# DIY slo cooker alt...



## takingstock (Sep 26, 2012)

I just joined here.

One of my goals is to cut down on my time spent cooking which I enjoy but its a borderline obsession.

My thinking is to use a slow cooker more but it seems [IMO] that they are all crap. In addition, I want to be able to brown before adding all and letting it percolate all day. Yes, there are a few out there that have stove top inserts but they seem to be made out of aluminum or are coated with some sort of BS non-stick.....

I recently purchased a BurtonMax induction "burner". My plan was to use good quality heavy pots and make a DIY slow cooker. However, I just read that it will cut off after 3 hours...[safety blahblah] I think this will be returned.

Another crazy idea was to custom fabricate from steel an insert for the cheapie [crap] slow cooker that I have but that going to be a lot of work.

Any ideas?

THX


----------



## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

Do the browning in a regular stove top pan. Then put the meat into the slow cooker. Deglaze the pan and use that liquid as part of the liquid for the slow cooker.


----------



## takingstock (Sep 26, 2012)

phatch said:


> Do the browning in a regular stove top pan. Then put the meat into the slow cooker. Deglaze the pan and use that liquid as part of the liquid for the slow cooker.


Thanks for my 1st reply. Yes, one could do this but I would really like this to be a one pot affair. There is a certain elegance to it plus all the good stuff stays in the "pan" and it is now preheated and no clean up in the morning.

Maybe just a fantasy of mine.


----------



## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

There is no 1 pot system for this at this time.


----------



## takingstock (Sep 26, 2012)

phatch said:


> There is no 1 pot system for this at this time.


wow I joined ...for this !

I think I will go to MacDonalds now!

what a waste of time.

Happy trails!


----------



## michaelga (Jan 30, 2012)

Welcome to the forum... the whole eight hours of your stay.

Sorry we weren't able to meet your requirement for instant gratification before you stormed off.

If you do come back...

They don't make them anymore but Crock Pot did have a model SCVD 1600 (VersaWare Pro) - that had a special insert that you could saute in.

They had a few problems with stupid people doing stupid things so they were pulled.

I still have mine and haven't been able to make it explode... yet!

You might be able to find a used one at a garage sale or online - this is a link to the instruction manual

http://www.crock-pot.com/Manuals/MANUALS/SCVI600B-SS_43_30519354.PDF

I really like mine a lot - but once it dies / cracks it is gone gone gone...

PS - you spelled McChuck'n'Puke wrong...


----------



## takingstock (Sep 26, 2012)

MichaelGA said:


> Welcome to the forum... the whole eight hours of your stay.
> 
> Sorry we weren't able to meet your requirement for instant gratification before you stormed off.
> 
> ...


Yes I did kinda storm off. I'm am back and I apologize.

That being said are these not "discussion" forum sites. Simple "no" answers can be slightly irritating. I am calling on the vastness of "www." for help.

In the south (Georgia) thats how many PEOPLE pronounce McDonalds so I feel that it is perfectly ok to spell it that way. However, I am spelling challenged being a product of government schools. BTW this site will not let me check spelling on my Mac. Usually I can hold the control key and click on the work and spelling pops up.

Question- it this also a retail site?

Thanks, I will check out the link.


----------



## petemccracken (Sep 18, 2008)

takingstock said:


> ...That being said are these not "discussion" forum sites. Simple "no" answers can be slightly irritating. I am calling on the vastness of "www." for help.


Yes, these are _discussion forums._ Sometimes it happens that there is nothing to discuss. That may be irritating to you but that's life.


> Question- it this also a retail site?


Not completely sure what you are asking. If you are talking about sales or advertising, NO!

Advertising or self promotion is expressly PROHIBITED!


----------



## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

Keep the Max Burton, they're handy to have. Boil water for pasta faster than my gas stove. Further, pair that induction burner with a flat bottom wok and start stir frying. Very fast cooking times though you do pick up a little more prep time with the knife. But as your skills improve, the time isn't much.

Ken Hom's 100 stir fries shows a number of non-asian dishes he does as a stir fry in a wok for simplicity and speed. Still plenty of Asian food in there too.


----------



## takingstock (Sep 26, 2012)

phatch said:


> Keep the Max Burton, they're handy to have.


Well I just talked to the Max Burton folks and it does indeed cut off after +/- 3 hours...even their commercial models...nice folks. I was going to "for sure" return it but I will reconsider.

Wok cooking is great. Any idea of the btu's at full 1800 watt power on the MX Burton? My current gas stove top at around 13000 btu's is leak with wok cooking.

THX


----------



## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

1800 watts is 6142 BTUs, but that's not the whole equation. My gas stove is 14,000 BTUs, but my max burton beats it in power to the pan.

Gas stoves are about 30% efficient. So you're only transferring about 3100 of your 13,000 gas BTUs into your wok or pot. Induction is about 85% efficient so you're putting about 5200 BTUS into the wok or pot.  You'll notice the difference cooking with a wok.

You still have to be careful not to put too much food into the wok at once as it's not a large amount of BTU, but it's a step up.

The temperature settings are handy too. Put your stock on at 180 and it simmers wonderfully. Render schmalz at 250 and you don't have to worry about it burning. Similarly for deep frying. Use the temp settings to control the temp of the oil. Better heat recovery too with the higher heat transferred.


----------



## takingstock (Sep 26, 2012)

PeteMcCracken said:


> That may be irritating to you but that's life.


Thanks dad ....I am 57 but unsolicited life advice is always welcome./img/vbsmilies/smilies/peace.gif


----------



## takingstock (Sep 26, 2012)

phatch said:


> 1800 watts is 6142 BTUs, but that's not the whole equation. My gas stove is 14,000 BTUs, but my max burton beats it in power to the pan.
> 
> Gas stoves are about 30% efficient. So you're only transferring about 3100 of your 13,000 gas BTUs into your wok or pot. Induction is about 85% efficient so you're putting about 5200 BTUS into the wok or pot. You'll notice the difference cooking with a wok.
> 
> ...


Great stuff...thanks.

I guess this is a keeper and you will be my guide. How long have you had yours and does it seem well enough made to stand the rigors of serious home cooking? ...being all high tech electronical (southern word)....and full of PFM....


----------



## petemccracken (Sep 18, 2008)

That's ok son,/img/vbsmilies/smilies/laser.gifI'm 70!


takingstock said:


> Thanks dad ....I am 57 but unsolicited life advice is always welcome./img/vbsmilies/smilies/peace.gif


My point, which I apparently was too subtle about, there are some things that are not technologically feasible, what we may want sometimes doesn't exist.


----------



## takingstock (Sep 26, 2012)

PeteMcCracken said:


> That's ok son,/img/vbsmilies/smilies/laser.gifI'm 70!
> 
> My point, which I apparently was too subtle about, there are some things that are not technologically feasible, what we may want sometimes doesn't exist.


...touche....

You are right and I agree however I always default to to low tech. My whole idea here was to go low tech..... "hot plate" .....some kind of heater that hopefully be controlled with a simple thermostat... use heavy pots that I already have.....presto....


----------



## michaelga (Jan 30, 2012)

Get a temperature differential controller.   Plug your hotplate into it and drop the temp probe into the pot - set the temperature you want.

They are a bit pricey but work with most low tech appliances - they work by cutting the power to the appliance so you can't use any kind with fancy micro-controllers etc. just mechanical ones.

Check out Fresh Meal Solutions - I bought mine from there and it has done well by me.   It also has a few logic programs to help get better results.  

I mainly use mine with a very large rice cooker as an improvised water oven.


----------



## takingstock (Sep 26, 2012)

MichaelGA said:


> Get a temperature differential controller. Plug your hotplate into it and drop the temp probe into the pot - set the temperature you want.
> 
> They are a bit pricey but work with most low tech appliances - they work by cutting the power to the appliance so you can't use any kind with fancy micro-controllers etc. just mechanical ones.
> 
> ...


Are you referring to this?

http://freshmealssolutions.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=73&Itemid=100086


----------



## takingstock (Sep 26, 2012)

phatch said:


> Keep the Max Burton, they're handy to have. Boil water for pasta faster than my gas stove. Further, pair that induction burner with a flat bottom wok and start stir frying. Very fast cooking times though you do pick up a little more prep time with the knife. But as your skills improve, the time isn't much.
> 
> Ken Hom's 100 stir fries shows a number of non-asian dishes he does as a stir fry in a wok for simplicity and speed. Still plenty of Asian food in there too.


Just bought this [Ken Hom's 100 stir fries] book...Thanks


----------



## mike9 (Jul 13, 2012)

Sounds to me what you are after is similar to a DIY Sous Vide setup. A thermal probe relays temp info to a unit that controlls the temp. of the vessel. With a dutch oven you can sear, or brown on the stove top, or heat source then switch control of the process to the unit.

http://www.popsci.com/diy/article/2010-01/cooking-sous-vide-inexpensive-diy-way


----------



## michaelga (Jan 30, 2012)

takingstock said:


> Are you referring to this?
> 
> http://freshmealssolutions.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=73&Itemid=100086


yes - the learning functions are very useful, although they take some time.


----------



## takingstock (Sep 26, 2012)

This is all great and helpful..Thanks/img/vbsmilies/smilies/crazy.gif


----------



## takingstock (Sep 26, 2012)

OK, I'm asking for help here with my new MAX Burton 6000. (MB6)

As a super - skeptic I am very impressed with this uni so far. It boils water super fast and now I,m attempting a chicken veggie slow cook. The constant fan noise is very annoying but....

My specifics questions are:

1. To slow cook with the MB6 should I use "Temp." or "Power" Low/High (1-10)? I added all the ingredients and some liquid and set "power" # 3 and it started boiling rapidly. It now seems fine on "Power" #1.

2. Is #1 too low of a setting?

3. If I were to use "Temp." and set say 175 degrees would the MB6 go to full high till it reached this temp? This would not be good since it would be boiling hard till the temp was reached.

PICS-

browning outside very cool





  








cook 1.JPG




__
takingstock


__
Sep 28, 2012








back inside about to start the SLO cooking





  








cook 2.JPG




__
takingstock


__
Sep 28, 2012


----------



## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

Generally, I have better luck with a temp setting than a power setting for a slow cook, but I'm also over 5000 ft elevation so my boil and simmer points are probably shifted from yours. 180 does a pretty good job with a braise for poultry.  For some beef or pork cuts where I'm shooting for a higher internal temp than 180, 210 usually works pretty well for the latter half of the cooking in those cases, and use 180 for the first half.

You should understand how the temp setting works. Under the glass is a temperature sensor. The glass only gets hot from what the pot radiates back to it as the induction heats the metal of the pot. So it's a fair approximation of the temp of the pot bottom. The unit polls the sensor at set intervals. If the temp is lower than you've set, it turns on and runs some cycles until the sensor exceeds the heat temp setting. And repeats. 

With a large pot and a lot of stuff in it, 210 usually cycles to a brief boil and then shuts simmers from it's own contained heat for a few minutes and repeats. Remember, water boils at 202 at my elevation so the pot bottom is getting hotter than 210 on a heating cycle, it just can't conduct the heat into the pot as fast as the induction coils add it. It's even enough heat overall.  500 watts gives me a continuous boil usually, but it can be slow to get there.

Cast iron is not my favorite choice for induction. It tends to be much warmer over the induction coils and much cooler away from them. With liquids, it should even out enough to not matter. But if you try to brown a few cutlets in a 12" cast iron pan, you'll see it's not an ideal match for these induction units. They have induction coils in about a 6 inch circle. Works Ok on a 10" cast iron skillet, but not a 12.  I've had pretty good luck with disk and clad pans though you can see some of the same behavior there too. But the conductive aluminum core helps even it out better than cast iron can.


----------



## takingstock (Sep 26, 2012)

good info

It has been on "power" #(1) one for 3+ hours and it seems pretty good...very gentle simmer. Thanks for the input.

warning...I'm over think this... /img/vbsmilies/smilies/smoking.gif

This has really made me think about how these things work. My (cheapie) slow cooker I assume to be temp sensing and regulating. It has always seemed to me that if I select high when I start out (cold ingredients) then select low for the all day cook after it is hot it seems heats up faster initially. However, if it is temp sensing then I seems even on low I would go to full heat until the desired temp is reached and selecting "high" would make no difference.

My concern with the MB6 on temp mode is that is would go to full heat (1800 watts) until the temp sensor decides it is the appropriate radiant temp then start to cycle. The ingredients would really get slammed with energy and may start to break down.

Maybe you could input here.


----------



## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

I don't know how much power it gives it, but full power would be a reasonable assumption in my book. I don't think it's a problem for anything you're slow cooking/braising as they're tough cuts of meat and vegetables.

Modern slow cookers have been tweaked to do something similar compared to the ones from the 70s and 80s. New ones cook hotter on both hi and lo settings than the early ones did as it could take hours for a slow cooker to come up to food safe temperatures. Some people got sick.


----------



## takingstock (Sep 26, 2012)

I like this thing so much I just bought this...$40 @ Tuesday Morning.





  








ind 2.JPG




__
takingstock


__
Oct 2, 2012


----------



## michaelga (Jan 30, 2012)

Hey!

If you're still around here is the newest and 'greatest' thing that should meet your needs.

Buy it now before they recall them because of stupid people.

http://www.seriouseats.com/2012/11/gadgets-ninja-cooking-system-slow-cooker-review.html?ref=obinsite

http://www.ninjakitchen.com/product...ic&utm_campaign=Offer4FreeBookFSHMC7001995Pay

http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/brow...97P/Ninja+3-in-1+Cooking+System.jsp?locale=en

I've never used one and have no affiliation.

Personally just the name would probably keep it out of my kitchen, but test it out and let me know... just maybe i'll get one on YOUR recommendation.

Mike


----------



## michaelga (Jan 30, 2012)

Looks like a bunch of manufacturers have figured things out....

http://www.cuisinart.com/products/slow_cookers_rice_cookers/msc-600.html

Don't buy anything just yet wait for the reviews or review them for us.

Interesting stuff if it works as advertised.


----------



## takingstock (Sep 26, 2012)

Yes, this is kinda cool. I'm still experimenting with my Burton....not a great solution but it has opened up other possibilities.

This- *"**Personally just the name would probably keep it out of my kitchen..."* sad but true for me also.


----------



## takingstock (Sep 26, 2012)

MichaelGA said:


> Looks like a bunch of manufacturers have figured things out....
> 
> http://www.cuisinart.com/products/slow_cookers_rice_cookers/msc-600.html
> 
> ...


This...not so cool.... from the product specs- "Removable 6-quart nonstick aluminum cooking pot....."


----------



## michaelga (Jan 30, 2012)

Time will tell.

Hopefully it works better than it sounds.


----------

