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I thought you might like this, I'm going to make one tonight and try it out, I've got the pan and coffee can.

Interesting

That's kind of neat. People wonder why I wrap napkins around my drink cup at the fast food joint. Just like layers of clothing, layers of paper will insulate your cup, keeping your drink cold a LOT longer. I could see where the outer can could keep a lot of heat in when it's wrapped in paper. As long as it doesn't get too hot to do something bad to the paper, like catch it on fire...

Very cool.

I usually leave my electric crock pot running while I'm not at home - Not sure I'd want to try that with an open flame and flammable paper towels...

Always wondered why someone doesn't make a really well-insulated electric crock pot - It would be perfect for solar or battery power. The commercial models lose a tremendous amount of heat through the metal side walls and glass top.

I just drape a heavy terry cloth towel over mine - and yes it makes cooking on "LOW" behave like cooking on "MED".

The only thing I take exception to in that article is the mention of cooking beans in it.

IIRC correctly, a regular crockpot does not get hot enough to cook beans safely.

I forget what beans have in them that a certain amount of heat is required to kill.

dried beans or green beans?

I cook nearly all my beans in a croc-pot and wasn't aware of a min temp

ETA
Phytohaemagglutnin (Kidney Bean Lectin). Different types of lectins are found in many species of beans, but are highest in concentration in red kidney beans.

No major outbreaks have occurred in the U.S. Outbreaks in the U.K. are far more common

It has been shown that heating to 80 degrees C. may potentiate the toxicity five-fold,  In studies of casseroles cooked in slow cookers, internal temperatures often did not exceed 75 degrees C..

Raw kidney beans contain from 20,000 to 70,000 hau, while fully cooked beans contain from 200 to 400 hauore toxic than if eaten raw.??????


so if you cook them to 80c it increases it but "fully cooked" its less. really not buying any of it


YMMV

WTF  had I known this I wouldn't have been eating my croc pot pintos for YEARS

I have always used the "quick method" of boiling the dried beans prior to letting them "season" in the crock. Been eating them for years. Other than the dangerous "side-effects", I didn't know about any other issue.

buckmeister

I've tried that too - It melted the plastic temperature control knob. Lord knows what it did to the electrical innerds.

Neat, my SO wants a way to cook chili in the mtn and everything seems to have too much heat.  Please let us know how it works.

I made one and baked potatoes, it took 2.5-3 hours, I should have turned them at 2 hours the down side got a little brown, not black.
they made great hash browns this am.
I have been cooking beans in a crock pot for years the water always boils, so it is getting to 212f or 100c ,beans won't cook unless they are boliled
rice however will cook at 90c.

the paper towels  do not look like they are in any danger of fire most of the heat goes into the bottom of the pan, the can does not seem to get more that 120c.maybe I'll wrap some tin foil over the towels to minimize fire danger

^^^This is what I was half remembering.  I think the recommendation was to soak them then boil for a while before putting into the crock pot.

I don't know if the risk is low, medium or high.