Basically per title.
I live alone and love to cook, but due to work / life stressors I got really into wanting a slow cooker to just make dump and go meals. I work overnight in the hospital so it would be nice to have meals ready to go before work.
As for leftovers, I don't mind eating them for a couple days (2-3 days max). I eat about 1-2 meals per day with snacking throughout, so usually what I make is finished pretty quickly. I don't really freeze meals as I'd rather just make fresh meals every couple days.
I bought this crockpot from Walmart, which is 7 quarts. I really like it as it's basic and inexpensive. Plus the black color is sleek and simple.
They had the same Crockpot in a 4 quart version, but I was worried it would be too small. However, now after using this 7 quart a couple times I feel like maybe I made a wrong move with going bigger as it seems almost too big for making meals for just myself? I am not even filling it up halfway most times.
Should I bother returning the 7 qt and purchasing a 4 qt? Or do I just stick to the 7 and adjust cook times?
by _alex87
30 Comments
Bigger crockpot means more servings! I recommend seeking out slow cooker recipes that can be frozen. You can batch cook this way and always have something on hand to eat.
You can never buy too big of a slow cooker.
Just don’t fill it up if you’re only making one meal for one person.
I bought a 4qt recently, I use it to meal prep my lunch for the week and I usually make 4/5 servings which is perfect.
Not if you like leftovers
I have a 7 quart and decided to retire it save for big meals. I downgraded to a 4.5 quart and quite love it for smaller meals. Less waste for me. And it’s motivation to cook more. My pot was on sale for $40 though.
I like having the option to use the smaller one or the bigger one. Even the 4.5 quart pot gives me enough leftovers for a couple of meals rather than a full week.
Not if you’re going to freeze the leftovers for other meals
I have 3 cookers of various sizes.
I use the biggest most of all because I want to freeze leftovers.
Leftovers, leftovers, leftovers…Which are often better than Day 1!
Hell no!! Best ones to get just in case.
You can put your food in a smaller pan inside the slow cooker if you are making a smaller meal. I do it occasionally, works great.
I have a 6qt, and i live alone. I either adjust the recipie, or make stuff that freezes well.
Just get some single serving containers and freeze the rest. Comes in handy. Better than Hot Pockets and ramen.
I would keep that one and buy a 4 or 4.5 quart. Use the big one for when you want to cook big batches and freeze. Use the smaller one for everyday. Crockpot is a good brand, as is Hamilton Beach.
You don’t have to fill it to the top to use it
And I Iove ready to eat leftovers!
I have a 5 qt that I use for myself, and those meals feed me for several days. A 7 qt is way too big if you don’t like to freeze meals, because slow cookers need to be 1/2 to 3/4 full to cook the food properly. I have a 7 qt that I use for things like chili, spaghetti sauce, stew, and other larger meals that I plan to freeze portions of.
You can half fill a slow cooker. You can’t double fill one. You don’t want to over fill a slow cooker if as they cook better half full anyway. But you can always put less food in a larger slow cooker and then you have the extra space if you need it another time.
It depends on how big of a meal you eats
No. You are good.
I also live alone and have a 7 quart Crockpot. But, I often use my crock pot for guests/dinners because ppl love comfort food. Even when cooking for myself, working from home, I like having leftovers for a few extra lunches/meals. I don’t like having to go out for takeout all the time. So, it saves time & money.
I used to have a 6 quart one. It was too small for my favorite dishes, which have a lot of carrots, onions & potato chunks. Even with a 7 quart, I manage to fill it with too many veggies. And, it sometimes overfows onto my counter.
My favorite Crockpot dishes are corned beef or beef stew. Both start with a big piece of meat and a tons of veggies which release lots of liquid over 8-10 hrs.
I have a 6 litre one, (just under 7 US quarts) it’s a bit big for two of us. I do think you’d be better off with the 4 litre.
I’m single. I like 3.5 to 4 quart size slow cookers. I usually end up freezing 3-4 servings after eating 2-3 servings of a recipe. Not a huge eater. This size is big enough for a 3 lb boneless turkey breast roast which is one of my favorite slow cooker items. I don’t have a standalone freezer so I don’t have room for a big backlog of frozen meals in the freezer on top of my fridge.
I live alone and originally bought a smaller one & quickly realized it was a mistake and I wanted a larger one. My first meal I realized it with was corned beef and cabbage, I wasn’t able to fit nearly as much into it as I wanted as far as the cut which effectively meant I needed to slow cook two separate occasions this meal. Personally nah wasn’t for me I would rather make a big batch and freeze some if I need to
If you’ve used it you absolutely should not return it. Either learn to use it for smaller meals or make bigger batches and freeze them. I use a 7 quart for the two of us and it’s nice for roasting a whole chicken or turkey breast or a big batch of soup or marinara sauce.
I’m single. I have a 2-quart Crock Pot, which lives on the counter because I use it frequently. I also have a 7 quart Crock Pot that I use for pot lucks.
Better to have a bigger slow cooker just in case
I have 3 different sizes of slow cookers for different uses. Not one of them is superfluous.
I have a Crockpot brand 1.5 quart and an off brand 2 quart version. They are perfect for 1-2 person meals. If I do beans in the 2 quart, I get tired of them before they are gone. Purchased both at thrift stores, new, never used.
The good news is you can do tons of bone broth in that big one!
Extra food is stuff you can freeze and eat later with no effort.
Never know when you might want to make something for a party!
I have an older 4qt with the manual knob and a 6.5qt with the electronic programmable timer.
Even though it’s just me for most of the year, the larger pot gets the most work. When I had a commute, the timer automatically switching to warm was a must because I was away for at least 11 hours, often 12 or 13. That’s too long even on low for what I make.
Now that I’m work from home, I thought the smaller one would start getting more use. But it didn’t. I keep making the larger batches and it becomes more meals in the fridge or freezer.
I have never wanted a smaller crockpot. I got a bigger one and haven’t touched the small one since.
If you aren’t going to eat leftovers a crockpot is not for you though.