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Thurston County Extension

Food Safety: Cooking Equipment

The Olympia, February 25, 1998

Opening the front door after work to the aroma from beef stew or vegetable soup can be inviting. Winter is often the time of year when we’re most likely to use a slow cooker or crock pot to prepare meals ahead of time. While use of a Slow Cooker can make your life a little less stressful and is a wonderful convenience, it is important that you use this appliance carefully.

Question: In order to save time while preparing chicken vegetable soup, I usually place frozen chicken parts in the slow cooker. Is this practice safe?

Answer: You should always defrost meat or poultry before adding it to your recipe. It’s best to cut the meat or poultry into smaller pieces, too. Frozen meat or poultry or large pieces of meat will cause the recipe to cook more slowly. The recipe ingredients could remain in the bacterial danger zone (40-140° ) too long and the food could be unsafe to eat.

So, always thaw meat and poultry appropriately and cut it into smaller pieces prior to starting the cooking process.

Question: My husband likes to fill the Slow Cooker to the rim? Is this safe?

Answer: The Slow Cooker should be no more than two-thirds full. Fresh vegetables cook slower than meat and poultry, so they should be placed at the bottom and around the sides of the slow cooker. Meat or poultry can be added next. The last step should be covering the food with a liquid such as water, broth, or barbecue sauce and putting on the lid. For safe cooking, the lid should be left on the Cooker except for stirring and checking doneness.

Question: How do Slow Cookers Work?

Answer: Slow Cookers use electricity to cook food between 170 and 280° depending on the setting that you choose for your recipe. The direct heat from the pot increases the temperature and creates steam. Because the lid is left in place, temperatures during cooking destroy bacteria and make this an excellent way of preparing food. The low, moist heat is also a great way to tenderize less expensive cuts of meat and takes less electricity than an oven.

Question: What happens if the electricity goes out while I’m using the Slow Cooker?

Answer: If you’re not at home while the food is cooking and the power goes out, no matter how the food looks, throw it out. Knowing the temperature history and how long the food remained in the danger zone is absolutely necessary in order to know that you’re serving your family safe food. If you’re at home when the power goes off and the recipe is done, simply remove the food from the Slow Cooker and finish cooking it by some other means, such as a gas stove or an outdoor gas grill.

Question: Occasionally, I prepare food ahead of time in a Slow Cooker and put the whole Cooker in the refrigerator overnight? It’s so easy, but is it safe?

Answer: It may be easy, but this is a very dangerous practice. A quantity recipe that may be heated to 270° will not cool quickly enough in a large, insulated, hot container. Remember that you want the center of the food to cool below 40° F within several hours. This can only be accomplished if you place the food in several shallow, covered containers and refrigerate.

B. Susie Craig

Area Faculty

WSU Cooperative Extension Thurston County

WSU Extension programs and employment are available to all without discrimination.  Evidence of noncompliance may be reported through your local Extension Office.   Cooperating agencies: Washington State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the county of Thurston.

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