Slow cooking becomes popular day by day. But what’s the reason? Because it not only improves the flavor of the meal but also slow cooking can make it easy to cook a meal without any stress.
But sometimes you mightn’t have a slow cooker to slow cook; then what will you do? Then you need to find an alternative way. You won’t cook slow-cooked food if you don’t have a slow cooker.
So, how to slow cook without a slow cooker? You can use another cooking pot to exchange with a slow cooker to slow cook. However, you can use the stove, Dutch oven, pressure cooker, etc for slow cooking.
You just follow some steps when cooking. A stockpot for the stove and a cast-iron pot for the Dutch oven is the best option for slow cooking.
Just keep reading to know more about the substitute of a slow cooker or for slow cooking. We will try to cover the overall message via this article.
Can You Slow Cook Without A Slow Cooker?
Yes, you can slow cook without a slow cooker. Slow cooking is a cooking method that cooks foods at a low temperature for a long time. Other names for slow cooking are stewing, pot roasting, or braising.
Slow cooking is becoming familiar for some people these days. But it is used as a famous cooking technique recognized many years ago. Generally, a slow cooker or similar cooking appliances is used for slow cooking. Now, it’s not impossible to think of slow cooking without a slow cooker.
For this, first, you have to fill a pot or pan with liquid and place it in an oven or on the stove. Then simmer off the ingredients for hours. However, it takes a longer time than using a slow cooker. And the flavor of the meal will be almost similar to a slow cooker with a little variation.
You shouldn’t leave the stove or oven unattended when the cooking process will run. You will stay at home when you will slow cook without a slow cooker.
Common Appliances Can Use Like A Slow Cooker
Don’t have any slow cooker? What to use if you don’t have a slow cooker? Here are many kitchen appliances which may use for slow cooking.
So, these appliances are the best substitutes for a slow cooker. You just adjust the setting of these appliances when slow cooking.
- Slow cooking in a pot
- Slow cooking in an oven
- Slow cooking in a rice cooker
- Slow cooking in an air fryer
- Slow cooking in a pressure cooker
- Slow cooking in a Dutch oven
- Slow cooking on the stovetop (electric or glass)
- Slow cooking on the gas stove
- Slow cooking on an induction cooktop
What Can Use to Slow Cook Instead Of A Slow Cooker?
You don’t require a slow cooker for slow cooker recipes. With a stove or an oven, you can easily do slow cooking. You just have to be careful about the amount of liquid and ingredients that you add and the cooking time.
A Stove, Rice cooker, pressure cooker, and Dutch oven are great options to slow cook instead of a slow cooker. Let’s discuss all the ways for slow cooking without a slow cooker:
Stove
If you want to slow cook on direct heat, you can use an oven. A stockpot will be the best pot for a stove to slow cook. The stockpot is made from aluminum or stainless steel. It is a big pot with a lid and two handles.
Heavy-bottomed stockpot is the best option. In direct heat cooking in a stockpot, you can easily adjust the heat. You can bitless the heat on your food preference on the stove.
Oven or Dutch Oven
You can use a cast-iron casserole or cast-iron Dutch oven for slow cooking as an alternative to a slow cooker. This oven can distribute a level of heat.
Besides, you can try earthenware, glass, ceramic, or heatproof any other material casseroles. But cast iron is the ideal option. You can also use the cast-iron casseroles on the stove.
Rice Cooker
A rice cooker can be used as a slow cooker. A few rice cookers on the market have a slow cooker function. This function allows the rice cooker to cook food at a lower temperature over a longer period.
It makes rice and other cereals. As well, rice cookers can cook many other foods like steamed vegetables, braise meats, etc for their versatility of cooking. So, you can use a rice cooker as an alternative to a slow cooker.
Pressure Cooker
The electric pressure cooker is also used to slow cook as a slow cooker. Pressure cookers have a lot of features that make them ideal for slow cooking, including a timer, a delayed start function, and the ability to keep food warm.
The pressure cooker obstructs the water from steaming at 212°F. So, the food can be cooked quickly without drying the food.
How to Use an Oven For Slow Cooking As A Slow Cooker
Using a Dutch oven or cast-iron casserole dish for slow cooking will be suitable for slow-cooked food.
For slow cooking, firstly you have to preheat the conventional oven to around 160°C. And the Dutch oven will have to heat up with some oil inside the pot on the stovetop to the normal temperature.
It would be best to use a lid containing a baking dish to put in a Dutch oven instead of a slow cooker or crockpot. You have to use a lid that can resist temperatures up to 500°F.
Next, brown and tenderize the meat over a stovetop. Then place the meat in a Dutch oven dish along with the liquid, vegetables, spices, and herbs.
Set the conventional oven to low heat and cook slowly until the meat is completely soft and ready to serve. You can use Cast-iron casseroles on the stovetop, so you won’t require another pot or dish to braise the meat first.
High temperature is used to slow cook in the oven. To prevent the meal from overcooking, you should check the core temperature every 10-15 minutes.
How to Use a Stove For Slow Cooking As a Slow Cooker
Although you have to give some effort to slow cook on a stovetop, it will prepare the dish in a short time. In this method, the used stockpot’s design permits direct heat that provides faster cooking along with strengthening the flavors.
By using a stockpot, firstly brown the meat. Then add spices like onion and garlic to fry. Next, add other ingredients and vegetables. Lastly, add the needed amount of liquid and seasonings. Then let the dish boil and decrease the heat to a petit simmer.
Then put the lid on the pot to cover the dish. Let the dish cook for around 30-45 minutes. And checking it every 15 minutes. When the dish is ready, turn off the direct heat. Please keep it for 15 minutes. Then remove the lid to escape excess vapors. This will thickens the dish if you prefer.
People Asked Questions (FAQ)
The better option for slow cooking depends on your needs, wants, and budget. And also depends on the quality of those appliances.
You can buy a slow cooker at an inexpensive price than a Dutch oven. On the other hand, a stockpot that is used as a stovetop is much cheaper than these three options. But stockpot may have a risk of burning the food.
But a slow cooker is best to save money. Again Dutch oven makes the food much tastier than others. So if you want more delicious food that is worth the money, a Dutch oven can be the better option for you.
Although slow cooking is done at a low temperature for a long cooking time, it has many benefits in our daily life.
So, if you use the substitute of the slow cooker for slow cooking, you will also get advantages, including: 1) No flavor, vitamins, or moisture are lost. 2) Low-temperature cooking in an oven makes the tough meat tender and nice. 3) Makes the food tasty and healthful.
To slow cook without a slow cooker, you have to alter the timing and temperature of the slow cooker recipe in the oven or the stovetop. Slow cookers function in low and heat settings.
A slow cooker setting is around 200°F on low and 300°F on high. It can need 4-6 hours of cooking time for a low slow cooker setting is nearly equivalent to 1.5- 2.5 hours for a high slow cooker setting. Depending on these, you have to adjust the time and heat in the recipe.
Yes, there may be some disadvantages to using an oven as a slow cooker. There is a high chance of overcooking. So, it is important to check the beginning temperature regularly. It’s an expensive and high-energy consumption alternative for slow cooking.
Although slow cookers need prolonged time for slow cooking; so you can leave the house, but not recommended. Because electrical devices are reliable, and accidents can happen any time, anywhere.
Again, slow cooking on a stovetop or in a Dutch oven; you also shouldn’t leave the house. You shouldn’t even move during cooking time. Because in these methods, some steps need to be followed.
Last Words:
From the overall discussion, we can say that you can still cook slow-cooked recipes without a slow cooker. It isn’t so important that if you use a stovetop, Dutch oven, or crockpot, all the steps are similar. Brown or braise the protein, especially meat, then sauté the ingredients like vegetables, put in liquid, and at last cook.
At last, we have tried to inform all the various methods of slow cooking without using a slow cooker. We hope the data will be beneficial for you.
