Want to get rid of that 'crockpot taste'

[Molly53]

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[Jackie from Niagara]

I know exactly what you mean by "crock pot taste"

My first crock pot...no matter what I cooked, had this certain taste to it.

My new crock pot, does not have that taste at all. I am guessing it is in the ceramic. You might want to consider a new one. Some of the new crockpots, like mine, even have timers and "stay-warm" features.

[Molly53]

Jackie from Niagara wrote:
I know exactly what you mean by "crock pot taste"

My first crock pot...no matter what I cooked, had this certain taste to it.

My new crock pot, does not have that taste at all. I am guessing it is in the ceramic. You might want to consider a new one. Some of the new crockpots, like mine, even have timers and "stay-warm" features.

Hi and welcome to the forums, Jackie. It's very nice to meet a new friend.

I'd like to invite you to click on FAQ's and Additional Information for Recipezaar Navigation, a thread FULL of great information that will make your 'zaar experience much easier.

[Kyle Newton]

I think it's the garlic too. I love garlic but stopped using it in slow cooker recipes because of the weird funky taste/smell. Now it makes me wonder if I get a different crock pot, it might not do that since there are so many different answers to this post.

[Cook 'cause I half to]

Oh yea!! someone else is also having the same problem!! We've thrown away 2 slow cookers (new) because no matter what we tried, we couldn't get rid of that taste. We had a slow cooker before and never had a problem (got it as a wedding gift 30+ years ago but a couple of years after we had it, hubby decided to "heat up" the baked beans he made with the insert on top of the stove!! What was he thinking!) Anyway, we purchased another one without an insert and it was a pain. Finally, last year we bought 2 slow cookers with inserts - a small one for the 2 of us and a larger one for more people/food as needed. BOTH had the same aftertaste in the food - it was disgusting. Tried different cleaning methods - to no avail. We tried chicken, beef, pork - stews etc., same awful taste.

Needless to say, we don't have a slow cooker now but we're looking for another one, preferably made in the US or Cda (insert too) as we felt the taste had something to do with the insert (made in China) and we didn't want to risk health and additional money on food that's thrown away. Anyone have a recomendation?

[Chubby Cook]

I would use a crockpot liner. Much cheaper than throwing away the slow cooker.

[Cook 'cause I half to]

Never heard of a crock pot liner before. What exatcly is it?

[Chubby Cook]

http://www.reynoldspkg.com/reynoldskitchens/en/product.asp?prod_id=3200

I love using them when I have an especially messy/sticky recipe. Saves on cleanup and of course it would eliminate any contact with the bowl that would transfer odors. The liner is just tossed away after use.

[Red Apple Guy]

Amen to the crock pot liners. While not as strong as I'd like, they are a real help in cleanup. They cost some, just 4 per box usually. There are other brands than Reynolds I'm told, but haven't seen them.

[Chubby Cook]

Here's a non-Reynolds site I found (10 for $9.95) plus s/h.

http://www.slowcookerliner.com/order.php

and another (16 for $11.22) + s/h

http://www.ikitchen.com/079-709011.html?CS_003=740477&CS_010=079-709011

I believe the Reynolds website offers a free sample if you want to sample one before buying.

[Chef #1455269]

I didn't taste this the first few times I used our crockpot, but once I noticed it, it became overwhelming! When I described it to my husband (to me it tastes plastic-y and sort of chemical) he said that's what slow-cooker food always tasted like to him, even when his mom used one in the 70's. I stopped using ours after a couple more funky-tasting meals, but then one night we decided to slow cook a pork roast (8 hours) in the oven -- and got the same taste! So I'm wondering if it's not the crockpot at all, but some kind of transformation the meat goes through after cooking for that long...? A breaking down of something, maybe? Has anyone else ever experienced that?

[Chubby Cook]

Not me and I've been doing crock meals for many years and have gone through several cookers over the years, either dropping the crock or the lid, or other reason.

[Chef #1175751]

I just bought a crock pot. Cost $100. I've made 2 meals in it. I'm the only one in the family who notices this ghastly plastic taste. It was so bad for me, I couldn't eat either meal. I don't know the reason, but I'm going to return it. The new crock pot cook book I just bought will hopefully convert to regular cooking. It would really be nice to get to the bottom of it.

[Russell Bell]

Wow, I must be very very lucky. I have a crockpot I have used now for over 20 years. The pot itself is glazed crockery. I think that is where the name "Crock" pot came from. It uses a pot of crockery. (spelling?) I have cooked everything from beef stew to barbecued pork to spaghetti sauce. Since it has a glazed interior it is like glass. Nothing absorbs into it. I have no after taste. The crock pot is a Rival Crockpot.

[Chef #1175751]

I returned my $100 crock pot. As it happens, my husband noticed the taste as well. Mine was glazed too. I don't know. But that's the end of my crock pot cooking days.