How many crock pots . . .

[eaglei]

do you reasonably have and regularly USE? And what sizes (approximately) are they?

 

I just love using my crock pot, but have been wondering if I couldn't benefit from having another one also . . .

 

If you have more than one, how often do you realistically use them simultaneously, what kinds of things do you slow cook concurrently, and where do you store the crock pots when not in use? I only have so much space!

 

TIA! :)

[Remudamom]

I've got a big one and two medium sizes. I use them all a lot. I've got a lot of space so storage isn't a problem.

[Heather in OK]

I have two. A 3qt and a 4qt.

 

It's not too often that I use them both simultaneously. But when I do need two, I'm glad I have them. :) I have a crockpot creamed corn that is good with bbq chicken legs done in the crockpot.

 

It's especially handy at holiday time. On Christmas morning I have them both going.

[Mrs Mungo]

I only have one. However, I often borrow one or two for parties.

[wendybird]

I have 1 5 qt and 1 7 qt. I use them concurrently about twice a week. When I do it is usually for vegetarian/meat versions of a recipe(chili) , or meal and dessert recipes(chicken in one, apples in the other). On yogurt making days I use them both,1 for the yogurt and 1 for dinner.

I store them in the pantry.I am a minimalist so have alot of space available.

[Leanna Tomlinson]

I have three. 2 big and 1 little. The two big ones are often used simultaneously at parties for hot chocolate and hot cider, or two different soups.

 

I often use the little crock-pot for apple sauce, creamed corn, or green beans while a bigger one is cooking roast, chicken, chili, stew, or soup.

 

I also have a rice cooker, and I've been known to have 2 crock-pots and a rice cooker making dinner for me. :D

[Pretty in Pink]

I only have one crock pot and it is brand new. I've had it for two weeks maybe. I believe it's a 7.5 qt (it's supposed to feed 9 people). I can't imagine what I would do with two on a regular basis, though it would be handy for parties and such.

 

If I find a rice cooker with a delayed start option I will buy it and use it all the time.

[LisaKinVA]

I have the largest oval size (I use this 1x week for spaghetti sauce, or making 2 chickens to use the meat in other casseroles)

 

I have a 5qt. round size.

 

I want two 3qt. sizes (mainly for side dishes we serve at large family gatherings...) I used them last year to make a corn pudding and a carrot casserole -- they were incredible! Even better, it completely freed up my ovens and made final prep work a breeze! Everything was hot and ready... instead of cooling off and waiting!

[Dobela]

I have 2 4 qt round ones and one 5 or 6 qt oval that I use. I haveone small one that I prefer, but only because the other is 20yrs old and only cooks on high. THe large one I love for whole chickens and larger meals. I will sometimes use both small ones or one small and one large together but rarely all 3 unless I am cooking for a pot luck.

 

I was considering giving away one of the small ones, but the one that I use least I have had for so long that it is almost a part of me LOL>

[JoyfulMama]

I have a 7qt that gets used about once a week on average. I also have a smaller 2 qt (I think, it might be 3 qt). I use this more in the winter for beef cubes, and use it often for parties (meatballs, hot dip).

[Jen500]

 

If I find a rice cooker with a delayed start option I will buy it and use it all the time.

 

I love my Zojirushi rice cooker...it has a delayed start option. Well, you tell it when you want your rice to be done. I also make steel cut oats for breakfast with the delayed option.

[Pippen]

I use my 6 quart Nesco roaster several times a week, and rarely use the crockpot. I like the variable temperatures and non-stick lining.

[Sandy in Indy]

I have 3...one 6 qt, one 5 qt and one small one (not sure about the size). I use the large one all the time and use the other two for entertaining.

[Pretty in Pink]

I love my Zojirushi rice cooker...it has a delayed start option. Well, you tell it when you want your rice to be done. I also make steel cut oats for breakfast with the delayed option.

 

Oh, yes. Where did you buy it?

[ConnieB]

Not at all unusual for me to have two of them going at the same time....we live in Arizona, and during the summer you pretend that your oven doesn't even exist, lol....so stove top, outdoor grill or crockpot is the only way for a hot meal.

 

Main dish goes in one and either a side or dessert in the other. We only have the large crockpots, 6 qt, but I could easily do with a 4qt for the side/dessert one. But...it's also not unusual for me to cook a main dish in both.....either for a party or because I want to have lots of leftovers for the week (or the freezer) when we know even a few minutes in the morning is too much.

[kathkath]

1 big and 1 double small one from BBB (so 3!!) Love having the flexibility of those, as the smalls are good for overnight steel cut oats, side dishes etc.

[eaglei]

I am amazed at how many people have and use more than one! I guess it's not so unusual, and I think I will be giving serious consideration to where I can put a second one. I can easily see using two - one for a main dish and one for a side or a dessert (although I haven't tried any desserts in mine yet :001_smile: ) Also, someone mentioned using them on Christmas morning, and someone else mentioned cooking ahead for the week and freezing - both great ideas I hadn't thought of, even though I often cook extra for freezing when using the oven. :001_huh:

 

Thanks for answering - I appreciate it very much! :)

[kathkath]

lol we felt so over-the-top when we got our double. I guess we're not alone. :D

[Jen500]

Oh, yes. Where did you buy it?

 

I bought mine from Amazon. :001_smile:

[ChristusG]

I only have one....and I use it every few months. I need to start using it more for dinners.

[ConnieB]

I am amazed at how many people have and use more than one! I guess it's not so unusual, and I think I will be giving serious consideration to where I can put a second one. I can easily see using two - one for a main dish and one for a side or a dessert (although I haven't tried any desserts in mine yet :001_smile: ) Also, someone mentioned using them on Christmas morning, and someone else mentioned cooking ahead for the week and freezing - both great ideas I hadn't thought of, even though I often cook extra for freezing when using the oven. :001_huh:

 

Thanks for answering - I appreciate it very much! :)

 

Just in case you're also in an older house (ours was built in the 60's)...don't plug both crockpots into the same outlet, blows a fuse and if you set it and walk out the door....well, let's just say you don't come home to a wonderful smelling dinner that's ready....instead you have to head back out and get pizza. :001_huh: And then you'll be posting to the Hive "would you eat this".

 

We have a very small kitchen so there isn't really a place to plug in the second crock pot on another fuse.....so the second crockpot goes on the floor in the dining room, lol. Hey, it's not like the floor is dirty (much), or that the food is going to jump out or anything. Probably not good advise if you have dogs, lol.

[Carol in Cal.]

I have one, and that is plenty.

 

But I also have a Sun Oven which functions the same way, except that you have to turn it toward the sun a couple of times a day so you can't just leave it to work alone all day long like the crock pot. You just use a standard pot or casserole with a tight-fitting lid in the Sun Oven.

 

I've gotten away from using the crock pot very much because of the lead concern.

[BeckyFL]

I have a large oval crockpot that I use for regular meals and we just got a 1 1/2 qt Proctor Silex from Amazon for overnight oatmeal. Used if for the first time this morning and it turned out perfectly. It also looks like it would be good for dips at parties. It's a cute little thing!

 

http://www.amazon.com/Proctor-Silex-33015-2-Quart-Cooker/dp/B0002CA3C6/ref=pd_sim_k_2

[jujsky]

I have 2 and I use them simultaneously enough to warrant it -- especially in the winter. One crockpot is oval (mostly use it for soups or chili) and the other is oval (mostly use it for meat).

[patchfire]

I have two. One is either a 4 or 4.5 quart, and one is a (I think) 2 quart. Often, I will use the smaller one for oatmeal or another breakfast dish, which means I don't have to hurry and wash it before I can put dinner on in the bigger one. Other times, I cook my main dish in the large one and a quick side in the smaller one (roasted potatoes and baked potatoes or sweet potatoes are the most common sides I cook in the crockpot).

 

I actually desperately want both a large one and a small "dip" one, but since we are planning on moving in the next 3-6 months, I've been keeping myself from buying something else to store. After we move! :) Right now, the small crockpot is in the cupboard above the refrigerator, and my big one is in the china cabinet. Before we starting getting ready to move, though, both were kept out on a shelving unit that I used for a lot of my kitchen stuff. It was so handy!

[Tracy in Ky]

I have three and I use them all!! Sometimes, I use them all at the same time :D I have one that is huge (7 quarts I think), one a little smaller (5 quarts) and then an even smaller (3 quarts?)

 

Love, love, love my crockpots!

[eaglei]

Just in case you're also in an older house (ours was built in the 60's)...don't plug both crockpots into the same outlet, blows a fuse and if you set it and walk out the door....well, let's just say you don't come home to a wonderful smelling dinner that's ready....instead you have to head back out and get pizza. :001_huh: And then you'll be posting to the Hive "would you eat this".

 

We have a very small kitchen so there isn't really a place to plug in the second crock pot on another fuse.....so the second crockpot goes on the floor in the dining room, lol. Hey, it's not like the floor is dirty (much), or that the food is going to jump out or anything. Probably not good advise if you have dogs, lol.

 

Good point! We do live in an older house, so if I am using the bread machine (to knead the bread and do the first two risings before doing the final kneading myself, letting it raise, and putting it in the oven to bake), AND using the crock pot, too, then I put the crock pot on the back of the dining room table. If I were using two or more crocks simultaneously, I would definitely have to put one in the kitchen, one in the dining room, and one --- in the family room???:confused: Hmmm

[eaglei]

I have one, and that is plenty.

 

But I also have a Sun Oven which functions the same way, except that you have to turn it toward the sun a couple of times a day so you can't just leave it to work alone all day long like the crock pot. You just use a standard pot or casserole with a tight-fitting lid in the Sun Oven.

 

I've gotten away from using the crock pot very much because of the lead concern.

 

What lead concern?

[gpsings]

I have 3. One small and two big.

I use them simultaneously often. Green beans in one, baked potatoes in another and a meatloaf in the 3rd...baked beans, corn on the cob and a chicken, etc etc...

Curious about the lead thing now.

[Carol in Cal.]

What lead concern?

 

Some study came out a couple of years ago now that said that the ceramic inserts in crock pots generally have low levels of lead in the glazes, not high enough to be illegal, but high enough to be of concern because cooking times in those pots are so long that the lead can get to elevated levels in the food.

 

So, for instance, I could use my crock pot insert in the sun oven, but instead I use a nice stainless steel pot that I preheat.