How lifting the lid of your slow cooker for a cheeky sniff of your dinner could be adding HOURS to its cooking time

IT can be tempting to lift the lid on your slow cooker while you’ve got dinner simmering away – but you could end up waiting longer for your food. 

Slow cookers work by keeping food at a consistent temperature for long periods of time, allowing people to get on with their day as the ingredients simmer away. 

But if you’re one of those people who can’t resist a cheeky sniff, you could be delaying dinner time as every time you lift the lid you let heat out of the pot. 

When you pop the lid back on, your slow cooker takes a while to get back up to the original temperature to continue cooking. 

Web-based mag Kitchn said it’s one of the common mistakes people make when using a slow cooker.

They explained: “It’s mighty tempting to lift the lid to see what’s going on inside, or even to take a taste, but try to avoid this. 

“Slow cookers work by trapping heat and cooking food over a long period of time. 

“Every time you remove the lid, the slow cooker loses heat, and it takes a while to heat back up.”

Kitchn added there’s no need to lift the lid unless the recipe clearly states it needs to be stirred, and even then “keep it as brief as possible.” 

Chef Christopher Wilmoth also pointed out that slow cookers do exactly that – cook food slowly – so it’s best to let it do it’s thing without any interference. 

Resist the urge to peek under the lid and just let your slow cooker slow cook

Reader’s Digest said: “According to Christopher M. Wilmoth, corporate chef at Lee Kum Kee, lifting the lid too often to stir will let out heat and prolong the cooking process. 

“Your slow cooker is called that for a reason, so resist the urge to peek under the lid and just let your slow cooker slow cook.” 

Instead you’ll have to make do with looking through the glass to check on your food, just like bakers.

Anyone who watches Bake Off will know contestants painstakingly watch their creation cook through the oven door, and only open it at the last minute as the cold air can cause bakes to sink. 

Betty Crocker noted: “The mouthwatering aroma of baking cakes may be irresistible, but be sure not to open the oven for at least the first half of the baking time, as the cold air will stop your cake rising beautifully. 

“It’s definitely worth it in the long run!”

Meanwhile this mum mum makes easy Percy Pig fudge in her slow cooker and it’s perfect for the kids.

Plus this mum buys £2 boxes from Asda & fills them with treats to last a week to stop her kids endlessly snacking in lockdown.

And a mum creates a simple ‘treat plate’ to get her ‘fussy eater’ son to try new food – and you can grab one from B&M for £6.

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