{"id":16406,"date":"2020-05-08T01:27:30","date_gmt":"2020-05-08T01:27:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ceramiccookwarehub.com\/?p=16406"},"modified":"2022-09-27T01:16:53","modified_gmt":"2022-09-27T01:16:53","slug":"should-slow-cookers-have-a-hole-in-the-lid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ceramiccookwarehub.com\/should-slow-cookers-have-a-hole-in-the-lid\/","title":{"rendered":"Should Slow Cookers Have a Hole in the Lid? What Is It For?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I noticed something the other day when I was at a cook-off with slow cookers. I realized that some slow cookers come with a hole in the lid, and some do not. I could not help but wonder, should slow cookers have a hole in the lid? I did some research and found the answer to my question to be a little more complex than I initially thought.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"different<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What is the hole in the lid of the slow cooker for, exactly? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The hole in the lid is a vent that allows heat and pressure to be released during the slow cooking process. Without a little ventilation, the pressure from heat and water could cause the contents to boil over, sputter, and potentially cause burn hazards. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Think about what happens when you leave a pot of boiling water on the stove. Eventually, the pot gets too hot, and the water boils over. Often, slow cookers automatically adjust to this loss of pressure from heated water vapor and adjust the temperature accordingly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, why do some slow cookers have a hole in the lid, and some do not? To answer this question, we should understand how a slow cooker and its parts work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How slow cookers work<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A slow cooker works similar to a regular pot one would cook on the stove. The heating element is at the bottom, and the heat expands throughout the container. Most commercial slow cookers can be broken down into three separate parts: the heating element, the pot aka “the crock,” and the lid. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Heating element<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The slow cooker’s heat source comes from elements encased in metal at the base of the external container. The metal encasement forms a barrier between the crock and these heating elements or electrics. The electrics and the crock never come into direct contact with one another and so is a safe option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In modern slow cookers, the ceramic pot is removable for cleaning and serving at the table. The inside of the metal container will collect grime, however, and I cover how to address this in my article: How to clean a crock pot inside and out and top to bottom<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most heating elements have at least two heat settings; low, high, and some will have a “keep warm” setting. Depending on the type of slow cooker, there may be more heat settings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crock<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The crock is a pot that is usually composed of highly glazed and thick ceramic stoneware<\/a>. Some slow cookers have a metal insert that is lighter and allows for fast heating but there are benefits of ceramic inserts over metal ones as I explain in my article on why I prefer a slow cooker with a ceramic pot<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The crock serves as a vessel for the food during the cooking process and is excellent in retaining heat for serving food at the table or keeping food warm. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ceramic crock is so good at retaining heat, it can keep food hot for long periods after cooking. This makes crock pots ideal for bringing food to share at a picnic or gathering.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lid — should slow cookers have a hole in the lid?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The lid is usually made of glass and covers the top of the crock. This allows the warm water vapor to stay trapped inside the slow cooker. Most, but not all, lids usually sit on grooves, which creates a light seal and slight pressure inside the crock. The lid is essential to stopping warm vapor from escaping. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When higher temperatures inside the crock are reached, the steam expands too much, causing the slow cooker lid to raddle or pop off completely. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why does a slow cooker lid have a hole in it?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes slow cookers, especially those that can cook at high temperatures, will include a lid with a small hole to allow a small portion of the steam to release and reduce pressure. Those without small holes will release pressure along the sides of the unsealed lid. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As well, some slow cookers have a dual purpose <\/a>vent in the lid. Different types of slow cookers will have different types of attributes and uses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Types of slow cookers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are the multifunctional slow cookers, the programmable crock pots, and others that are simply manually controlled. Click here for great examples of automatic slow cookers with ceramic pots<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But let’s look at slow cookers according to size — small, medium, and large.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Small slow cookers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n