I’ve been seeing a lot of ads lately for slow cookers wiht built-in Wi-Fi, temperature probes that connect to your phone, and pressure cooker/slow cooker hybrids that cost a small fortune.It got me thinking, do we *really* need all these bells and whistles to make a good slow-cooked meal?
Honestly, my best pulled pork ever came from a $30 thrift store slow cooker. It was basic, had a low and high setting, and that was it. No fancy timers, no automatic shut-off based on internal temperature. I just threw everything in, crossed my fingers, and eight hours later it was amazing.
Maybe some people love the added control and features, and that’s great. But I wonder if we’re sometimes getting caught up in the tech and forgetting that slow cooking is fundamentally a pretty simple process. Does anyone else find themselves feeling this way, or am I just a Luddite clinging to my old, reliable, and decidedly un-smart kitchen appliances? What “fancy” features have actually improved your slow cooking, and what’s just been marketing hype?