Here’s the thing, slow cookers make your life easier no doubt, but there seems to be a magical air of mystery that surrounds fully mastering all the bounties and secrets that lie within those magical ceramic ovens. We’ve all fallen victim to overcooked meat and mushy veggies one too many times now haven’t we?

I’ve done my best to unlock the magical unicorn of information with the 18 slow cooker hacks you’ll find listed below. Go forth and take your time, may the slow cooking gods be with you!

Humidifier – that’s right, if you’re in a pinch you can use your slow cooker as a humidifier. Kind of genius if you ask me.

Homemade Yogurt – using only two ingredients!

How To Clean Your Crock-Pot – if your crock-pot looks anything like mine you know this tip is worth its weight in gold!

Rice Pudding – trust me, you want to make this

Double Layer Warmer – multi-tasking at its finest!

Crock-Pot Play-Doh – does the usefulness of this gadget know no bounds?

Crock-Pot Applesauce – So easy and dang tasty too!

Melting Chocolate –  surprisingly simple and saves you from cleaning out tons of different pots and pans.

Homemade Soap – it’s a thing, that can be done in a crock pot. Like whoa.

Steamer – for veggies or fish or whatever you like

Crayons – erase the worry of making a mess in your oven by using up all of those broken crayons and turning them into big crayons instead.

Baking Bread – Yup, you can even use that slow cooker to bake bread.

Potpourri– leave it going all day to make your house smell amazing

Add pasta, beans, and small veggies towards the end – test it out with this slow cooker recipe for short ribs that I’ve been drooling over

Add dairy products toward the end too – I’m talking milk and cheese here, nobody likes curdled anything do they? Try this recipe for corn chowder!

Handy Dandy Conversion Chart Right Here! 

Sear your meat before putting in the slow cooker – locks in flavor and worth the extra time

Great tips for cooking dried beans in the slow cooker!