The history of the slow cooker
The history of the slow cooker is not long. In the early 1960s, the “West Bend Corporation” manufactured the electric bean pot for the first time. This pot was presented as the bean pot. It was basically a clay pot on a tray that was heated. The Beanery was the first true precursor to slow cookers. “Naxon Utilities Corporation” was responsible for developing that.
In 1970, Rival Industries bought Naxon, which also gave them the rights to the Beanery. This began Rival’s exploration into the world of slow cookers. The company found that many types of food cooked wonderfully by this same method. Once this was discovered, 25,000 cookers were removed and sold to the public as the first official clay pot during 1971.
Another innovation in 1974 came with this product when the inner pot could be removed for cleaning. People were also encouraged to save energy. Thanks to the use of the low wattage Crock-Pot, this was easy.
With more women filling jobs, Rival began to show them how easy it would be to prepare meals with his slow cooker. Rival knew that women would find it attractive to be able to cook a meal while they were away at work. Then, in the mid-1970s, other companies jumped on board making their versions. However, most of them no longer exist.
Rival remains the market leader today with its slow cooker. They control a whopping 85 percent of the market. They offer a variety of sizes in many different models. These models have proven to be very useful over the years.
Now they come with automatic controls and even timers to help them cook more effectively. Many cookbooks full of food recipes have even been written specifically for today’s cooks.
Rival is not the only pot brand in production today, but it is probably still the best known. You can find oversized luxury models if you have a large family. You can cook everything from beef stew to roast.
They’re great for spaghetti sauce, chili, and just about any one-pot meal it might come with. Everyone has such a busy life these days that the slow cooker is used daily in some homes.
You can find them ranging from a 16-ounce size to a 7.4-quart size. This is the size of the pot. Most have different heat settings for high or low cooking, some even have a warming setting. The low setting heats things to a temperature of 170 degrees Fahrenheit with the high setting to heat food to 190 degrees to 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
You also need a certain amount of liquid to cook food properly. This amount varies depending on what you are cooking. Therefore, follow the instructions in a cookbook on this topic or the operating instructions that come with the manual.
Another innovation that has occurred with slow cookers is the rice cooker. Specialty rice cookers are nothing more than an offshoot of the original slow cookers. So the story continues in search of the very convenient kitchen tool.
