Have you ever heard of a crock-pot?  How about a slow cooker?  Well, luckily for you they are the same thing so if I tell you what one is you’ll know what both are! Crock-pot is the brand name (or common name) for a device that is called a slow cooker.  A slow cooker is a countertop electronic cooking appliance that is used to cook meals slowly, usually at a relatively low temperature, over a long period of time.  A crock-pot is used to make all sorts of food, like slow cooked meats, soups, stews, chilies, or even hot dips for parties.  Crock-pots are very popular cooking appliances in the United States.  Crock-pots are in some ways similar to rice cookers, which are common countertop appliances in Asia (and around the world).  Just like a rice cooker, a crock-pot cooks and keeps food hot.

Slow cookers are very easy to use, you just put your ingredients in, set a time for how long the food should cook, and come back hours later to a tasty meal!  For people who work outside the home, crock-pots are a great way to quickly put together a meal in the morning and come home to cooked food at night.  I love my crock-pot and use it frequently. This time of year is especially a good time to use a crock-pot, because it is cold outside and everyone loves coming home to a warm soup or stew* when it is cold. But these appliances aren’t just for soups and stews, you can cook almost anything in a crock-pot, which is what makes this versatile appliance so loved by home chefs.

Here is one crock-pot recipe that seems particularly “American” to me: Crock Pot Beer Chicken!  It is really easy, all you do is put uncooked pieces of chicken, a can of beer, and a few spices (salt, pepper, garlic powder and oregano) into the slow cooker for 6-8 hours on a low temperature. That’s it. What do you think?  Would you try this?  Do you use a crock-pot at home?  What kind of meals do you traditionally make in your slow cooker?

Lastly, I wanted to share with you this video that also explains how to use a crock-pot and is rich with good kitchen vocabulary. Watching this video would be great practice for your listening comprehension. Enjoy!

*The difference between a soup and a stew is that a soup is typically any combination of meats or vegetables cooked in liquid. Stews are thicker; they are often thickened with potatoes. The liquid in a stew is more of a gravy.)