what are the differences between cheap and expensive crockpots?

Question

I have a cheap crock pot and sometimes the meat comes out real tough. Is it the crock pot or is it the recipe?

Answer 1

Crock pots work best when you're cooking meat in liquid - in particular, when you're cooking cuts of meat that are suited for it. I have never tried to cook rib eye in a crock pot, but I wouldn't be surprised if that ruined it, 'cause that stuff was born to be grilled.

So if you're trying to cook without liquid, then I would fault the recipe. But if you are cooking with liquid, then it may be that your crock pot is getting too hot in spot, which could be a concern with the low-end models. However, anymore a lot of the price tag difference is in features like being able to program it, or super-huge capacity, or a second crock with a divider so you can heat two things at once. So even if you need to replace it, you may not need to replace it with something terribly expensive.

Answer 2

If the meat was chicken it probably overcooked as it only takes about half the time something like beef does. If it was pork chops, they probably overcooked. If it was pork shoulder roast, it needs to cook longer. Same for beef roast- cook longer. Don't do steaks in the crock pot.
But cheap and expensive models cook the same. It is just the features that make them different, such as size capacity, and also things like programming ability. But the cheap one will do just fine.

Answer 3

Recipe or grade of meat.Just see how long it takes for the crockpot to get hot(time wise) and you may have to leave it longer on high to cook tender.thanks for 2 .

Answer 4

Its most likely the cut of meat and the recipe

Answer 5

Oh, sorry, I thought you asked about crackpots.But you don't want a cheap one of those either.