It’s a challenge to get hot home-cooked meals on the table for dinner. A slow cooker is an excellent way to provide nutritious meals for your family, but one question that keeps popping up is, “do all slow cookers get hot on the outside?“
Heating elements that distribute heat are installed along the sides of slow cookers. The exterior of most slow cookers is made of metal, a good heat conductor. Therefore, when the heating elements reach a high temperature, the outside of slow cookers becomes hot to the touch.
Do all slow cookers get hot on the outside
Are all slow cookers supposed to get hot on the outside? As I explained above, the outside of slow cookers becomes hot to the touch because of how they’re designed. Apparently, designers and engineers have had a difficult time finding a workaround to this problem because there are minimal options for cool-touch slow cookers.
Technically, slow cookers shouldn’t become so hot on the outside that they can burn your hands. However, the problem is that over time, slow cookers tend to become hotter.
The problem with the exterior of slow cookers getting hot
If your slow cooker is getting hot on the outside (or hotter than it used to get), you may become increasingly uncomfortable leaving the slow cooker unattended. Although it’s rare for slow cookers to get hot enough to hurt someone, there are circumstances where this may be an issue.
If a slow cooker is being operated in a home where there are children or vulnerable adults, a hot slow cooker could be problematic. For example, it can be difficult for young children or adults with dementia to remember not to touch the slow cooker. For worried parents or caregivers, one incident of someone getting burned is one incident too many.
Who should get a cool-touch slow cooker?
If you have an older slow cooker, such as one that was made in the 1990s, I recommend that you consider replacing it with a new model. Older slow cookers have fewer safety features built-in.
Also, slow cookers tend to get hotter on the outside over time. Therefore, even if your slow cooker used to be cooler to the touch, you may have noticed that it’s hotter than it was before.
Finally, if you live in a home with young children or vulnerable adults, buying a cool-touch slow cooker is something to seriously consider.
Reasons for getting a cool-touch slow cooker
The fact is, even if you don’t have small children or vulnerable people in your home, you can still burn yourself with a hot slow cooker.
For many home cooks, it just makes more sense to get a slow cooker that won’t burn them if they accidentally bump against it while working in the kitchen.
Cool touch slow cooker alternatives
One thing to keep in mind is that several slow cooker manufacturers advertise their cookers as “cool-touch slow cookers,” but in reality, the only parts that are cool-touch in most of these models are the handles and the knobs on the lids.
While it is certainly helpful to have slow cookers with cool-touch lid knobs and handles, many people have reasons for wanting a slower cooker that has an exterior that is completely cool to the touch.
It’s not easy to find a cool-touch slow cooker that stays cool on the entire exterior. Fortunately, there are a few cool-touch slow cookers on the market. I scoured the internet and found three that I recommend.
Best cool-touch slow cookers crockpots
If you’ve already been searching for crock pots that don’t get hot on the outside, you’ve likely run into the same problem I did. There simply are not a lot of cool-touch slow cookers out there. Let’s go over the three best ones I found.
Best cool touch slow cooker
The cool touch slow cooker I recommend for most home cooks is the Aroma Housewares ARC-1120SBL SmartCarb Cool-Touch. This machine is a multicooker that can serve as a food steamer, rice cooker, and slow cooker.
Overview
- Cooking rice made simple: this rice cooker & Multicooker is ideal for making enough rice for 20 people and enough carb-reduced rice for 10 people with the press of a button. Cook rice quickly with superb flavor and texture and make meals for the entire family.
- Reduces carbohydrates: our rice cooker comes with a Stainless Steel pot that drains up to 30% carbs from the rice giving you the freedom to cook and enjoy a wide variety of rice and whole-grains while maintaining all the nutrients and minerals It has to offer making it perfect for daily use
- Steam, cook & saute: with 8 preset one-touch functions, This cooker is great for cooking, steaming and sautéing a wide variety of whole grains, steam fish and vegetables, meats, hearty soups making it ideal for cooking healthy homemade slow-cook recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, or sides
- Save your time: thanks to the programmable 15-hour delay timer and automatic Keep-Warm function, Our rice cooker will make sure that you always have a bowl of warm cooked rice ready whenever you need it. You can easily cycle between the different cooking presets with a single touch
- All in one kit: This carbohydrate reducing rice cooker comes with everything you need to get started including a rice measuring cup, serving spatula, Soup Ladle, nonstick removable inner pot, and CARB reducing pot to make cooking healthy meals for yourself and your family simple
Last update on 2024-03-03 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Features
- 5-quart cooker
- 15-hour delay timer
- Nonstick inner pot
- Cool-touch technology
- Automatic keep-warm function
- 8 preset one-touch functions
- Includes a serving spatula, soup ladle, nonstick removable inner pot, steam tray, and a rice measuring cup
With the ARC-110SBL multicooker, you can cook homemade healthy meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Moreover, since this slower cooker also doubles as a rice cooker and food steamer, this is an appliance that will give you versatility in the kitchen.
Pros and cons
Here are some of the pros of the SmartCarb Cool-Touch Stainless Steel Multicooker.
- SmartCarb function reduces up to 25% of the carbs in rice that you cook
- Easy to clean
- Simple to follow instructions
This machine has a tone of good reviews and positive features that users mention.
But here are some reviews with features that users found annoying.
When I was reading the reviews, I noted one or two reviewers say that this machine spews liquid onto the countertop. Also, condensation builds up on the inside of the lid, which can create undesirable moistness in some foods. Moreover, there were complaints that it doesn’t cook the food evenly.
Best budget option insulated slow cooker
If you’re hoping to start with a less expensive cool touch slow cooker, the Aroma Housewares 6-Cups Rice Multicooker. With a 4.5 star average rating on Amazon, this handy little cooker may meet your needs perfectly.
In addition to serving as a slow cooker, you can also use this cool touch appliance for steaming vegetables, making porridge or oatmeal, and cooking fluffy rice.
Overview
Last update on 2024-03-03 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Features
- Cool-touch technology
- 12 different functions
- Timer
- Nonstick inner pot
- Saute-then-simmer technology
- Easy-to-use programmable digital controls
- Automatic keep-warm setting
- High and low slow cook settings
- Cake function
- Includes inner pot, steaming tray, rice measuring cup, soup ladle, rice cooker manual, and a plastic rice paddle
One appreciable benefit of the ARC-6106 model is that it is available in three different sizes. If you have a smaller family, the six-cup size may be a good fit for you. Alternatively, you can opt for the larger sizes that accommodate either eight or 10 cups of uncooked food. You can also choose between black and champagne colors.
Pros and cons
The Aroma Housewares ARC-6106 has a lot of pros that are worth mentioning.
- Cool enough to handle at any point during the cooking process
- Available in three different sizes
- Makes perfect rice and nut bread
- East to clean
- Powerful as a vegetable steamer
- Can be used to braise and brown chicken, beef, and other meats
- Warranty in the U.S.
As for the negatives with this cool touch slow cooker, reviewers noted some minor issues. For one thing, it may cook slower than other slow cookers, and some parts of the machine may be difficult to clean. Reviewers would like to see a specific porridge function, but they suggest using the yogurt function to get the same results.
On the inside of the lid, condensation often builds up, and this can be tricky for some foods. For example, condensation can make rice mushy, but this would be less of a concern for meals cooked in the slow cooker setting.
The company offers a warranty for Aroma products bought in the United States. Unfortunately, this warranty does not apply to units sold in Canada.
Best portable cool touch slow cooker
For some cooks, portability is important. Whether you attend potluck dinners, go camping, or want to provide food for everyone at the office, the Presto 06012 Nomad 8-quart Traveling Slow Cooker will meet your needs if hot food to go is on the menu.
On Amazon, 87% of the reviews on this hardworking cool touch slow cooker are 5-star reviews. In short, this is a cooker that has a devoted following of dedicated home chefs who need to provide meals on the go.
Overview
Last update on 2024-03-03 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Features
- Large 8-quart capacity
- Viewing window
- Three temperatures: high, low, and keep warm
- Built-in cord storage
- Removable utensil holder
- Swing-up handle
- Locking lid (when in carrying mode)
- Includes a whiteboard and marker
- Removable nonstick cooking pot
If you need a cool touch slow cooker that can travel with you, this one is great. Customers love all of the great features, especially the extra things like the whiteboard and marker that you don’t often see in slow cookers. Several reviews mentioned the removable utensil holder as a favorite feature as well.
Pros and cons
Some of the pros of the Presto 06012 Nomad are below.
- Spill-proof transport
- Easy to clean
- Travels well
- Nice and large so you can feed a crowd
Some reviews noted that this slow cooker can’t be plugged into a vehicle’s charging port (what is formerly the cigarette lighter port). For many customers, this made the Presto Nomad less effective than it could be. Equally concerning for some people is the lack of an indicator light, and several reviews said that this is something they would like to have on this model.
Some hat this slow cooker gets hot on the outside. On the other hand, other reviews said that it does not. The variance is concerning for people who are buying this appliance specifically because it’s a cool touch slow cooker.
Some home cooks may experience that this slow cooker takes longer to cook than other slow cookers, and food may take all day to fully cook. Also, for some people, the lid was difficult to clean and there were complaints about the leak-proof effectiveness.
Do crockpots get hot on the bottom?
Slow cookers do get hot on the bottom because they are designed to be run for several hours. Therefore, it’s important to take extra care with where you place it before you add your food to it and turn it on.
Where should you place your slow cooker?
It’s normal for slow cookers to get hot on the bottom, even if you’re cooking with a cool-touch slow cooker. Because of this, you need to be sure you place it on a solid foundation that can tolerate the heat.
Another concern is items that are in close proximity to your slow cooker.
Be sure that nothing is touching the slow cooker. For example, items made of cloth or plastic don’t typically handle heat well.
In addition to the fact that the items will become melted or damaged, some materials can actually fuse to your slow cooker and ruin it if it gets hot on the outside.
What to put under the slow cooker
Because your slow cooker may get hot on the bottom, you have to be sure you’re putting it on a surface that can tolerate the heat. If you have the right types of countertops, you may not have a problem with your slow cooker staining or warping your counter. However, in some cases, you may need to protect your countertops.
For example, if your home has butcher block countertops, the heat and moisture from slow cookers can leave the surfaces stained and warped. Another example of a situation where you might need to protect your countertop would be if you live in an apartment with a painted countertop.
For most home cooks, the best option for cooking with your slow cooker is to place it on your stovetop. Stoves and ranges are built to withstand high heat, so there is no worry about the heat that may come from the bottom of your slow cooker. But if you are worried you can always get a stovetop protector that works wonders on your glass or induction cooktop. I cover stove-topers covers in my other post here.
Moreover, most stovetops are easy to clean, so if by chance your cooker spews liquid, it will be a quick and easy clean-up.
If you need to put something underneath your slow cooker, consider these options.
Conclusion
Do all slow cookers get hot on the outside? Unfortunately, most of them do. It’s not easy to find the perfect cool touch slow cooker with cool touch housing, but once you have one that meets your family’s needs, you will love it.
Featured image credit:
“crock pot” by love.jsc is licensed under CC BY 2.0
