Chili in my crock pot reaches temperatures of about 200 degrees. That just doesn't seem right. Is it ?

Question

I have ALWAYS thought this crock pot cooked tooooo hot. What do you think? I checked the FAQ on www.cookwarevendors.com and it really didn't have an answer about what temp a crock pot should be at to keep your food at the right eating temp. It just said at 165 degrees bacteria are not able to live.

I think my crock pot is faulty. Low boils around the edges, and Hi BURNS the edges pretty much. It gets to 200 degrees on LOW. I haven't ckd the temp on HI yet.

Answer 1

time to get a new crockpot they are not that much 'bout $20.00

Answer 2

When first cooking you chili you need it to reach a temp of 165 to kill all the bacteria in it, if there is any. After that you need to keep it between 41 and 140 degrees. At these temps bacteria won't grow. If you crockpot has an ajustable temp like mine turn it on hi until its a 165 and then turn down to low hold it. This will be a safe temp and it will also be war enough for it to cook a little and let the flavors merry and mingle, which is a very good thing for chili. I let mine sit on low for about 8 hours before eating it.