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Anyone know of a crockpot that will turn off automatically, either with a built-in timer or a way to manipulate one to turn off? Can't use one that moves to warm. I need off for my mom in AL. She keeps leaving them on.

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Hamilton beach has a line of programmable slow cookers that supposedly have auto off, the problem with most of the ones I've looked at though is the need to master the digital interface, I did notice one with a simple ON/OFF/WARM dial in their auto off collection but the information blurb didn't specifically mention that it would shut off by itself.
In the meantime, since she's only a little forgetful what about setting an alarm to remind your mom to check the slow cooker.
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Here's the deal - a bit more complicated than I started off with. Mom in AL for two years started with a serious fall. She now walks great but still has broken hand and severe arthritis in hands so can't operate difficult microwave. Last year several hospital runs with pneumonia, finally doctors said she has COPD, CHF and dysphagia. Put her on hospice which she has been on for 9 months, they just removed her saying she is stable. Pretty amazing! I think it's the dysphagia that was causing her pneumonia. Special diet at AL, but they don't always get it right, she sometimes cheats, I see it as a balance, she still gets food chopped up, awareness of her dysphagia. We have always supplemented her food with crockpot food, which is basically how she's supposed to eat, really soft veg's and meats. A month ago she left food in her small crockpot, aides found it burning. AL asked for auto turnoff crockpot. So, this is what I need so she can continue cooking some of her own food. It makes her feel independant, gives her some of the nutrients she needs and allows her to warm up food in her apartment. She forgets, yes, but it is not completely senile. I want her to continue this as long as it is possible and not hurting anyone. My beef. I need a crockpot that turns completely off after a couple of hours.
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Wow, I missed the part about her being in an AL... now I'm really confused about this whole thread.
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Why does Mom need a crockpot in an AL. Aren't her meals part of her room rent. Surprised they allow cooking like this in her room.
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Cwillie the idea of a thermos takes me to my next suggestion which is a "hay box" or the modern equivalent
i haven't actually tried mine yet but i got a cheap foam cooler and filled it with polytene peanut. Got the largest wide mouth thermos I could find buried it in the peanuts , covered the whole thing with more peanuts then put the cooler top on.
The idea is to bring you food to the boil and tranfer the food into the thermos which has been preheated with boiling water. Don't know if it would work or not and you have to remember to bring the food back up to temperature to be sure it is safe to eat. aI was thinking of stew, milk puddings or breakfast porridge..
(Bythe way i was a Girl Scout back in the 50s and we did that sort of thing back then)

CM Even worse Hershey now owns Cadburys and their signature chocolate bars are made right in the US.
Persil is also being promoted as the next best thing to sliced bread.. I remember Persil and Oxydol as being the only detergents available during WW11 and post war and they were not very good. Mum mostly did the laundry with a big old bar of yellow soap!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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I share the same concerns as Sunny. Although there are ways to accomplish what you are asking I wonder if the idea is practical at all, the only value I can see in using a slow cooker is provide a hot lunch/dinner and you would be there daily to check on it and remove leftovers. I don't know why you think the keep warm feature isn't a viable option, if you are concerned that the food will not be held at a safe temperature then shutting it off altogether would obviously be worse. Since you mention it boiling dry I wonder what exactly you picture cooking, slow cookers just aren't designed to keep a single serving of food warm if that is what you are aiming for, if that is your plan then I would suggest looking into a good thermos.
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I'd really evaluate the practicality of a person with impairing memory issues cooking food. It just sounds like a really risky thing to me. I'd keep in mind that it may not just be loss of short term memory. Along with that, comes things like lack of judgment and reasoning ability, mindlessly putting things in odd places, mishandling electric appliances, etc. She may even forget there is food in the crock pot. My LO didn't realize food was on the plate if it was covered. I suppose it depends on the degree of the progression. But, if her short term is really suffering, I'd take the pressure off and not require her to prepare her own meals. I can see how that would be stressful, if she messes it up.
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You can buy timers that plug into wall socket and will shut off anything plugged into it on whatever schedule you input. I think you can do daily or weekly, ie from 3 to 6 everyday, but that means the cooker will come on everyday from 3 to 6 or Mon, wed and fri. Read reviews and ask customer service questions, if you are over everyday then you can unplug or schedule next day etc.
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I have a Breval fast slow cooker. It will shut off after 6 or 8 hours. However, most crockpots nowadays have multiple features, sear, pressure cook, steam. So if mom can not easily remember these might be more of a problem than a on/off low/high type of cooker. If the lid stays on the pot will not dry out. I would make sure that the outside of the cooker does not get broiling hot, my grannies would get so hot you could scorch wood under it. Newer models do not get that hot and would not pose a fire hazard. I would work 18 hours some days and put a dinner on low in an older version, not my Breval, and I never had any issues, other then the learning curve that some things should not be cooked for 18 hours, yuk.

Do some reading of reviews and ask about external temp, fire hazard, and any other concerns you have.

Just a thought if mom is able to do initial start, time etc. I use an induction cooker that you can program the temp and the time. It will maintain the temp you pick for the entire cook time, then shuts off. Your pan will get hot but the cooker, other then where the pan sits stays cool. I use it to make bone broth and it cooks continuously for 40 hours, no for hazard, but I add water after 20 hours. Just a thought.

I hope you find a solution that eases your concerns. Please let us know what you come up with.
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Mac, it looks as if CrockPot have bought Rival - and removed the automatic off feature. B*stards! A bit like Nestlé buying Rowntree Mackintosh and not appreciating that the golden penny toffees in Quality Street are *supposed* to be that hard. Infuriating.
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I'm not sure what you are trying to accomplish, most slow cooker meals take 4 - 8 hours to cook, and then can be held warm indefinitely. If you are just looking to keep precooked food hot until mealtime I suppose you could just plug it into a separate appliance timer.
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Thanks guys. All of the ones I see now do that "warm" thing you are talking about -- leaves it on for 10 hours. I can just see things growing in it. Plus it could run out of water and end up burning. I thought someone might actually have one they could tell me about. I need one to cut off after 2 hours. I will look on Amazon.
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My old one had that feature. It would move from high to low to warm to off. Problem may be in that eating food that has been sitting for too long--w/o the correct temp., you are possibly setting the stage for food poisoning.

Better than having a house fire--I guess it's about choices of "worries"!
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Amazon has 2 programmable crock pots. $70. and &100.
I typed in "automatic shut off crock pot". 
They both have a 4 star rating.
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