A trivet for the slow cooker is a kitchen essential. It has practical functions from providing you with perfectly cooked meals on your slow cooker to giving you convenience in using it. If you have been using your slow cooker for your meals at home perhaps you may wonder, what can you use as a trivet in a slow cooker? You may have encountered a certain cooking situation wherein you need to use a trivet for the slow cooker.
What is the trivet used for?
A trivet is an essential cooking tool usually made from a metal component and it has dual functions. Often round in shape and serves as an elevated steam rack that is placed inside slow cookers.
It helps in generating steam to cook the food more efficiently while inside the slow cooker. A trivet for a slow cooker also keeps the food away from the liquid and oil.
If you are wondering, what do you put under a slow cooker, a trivet is useful too. The trivet under the slow cooker acts as a barrier between the hot instant pot and the table or countertop surface. It will protect the surface from damages caused by the heat emitting from the slow cooker.
What can you use as a trivet in a slow cooker?
There are several options that you can use as a trivet for the slow cooker, the most common ones are commercially available these are the metal and silicone trivet. Positioned at the bottom part inside the slow cooker, a trivet helps facilitate even cooking, prevents food from sticking to the pot, and decreases the chances of food burning. Metal and silicone trivets come in various sizes just make sure you have the right size for your slow cooker.
You can also make an improvised trivet by using crumpled aluminum foil but make sure you have a good layer that can resist puncture or breakage and is thick enough to hold the food inside the slow cooker. This will also prevent food from burning and sticking to the pot. Using parchment paper instead of foil is another good improvised option too.
Using a trivet in a slow cooker will help clean up easier but most importantly it will prevent food from sticking to the pot and avoid burning.
Top 4 trivet for slow cooker:
There are several types of trivets for slow cookers and they would vary in material and design. To make it easier the list below are the most useful trivets:
- Metal trivet with handle– often comes with the slow cooker box as part of the accessories included in the package. With handles on the side, the metal trivet with a handle is what you put inside the slow cooker. So far, the best instant pot trivet for the slow cooker is since it will allow you to use it for many types of dishes. It is easy to clean and takes little space inside the dishwashing machine.
- Tall trivet– designed with legs that are longer which is good in providing enough elevation when dealing with pot-in-pot cooking technique. Excellent for cooking two separate dishes wherein you can cook on the lower portion of the slow cooker under the tall trivet while managing to cook another food that sits on the trivet and away from the simmering food below.
- Flat wire round trivet– is designed with low height legs. Excellent for dishes that have a little amount of liquid keeping food indirectly out of contact with oil dripping or sauces. If you are curious about what to put under a slow cooker this type of trivet is suitable. It acts as a barrier between the table and the instant pot protecting the surface from possible heat damage. The flat wire trivet for the slow cooker is great to use also as a baking or cooling rack and excellent when cooking chicken or meat preventing toasting, burning, or over-cooked portions in the meat.
- Silicone trivet– among the trivets for the slow cooker, the silicone trivet has a non-stick surface which is easier to clean. It comes in various sizes to accommodate different sizes of slow cookers. Excellent to use for roasting which keeps the oil and liquid away from the meat or veggies.
What happens if you don’t use the trivet inside your slow cooker?
Trivets are important in all slow cookers. Aside from allowing the heat to circulate evenly around the food item, it eliminates the possibility of food surface burning and uneven cooking. A slow cooker trivet is also useful in draining oils or liquids away from the food, especially when roasting.
What happens if you don’t use a trivet under your slow cooker?
A slow cooker during operation emits heat from hours of continuous cooking thus having the tendency to damage surfaces around it. If you don’t use a trivet under a slow cooker, your table or countertop will become hot which could leave marks or even disintegrate the topmost level surface. It is best to use a trivet under a slow cooker for safety purposes and to avoid surface damage.
Improvised Trivets for Slow Cooker
If your crockpot or slow cooker has no trivet you can easily improvise and search for items around your home. There are household items around your kitchen or your house that could function as a trivet just make sure that they are heat resistant.
A steamer basket or a colander could also be an improvised trivet. If you have cookie cutters around it will be useful to function as a trivet. You can also place an inverted stainless-steel bowl inside your slow cooker.
If you don’t have things around, you can have a DIY trivet using aluminum foil. Cut the foil into pieces and create around 4 to 5 balls of the same height. This is also a good trivet substitute.
How to make a trivet for a slow cooker
Making a trivet for your slow cooker is easier than you think. Here’s what you need to do.
- Get materials: To make a trivet for your slow cooker, you’ll need some basic materials. You’ll need a piece of wire mesh: such as chicken wire, a pair of wire cutters, and some heavy-duty scissors. You’ll also need some pliers and a few zip ties.
- Cut the wire mesh: Using the wire cutters, cut the wire mesh into a round or square shape that’s slightly larger than the bottom of your slow cooker. Make sure you leave a few inches of extra wire mesh on every side so that you can attach the zip ties.
- Attach the zip ties: Using the pliers, attach the zip ties to the wire mesh. Make sure to leave enough slack in the zip ties so that the wire mesh is held securely in place.
- Cut the excess wire: Using heavy-duty scissors, cut the excess wire off the wire mesh.
- Place the trivet in the slow cooker. Place the trivet in the slow cooker and you’re ready to start cooking.
With these simple steps, you can easily make a trivet for your slow cooker. This will help protect your counter from heat damage and make it easier to lift your slow cooker off the counter. Now you can enjoy all the delicious meals your slow cooker can make without having to worry about scorching your countertop.
Buying Trivets for Slow Cooker
Shopping for trivets is easily done online. There are several good trivets for the slow cookers that you can choose from. Just make sure that you know the exact size of the trivet that you will need for your slow cooker. Aside from the size, you must also consider your required function of the trivet- are you going to need it for roasting, braising, or steam cooking?
Slow cookers or instant pots are becoming popular these days. When college life is getting busier with more schoolwork load the time to prepare meals becomes a challenge. Having a slow cooker will give the convenience of an automated cooker and is very practical to use for homecooked meals.
The most popular ones are silicone trivets which are available in various styles and colors. If you are a more conservative cook, you may go with the traditionally designed metal trivets for slow cooker either with handles or just the round one. Basically, you will need different types of trivets for the slow cooker since for sure you will be whipping up amazing dishes with various cooking styles or techniques. Invest in quality ones for durability to ensure many pleasant cooking adventures with your slow cooker.
Final Word
A slow cooker can be a dependable kitchen partner for anyone who enjoys cooking at home and in order to be creative and avoid unfavorable cooking outcomes such as unevenly cooked food, soggy dishes, or oily roasted food to name a few. You will need a quality-made trivet for your slow cooker. A trivet is the saving grace of your culinary masterpieces allowing you to enjoy evenly cooked food just the way you wanted it.