Older crock pot question.....

[SpaghettiWestern]

I found an older crockpot at a flea market a month ago and i have since made numerous pots of beans in it BUT....

something has been bothering me.

this is a pot that does not have the removeable crock. its a 2.5 quart and i am guessing its most likely one from the early to mid 90's. it has a vegtable motif on the outside of it.

i notice that when i have it on high.... it simmers away nicely..... but when its on low there is hardly a bubble breaking the surface.

i am wondering if the temperature is TOO low..... as in maybe the pots not working right.

i do leave the beans in for 8 hours or so after i have had them on high for 2 hours.

when i turn the pot down to low..... all those simmer bubbles disappear in 30 mintes or so and the surface is just very flat.

i'm kinda concerned that maybe there might be some problem with bacteria if indeed the temp is TOO low.

what i'd like to know is...... does anyone else with an older crockpot notice this same thing on low?

i have not yet had a chance to record the temp on the low setting as i am out of town for the next 3 months but i will when i get home.

the beans DO get cooked after the usual 9 or 10 hours in the pot... along with the hocks or whatever meat i have put in there but i just got to thinkin that maybe this old pot might not be working right on the low setting.

Ok well..... just thought i would toss this out if anyone has any comments. i live and die by my pot of beans. lol

so.... i just want to make sure i am not taking any chances with bacteria.

thanks

[heidih]

If they are getting done in the regular amount of time I would not worry - the non removable is just a PAIN to clean. I would check yard sales and thrift shops for one that is removable.

[Darienne]

I have that exact crock pot and while I have never done beans in it, I have done a lot of other dishes, including pulled pork. And on low, and without any problems.

I think Heidi is correct.

[SpaghettiWestern]

OK thanks for the answers but can either of you tell me ..... does your pot simmer on low? like little bubbles?

or.... is the surface glass flat?

i'm just concerned about the temperature on low since i dont see any bubbles. I can check it when i get home but i was wondering if anyone else had noticed the lack of any simmering activity on the low setting.

i dont mind the non removable crock. the older pots are better than the new ones.

i recently got a new one and its temp is SOOOO high i cant trust it all day alone. both high and low settings on the new pots are terrible. they are like 215 deg.

anyway..... does your older crockpot simmer with bubbles on the low setting? or is the surface just flat?

it does get my beans done ok after 10 hours... but..... i was just worried about the temp on low....maybe TOO low since i got the pot at a flea market and maybe its not working on the low setting.

thanks

[MSRadell]

Ours doesn't bubble on the low setting but does on the high. If you have doubts just check the temperature of the liquid with a thermometer after it's been on for awhile.

[GlorifiedRice]

Crock Pots are on sale at Walmart for $9.00

[Pierogi]

I have one *WITH* a removable crock, and I don't get bubbles on low either. Significant steam on the underside of the lid, yes, but no bubbles. Not until I put it on high. I'd guess mine's about 10 years old. On low the liquid is plenty hot, but not simmering. No, mine is not one of those fancy-shmancy ones with the digital controllers. It's got HIGH, LOW and OFF. I've never used it for beans, but I have for stews, soups, pulled pork, briskets, etc. and never had an issue.

[Darienne]

I have one *WITH* a removable crock, and I don't get bubbles on low either. Significant steam on the underside of the lid, yes, but no bubbles. Not until I put it on high. I'd guess mine's about 10 years old. On low the liquid is plenty hot, but not simmering. No, mine is not one of those fancy-shmancy ones with the digital controllers. It's got HIGH, LOW and OFF. I've never used it for beans, but I have for stews, soups, pulled pork, briskets, etc. and never had an issue.

Just went back to look at my crockpot with the frieze of vegetables. Is it old!!! It has NO controls at all. Just plus it in. That's it.

My four crockpots come from four different eras and are three different sizes and that one is the least sophisticated. Perhaps I haven't used it for meat...can't truly remember. I wasn't thinking when I answered yesterday. However, the one I do use for small roasts has a non-removable pot and only 'on' and 'off' and it's fine.

[gdenby]

I had a couple of pots like you describe. They were used a lot when we were bringing up the kids. They would barely simmer on low, and bubble pretty well on high. After several years, they would not heat up as well as when they were new. I took one apart, and found the heating coils in poor shape, sort of crystalline and covered with a white crust. I usually disposed of them when they got to the point of taking more than 8 hours on low to cook anything.

As for food safety, I am not yet up enough on what all the pathogens can survive, but there is one in which the spores germinate around 180, tho' the parent microbes die at 140. My guess is that you are cooking long enough and hot enough that most everything is dead.

I tested one of my newer cookers beside an older one. The older one held 140+ when on low, about 185 on high. My newer one was 180 on low, 200 on high, and 145 on keep warm.

[SpaghettiWestern]

I had a couple of pots like you describe. They were used a lot when we were bringing up the kids. They would barely simmer on low, and bubble pretty well on high. After several years, they would not heat up as well as when they were new. I took one apart, and found the heating coils in poor shape, sort of crystalline and covered with a white crust. I usually disposed of them when they got to the point of taking more than 8 hours on low to cook anything.

As for food safety, I am not yet up enough on what all the pathogens can survive, but there is one in which the spores germinate around 180, tho' the parent microbes die at 140. My guess is that you are cooking long enough and hot enough that most everything is dead.

I tested one of my newer cookers beside an older one. The older one held 140+ when on low, about 185 on high. My newer one was 180 on low, 200 on high, and 145 on keep warm.

wow ! thats REAL interesting what you say about taking the pot apart. i think you are right about the heat degrading over time. I really do like the older ones better because of the lower settings that dont outright boil like the new pots when set on low.

ok well....thanks everyone for your responses.... it seems that my pot is most likely doing what it should do. when i do get back home in a few months i'll check the temp for sure.

[OliverB]

just check the temp with a thermometer to be safe. I have a new one, never cooked beans for 9 or 10 hours either, that seems very long unless the beans are rather old?

Mine does not bubble much either on low though, I think you're fine.