tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3490881208838744102.post3558098524110225374..comments2023-09-17T03:54:37.685-06:00Comments on Analytical Mom: The Crock Pot - Energy Efficient Dream Machine?Daniellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00550951618524958511noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3490881208838744102.post-5360834468885344082016-04-28T00:42:00.661-06:002016-04-28T00:42:00.661-06:00Great write-up! I love my crockpot, and since our ...Great write-up! I love my crockpot, and since our electricity is mostly sourced from hydroelectric power here in the Buffalo area, I don't feel guilty about leaving it on all night. I was still surprised to learn how much heat it puts out. <br /><br />-LiteAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02342197293178183115noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3490881208838744102.post-9579398724085161472015-08-23T11:06:14.156-06:002015-08-23T11:06:14.156-06:00Could you explain your method of comparison more? ...Could you explain your method of comparison more? 1 kWh converts to 3412 btu. How is this conversion maintained when comparing the cooking with gas versus electric charts?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05368029211071646755noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3490881208838744102.post-39493237489151258382013-08-27T22:30:11.012-06:002013-08-27T22:30:11.012-06:00Lack of computer chips is a big bonus when the pow...Lack of computer chips is a big bonus when the power goes out - or if you need to repair it yourself! Sounds like a good buy.Daniellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00550951618524958511noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3490881208838744102.post-40544902415734429742013-06-23T11:21:36.963-06:002013-06-23T11:21:36.963-06:00I bought a Premier gas range. It has electric igni...I bought a Premier gas range. It has electric ignition, old fashioned knobs and no computer chips. If the power goes out during use, it will still work. The oven pilot can be lit manually if the power is out. The electronics died on my two year old stove and the cost to repair it was just too much.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12837530988910571063noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3490881208838744102.post-85041043554430926012013-01-12T08:05:24.219-07:002013-01-12T08:05:24.219-07:00Cool idea - I've never heard of a baking stone...Cool idea - I've never heard of a baking stone in a gas grill before. How do the logistics work out on that? where do you put the stone, how long/how hot do you cook, etc.?Daniellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00550951618524958511noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3490881208838744102.post-90674041425104688022013-01-12T08:04:31.208-07:002013-01-12T08:04:31.208-07:00That's such a smart idea - cooling the house i...That's such a smart idea - cooling the house in the summer is such a energy drain. Thanks for sharing your strategy!Daniellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00550951618524958511noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3490881208838744102.post-59185388123522515872013-01-12T08:03:35.704-07:002013-01-12T08:03:35.704-07:00Great question. The lower half of the chart compa...Great question. The lower half of the chart compares gas appliances (oven or stove) with electric crockpots. The energy usage can be converted into BTU (British Thermal Units), which compare electric and gas side-by-side.<br />Daniellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00550951618524958511noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3490881208838744102.post-50239325914974020652013-01-09T04:33:34.223-07:002013-01-09T04:33:34.223-07:00Great idea to compare these, but I'm confused ...Great idea to compare these, but I'm confused as to how to compare an electric, plug-in slow cooker with a gas hob!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3490881208838744102.post-27509530391550042212012-09-25T21:31:49.858-06:002012-09-25T21:31:49.858-06:00Best for summer is nat gas grill with baking stone...Best for summer is nat gas grill with baking stone on low to slow cook.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3490881208838744102.post-20583481916368005802012-02-08T14:34:04.604-07:002012-02-08T14:34:04.604-07:00I like to use my crock pot in the summer, as I can...I like to use my crock pot in the summer, as I can put it out on my porch, and then I don't have to run the oven and heat up the house. The difference between using the oven and crock pot may not be substantial, but running the air conditioning, sure is costly. Our electricity rates in my area are double in the summer, over what they are in the winter.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3490881208838744102.post-36275262972953283982012-01-22T17:52:22.174-07:002012-01-22T17:52:22.174-07:00Anonymous, I 100% agree. We generally use the cro...Anonymous, I 100% agree. We generally use the crock pot with cheaper cuts of meat too, and it is wonderful for the job! Especially if you're trying to eat higher quality meat, every little bit you can do to save money can count! Thanks for pointing this out.Daniellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00550951618524958511noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3490881208838744102.post-4849409447778457042012-01-22T16:54:42.559-07:002012-01-22T16:54:42.559-07:00The thing most often left out of calculations is t...The thing most often left out of calculations is that low temp cooking does enable the use of cheaper cuts of meat. <br /><br />So, while the crockpot may at times consume more energy its cost is a small fraction of the savings from less expensive cuts of meat. For beef dishes that can mean several dollars or more per meal. Spread the ingredient savings out over other non-beef meals and you may or may not find a net positive savings.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3490881208838744102.post-62642551283140673552011-05-23T09:26:36.899-06:002011-05-23T09:26:36.899-06:00The newer crock pots also get very hot on the OUTS...The newer crock pots also get very hot on the OUTSIDE. I wouldn't want a kid to touch that metal on the outside, for sure. It heats up my kitchen just as much to use these newfangled crock pots as it does to use the stovetop. My kitchen is quite small, so in the summer I don't want to heat it up. In order to avoid this, I took our huge old turkey roaster (they still make them and sell for about $80) with the lift out liner and put it on a table out on the back deck, near a plug in. I've baked pies, roasted chickens, baked muffins and cakes, reheated stews and chili . . . very handy and I don't have to watch like a hawk if I keep in on a low setting. It has a knob just like ovens used to have, where you select your temperature number. My new stove is digital and something went wrong with it recently, and now I can only have the thing at 350 because it won't go higher or lower with the touchpad. Very aggravating since it's only a couple of years old.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3490881208838744102.post-32972121349094572192011-03-17T08:17:15.525-06:002011-03-17T08:17:15.525-06:00I was really interested to learn that, as you foun...I was really interested to learn that, as you found out, there are times that it is actually more energy efficient to use a regular stove top. <br /><br />I guess I had always felt that I was being very environmentally responsible by using a crock. So much for that idea!<br /><br />I'm not so sure that the newer Crocks are an improvement over the old ones - I can't bake and I can no longer get the roasting trivets for doing meat - and they overheat.<br /><br />I hope that if enough complaints are made some changes will occur. I notice on the Rival consumer complaint site there are a ton of moans about these new pots.<br /><br />I also discovered that almost no Crockpots of any type are made other than in China.<br /><br />I believe that there are two manufacturers left - one in Germany and one in Switzerland and their product costs a small fortune.<br /><br />I think it is a sad reflection on our society that we have become so consumerist that we are willing to compromise jobs and quality merchandise - if people refused to buy made in china crap, big companies would be forced to rethink their strategy.<br /><br />Well, happy crocking!<br /><br />LouiseWeezyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03709874647757045773noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3490881208838744102.post-664528033542828452011-03-10T19:08:36.796-07:002011-03-10T19:08:36.796-07:00Wow, I didn't realize there were so many diffe...Wow, I didn't realize there were so many differences in the new Crock Pots! I had noticed they are all ovals and they seem to cook a little faster, but I didn't realize that the old ones had bake liners that are now missing. That would be pretty frightening to have a whole pot of boiling soup crack - especially if it is left alone. Wow! I have heard too that the new removable crocks are less energy-efficient. I guess every "improvement" has its drawbacks. Thank you for sharing your experiences!Daniellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00550951618524958511noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3490881208838744102.post-56071609519236115412011-03-10T12:36:22.835-07:002011-03-10T12:36:22.835-07:00I'm a die-hard crock pot user - my biggest bee...I'm a die-hard crock pot user - my biggest beef is that the new Crocks are made in china and they do NOT work in the same way as the "old" models used to.<br /><br />Even on Low, my new crocks heat the soup up to actual roiling and boiling - not something I feel comfortable leaving alone for long! <br /><br />Cooking times are much shorter - should I complain? well, I just find that if I want to cook a tough cut slowly for a few hours, the over hot crock is not accomplishing the same low and slow mode that I expect<br /><br />And finally, I find that the new crocks do not come with bake liners and are all oval in shape. <br /><br />My old Crock was round and had a bake liner and I was able to bake some pretty outstanding cakes in it.<br /><br />I have had several new crocks crack during cooking - in fairness, I was able to get them replaced free, but still, I don't like the threat of a pot full of soup cracking in half!Weezyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03709874647757045773noreply@blogger.com