Best Slow Cooker for One Person

The best slow cooker for one person most times will consist of a lidded round or oval cooking pot made of glazed ceramic or porcelain, surrounded by a housing, usually metal, containing an electric heating element.

A slow cooker is also known as a crockpot is a countertop electrical cooking appliance used to simmer at a lower temperature than other cooking methods such as baking, boiling, and frying.

This facilitates unattended cooking for many hours of dishes that would otherwise be boiled: pot roast, soups, stews and other dishes (including beverages, desserts, and dips).

A wide variety of dishes can be prepared in slow cookers, including ones typically made quickly such as cocoa and bread.

The Lid itself is often made of glass and seated in a groove in the pot edge condensed vapor collects in the groove and provides a low-pressure seal to the atmosphere.

The contents of a crockpot are effectively at atmospheric pressure, despite the water vapor generated inside the pot. A slow cooker is quite different from a pressure cooker and presents no danger of an abrupt pressure release.

The crock or ceramic pot itself acts as both a cooking container and a heat reservoir.

Many of these cookers have two or more heat settings (e.g. low, medium, high, and sometimes a “keep warm setting”) some have continuously variable power. Most of them have no temperature control and deliver a constant heat t the contents.

The temperature of the contents rises until it reaches boiling point, at which point the energy goes into gently boiling the Liquid closest to the hot surface. At a lower setting, it may simmer at a temperature below the boiling point.  

READ ALSO: SLOW COOKER WITH SAUTE FUNCTION

HOW TO USE A SLOW COOKER FOR ONE PERSON

Place raw food and a liquid such as stock, water, or wine in the cooker. Some recipes call for preheated liquid. Put the Lid on the cooker and turn it on.

Some cooker automatically switches from cooking to warming (maintain the temperature at 71 – 74 degree Celsius (160 – 165-degree Fahrenheit) after a fixed time or after the internal temperature of the food, as determined by a probe reaches a specified value.

The heating element heats the content to a steady temperature in the 79 – 93-degree Celsius (174 – 199-degree Fahrenheit) range. The contents are enclosed by the crock and the lid and attain an essentially constant temperature.

The vapor that is produced at this temperature condenses on the bottom of the Lid and returns as Liquid, into which some water-soluble vitamins are leached.

The Liquid transfers heat from the pot walls to its contents and also distributes flavors. The cooker’s lid is essential to prevent the warm vapor from escaping, taking the heat with it and cooling the contents. Basic cookers, which have only high, medium, low or keep warm settings, must be turned on and off mutually.

More advanced cookers have computerized timing devices that let a cooking program the cooker to perform multiple operations (e.g. two hours high, followed by two hours low, followed by warm) and to delay the start of cooking because food cooked in a slow cooker stays warm for a long time after it is switched off, people can use the cookers to take food elsewhere to eat without reheating. Some cookers have Lids that seal to prevent their contents from spilling during transport.

RECIPES

Recipes intended for other cooking methods must be modified for these cookers. Quantities of Liquid may need adjustments, as there is a little evaporation, but there should be enough liquid to cover the food.

Many Published recipes for this type of cookers are designed primarily for convenience and use few ingredients, and often use prepared sauces or seasonings.

The Long, moist cooking is particularly suitable for tough and cheap cuts of meat including pork shoulder, beef chuck and briskets for many slow-cooked dishes, these cuts give better results than more expensive ones.

They are also often used to cook while no one is there to care for it, meaning you can fill the pot with its ingredients and come back several hours later to a ready meal.

ADVANTAGES OF BEST SLOW COOKER FOR ONE PERSON

Cheaper cuts of meat with connective tissue and lean muscle fibers are suitable for stewing, and produce tastier stews than those using expensive cuts, as long as slow – cooking softens connective tissue without toughening the muscle. Slow cooking leaves gelatinized tissue in the meat, so that it may be advantageous to start with a richer liquid.

The slow temperature of slow – cooking makes it almost impossible to burn even food that has been cooked too long. However, some meats and most vegetables become nearly tasteless or “raggy” if overcooked. Food can be set to slow-cook before leaving for the day so it is ready on return.

Homeowners with rooftop solar panels switch to slow cooking because it draws under 1 KW of power and can, therefore, be powered entirely by 1 – 2 KW panels during the day. Some models include times or thermostats that bring food to a given temperature and then lower it. With a timeless cooker, it is possible to use an external timer to stop cooking after a set time, or both to start and stop.

Cooking the meal in a single pot reduces water waste resulting from cleaning multiple dishes, and the low cooking temperature and glazed pot make cleaning easier than conventional high – heat pots.

DISADVANTAGES

Some vitamins and other trace nutrients are lost particularly from vegetables, particularly by enzyme action during cooking and partially due to heat degradation.

When vegetables are cooked at higher temperatures these enzymes are rapidly denatured and have less time to act during cooking. These cookers also do not provide sufficient heat to compensate for the loss of moisture and heat due to frequent removal of the Lid, e.g. to add and remove food in perpetual stews. Added ingredients must be given time to cook before the food can be eaten.

Because of the longer cooking time, there is greater, danger with these cookers having an extended power outage during cooking without your knowledge; for example, the power may go out for several hours while you are away at work in places with unreliable power supply.

Below are suggested products we have found helpful when it comes to slow cooking:

HAMILTON BEACH PROGRAMMABLE BEST SLOW COOKER FOR ONE PERSON

The Hamilton Beach slow cooker has a very large capacity and oval shape makes cooking a whole chicken or roasting meat to perfection. It comes with programming options than crock – pot smart – pot giving you the ultimate selection of temperature and cooking time combinations.

It also features low and high cook settings and a warm setting. You can take hot food on the road risk – free because of the gasket lid and lid latch strap which prevents messy spills.

After cooking, both the lid and crock remove easily and can go into the dishwasher for cleanup. It also comes with the perfect size for 7Lb chicken or 5Lb roast. This product automatically shifts to warm when cooking time is up. This slow cooker is a size just right for feeding a crowd, satisfying the appetite of a large family or batch cooking.

It comes in handy as a gift, especially as a wedding gift. This product can make preparing dinner a stress-free process due to its large size and ease of usage. The stoneware allows for even heating.

The stoneware pot is very easy to clean even when you prepare cheesy chicken and broccoli casserole where the cheese would normally stick to bakeware like super glue.

COSORI ELECTRIC COOKER WITH INSTANT STAINLESS-STEEL POT, BEST SLOW COOKER.

This is a perfect kitchen companion for 1 to 2 persons, like singles, couples, students or small families to make dishes or side dishes. It has a compact size for easy storage. It has a tempered glass lid, spare silicone sealing ring, Bonus stainless steel steamer rack to make two dishes at once. It comes with a FREE Recipe cookbook, rice spoon, ladle, measuring cup and they are all dishwater safe.

Cosori prepares food healthy and faster: there is no chemical coating, has 3 – ply stainless steel and an inside aluminum base for strong thermal conducting making coking 75% faster. It is convenient and quiet, easy to cook with and clean. It is designed with safety in mind:

• It cuts power to temperature fuse if the temperature exceeds safety limits.
• It internally releases pressure to avoid hazardous situations.
• The Pressure – auto control guard always keeps pressure in a safe range.
• It automatically turns off the pressure cooker if the current exceeds safe operational levels.
• Lid Position Monitor: prevents the pressure cooker from operating if the lid is improperly positioned.

CUISINART PROGRAMMABLE BEST SLOW COOKER

The Cuisinart slow cooker comes in as an old-time best slow cooker for one person. This slow cooker provides a user-friendly touchpad control panel and four cooking modes that include high, low, simmer, and warm. When the cooking time ends, the appliance automatically shifts to the warm settings, so dinner stays hot and ready to serve without overcooking.

Other features include a glass lid for keeping an eye on the cooking process, non – slip rubber feet and stay-cool side handles for safe transport. The ceramic cooking pot and glass lid can go in the dishwasher for quick cleanup and an instruction manual with recipes comes included.

The outside dimension is about 13” L X 9” W X 10” with Lid on – inside the crock dimension are about 9.5L X 7.5W X 4.25D and holds 3 ½ quarts.

HAMILTON BEACH TEMP TRACKER BEST SLOW COOKER FOR ONE PERSON         

The Hamilton 6 Quart is one of the best slow cooker for one person, it’s capacity can track your food’s temperature with the probe, minimizing the chances of cooking and helping to ensure food safety when cooking beef, pork, and poultry.

It has multiple cooking functions like cook on low, medium or high with or without the probe. When the food is ready, the slow cooker shifts to keep warm or holds it at the selected temperature.

You can expand your cooking options like prepare yogurt, poach, simmer, braise, make fondue and more. It offers all the traditional benefits of slow cooking, plus the ability to prepare food to a specific temperature and maintain it for up to 24hours.

You can also conveniently insert the probe in 4 spots depending n what you are cooking. It is also easy to clean and easy to use. The removable base makes it easy to store in the fridge for later.

BEST ON BUDGET PRODUCTS

MAXI – MATIC BEST SLOW COOKER FOR ONE PERSON

The Elite cuisine 1.5 QT Mini Slow – cooker is perfect as the best slow cooker for one person, great for cooking and serving small one-pot meals and appetizers such as soups, stews, meatballs, dipping sans sauces.

This versatile little appliance can be a single’s person best companion. It features low and high-temperature settings, a keep warm setting allowing you to keep your meal hot and fresh before it’s served.

It also includes a removable inner stoneware pot that is easy to clean, a tempered glass lid with metal rim for easy viewing of cooking cycle and cool-touch handles and knob for safe handling. It has an attractively housed brushed stainless-steel oval exterior.

The Power indicator illuminates whenever the slow cooker is on, makes a variety of delicious meals ranging from entrees, sauces, soups, and even desserts. Works very great and removable crock makes clean up easy. It is a perfect size for any single individual.

ELITE GOURMET ELECTRIC BEST SLOW COOKER

The Elite slow cooker comes in as the best slow cooker for one person, the various capacities from 1.5 QT, 2 QT, and 3 QT. It features defrost, low, and high-temperature settings perfect for making chili’s stews, sauces, and even a 3 Lb Chicken or roast and with an attractive stainless-steel finish. It is the perfect addition to any kitchen.

It includes a removable inner stoneware pot that is easy to clean, a tempered glass lid with metal rim for easy viewing and cool-touch handles and knob for easy handling.

CROCKPOT QUART ROUND MANUAL BEST SLOW COOKER FOR ONE PERSON

The crockpot slow cooker makes mealtime and entertaining more flavorful. This slow cooker can cook up delicious dips, sauces, appetizers, and even single-person meals. No matter the recipe or the occasion, your little crockpot slow cooker keeps the temperature steady so your food tastes scrumptious.

It cooks food at a traditional low setting, it is also easy to clean comes in a perfect size for a single person or for couples. Furthermore, it is dishwater safe and comes with Lid and stoneware, tempered glass lid with integrated side handles, and measures approximately 9.5 by 9.5 by 7. 8 inches. This crockpot is part of the best slow cooker for one person.