Food - Drink
What Do The High And Low Settings Actually Mean On A Slow Cooker?
By HOPE NGO
A slow cooker is a versatile vessel that can make countless soups and stews and coax chunky and tough cuts of pork or beef into tender submission. However, using one requires a bit of practice and know-how to get right, especially when it comes to understanding what a slow cooker’s basic temperature settings do.
Unfortunately, settings vary, and the difference between high and low is drastic. On some slow cookers, a low setting is 190 degrees Fahrenheit and high is 300 degrees F, according to Iowa State University, while other cookers swing between 165 degrees F to 175 degrees F on low, and between 175 degrees F to 215 degrees F on high.
With factors like temperature variance as well as the size of the cooking pot, The Spruce Eats suggests giving any new or unfamiliar slow cooker a test run first. Also, look for recipes that have been written with the slow cooker in mind, preferably ones that tell you to use "high" or "low," to take as much guesswork out as possible.