I think my crockpot cooks at too high a temp.

[hippywife]

I have this Rival model: http://www.amazon.com/Rival-SCVP600-SS-Smart-Pot-Programmable-Stainless/dp/B000FIP91W/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1247365934&sr=1-3

I prepared an Italian Pot Roast in my enameled cast iron dutch oven and then transferred it to the crockpot and have it set on the lowest setting, which is 10-hours. It's just bubbling away. And many times when I use it the lid will rattle because it's really, really light-weight glass and not the heavy glass like my older round crockpot.

[politicat]

1. Do you have a probe thermometer?

Put a quart of water in the crockpot and turn it to the lowest setting. Check the temp 15 minutes later. Crank to the next setting, check temp 5 minutes later. Proceed through all settings; then if nothing else, you know what they are and if it's mis-calibrated.

If the cook temp exceeds 212F/100C, use a quart of soybean oil instead (higher boiling temp - like 572F). Just be careful disposing of it.

[hippywife]

3. I do have one for when I make yogurt.

I might do that some time but I never leave it on when I'm not home. There's still a part of me that doesn't trust doing that. I just keep an eye on it.

[TreasonousBastard]

2. Mine has the same problem, and...

I've seen even the better countertop ovens screw up temps, too. This seems to be pervasive.

I suspect the manufacturers are either skimping on thermostatic controllers or can't get good ones any more. I can deal with the oven, but it drives me nuts when my crockpot bubbles and boils too fast on low. And "warm" is hardly warm.

(I have lots of thermometers and probes-- I really should check the exact temps like I do with the ovens and not just go on hunches.)

[hippywife]

4. I just woke up and came down to check on it.

I tasted it and it is fabulous! One of the best recipes I've ever tried! I'll post it sometime tomorrow when I'm not keeping Bill up with the clacking on the keyboard. LOL

Had to remove the meat or it would have fallen apart any minute. Chuck roast. :hi:

[Tab]

5. Chances are you have an analog switch dial

try putting it in-between

[hippywife]

6. There's no dial at all.

It's all done with buttons.

How are you feeling, sweetie?

[Lorax]

7. I have that crockpot.

I have that exact same crockpot and I mine seems to cook too hot. I never measured it, but everything I cooked in it would end up overdone or burnt. I never had that problem with my old round crockpot. I don't use it anymore. Actually, since I bought a pressure cooker, I might just give away my crockpots.

[Sugarcoated]

8. Weird.

Mine was just the opposite. Nothing ever got done when it was supposed to. After cooking things on high all day, I'd have to put it in a pot or the oven and cook it at a normal temperature for an hour or more.

[hippywife]

9. I would imagine that

if some of them are defective and heating too high, it would be just as plausible to have one not heat enough.

[pengillian101]

10. I prepared an Italian Pot Roast in my enameled cast iron dutch oven

Just a thought - using two cooking methods/pots seem redundant - couldn't you just put that enameled cast iron dutch oven that was used for searing in a slow oven instead?

:hi:

[hippywife]

11. I could have but

I use propane and I don't want to use up that much running my oven for hours. The other reason is that I put mine on in the evening and let it slow cook while I was sleeping...or trying to. LOL

:hi:

[pengillian101]

12. I use propane and I don't want to use up that much running my oven for hours.

Hia pal.

PLEASE BE SAFE. USING PROPANE INDOORS IS NOT SAFE!

[Kali]

13. a good deal of rural america (and other countries) use truck delivered propane

it is as safe at natural gas, as long as your stove is set for it.
(I once had an apt. where the stove they put in was set for propane, but it was on nat gas - thing would flame in the wrong places! that was really dangerous.

[hippywife]

15. Thanx, gilli!

It's quite safe. We heat our house and water, and cook with propane out here in the boonies. It's no different than having gas appliances except they are especially made or have special settings for propane.

:hi:

[pengillian101]

17. wHAT THE HECK WAS i THINKING???

Gads, sometimes I have a brain fart, I swear. We use propane heat for our furnace, for pete's sake and also have our grill hooked up to our propane tank.

I was visualizing those propane type heater/burners for some reason or other. Probably because in a pinch we used them at our old house, and didn't realize how dangerous it was using those heaters indoors. They were meant for outdoor fish houses that have ventilation.

wHAT THE HECK WAS i THINKING ???

Just shoot me now and get it over with.

;-)

[Kali]

14. I think they are just made that way now.

I may have even read that in a cook book somewhere. Bugs me, but I did figure out I can cook on high just about as fast as my big oven, so that will save heat/time. My idea of a crock pot is all day cooking with no fussing needed.

[hippywife]

16. Exactly!

The whole idea is that you don't have to keep an eye on it. Set it and go do something else.

This is the first one I've ever owned that's been this way. The others have all worked as expected.

:hi: