How to Use a Slow Cooker

Q. I'm just beginning to use a slow cooker but am confused on the sizes. How do I find out what size my slow cooker is? It was a gift.

Measuring cup to determine size of slow cooker
ŠTory Byrne
Use a measuring cup to determine the size of your slow cooker.
A. Slow cookers do come in a lot of sizes, and range from about 21/2 to 6 quarts. Recently, a 1-quart slow cooker was introduced. Usually, smaller sizes are deep and narrow, while the larger sizes tend to be wider and rounder.

There's a simple way to check what size of slow cooker you have. Just use a measuring cup and keep track of how many cups it takes to fill the slow cooker to the rim. Remember, 2 cups equal 1 pint, and 4 cups equal 1 quart. If your slow cooker holds 31/2 to 4 quarts, you should get 14 to 16 cups of water into it, and so on.

For more information on slow cookers, including recipes, see:

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