Crock Pot

[TdeV]

@JoNorvelleWalker, if your pot is a stupid pot (i.e. without an electronic Control Panel), then the scientific controller will manage to keep the pot at whatever temperature you choose (providing that you comprehend that the contents of the pot won't be at the same temperature).

 

Is that what you're after?

[JoNorvelleWalker]

10 hours ago, TdeV said:

@JoNorvelleWalker, if your pot is a stupid pot (i.e. without an electronic Control Panel), then the scientific controller will manage to keep the pot at whatever temperature you choose (providing that you comprehend that the contents of the pot won't be at the same temperature).

 

Is that what you're after?

 

Thank you, but no.  I have a KitchenAid Precise Heat Mixing Bowl, a Paragon (OK three Paragons), as well as other means of temperature control.  Not to mention my beloved anova.  Back in the '70's I wrote code for industrial process control systems.  As exciting as PID algorithms were back then I just want a slow cooker.

 

I measured the Crock-Pot:  at my wall voltage of 125V, low setting is 184 watts and high setting is 257 watts.  This agrees with the boilerplate on the bottom of the pot.  I thought of a Variac but a Variac is a bit unwieldy in the kitchen.  Possibly the best solution is a Japanese appliance voltage stepdown transformer.  Remembering power is proportional to the square of the voltage, that should give me 128 watts on low and 178 watts on high.  And good braising temperatures.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

On ‎3‎/‎3‎/‎2020 at 10:55 PM, gfweb said:

Confirms all my crock pot biases. Too damn hot. Fit only for teenager "queso dip" 

 

@gfweb (or anyone) what would be an optimum temperature for a Crock-Pot?

 

[gfweb]

13 minutes ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

@gfweb (or anyone) what would be an optimum temperature for a Crock-Pot?

 

 

Great question. Hmmm.... I'd say 180 is too high for most meats except stuff you'd braise like spare rib and pork shoulder.  I've made pulled pork in a crock pot and it was OK but the meat was a bit dried-out. Never made spare ribs, but it might be just right for that.

For most root vegetables 180 is not-quite-cooked eg potatoes.

The PID controllers can get you any temp you want, but why not just SV?

[JoNorvelleWalker]

6 minutes ago, gfweb said:

 

Great question. Hmmm.... I'd say 180 is too high for most meats except stuff you'd braise like spare rib and pork shoulder.  I've made pulled pork in a crock pot and it was OK but the meat was a bit dried-out. Never made spare ribs, but it might be just right for that.

For most root vegetables 180 is not-quite-cooked eg potatoes.

The PID controllers can get you any temp you want, but why not just SV?

 

I was thinking 180F would be good.  I can't see vacuum sealing a pound of beans* myself.  And most of us would not prepare beef tenderloin in their Crock-Pot anyhow.

 

 

*except possibly for dry storage.