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Few cooking tools are also practical and versatile as thesmooker-Exure yourself if you do not have hours swinging to the stove. After all, what is better than throwing a bunch of ingredients in a pot, get away and return several hours later to find a hot and delicious meal ready and expect? But even if you are a slow cooker master, there could still be ways to use your cooker slow.

There are some things to know with a slow cooker, such as the amount of liquid to use and when lifting the lid. If you do not pay attention, one of the following 15 things could seriously destroy the perfect meal you planned. Know what you should avoid so you can have a delicious hot meal ready when dinner rolls around.

If you do not know exactly the amount of liquid to add to a slow cooker, your recipe could be ruined. One of the most common mistakes in the cook adding liquid to each recipe, but if you do not make soup or stew, you really do not need additional liquid. If you add liquid to each recipe, you will probably find yourself with too many remains once the cooking time is rising. Why? "You get much less evaporation in the slow cooker than the oven or hob," saysSarah Digguorio, recipe developer and author ofAdventures in the slow cuisine: 120 recipes with a slow cooker for people who love food. As a result, all water from your ingredients (vegetables, meat, poultry) can enter the croccase. Start with less liquid as you would normally and think about your ingredients as providing all the moisture you need, explains Digguorio. The addition of too much liquid is not the end of the world, but it will change the texture and flavor of your dish.

In general, it is always better to add dairy products such as milk and cheese towards the end of the cooking time. If you let them simmer for hours, they can cook or break, digregorio says.

Yes, it is tempting to take a look at the food when it feels so good, but resist the desire to lift the lid unless you add more ingredients. "The slow cooker takes time to warm up and each time the lid is turned off, thermal exhausts, which extends the cooking time," saysSarah Olson, author ofThe magic slow cooker: recipes for occupied moms. If you really need to check on the food, try to do it during the last hour of cooking.

The slow cooker is a very versatile cooking tool. However, some ingredients resembling pasta and rice are better cooked separately. "The slow cooker is not enough hot enough to cook the pasta or rice correctly; it turns out", says Olson. Instead, addPasta And rice to your slow cooker recipe at the end of his cooking time. On the other hand, the rice sported (rice that was partially boiled in the envelope) will do well in the slow cooker because it has already been partially cooked, says Olson.

When the food simmer for a long time, the flavors soften and mellow, and some herbs are not strong enough to survive until the end. Wait until the end of the cooking time add soft herbs such as parsley and chives, Digguorio says. On the other hand, copious herbs such as rosemary or thyme can go to the beginning and the flavor will continue, although you always want to add a little more before serving, especially if the recipe has been cooked all day.

If you launch a handful of ingredients in the slow cooker and go home several hours later, expect a ready to serve meal, you can be disappointed. Remember to superimpose the ingredients over time, so you receive a beautiful mixture of textures and flavors. It can be as simple as adding ingredients at the very beginning, then garnish the recipe with a layer of ingredients at the end. "It does not add a lot of work or time, it's interesting to taste before serving," says Digguorio. Things like herbs, nuts, seeds and sweet vegetables make great last minute additions.

Many slow range recipes such as roasts and soups can take eight hours or more to cook. (This is called a "slow cooker" for a reason. However, thicker recipes that do not have a lot of liquid (such as pans or meat carts) can burn on the edges after A few hours, said Olson. Save these dishes for your day off so that you do not go home with a burnt dinner.

In general, the skinless chicken breast is a versatile cooking meat. However, this cut is so thin and fast to cook that there is no good reason to use your slow cooker to do it. In fact, the kitchenChicken breast In the slow cooker, we will only dry meat, which will change the flavor and texture of your dish. Digregorio recommends saving the slow stove for chicken thighs and thighs and cook the chicken breast another way.

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Few things hurt a dish like muscular and flavored vegetables. To avoid this, cut hearty vegetables like onions and carrots in large pieces that you would normally do it and add delicate vegetables like spinach towards the end of the cooking time. "Just leave them there long enough to be heated," says Digguorio.

Resist the desire to stuff the slow cooker with as many ingredients as possible - Leave at least one thumb of space at the top, just in case it bubble. If you are trying to cook a ham or roast and that will not suit you in the slow cooker, cut a song and stick it to the freezer to cook later. "The slow cooker will not cook properly if the lid is not on the way," says Olson.

We have already established that slow cooking Mellows comes out of the flavors over time. This means that if you want a flavor to stay strong and continue until the end, you have to add a little more than you would normally. If you cook a dish with garlic, for example, place more at first or throughout you want to taste the flavor at the end, Digregorio says.

Reheat the food in your slow cooker is not only useless (this is what the ovens and microwaves do!), But it can also be a risk of food security depending on the type of food. According to Digguorio, you do not want to keep perishable food at a temperature between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit for more than three hours, and the food may not reach a high temperature fast enough in your slow cooker.

Ok, you can technically cook raw meat in your slow stove, as long as you cook it to the end. However, if you have time, the browning of the meat beforehand will add an excellent layer of flavor and texture to your dish, says Digguorio.

This is a food security problem, especially when your recipe involves meat. After all, pieces of more meat take longer than smaller pieces, and the suggested cooking time may not end up being long enough. The only way to know at certain days that your food is ready to eat is to use a food thermometer, according to theAcademy of Nutrition and Dietary.

Many people assume that slow stoves are only to make soups and stews. Yes, the slow cooks are excellent for that, but they are much more versatile than that. Think outside the valves and ragings of usual comfort and look at your slowness for dishes like roast, saucepan and meat meat. You can even create pasta cream in your slow cooker: simply warm water into the slow stove, then pick up the cream with cooking cooking safely and place the dishes in hot water with steam. "It's a great infallible way to get beautiful pastre cream," says Digregorio.