Why Food Cooked In Your Slow Cooker Tastes Metallic

Using worktop appliances are a dream to use and can massively make our lives easier as we are busy working or looking to make something tasty but quick. Slow cookers have been used to create tasty meals while we are busy working.

Slow cookers use a ceramic or porcelain pots which are great for slow cooking meals. But they can sometimes release a metallic taste, this can be caused by the ingredients themselves or during washing.

In this article we are going to cover why your slow cooker might be creating a metallic taste to your food and how to prevent it.

Why Does Food Taste Metallic When Cooked In A Slow Cooker?

Many slow cooker users suggest that adding raw onions and garlic to the cooker will encourage the food to taste metallic. This could be because onions and garlic need to be cooked quickly and so a low and slow method of cooking could allow the onions and garlic to cook in a way that results in an unpleasant taste.  

It also suggests that your slow cooker simply needs to be ‘broken in’. Similar to other new appliances such as toasters or ovens, slow cookers may need to be used a few times before it stops ‘smelling new’. 

Another thing could be if your slow cooker is new you may need to wash it out a few times before using it to remove any of the polishes and treatments to products to keep them shiny and new looking.

The chemicals used can create an unsatisfying taste on your food and which may create the metallic taste you are experiencing.his is potentially more noticeable with slow cookers than other kitchen appliances simply because your food is in contact with these surfaces for a much longer period of time.

How To Prevent Food From Tasting Metallic When Cooked In A Slow Cooker?

Because the source of this problem isn’t unified, it is hard to offer one solution to reduce the risk of your slow-cooked food tasting metallic. 

One possible solution is to try and clean your slow cooker or cooking out the metallic quality. Similar to removing limescale from a kettle, a suggestion is to boil water with vinegar in the slow cooker or use a commercial appliance cleaner.  

Another solution is to simply alter the way you use your slow cooker. For example, try frying raw onion, garlic and vegetables in a separate frying pan before adding them to the slow cooker.

This may reduce the chance of the vegetables reacting with the metal in the cooker producing an unpleasant aftertaste.  

As a final option, if you find your slow cooking is continuing to create the metallic taste look into replacing it. Read the reviews left by other customers and you can determine which slow cooker is less likely to produce a metallic reaction or taste.

Modern slow cookers may have been redesigned to avoid this very issue and may contain more up to date technology. But as mentioned before the best thing to do is read reviews from other users and do some research on what slow cookers people are recommending.