Slow Cooker meals have a strange taste

[Anonymous]

Bean chili:
http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2014/04/three-bean-chili/

[Anonymous]

You absolutely need to precook/brown the meats first. Made a huge difference with chicken.

[Anonymous]

This is an excellant slow cooker recipe for brisket. http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2010/04/tangy-spiced-brisket/

I agree that browning meat makes all the difference - just like in a stove top recipe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Slow cooker food is nasty. You are just tasting nasty American style food.

Not everything -- but I agree most things. You can make a good pulled pork, a good chili (although I do brown the meat and par cook the veggies and garlic) and even a good beef stew (again with the browning of meat.) Other than that, I think slow cookers are kind of terrible.

I have never understood the reason to use a slow cooker. If I am at work, I will be away for at least 9 hours which is too long to cook most things. If I am at home and I have 5 hours, I just cook it on the stove or oven, which is always a better result.

[Anonymous]

Use the low setting only and avoid garlic and onions, as mentioned.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For some reason onions, garlic and shallots develop that metallic taste in slow cookers. I would either sauté them separately and add them near the end, omit them or substitute leeks. I don't know if other foods do the same thing. I've heard some commercial broths have a metallic taste, and that would only intensify when concentrated.

Why bother using the slower cooker, then?

It's a cooking technique - low temps over a long period of time - not just a lazy mom gimmick. If you put crappy ingredients in there you will get a crappy meal. If you use it correctly you will end up with some delicious meals.

Agree. Anybody use their slow cooker instead of a pot on the stove (turned on high) b/c is safer and can be left alone? I make a lot of soups that way. Also almost any processed food will break down in a bad way in a crock pot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For some reason onions, garlic and shallots develop that metallic taste in slow cookers. I would either sauté them separately and add them near the end, omit them or substitute leeks. I don't know if other foods do the same thing. I've heard some commercial broths have a metallic taste, and that would only intensify when concentrated.

Why bother using the slower cooker, then?

It's a cooking technique - low temps over a long period of time - not just a lazy mom gimmick. If you put crappy ingredients in there you will get a crappy meal. If you use it correctly you will end up with some delicious meals.

Agree. Anybody use their slow cooker instead of a pot on the stove (turned on high) b/c is safer and can be left alone? I make a lot of soups that way. Also almost any processed food will break down in a bad way in a crock pot.

That's interesting, because one reason I haven't bought a crock pot is that 90 percent of the recipes I see for them (on this site primarily) seem to rely heavily on processed foods--soup mix, canned soup, jarred salsa, barbecue sauce, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For some reason onions, garlic and shallots develop that metallic taste in slow cookers. I would either sauté them separately and add them near the end, omit them or substitute leeks. I don't know if other foods do the same thing. I've heard some commercial broths have a metallic taste, and that would only intensify when concentrated.

Why bother using the slower cooker, then?

It's a cooking technique - low temps over a long period of time - not just a lazy mom gimmick. If you put crappy ingredients in there you will get a crappy meal. If you use it correctly you will end up with some delicious meals.

Agree. Anybody use their slow cooker instead of a pot on the stove (turned on high) b/c is safer and can be left alone? I make a lot of soups that way. Also almost any processed food will break down in a bad way in a crock pot.

That's interesting, because one reason I haven't bought a crock pot is that 90 percent of the recipes I see for them (on this site primarily) seem to rely heavily on processed foods--soup mix, canned soup, jarred salsa, barbecue sauce, etc.

Yeah - look for better recipes. Some posted above.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In addition to sauteeing aromatics and browning meat before putting them in the slow cooker, I usually add a couple of bay leaves. I also use homemade stock exclusively instead of commercial. (I make the stock in the crockpot!)

Same here, I've tried adding different fresh herbs. Bay leaves work wonderfully, so does parsley and cilantro. I do brown my meat and sauce the onions or veggies, it gives them a different taste.

[Anonymous]

This is one of the reasons I use a pressure cooker instead of a slow cooker. I think the huge amount of time food cooks in a slow cooker makes it taste off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree with OP. Slow cooker meals taste tin-ny.

Agreed. I much prefer my Instant Pot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I find meats in the slow cooker taste better if you brown them first in a skillet before adding them.

This. Also onions and garlic benefit from being browned first.

[Anonymous]

I am famous with family and friends for my cooking. I cannot eat anything from a crock pot. Chicken and beef look so tender an juicy. Not!
Looks are deceiving. Everything has the same dry metallic taste.

[Anonymous]

It is the crock pot itself releasing it's own toxic chemicals into your food. Meat looks juicy and tender but it tastes dry, mushy and metallic. Everything you cook has the same taste. Very bad for your health. That beautiful shiny surface inside your crockpot is poisoning you.

[Anonymous]

I agree! It does seem like it’s the onions or garlic. I have a very sensitive nose so I think that’s part of my problem.