NuWave as a Slow Cooker
The Nuwave induction cooktop can be set to very precise temperatures, and some have advanced the idea that it can replace a dedicated “Slow Cooker/Crock Pot” and save storage space. I decided to gi...
Forum Discussion
Here’s how my first “slow cooking” test is going with the NuWave. I’m writing this as the cooking continues and will update it as the test continues.
The NuWave comes in both a 1300 watt version and a pro 1800 watt version. You can’t find the 1800 version on the web site, but if you buy from the web site, they’ll try to get you to update to the 1800 watt version – more money, of course. I’m glad I got the 1800 watt version, but I don’t think it makes any difference except on the very highest setting. The lower temperature settings begin with fewer watts than the maximum. The 195F setting begins at 600 watts and reduces from there.
I’m cooking chicken soup from a recipe I got from the internet. It includes a whole 4 pound chicken, 2 quarts of “no salt added” chicken stock, onion, celery, carrots, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, salt and pepper. I have a computer recipe book named “Cook’n.” It allows you to search the internet for recipes by subject, name, or type. That’s how I found this recipe.
1. I put the two quarts of chicken stock in an eight quart Circulon stock pot and set the NuWave temperature to 195F for six hours.
2. I then chopped all the vegetables, adding them to the pot as each got chopped.
3. I removed excess fat from the chicken and put the chicken in the pot along with the neck, etc. Then put the top on.
4. All of this took about 30 minutes and by this time the liquid temperature was about 140F. The chicken had been in the frig for two days and was at 42F when put in the pot.
5. After cleaning up the preparation area – about 15 minutes – the liquid temp was 160F and the chicken was 65F.
6. An hour later the liquid was at 161F and the chicken was also. This is a safe temperature for eating the chicken. The rest of the cooking time will just make everything tenderer. Already the smells are driving us crazy. I don’t know if we can wait the full 6 hours.
So far, there has been no boiling at all. We’ll see how it goes until the end.
7. Four hours from the end – two hours into the test. The liquid and chicken are at 175F. No boiling.
8. 2:45 hours from the end. Liquid and chicken at 181F.
9. The temperature of both the liquid and chicken stabilized at 181F. It was set for 195F, but you must remember that the NuWave controls the temperature of the bottom of the cooking utensil, not the food itself. There are heat losses from the cooking utensil. In small cooking utensils and small amounts of food, the temperature of the food is, indeed, very close to the temperature setting. In large containers with large amounts of food (8 cup pot and about 4 cups of food in this case) the heat loss from the cooking utensil will affect the temperature of the food. You can get the temperature of the food that you want by observing what is going on. I use a thermopen instant thermometer for this purpose.
10. At the 5 hour mark, I tested the chicken, and it was falling off the bone so I stopped cooking. I removed the chicken from the bone and returned it to the pot, brought it to boil briefly, turned the NuWave off and tasted the soup. It is a success. We’ll have it for supper.
CONCLUSIONS
1. The NuWave can be made to cook at long periods at any temperature you desire. It is therefore suitable for “slow cooking” if that term means cooking for long periods at low temperatures.
2. You can adjust the time to bring the process up to temperature by starting at a high temperature setting and adjusting when you reach your desired temperature.
3. Since the NuWave controls work on the temperature of the cooking utensil bottom, if you are cooking a large quantity in a large utensil, the temperature of the food will most likely be less than the temperature setting you choose. You can test the temperature of the food and change the temperature setting to obtain the temperature you desire.
4. Most slow cookers only control the cooking process by fixed controls – high, low, and keep warm, and the user isn’t able to get custom temperatures. There doesn’t seem to be any standard between the manufactures about what those temperatures are. Most slow cooker manufacturers just say that they only control watts at the various settings and not temperature.
The NuWave requires you to select the desired temperature. I think it works great as a slow cooker.
5. This isn’t an assault on dedicated slow cookers, but a consideration of if a NuWave can obtain the same results as a slow cooker and require one less appliance to store.
Remember, “If you like your slow cooker you can keep it.”
Good Luck!
Wil
The NuWave comes in both a 1300 watt version and a pro 1800 watt version. You can’t find the 1800 version on the web site, but if you buy from the web site, they’ll try to get you to update to the 1800 watt version – more money, of course. I’m glad I got the 1800 watt version, but I don’t think it makes any difference except on the very highest setting. The lower temperature settings begin with fewer watts than the maximum. The 195F setting begins at 600 watts and reduces from there.
I’m cooking chicken soup from a recipe I got from the internet. It includes a whole 4 pound chicken, 2 quarts of “no salt added” chicken stock, onion, celery, carrots, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, salt and pepper. I have a computer recipe book named “Cook’n.” It allows you to search the internet for recipes by subject, name, or type. That’s how I found this recipe.
1. I put the two quarts of chicken stock in an eight quart Circulon stock pot and set the NuWave temperature to 195F for six hours.
2. I then chopped all the vegetables, adding them to the pot as each got chopped.
3. I removed excess fat from the chicken and put the chicken in the pot along with the neck, etc. Then put the top on.
4. All of this took about 30 minutes and by this time the liquid temperature was about 140F. The chicken had been in the frig for two days and was at 42F when put in the pot.
5. After cleaning up the preparation area – about 15 minutes – the liquid temp was 160F and the chicken was 65F.
6. An hour later the liquid was at 161F and the chicken was also. This is a safe temperature for eating the chicken. The rest of the cooking time will just make everything tenderer. Already the smells are driving us crazy. I don’t know if we can wait the full 6 hours.
So far, there has been no boiling at all. We’ll see how it goes until the end.
7. Four hours from the end – two hours into the test. The liquid and chicken are at 175F. No boiling.
8. 2:45 hours from the end. Liquid and chicken at 181F.
9. The temperature of both the liquid and chicken stabilized at 181F. It was set for 195F, but you must remember that the NuWave controls the temperature of the bottom of the cooking utensil, not the food itself. There are heat losses from the cooking utensil. In small cooking utensils and small amounts of food, the temperature of the food is, indeed, very close to the temperature setting. In large containers with large amounts of food (8 cup pot and about 4 cups of food in this case) the heat loss from the cooking utensil will affect the temperature of the food. You can get the temperature of the food that you want by observing what is going on. I use a thermopen instant thermometer for this purpose.
10. At the 5 hour mark, I tested the chicken, and it was falling off the bone so I stopped cooking. I removed the chicken from the bone and returned it to the pot, brought it to boil briefly, turned the NuWave off and tasted the soup. It is a success. We’ll have it for supper.
CONCLUSIONS
1. The NuWave can be made to cook at long periods at any temperature you desire. It is therefore suitable for “slow cooking” if that term means cooking for long periods at low temperatures.
2. You can adjust the time to bring the process up to temperature by starting at a high temperature setting and adjusting when you reach your desired temperature.
3. Since the NuWave controls work on the temperature of the cooking utensil bottom, if you are cooking a large quantity in a large utensil, the temperature of the food will most likely be less than the temperature setting you choose. You can test the temperature of the food and change the temperature setting to obtain the temperature you desire.
4. Most slow cookers only control the cooking process by fixed controls – high, low, and keep warm, and the user isn’t able to get custom temperatures. There doesn’t seem to be any standard between the manufactures about what those temperatures are. Most slow cooker manufacturers just say that they only control watts at the various settings and not temperature.
The NuWave requires you to select the desired temperature. I think it works great as a slow cooker.
5. This isn’t an assault on dedicated slow cookers, but a consideration of if a NuWave can obtain the same results as a slow cooker and require one less appliance to store.
Remember, “If you like your slow cooker you can keep it.”
Good Luck!
Wil
