The Life Changing Magic of Slow Cooking

There is nothing that puts me under a spell like walking in the door—after a long day at the office—to the comforting aroma of a warm meal that is already prepared and ready to serve.

If I were to apply the Kondo method to my kitchen, the one item that I know I could never part with is my Crock-Pot. For those unfamiliar with the Kondo method of tidying, here is a breakdown of the basic premise: The tidier holds each item they own in their hands, feels its energy, and decides whether or not it brings them joy. If it does, he or she will then find the proper storage space for that item; if it does not, the person will thank said item for its service and discard it.

There are many, many gadgets in my kitchen that could probably benefit from an afternoon with the Kondo method, but my Crock-Pot is not one of them. It has been brought to my attention that there are still some people out there not using slow cookers, and I have made it my personal mission to try and convince those naysayers the error of their ways.

My prized slow cooker is programmable for four-, six-, eight- or 10-hours. I tend to look for recipes that require a longer cook time (the “low” setting), but it does automatically switch from cooking to a “keep warm” setting, so I have not found that it has mattered much how long I am out of the house for—a concern that some may have.

I have heard people are worried that such an elongated cooking period will leave food dried out. If I am being perfectly honest, I have yet to make something in the Crock-Pot that hasn’t been a hit. Salsa chicken, chili, various soups, buffalo chicken…it has all been tasty and satisfying. One thing I have yet to try is dessert—but I do have a delicious looking gooey brownie recipe saved and ready for the next time I have guests.

I can’t recommend investing in a slow cooker enough (investment is a strong word, good ones are available for around $50). However at the grocery store, I have seen very little merchandised to slow cooker fanatics—and there are many of us.

A year ago, The New York Times article “The Slow Cooker, Redeemed,” reported that there are more than 600,000 Google searches on a monthly basis using the words “slow cooker.” Jarden, the company that produces the Crock-Pot, introduced it in 1971. In 2014 alone, more than 4.4 million were sold.

In the spice aisle I have seen some retailers selling slow cooker blends—spices to add to staples like Crock-Pot chili or pulled pork. It seems to me that items like these could be easily cross-merchandised in the fresh departments. Many slow cooker meals involve eight or more ingredients, so the retailer would be wise to promote its use in-store. Until that happens, I’ll happily trek on as an unpaid, unaffiliated spokesperson for the life changing magic of slow cooking.