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I call this slow cooking in the fast lane, because I use my slow cooker to cope with the fast pace of my life. I often find myself rushing from work to appointment, picking up kids, wondering when I’ll have time to cook. Well here is the answer.

My crockpot cooks for me while I run. When it’s time for dinner, or when I finally have time to crash, there’s a hot, tasty meal waiting for me.

These 10 tips are essential to successful crock pot cooking.

1. Cooking times and temperatures: Cooking time on high heat is approximately half the time on low heat. Some recipes require a specific cooking temperature and time to be successful, so follow the directions closely until you have a feel for the recipe. For recipes that call for both times, I often start the recipe on High to get it started, then switch to Low after about an hour. Start with large pieces of meat, such as a roast or whole chicken, on high heat for about an hour when possible. This quickly brings the food to a safe cooking temperature. An extra large roast should be cut in half to help the temperature rise quickly.

2. You can line the crock pot with a baking bag before placing the food. This makes cleaning easier. Cooking times are not affected, but the dirt remains in the bag and not in the pot. I usually find these bags on sale after Thanksgiving or Christmas and buy them then.

3. Whenever possible, do not lift the lid. Slow cooker temperatures are low and a lot of heat can be lost, possibly reducing the cooking temperature below the safe point. Use the lid provided with the pot. A layer of aluminum foil will not be enough.

4. Fill the slow cooker 1/2 to 2/3 full with food. Too full may not allow food to heat up fast enough. Similarly, a kitchen that isn’t full enough won’t heat properly either. Use the correct size crock pot for the recipe.

5. Follow the recipe and add the ingredients in the order listed. Foods that take the longest to cook tend to go to the bottom. Also, for some recipes, the vegetables or other foods at the bottom can act as a rack, keeping the foods on top out of the juices.

6. Food doesn’t need to be swimming in liquid to succeed in the crockpot. Many people find crockpot roasts lacking in flavor because they have been covered in water to cook. For most roasts, 1 cup or less of liquid is all that is needed. The meat will give up some of its own juices as it cooks.

7. The tenderness of the meat is directly related to the cooking time. A longer cook time on low will produce a more tender roast, as long as it cooks past the decomposition stage. The difference between a tough and a tender piece of meat is about 1 hour. When you check that the meat is done, if it is not tender, let it cook for another hour and check again.

8. Do not refrigerate food in crockery, heat retained in the crock will delay cooling and keep food at an unsafe temperature for too long. Transfer food to storage containers and refrigerate as soon as possible after the meal.

9. Some recipes call for them to brown or lightly cook before putting them in the slow cooker. Please read the entire recipe so you know what is called for when planning the meal. Look for recipes that require little to no pre-cooking for those busy mornings. Many recipes that call for browning can be successful without browning, but may lose some flavor due to caramelization of the meat.

10. Sometimes you can assemble the recipe the night before, putting the food and the coating in the fridge. The next morning, place it in the pot and voila. In this situation, you should never use recipes that require pre-cooking. Keep all ingredients cold until you are ready to plug in the cooker. This works well for roasts etc. I often place the roast and its flavors in the pot the night before. In the morning, I plug it in and add the liquid (although I could probably get away with adding the liquid the night before as well). This method is particularly useful when I trust a husband or son to start cooking.