Many of us love the art of cooking, but who likes to clean up the kitchen after that perfect meal has been laid out?
A number of simple tools in the kitchen have made cleaning up a dream. Oven bags, crockpot liners, aluminum foil, roasting bag and parchment paper are just some examples of must-haves in the kitchen if you don’t want to be left scrubbing your cooking utensils.
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Do You Love Crock Pots but Hate Cleaning Out the Mess Afterwards?
If you are a slow cooker fan and use a crock pot, you would know how easy it is to prepare a meal in one these appliances. Just add all your ingredients in and set it to slow cooking and you’re done. Return after work or run errands and you have a hot meal waiting at home for you.
The ease of cooking in a slow cooker however is set off by the messy cleaning up afterward. One way to hasten the process is to use slow cooker liners or crockpot liners. Lining the cooking pot means you can skip the scrubbing and cleaning. Just pour out your meal and throw away the liners.
Can You Put a Crockpot Liner in the Oven?
A crockpot recipe may call for an initial high temperature to roast your dish. Alternately, you may want to get a nice golden-brown color on your dish in the end.
If you plan to put your crockpot dish in the oven, keep in mind that the lid and heating element are not oven-safe, but the stoneware insert can withstand temperatures up to 400 degrees F.
Having said that, if you are using crockpot liners, limit the oven temperature to 350 degrees F to prevent the liner from getting burnt.
Can You Put Reynolds Slow Cooker Liner in the Oven?
A popular product among crockpot liners is the Reynolds Slow Cooker Liner. Easily available on Amazon, these strong and reliable liners make cleaning up a snap. BPA-free and FDA-compliant, these crockpot liners are especially designed to optimize cooking in a slow cooker, which tends to cook at lower temperatures than an oven, typically in the range of 200 to 300 degrees F.
If you are going to put the crockpot in the oven at a higher temperature, the slow cooker liners may not be able to withstand the heat.
Can You Use Reynolds Kitchen Oven Bags in a Crockpot?
Reynolds kitchen oven bags are heat-resistant nylon bags that are designed for the high temperature of an oven. These are perfect for your meat, vegetables and sauces when you are planning to cook in the oven. If you do want to put your slow cooker pot in the oven later, an oven bag liner would be better suited than a crockpot liner.
However, keep in mind that oven bags are not designed for use in a crockpot cooker and so you may find that the cooking time in the crockpot increases. This may be a price you are willing to pay in order to be able to pop your crockpot stoneware insert into the oven.
What Can You Use Instead of an Oven Bag or Cooker Liners?
So what is the answer if a crockpot liner isn’t ideal for the oven and an oven bag isn’t the best bet for your slow cooker pot? You can try alternatives like parchment paper which can withstand the high heat of an oven and are a healthier option than the plastic bag of a crockpot liner.
Aluminum foil is another option that can be used as a crockpot liner and can also handle the high temperature of an oven. However, research shows that aluminum, when heated, can leach into your food.
Alternately, you can oil the base of your cooker, air fryer or instant pot and skip using any liner. A simple olive oil or canola oil spray is easily available across stores and efficiently lines your kitchen appliances with a layer that will make clean-up easier.
Not only does this keep your food free of plastics and other unnatural substances, but it is the most cost-effective option and one that can be used across a variety of kitchen appliances.
The Bottom Line
The bottom line is that if you do want to put your crockpot into the oven, leave the lid and the heating element outside. Simply slide the heat resistant stoneware insert in. If you are using a crockpot liner in your cooking pot, don’t set the oven to temperatures higher than 350 degrees F.
You can also preheat the oven with the crockpot and liner inside so that they gradually heat up and don’t find themselves exposed to a sudden high temperature. Either way, keep an eye on your dish and don’t leave it unattended while it is in the oven.
And now it’s time to enjoy your meal and throw out the crockpot liner for an easy clean up at the end of the day.