gas stove for a long time, so I’ve been operating on electric heating elements which are much safer to leave alone. As everyone I’ve spent time with (except my parents) has electric, I frankly forgot gas stoves were a factor to consider.

    3. I wouldn’t be comfortable leaving a gas stove on at the required low heat level overnight or while I’m out of the house during the day. Too many things can go wrong. Heaven forbid the flame were to be extinguished by a draft and your house fills up with gas.
      Another drawback here is the application of heat. Slow cookers attempt to apply heat evenly at both the bottom and side walls of the vessel. So even if you aren’t using a gas stove, you’re still only applying heat to the bottom of your pot. This results in a temperature gradient up through the food – the larger the pot the worse this becomes. The result is either undercooking the food at the top or burning the food at the bottom – there is no temperature that can be set that will cook the food perfectly.

      1. In an above reply, I just mentioned that I forgot about gas stoves entirely. Yes, gas stoves are comparatively volatile, so cooking while sleeping or out of the house is a big mistake. However, the dangers of an electric stove are comparable to those of a slow cooker, so I’d say a good pot is enough to get you by.
        As to the heating problem, this is mitigated largely by the fact that I only did soups in the pot. Given enough water and a low enough temperature, everything will cook evenly because the water will distribute the heat across your food. It would definitely have been more difficult to make anything with a lower water content like pulled pork, but for those things I tend to employ the oven.
        All this to say, if space is a premium (as it tends to be in places like shared or small apartments), there are ways to do the same work as a slow-cooker without sacrificing the counter space.

      2. The temp difference is actually a benefit when on a stove top, as it causes the liquid to circulate within the pot. This aids in reduction of the liquid and in the activation of starches, gelatins, and other thickening agents.

    4. I agree.
      For decades I loved my crock pot. Used it all the time.
      I recently got a pressure cooker and that has replaced my crock pot. It’s faster with the same results, and it can do a bit more.
      If you’re on a budget, a $15 to $20 slow cooker is the way to go. Nothing wrong with that.
      If you can spare the expense, a $90 to $100 pressure cooker is a fantastic option. If you liked your crockpot or slow cooker, you will love a pressure cooker.

      1. I really do like just having the meal ready when I get home from work (well, when I get off work). I hate coming home and then having to “work” for the next hour or longer with cooking, so a crock pot, for me, is crucial.

        1. Most don’t know this, but modern electric pressure cookers are just souped-up slow cookers. Mine has a designated “slow cook” setting that allows you to set a cook time, and it will maintain warmth for 10 hours after the time is done. It can also pressure-cook and slow-release steam during the 10 hour warming phase.
          All you have to do is keep the quick-release steam valve in the “open” position. As a former slow-cooker owner and current pressure-cooker operator, it’s a lot of bang for your buck.
          (Incidentally, I recommend the Instant Pot brand of cooker. $100 for a top-end model that’s nigh indestructible and reliable for over a year so far.)

        2. Is there a way to depressurize that rapidly? I use a manual pressure cooker, with the cold-water release method.

        3. They have these valves on top that just release the steam in a controlled blast. It takes right about a minute to go from maximum pressure to an open pot.

      2. I got mine on sale via techbargains for black friday for about $15.00. Yeah, that’s right. It’s aluminium and is a stovetop and doesn’t double as a slow cooker, but still, a great starter. So check on techbargains regularly and sales and you can find one for perhaps $25.00.
        I typically use it to char/sear my meats to get the flavor going when cooking in it in the open on a high flame, toss in the vegetables and potatoes and (usually) vinegar marinade (but I also use leftover soy sauce from Chinese restaurants) and then high pressure for about 20 minutes. Pork and beef come out amazingly tender. I put potatoes and carrots in as well and they come out delicious.

    5. for me its just about throwing stuff together before work,and knowing my supper is ready for when i come home…saves prep time.

      1. Digital pressure cookers are basically slow-cookers with pressure controls. I have a Korean-brand cooker that’s absurdly reliable as both a slow cooker and a pressure cooker.
        In fact, when I get home there’s a beef stew simmering for me. Looking forward to that, for sure.
        EDIT: Basically, you just run with the quick-release valve open to make it work like a slow cooker. Plenty of settings that work for that, but you are restricted to a higher entry price and digital interface.

    6. As long as you stay away from the canned soups. Got a relative who eats them every day. Fat as hell, probably from the excessive sodium intake.

    7. This is exactly right. A slow cooker has its uses, but if you are making a soup from scratch it will develop much better on a stove top than in a slow cooker. Slow cookers are horrible at reducing liquids, especially if the lid is left on, so it results in watery soups that if cooked properly would otherwise be great.

  3. Asked for, and received, a 3 quart slow cooker for Christmas. I’ve used it every week since, pre-preping the week’s lunch meals every Sunday. Chili, ribs, gyros, fajitas, loaded mac&cheese. I agree 100%, this needs to be in every mans arsenal.

  4. Good stuff quint and I agree. Love my slow cooker for everything from my healthy lunches to winter time when I leave some wine, cinnamon sticks, cloves, brandy, honey and apples in it and when I come home in 2 feet of snow with a bone deep chill I have a nice glass of it to warm me up.

    1. Two feet of snow? When did that last happen? 2007?
      I was looking forward to a drink like that after cross country skiing this year. Yeah, clearly that wasn’t in the cards.

      1. last winter we got hit with 30 inches here in the city. The night of the storm was loads of fun. All non emergency vehicle traffic suspended, everyone just walking around having a blast. The next week or so the work commute totally sucked and I always looked forward to getting home to piping hot spiced wine.

      2. Last time we got 2+ feet was 2 years ago, when oddly, it also hit -22 (the actual temperature, not the wind chill). Ohio.

        1. Just moved north, managed to time it so that we arrived the weekend after winter ended. They were talking about fines for not shoveling the driveways in the city on the radio as we came up, but it hasn’t been under 60 since I got here.

  5. Two things about slow cookers I can’t stress enough.
    1) DO NOT PUT FROZEN FOOD IN IT
    2) Buy the cheap one like Quin suggests….around 20 bucks…..but replace every couple of years.

    1. I should add a 3rd to that list: Don’t use Kratom as a seasoning!!
      Aw, that was bad!

        1. thats what roasting it in the heat is for… lol
          they also say putting hot food in the fridge causes bacteria…i think people worry too much.

        2. Basically, there’s a risk that while the meat is around room temperature it will be infected with various bacteria. The longer it takes to bring meat to “safe” temperatures, the greater the time bacteria have to invade and multiply, and the more risky it becomes.
          However, it seems as though cooking it long enough to absolutely guarantee uniform safe temperatures (e.g. near-boiling for 6+ hours, long enough for meat to assume uniform high temperature) should be fine even with frozen meats.

        3. I did hear that cut onions attract bacteria and so should not be left exposed in the fridge. It may be an old wives’ tale, but the lady who taught me that lived to 100.
          Hot food -> fridge will cool relatively slowly, allowing plenty of time in the bacteria/fungus growth zones. As fridges are absolutely filthy (you just don’t notice because it’s cool enough not to mess things up very quickly), that can be risky. I’d rate that true-enough.

        4. Possibly right. Can’t say. I use slow cooker mostly for chilli, pulled pork or this protein mashup I make the rest I prefer Fire.
          People probably do worry too much, but I’ve been hit with a case of the trots and the risk /reward of cooking frozen simply doesn’t pay for me

        5. I just have trouble finding anything online that explains WHY the heat has to go on fast. E. coli dies at ~130 Fahrenheit, so even if it’s absolutely riddled shouldn’t it all just die off at beef’s safe 150-ish?

        6. Do not neglect the toxins that bacteria can create while in the unsafe temperature range. The bacteria might well be dead, but the toxins are not always destroyed with heat.

        7. Interesting. Now I want to find some literature on all this – surely someone’s done some serious research on the subject, and someone else has reduced it to something easier to read…

        8. I don’t worry about beef. I eat it raw a lot. Pork and chicken on the other hand….a good case of the trots is no fun

        9. bacteria breeds exponentially, so the longer something sits in the danger zone you get far more bacteria in it. And while getting above 135 will eventually kill any living bacteria, there comes a point where too many toxins have built up that no amount of heat can make safe. Basically anything thats been in the danger zone for 6 hrs or more should be trashed, aside from safe items like acidified oils.

        10. putting hot food in the fridge drastically increases the temperature inside the fridge. A fridge isn’t designed to remove heat efficiently, it primarily is adding cold air. By putting hot foods inside you greatly increase the work load required to reach the desired temp inside and expose all the other foods inside to a potentially lengthy stay in danger zone temps. Even in commercial kitchens its a health violation to put hot foods in the fridges, even in the big walk ins. There are procedures for reducing the heat of items in a timely manner prior to placing in the fridge.

      1. I once used partially-frozen ground beef to make chili in a slow cooker. Biiiig rookie mistake; the meat ended up with no flavor nor texture. I always go with the adage: whatever the meat, brioled, seared, grilled or slow-cooked, have it slightly colder than room temp.

  6. Jammyjaybird’s ultimate slow cooker recipe:
    Meat: Seared chunks of stewing beef, chopped bacon, chopped sausage
    Veggies: Chopped onion, carrot, celery, cabbage, potato, and whatever else you got
    Beans: kidney or white
    Fats: Lots of butter, olive oil, lard. Use ALL three.
    Flavor: Sea salt, fresh pepper, crushed fennel seeds, rosemary, thyme
    Liquid: Beef broth, either homemade or quality store-bought (I recommend Better than Boullion), cup or two of red wine
    Adjust proportions to your taste. Cook on low for eight hours.
    The ingredients cost about $20, it takes thirty minutes to prep, and it will feed you one meal a day for about a week. It’s great for weight loss too — just omit the beans and potato and add more of everything else.
    You’re welcome.

    1. In lieu of the potatoes and beans for dieters, you could hearty it up by adding a pound of ground bison. I make a similar recipe only instead of stewing beef I use pork and omit the cabbage, beans, potato and anything else that adds carbs. This is good stuff.

      1. Alternatively, you can use instant mashed potatoes to starch up the broth. It doesn’t take a lot, so while you can’t really keep ketonic you can keep your carbs very low. I found it useful for satisfying carb cravings while working down.
        Also, how much carb is there in cabbage? I always kind of assumed it was closer to lettuce in that way.

        1. You can but if you are going to use potato might as well use real ones.
          Not a ton of cabs in cabbage but enough if you are doing a keto diet

        2. The only reason I have to use the instant stuff over the real potatoes is how easy it is to control. Because it’s basically the same as all the loose starch in the soup, you can just add it slowly until it stops being water and starts being more soupy.
          It’s just a “this far, but no farther” control for me.

        3. That makes sense. I imagine a side of coleslaw (oil-and-vinegar slaw, not mayo-and-sugar slaw) wouldn’t be enough to push you over, but keto takes ridiculously low carb to maintain.
          And it feels awesome.

        4. Yeah, keto is less than 15g net carb daily
          This is my last week in a 3 month cycle. Kneeman is heading on vacation next week to live the life of intense Hedonism and gluttony

        5. My dad and I can maintain it up to 40g, but we’re at the upper-end of tolerance.
          Still, that works out to something like a quarter-serving of generic cereal per day, without milk. That’s pretty much the upper-limit on ketosis for anyone, and for most it’s lower than an eighth-serving.
          If you want to improve health quickly, lose excess weight, and build tremendous willpower, go keto for a few weeks. There’s nothing else like it, except perhaps multi-day fasts.

        6. Indeed. We just did corned beef and cabbage in the crock pot yesterday. Yummy!

        7. incorrect jammy. 4.1g of carbs in a cup of cabbage. If you are generally just eating a low carb diet that isn’t much but that is about 25% of my total carb consumption for the day right there.

        8. one red cabbage (the Christmas one) is a large firm ball and cooked with juniper, bay leaaves, cloves etc makes a huge quantity

      2. You don’t know much about nutrition anyway !! Pork is fattier than beef and why on earth would you take out one of the healthiest foods in cabbage ?? Take out potatoes and beans for bison meat ?? makes no sense at all. No carbs is a fad and even at that replacing it with meat in a meat laden stew is not a substitute. And beans are exceptionally healthy too. I think you are mixing up whats healthy for whats palatable too you.

        1. I don’t mind fat. The idea that fat is bad for you is dated information. I can tell by your comment that you really don’t understand what you are talking about. Removing the potatoes beans and cabbage gets rid of the carbs and adding bison adds flavor and texture as well as extra protein.
          When you remove enough carbs from your diet your body goes into a state called ketosis where it turns to fat instead of carbohydrate for energy source.
          I am sure that eating some carbs and beans is fine and dandy in a generally healthy diet but if you have more specific goals you need more fine tuning. You don’t need the expensive gas for your Honda but you do need it for a Porsche.
          You should really tone down the arrogance, especially when it is so abundantly clean the you have zero clue. If you wouldn’t like some websites to research or help reaching specific goals I would be very happy to give you some advice like I do for several other people on this site with excellent results so far but please, drop the bullsjit attitude. Your attempts to amog are really laughable

        2. Of course fat isn’t bad for you. But you said for dieters and so tell me why would you pick fatty pork over protein laden beef so ?? What dietary requirement does that fill ??? You just said take out cabbage,beans and potatoes to add bison for PROTEIN. You are like a dog chasing its tail.
          So far you said lose cabbage (extremely healthy) beans(extremely healthy) and potatoes(average but healthy) to replace with bison meat for protein. Then you say replace beef which is full of protein and replace it with pork. You are just making it up as you go along.
          You’ve added pork to a dish that allready has two types of meat in it both pork so THREE types of PORK (one processed) and taken out the protein rich beef along with greens and beans. Come on be fucking real man. You like the way yours tastes so you see what nutrition it adds and claim its better for you.
          And lets be clear here ANY diet that sacrifices serious nutrients just to exclude minimal amounts of one specific nutrient is neither healthy, functional nor good long term. Im sure it might fill a specific purpose but its a case of robbing peter to pay paul.
          Yeah I know well about carbs but there is minimal in cabbage and to forego all its nutrients for what little carbs are in it is pure stupidity. You are following a fad and can’t see the forest for the threes.
          I know plenty about nutrition thanks for your offer. The talk of arrogance from the prince of pontificating is hilarious really. I know all you want is nods of agreement and indulgence in your ramblings but talk shit expect to get called out on it.

        3. You still are missing the point of keto diets. High fat high protein and total carb depletion
          You just typed that whole comment based totally in ignorance.
          Sorry, you are not teachable. As for calling me out? Fool you couldn’t call out my name if you practiced.
          You know literally less than nothing. Every word you say basically reads “I’m an insecure and ignorant moron”
          Peace out Cub Scout

        4. I’ve rarely read a cleaner description of these complicated topics.
          Just to add a bit, in a ketonic state your body is producing ketones out of fat. Ketones are readily-available energy sources for muscles and the brain, and recent research is showing that ketones are more effective than carbs for both groups. A ketone diet (or Very Low Carb Diet – they are largely interchangeable terms) is also apparently effective for treating disorders such as epilepsy and diabetes.
          For a proper ketone diet, one must restrict carbohydrate intake to a very low level, usually between 10g and 40g per day (your capacity may vary inside this range – you’ll have to figure it out for yourself). Research suggests it may be possible for a body that has adapted to ketosis to maintain it through somewhat higher carbohydrate intake, but that remains to be properly tested.
          Ketosis can be exited through excessive protein consumption, as the body will convert sufficiently excessive protein into glucose through an inefficient process. For this reason, ketone diets are very high in primarily saturated fats, which provide stable building blocks for ketones.
          Entering into ketosis is the hardest part of the process, as your body has to adjust from a glycolysis process to a ketosis process. This usually takes around 48 hours, though your metabolism can reduce this to 8 or increase it to 72.

        5. This is exactly right. I wanted to keep it simple because I knew I was talking to someone who didn’t understand or even really want to but your detailed description is perfect.
          I never do keto for longer than3 month clips (mostly because I like pizza too much) and this is my last week. I did it because next week I have a beach vacation.
          The onboarding is difficult for sure but once you have done it a few times and you know what to expect and what the benefits are I find it gets easier
          Thanks for this detailed description

        6. Side note: tonight’s diet
          Breakfast
          6 hard boiled eggs
          Protein shake
          Quest bar
          Snack
          1/4 cup almonds
          Lunch
          Turkey meatloaf
          Snack
          Protein shake with almond butter
          Dinner
          1 10oz bison rib eye
          1 avocado sliced
          3 sunny side up eggs
          3 ounces of mozzarella cheese
          Desert
          Protein shake
          Keto as fuck

        7. Granted, we’re just now learning about metabolism in class, so I’m new to this. How I understand it is that the body primarily burns through glycogen stores first. Then with intensive exercise, proceeds to burn through fatty acid stores once the glycogen stores are depleted. Then in prolonged depletion, the body will turn to last resort conversion of fatty acids to ketones to avoid consumption of proteins as an energy source. What I don’t understand about the ketone diet is that how does your body automatically start converting fatty acids into ketones without some form of deprivation? Is that where the limited carb intake comes in?

        8. Yeah, that’s it exactly. Without carbs, there’s insufficient glycogen, and so the body converts to ketosis.
          Some suggest that a body adapted toward ketone consumption (through repeated IF, exercise under ketosis, and the like) would have substantially greater endurance than glycogen-adapted athletes. Basically, because they don’t hit the same energy walls, they wouldn’t lose form and pace as quickly and easily. It makes sense, but few athletes have tried it.
          It’s just too bad teachers and textbooks are usually 20-50 years behind the research. We’re finally escaping the shadow of those fraudulent studies in the 50’s and 60’s, and what we’re learning is fascinating.

        9. Hey, Knee-man, what’s your go-to protein mix for shakes? I’ve tried several low-carb brands (I buy cheap at outlet stores), but most taste like ass. If anything, would rather go unflavored…oh, milk or water?

        10. Dymatize is really good. I did some research and it’s one of the best out there. I’ve been using it for years.

        11. Wow. I didn’t realize how often I’m in ketosis. Typically my entire carb intake is one piece of bread in the morning, maybe 30 g at most, and a piece of chocolate at night. I do that probably 4-5 days a week. Thanks

        12. The 90s ended 18 years ago. As the great Cuckeau is fond of saying, “It’s the current year.”

        13. It’s starting to grow with athletes. I believe Lebron and several other high-profile athletes are leading the Ketosis charge.

        14. I usually use whatever is on sale. I am using syntha-6.
          Also, j use water not milk. Not because of milks fat, but because it is so high in sugar

        15. Ketosis works and it works universally for everyone if you have specific goals….not only that, once you get over the initial slump you will feel really terrific and every marker of health from mental clarity to skin clarity is on point. Guys like LeBron are doing it because if feels great and allows for fat reduction while still allowing for muscle building, but if you try it you will, 100%, see for youself. Ruledme is a great resource which can guide you from learning about the diet to understanding your specific needs to recipes which will help and all sorts of other tools. Here is a good starting point https://www.ruled.me/guide-keto-diet/

        16. You should check with those ketosis strips they sell in most drug stores. For most people, you do need to drop below 20g or so, but there are people who can take in up to 40g and maintain it.

        17. My oh my the ego is seeping out the screen. “calling you out” ??? hahahah come on shooter mcgavin this isn’t the wild west. Its a comments section on the internet. Get a fucking grip on yourself.
          I didnt miss the point you idiot. Love how you retreated to the classic defense of “there’s no talking to you”. Sure lets pretend I didn’t understand the simple diet. Why not answer the other points george lockhart ???? Three types of pork ???? or maybe replacing the high protein beef for pork ??
          You talk so much shit your arsehole is jealous of your mouth.
          We all know a special little prick like you. You have to have your input in everything. Someone says they went to the bahamas for a week ?? nice but i went for two. Someone bangs a nine ? nice but i banged a ten. Someone puts up a nice recipe ?? nice BUT heres what you should do to make it better. You think everything needs your fucking input to be complete.
          And no one is calling you out,no one is going following you in the comments section because NOONE gives a fuck about you.
          And when you sit down typing your fucking fictional life story of banging tens,mothers and daughters,turning feminists into sex slaves after a half hour,tips on fucking everything under the sun and general pontificating like you fucking have a clue just know that no one believes you. If you had even a fucking semblance of life you wouln’t be haunting the comments section talking about being called out and calling out your name !! hahahaha sure thing wild bill

        18. The fatty triglycerides have a much higher energy density than carbs, which is ideal for athletic performance. Even better, they’re burned aerobically, yielding more ATP output. Don’t know why nutritionist haven’t jumped on this. There’s a hypothesis, called the “Warburg Effect” which says uncontrolled glycolysis [sugar breakdown]/anaerobic respiration, are the metabolic driving forces of cancer.

        19. OMG. Is it really okay to eat 9 eggs in a day? Don’t you worry about a lack of fiber in your diet.. All very well cutting out carbs but you know, green vegetables or perhaps bran.. Hmm, wondering if you use a milkshake maker or what for the protein having it that often. Is kind of interesting but extreme what you do with your diet.

        20. I use fiber supplements and check my cholesterol. Also, this diet is a goal specific diet sndnusnt a long term options i am actually in the last week of 3 month cycle.
          I don’t drink milk while keto: too many carbs and sugar

        21. Well do enjoy. It is a shame though. If you could get over your massive insecurity complex I might actually be able to help you become more of a man. As it is, however, you seem to be too afraid to leave the cocoon of your own insecurities and go out into the world and be a man and as such just double down on being a weakling. I do with you the best, despite everything and I say that with sincerity. I don’t know how old you are, but with any luck it isn’t too late for you and you will one day do something of value and consequence and become a man.

        22. yeah, I have the strips. I need to drop below 20. A lot of people onboard at 15-20 and then go up to 40-50 but my body won’t maintain it unless I keep low.

        23. I don’t drink milk in general but put it in tea and coffee. You’re right if you’re going hard core it has to be left out. Man if you can eat 9 eggs and a day and not die I’m not going to get nervous next time I have 3. Be careful with the 10th one though 😉 I got angry last year and fasted 60 hours, was a Wednesday evening to a Saturday morning. Set me on a good path for a while. Is certainly an interesting feeling that comes over one in a ketotic state. Well, I will probably stick with oats now and then, don’t think I will switch to bags of sawdust any time soon..

        24. Ha. I have gone to a dozen. Often times if I am hungry I will just pop an extra hard boiled egg. The other night for dinner I had a 10 ounce bison steak, three sunny side up eggs, an avocado and some low dairy cheese . I have never been able to do fasting diets especially with how much working out I do. I just need the energy

        25. I also got in that habit of eating eggs in the evening as part of dinner, just not (yet) in that quantity. Everyone has different chemistry, and for whatever reason, I eat a fair bit of grapefruit. But yes, avocado, eggs etc is good for your T and I read about some lady who lived into her hundreds who had two eggs every day.

        26. absolutely. I have like miracle cholesterol. I can pretty much live on eggs fried in butter and Crisco if I wanted to….nothing negatively impacts it. THis is a family trait. I would never suggest eating as many eggs as I do without first making sure you r cholesterol is good. If it is, however, there really is no more perfect food.

        27. No, is not something I should do.. I average about 3-6 a week will probably stay that way, go for fish or whey powder if I want to overdo it with a protein source.

        28. yeah, I am trying to phase whey powder out for whole foods right now. MMMMMMM PROTEIN

    2. forgive my ignorance…but by sausage do you mean andullie/keilbasa/smoked sausage? or do you mean like breakfast sausage? i assume the former,but just wanna make sure…
      it just hit me also…that would prolly be good with some bratwurst too!

      1. Unsweetened breakfast sausages can definitely work. Chorizo is basically a breakfast sausage with additional spice, after all.
        What you really want is to avoid something like bratwurst, which has sweet tones that can negatively interact with the meal. It’s not much, but it can make a 10/10 meal into a 9.5.

        1. i think were calling two different things “breakfast sausage”…. im from the south,and around here “sausage” means ground pork sausage with sage and other seasonings. like jimmy dean sausage.

        2. To my thinking, the only thing separating something like Chorizo from a Jimmy Dean is the sugar (JD hot sausage is good eats, but it tastes like it’s got a bit of syrup in it, you know?). I’ve got an old family recipe that basically works out to something like Jimmy Dean, but it has no sources for sweet. It goes great on a skillet and works well in a soup.
          To make a soup with JD, you would probably need to use ingredients that complement the sweetness without adding to it, and I know the ingredients above don’t really do that.

        3. ive never heard of putting breakfast sausage in a soup…i did it once reading a recipe for jambalaya because when it said “add sausage” i added what breakfast sausage. it was disgusting. then i realized that it meant add smoked sausage lol.

        4. I think it could be made to work. Off the top of my head, I’m thinking something like this:
          – Potatoes (hash browns + sausage = yum)
          – JD sausage (hot is probably best for soups)
          – Cheese (to thicken the soup a bit, and probably complement the other ingredients)
          – Lemon Juice (to cut the sugar while complementing it)
          – Peppers or green beans
          – Corn
          No idea if any combination of these will really work, but it seems not unreasonable. Could make a fun experiment, I suppose.

        5. No,chorizo coudlnt be any less like your description !!!!!!
          Now I do agree though you could definitely use breakfast sausage in his recipe,no reason why you couldn’t.

        6. I recommend brown the meat or sausage first in a pan then drain the fat before placing in crockpot unless you want to consume tons of nasty fat.

      2. A ground pork sausage with sage would be perfect for this dish, and so would kielbasa. But Mexican chorizos contain cumin, which would change the flavor of the entire dish, as would andouille, so avoid those.

      3. sweet Italian pork or chicken sausage work best or hot Italian sausage. Smoked kiebasa/andoule has too funky flavor for my taste.

    3. sounds good.
      Slow cooking a leg of lamb after searing it in a large pan. Add lots of garlic, a couple of cans of tomato, bay leaves, thyme rosemary, pepper salt. Served with mash, pasta or rice. use cauliflower if you are low carbing. you could add all the stuff that Jammyjaybird has, but lamb is fatty, so id just stick with a bit of olive oil if any additional fats at all. and chicken stock has a nicer flavour IMO.

    4. Emeril chili recipe is the best. Add tons of tomatos, beef, adobo chilis and habanero, garlic and tequila/beer then bam!

    5. I suggest using organic meats and veggies. I can thank my sister for teaching me on how to improve my already good diet. She uses my slow cooker and throws in the organic veggie scraps along with beef hearts, beef bones, or chicken bones. I had a very nasty cut at the base of my fingernail that I thought would take 6 months to completely disappear. It was gone after 45 days from eating such foods.

  7. You just store the leftovers in the refrigerator and then heat them up the next day.
    You get another option here with the slow cooker. Heat keeps spoilage at bay just the same as the cold of a refrigerator. I’ve a handful of slow cooker meals that simply get left on for several days straight, and people are free to withdraw a hot meal whenever.
    I’m read that some people experiment with ‘topping off’ the slow cooker with fresh ingredients every night, although I have my doubts this could go on for too long before things get too rich and salty.

    1. I used to do that because I was a cheap and lazy bastard in college. If you don’t thin the pot right (i.e. don’t add enough water and/or starchy vegetables every day) it becomes almost painful to eat.
      Oddly still tasty, though.

        1. Taffy was a Welshman!
          Taffy was a thief!
          Taffy came into my house
          And stole a side of beef!

        2. New age poem:
          Jack be nimble,
          Jack be quick
          Jack cut off his liberal dick
          Jack is now Jill
          He took the little blue pill
          all the kings horses
          and all the kings men
          can’t sew Jack together again.

    2. Leftovers? what is that? Unless it is some experimental pickled tofu and kale recipe, it is gone by next meal.

      1. You have a family to feed. I cook as though I do, but I live alone.
        Cook once, eat for a week. Not the worst thing in the world, but you do get sick of whatever’s in the pot after a few days.

    3. Had a party where a girl brought pork in a slow cooker. We forgot about it, and for some reason left it cooking for 3 days. You could pull individual muscle fibers strand by strand when we got it out. So tender.

  8. Excellent article! Sharing real world, everyday skills is a fantastic idea.

    1. Roasts work fine in it, as well as chicken (perfect to cook chicken breasts all day such that they’re super tender and juicy and ready for shredding).

    2. Try turkey breasts, pot roast, corned beef, beef roasts, even ham. But also works well for soups, stews, and sauced meats. You can also do some pasta dishes in the slow cooker. I make a really good lasagna in it.

  9. So, how *does* one manage to do anal over an internet connection? Does it require a special USB adapter?

      1. Oh man, why didn’t I think of that first?! Bless you, excellent sir, for your wit!

    1. Don’t knock the girl, that’s almost 45 minutes per blowjob by my maths. That’s value for money in anyone’s book. Provided she is in fact a she.

    2. I tell her SMD. And don’t forget that storks bring babies, the swallows don’t.

  10. Also invest in a pressure cooker (that you put on the stove). Although a good one is more expensive than even a middle of the road crockpot, it’s a great investment. You will cut down cook time on everything-sometimes only needing to cook for 5-10 minutes. So in times you didn’t put anything in the crockpot or got home later than expected you can stil have a great meal.

    1. I’ve been the leading advocate on this thread for the digital pressure cooker over the slow cooker. Came home to some excellent beef stew that pressure cooked for 45 minutes then simmered on “warm” for a few hours.
      Stovetop pressure cookers are equally effective, but you need to take care with them (especially on a gas range). No reason in my mind to have two devices when one will do.

      1. I love both for different reasons. I only have a stovetop pressure cooker however (electric stovetop).
        I adore the crockpot for soups, stews, and slow cooked meats. If I don’t want to put a brisket, ribs, or sirloin in the smoker I’ll just put it in the crockpot. Also will sometimes do enchiladas or beans in it.
        The pressure cooker I love for getting potatoes done quickly and getting chicken boiled or making sauces. Use to take about 2 hours the old fashioned way to get pot pies or dumplings done(don’t ever do dumplings in a slow cooker lol), now it’s cut down to 45 minutes. And potatoes take about 5-10 minutes and then quick to mash or add to a dish. I have a Fagor 10 qt but they do come smaller.

  11. The problem is that most slow cookers made since the mid 90’s really only have one setting: high. I couldn’t figure out why my crock pot would boil liquids even when it was on low. Turns out low and high are the same temperature, they just cycle differently. You can thank the FDA for taking away the low setting.

    1. Your crockpot manual should tell you what temperatures (on average) each setting will produce. For example, my device operates at about 221 Fahrenheit at its lowest setting with the lid on, and my tests show it close to 198 with lid off.
      Know your tools.

  12. Curry is pretty awesome in the slow cooker, just remember to leave the meat still on the bone. I use one regularly in the colder months, also a great way to use up veg that would otherwise be chucked out. But yep, what I found works well is chucking all the ingredients in the slow cooker and putting it in the fridge overnight, then before leaving for work placing it on low so by the time I come home the house has a delicious hot food smell waiting for me!

  13. I am tired of microwave cooking my meals. And I was wondering what to do to change that. Now I know. Thanks Quintus. Great article.

  14. In my not-so-humble opinion, a man should know how to cook so he can eat healthy and tasty food without having to rely on a female who can barely boil water. A slow cooker is a great start. What other skills? Grilling. Know how to use fire properly – to cook food in a manner that our ancient ancestors would appreciate. Fire good!! Smoking food. Again, primal. And smoked food is so flavorful. For general meat cooking, I like a sous vide. Why? Simple – you can NOT overcook meat, so it doesn’t dry out. You want medium rare steak? Set the temp, and if while you’re cooking your woman seems in the mood, go ahead and interrupt things while you bust a nut. The meat can’t overcook.
    My boys both earned their cooking merit badges. They thank me for making them learn cooking. One uses his skills to ‘screen’ female types – if they can’t outcook him, they’re not worth more than a ONS.

  15. Love my slow cooker…just cooked a corn beef in there for St. Paddy’s day!! YUMMY!!!

  16. Stouffer’s now has pre made crock pot bags full of seasoning and veggies all’s you add is the meat and turn on the crock pot…

  17. I have a slow cooker and like how you can just heave stuff into it and off it goes and cooks it. However I don’t trust it enough to leave the house with it going, just like I wouldn’t leave the house with the oven on either.

    1. Dude if a slow cooker burned down your house (especially if it were a branded one) the company would pay you millions of dollars to keep your trap shut. Do you know how many moms would refuse to use a slow cooker if it had ANY chance of catching on fire? It would be the end of the entire industry. Any time I think it might burn down my house I also think about the bank I would make in hush money. Burn down my house Crockpot please please then I can retire.

  18. I like my 6 quart Crockpot brand slow cooker. A few more dollars then other more generic ones but has consistent heat whereas the generic one I used to have was inconsistent something burning food and sometimes under cooking it.
    As for recipes, spend a few bucks on a used slow cooker recipe book. Recipes are pretty simple and usually involve a meat, braising liquid, and root vegetables. Soups and chilis are also easy in a crockpot. I make a nice 3 bean chili that is good for 5-6 meals.
    Great for date night too. Cheap. Good food. Your apartment venue for easy “seal the deal”. Invest in a few bottles of good wine or have some cocktails planned then work your game magic.

  19. Great article, knowing how to cook a nutritious cheap meal is invaluable. Been using an electric pressure cooker as of late, it’s a crock pot on steroids.

  20. While a slow-cooker has its uses and offers a great deal of convenience, its a sub-par way of cooking most things. If you are simply dumping meat and vegetables into the pot with stock and water, you are going to get watery soups with tough meats and undeveloped veggies. Meats almost always need browned first, which a slow cooker will not do. Vegetables remain firm, and gelatins and starches never reach the levels of heat needed to properly activate. I’ve eaten plenty of things out of a slow cooker, and almost always its quickly obvious that it would have been much better had it been cooked on the stove top or in the oven.
    Again, it offers a level of convenience (set it and forget it). So if thats the primary concern then the slow cooker is the right tool. But if the goal is making the best meal you can then the slow cooker is going to be at the bottom of the list of cooking methods.

  21. Definitely recommend a crock pot or slow cooker! I make awesome chili, soups, stews and Italian meals in it for cheap and healthy delicious quick meals for the whole week in short amount of time. Just chop and throw meats and spices and sauce in the pot and let it slow cook all day. Great when you are super busy and just want to heat and eat.

  22. Crockpots are fast food. Get a good beef stew in pot, rice in rice maker. Stew beef on rice for a week-end with no more prep.

  23. Depending on how long you’re away from the house you damn well do need a timer. Unless you still have the hot pot your grandmother gave you when you first went off to college in the 70s, or manage to find an old one at a garage sale for $5, all modern crock pots cook too goddamn hot to be used to “low and slow” anything all day.
    “High” and “Low” are nothing more than a slight time delay between how long it takes to get to a full boil. Cook time on most recipes is 4-6 hours tops, which means if you leave a piece of meat in there for a 10 hour day at your slave job, even on “Low” you just cooked the everloving shit out of it.
    With a digital pot (excepting for the really, really high end ones that have actual temperature controls) they still cook too damn hot, but you can set them to kick it down into “warm” for the last 4 hours until you get home from the salt mine.
    They’re still only $30 or less on sale.

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