West Bend Housewares Slow Cookers & Crock Pots

In food preparation, a crock-pot (also crock pot) is the name given by some manufacturers to their brands of slow cookers. In use, the food is placed inside the pot, immersed in water, the lid applied, and the unit switched on. Cooking times vary with the recipe and with the food quantity, but are typically several hours. Temperatures are low in comparison with traditional ovens used for broiling.

Pressure cooking is a method of cooking food in a sealed vessel that does not permit air or liquids to escape below a preset pressure. Because water's boiling point increases as the pressure increases, the pressure built up inside the cooker allows the liquid in the pot to rise to a temperature higher than 100 °C (212 °F) before boiling. The higher temperature causes the food to cook faster. Cooking times can be reduced by a factor of three or four.