Brentwood 3 Quart Slow Cooker

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One of the major perks of using a slow cooker is that it makes preparing meals extremely user-friendly. But to get your recipes just right it helps to know a few tricks and tips. Read on for pointers about how to safely slow cook your way to a delicious meal.

Set It and Forget It

A slow cooker, which is designed for safety, doesn't generate enough heat to be dangerous in your kitchen, explains Beth Hensperger, author of Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook. But she recommends using the lowest setting anytime you plan to leave the house or cook overnight. (While a cooker doesn't need constant tending, high should be used only when you're home.)

Fill It Two-Thirds Full

While the dish cooks, the ingredients expand—so if you overfill, the liquid could spill over onto the electrical parts and ruin the machine, says Hensperger.

Take a Peek

If you're a beginner, take off the lid occasionally to monitor the dish and get a feel for the cooking process, Hensperger suggests. Keep in mind, though, that each time you lift the lid, steam and heat escape, so you'll need to tack on 15 minutes to the cooking time. Comfortable cooks should peer through the glass lid; if it's coated with condensation, shake it and the droplets will clear.

Improvise

To use your 6- quart cooker for desserts or appetizers, "insert an ovensafe dish into the stoneware to create a smaller cooking vessel," says Stephanie O'Dea, author of More Make It Fast, Cook It Slow: 200 Brand-New Budget-Friendly Slow-Cooker Recipes.

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