Frying, baking, grilling, searing, boiling, roasting -- whatever the method, I love to cook. It isn't always straightforward, and typically it is just plain laborious work, however at the very least it's the kind of labor I take pleasure in. Even so, I've by no means used a sluggish cooker, and have all the time been just a little jealous of my buddies who've one. Put substances in and deliciousness comes out. It seems so easy!

Since I hadn't yet run out to my nearest Target so as to add a slow cooker to my kitchen collection, I jumped at the chance to attempt the Belkin Crock-Pot Smart Slow Cooker with WeMo. The name is a little bit of a mouthful, however the idea of a sluggish cooker I might monitor remotely seemed like a definite plus -- utilizing it to test on the issues I cook and making changes as needed. And in this case, I might do it from my cellphone, even whereas riding on the prepare or walking to my condominium. Convenient!

Gallery: Belkin Crock-Pot Smart Slow Cooker review | 12 Photos

/12

Belkin

Crock-Pot

73
Score

seventy three

Critics
5 reviews

68

Easy setup

Simple operation

Easy to clean

App has restricted utility

Might shut off without warning

Expensive

At first look, the Belkin Crock-Pot isn't all that completely different from the non-good sluggish cookers made by Crock-Pot. It's an oval-formed container with a silver metallic exterior, black handles on each side, a glass lid and controls on the entrance panel underneath the familiar Crock-Pot emblem. But as a substitute of a dial, or the smooth-contact buttons of newer digital models, the Smart Slow Cooker has pared the controls down to at least one clicky button. That button lets you toggle amongst high, low and warm cooking settings, whereas every part else on the panel is simply an indicator. Any control extra advanced than that has been moved to the app. Inside, the cooker has a removable, black ceramic serving dish that accommodates as much as six quarts.

Software

Connecting the slow cooker is a comparatively painless process. You'll must download the free WeMo app for Android, iOS or Kindle first. Once the Smart Slow Cooker is plugged in, it's going to create a WiFi network that you just connect with. Then, whenever you open the WeMo app, it's going to prompt you to hook up with your private home community. I needed to restart the app to get the connection to complete the setup course of, but solely the one time. I feel like a lot of smart devices typically require frequent restarting and button pushing to get them related, but this went fairly easily. The most effective half is that you solely must set it up as soon as -- even if the gradual cooker is unplugged (which happens a lot given that shops and counter area are at a premium in my kitchen), it would remember its settings and reconnect mechanically once you plug it back in.

The WeMo app itself is fairly easy, and anyone who's already invested in Belkin's good gentle switches or shops ought to be aware of what it has to offer. All connected units are listed with their connection standing displayed; simply click on the one you would like to control at that second. Overall settings for the app are available by way of the icon within the higher-right nook of the display screen; deciding on this icon whereas a device is chosen will yield further choices to edit settings for the system and even update its firmware. If you loved this write-up and you would certainly such as to receive additional details concerning door handles cost kindly check out our own web site. Once set up, the slow cooker should seem within the checklist of gadgets and you just need to tap on the circle in its row to show it on. Each faucet cycles via the varied heating choices, from low to excessive to warm, earlier than cycling again to off. Selecting the row itself lets you set a timer, flipping up and down between numbers.

Gallery: WeMo screenshots | 9 Photos

/9

In use

With the gradual cooker set up, it was time to provide this thing a strive. I settled on a barbecue-style chicken stew, with celery, onions, bell peppers, tomato and all the spices that might establish it as "barbecue taste." Unfortunately, I shortly realized that though a gradual cooker means I not have to face over a hot stove monitoring the stew as it bubbles away, it doesn't make the preparation process any simpler or sooner. I nonetheless had to chop up all the vegetables and the hen and that nonetheless takes time, dashing any thoughts of a "fast and simple" meal.

Once all the pieces was chopped and squared away within the pot, with the suitable spices stirred in and the lid popped on prime, I used to be confronted with a bit of a conundrum: Should I exploit my cellphone to show it on or press the button on the front? I opted to make use of the phone to set the cooker to "low," however felt mighty silly doing so since I was standing proper in entrance of it. Experimenting with both the telephone and guide controls, I seen the cellphone exhibits a slight delay between temperature settings, so that you may as properly press the bodily button when possible. There's a risk of holding the button too long in the app, unintentionally setting it on the improper temperature and forcing you to cycle by all the settings to get it back the place you need it.

With the sluggish cooker slowly heating up, starting the technique of turning my raw substances into a delicious, delicious stew, I left for work. It was satisfying to know that after an extended day on the office, I wouldn't have to fret about what I used to be going to eat once i obtained home. It would be there, ready for me.

I managed to get all the strategy to work with out taking a look at my telephone, however the first chance I got, I checked the WeMo app. It was still cooking. And that's... all I knew. The app solely tells you the present cooking temperature setting and the way lengthy it has been cooking. It would not let you know what the precise temperature of the food is, how much it's bubbling or whether the tomatoes within the pot have boiled down fully. The cooking time isn't even that dependable -- it merely measures how long the slow cooker has been on, not how lengthy the food has been sitting in it. For those who decide to lift the heat, you must cycle from low to heat to off, and then back to high, resetting the cooking time. You'll be able to still set the timer remotely, but it will solely tell you how lengthy you're setting it to cook, not how long it's going to take the meals to complete cooking.

I checked back periodically throughout the day, with the same distinct lack of discernible progress. "Yep, nonetheless cooking," I'd say each time I opened up the app. However, whereas a watched pot never boils, it was good that I was watching this pot -- one time after i checked the app, the slow cooker was off! Not sure if the problem was on my finish or the pot just turned itself off, but it ended up being a very good thing that I used to be metaphorically hovering over this stew. It did not do it once more, though, and remained on for the remainder of the day.

My obsessive checking got shut down chilly turkey as I rode the subway home; there is no cell service underground, after all. But after i got a sign, I managed to restrain myself. As I walked to my condo, I opened the app on my telephone as soon as more to set the pot to "warm," since dinner was now imminent.

Upon arriving home, I walked straight into my kitchen to take my first look on the completed stew. The tomatoes had utterly boiled down and the vegetables had been tender; the disparate elements had been simmering right into a reddish concoction that smelled scrumptious. I grabbed my large spoon and ladled out heaping portions into bowls for myself and my boyfriend, sprinkling a little bit cheddar cheese on top. How was it? Delicious. It didn't have fairly the tartness I was hoping for, nevertheless it nonetheless was very savory with the correct amount of sweetness. My solely complaint -- and this does, in fact, involve the cooker to some extent -- is that the meat wasn't utterly tender to the contact. However, it easily pulled and shredded apart when prodded with a spoon.

Once we had completed consuming it was time for the worst a part of the night: cleanup. But it wasn't dangerous in any respect. The Smart Slow Cooker itself truly consists of two pieces, the steel exterior with the heating component, and an inside ceramic bowl that can be eliminated for serving or cleansing purposes. We just took it out and washed it like some other bowl, wiping it down with a sponge and some dishwashing liquid, and placing it back in the cooker once it had dried. The exterior portion could be easily wiped down as nicely; the lack of buttons is definitely useful right here as there are fewer locations for escaped food particles to accumulate.

Wrap-up

While I loved my stew, and utilizing the Belkin Crock-Pot Smart Slow Cooker with WeMo was an total pleasant expertise, I can't say that WiFi connectivity added something notably helpful to the gadget. Slow cookers usually have timers so you possibly can have it cook for simply the appropriate period of time and have it shut off earlier than the food gets ruined. The one advantage of the WiFi connection is that you would be able to flip it back on after it shuts itself off -- so if you end up working later than anticipated, earlier than leaving the office you'll be able to set the cooker to "heat" to have your food ready to go again the minute you stroll in the door lever. But like many other slow cookers, the Belkin Crock-Pot is properly-insulated, making it unlikely that your meals will get chilly (and even lukewarm) before you get dwelling, even while you stay out late.

Slightly extra info within the app would have made the Smart Slow Cooker more helpful, like the present temperature of the meals and the way long it's been in the pot. The app could use some improvements normally -- while WeMo is appropriate with If This Then That (IFTTT), there is no specific compatibility with the gradual cooker. I could not, for example, set up the Smart Slow Cooker so that it might occasionally brag on Twitter concerning the superior stew I was making. In its current state, all of the app does is move the controls from the entrance of the cooker into your phone. Instead of being something you "set and neglect," the connectivity makes it possible to obsess over your food all day. Maybe some individuals like that diploma of management, but for most, it isn't price spending $130 when a daily sluggish cooker might be had for as little as $30.