Slow cookers are one of the most useful appliances you can have in your kitchen, even more so if
you don't enjoy cooking or you have a busy schedule that keeps you running around and not working over the stove. You
can toss together a soup or meat dish in the morning in about five minutes and when you return from work in the
evening, you'll have a hot, home cooked meal waiting for you. In addition, everything cooks together, which means that
you'll only have one pot to clean. Some recipes will call for the meat (or even vegetables) to be browned before adding
them in, but this is almost never really necessary.
Slow cookers cook foods for long periods of time at low temperatures. Modern slow cookers often have an automatic
shutoff or a super-low "warm" setting that will protect both your food and your home when you are not around
to watch, so they are safe to use any time, unlike the stove or the oven. They are ideal for cooking lean
or inexpensive pieces of meat because they trap juice and steam as they cook the meat, allowing the meat to become
moist and tender, preventing it from shrinking or toughening. The long, slow cooking process also allows flavors to
meld and blend, making it an ideal way to cook soups and stews, too.