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Pot roast: stove top, oven, or slow cooker?

I love pot roast but I've never made it before. I don't own an oven safe pot or a slow cooker, but I'm willing to purchase them. I do have a big soup pot I could try making stove top pot roast in. (The pot has plastic handles, hence, not oven safe.) My question is, what are the pros and cons of cooking pot roast on the stove top, vs the oven, vs using a slow cooker? Or an even simpler question, what is your favorite method?

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We've tried crockpot, stove and oven and we decided we like the stove the best. I think it might have something to do with the fact that we use a pot that my hubby earned when he was selling cookware. We just sear the chuck roast, add a little water to the pot, add a packet of onion soup mix, and then set the stove to between low and med for about 3 hrs or so. When there's about 45 min left, we add the potatoes and carrots. Now I'm hungry!!

I've never cooked pot roast on the stove. I have cooked it in the oven in a roasting pan, or in the crock-pot. I prefer it in the crock-pot as it turns out more moist. I brown in a pan first though before putting in the crock pot.
I use this recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/slow-cooker-pot-roast.html

I like slow cooker because I don't have to be home while it is cooking. I can't imagine life without my crock pot(s). Yes I have several.

As far as taste, etc goes... Not sure there is a huge difference other than I think it would be hard to maintain a consistent low temp on a stove burner for as long as you would need to cook it for.

Slow cooker hands down every time. As long as you have the time to let it cook, then that's absolutely the way to go if you want it to taste the best and be as tender as possible.

Don't forget the grill...awesome

I like the slow cooker method best.

mine keep overcooking in my slow cooker...
so yeah...

I vote oven.
My gram does it either oven or pressure cooker

Slow cooker is the easiest anyway. I pour in a few cans of beef broth, and a packet each of brown gravy mix, ranch dressing mix, and italian dressing mix. And I add a ton of carrots and potatoes.

I like the flavor better if I cook it in the oven, but that involves me being around to oversee the process, and I don't have the two hours to do that. So, I vote for the crock pot because I can just throw it in the pot with some broth, carrots, spices, potatoes, come home form work or whatever, and I have a meal.

best results in oven. Yes, it's slow lol!

Definitely crock pot! I usually sear both sides then throw it in the crockpot with some soup base. So moist and delicious!

It really can depend on the quality of your pots and/or slow cooker. If you are going stovetop, you will have difficulty maintaining a low, even temperature if your pot is cheap and thin. If you are using a slow cooker, you will have difficulty with certain manufacturers that design theirs to get too hot on "low." The actual "Crock pot" brand is notorious for this. My slow cooker is actually SLOOOOOOWWWWW and never overcooks.

Also, if you go slow cooker, you will have better-tasting results if you brown the outside of the roast in another pot on the stovetop first (then deglaze that pan and use the resulting juices in the slow cooker). You don't absolutely NEED to do that, but wow it makes a huge difference in the flavor.

Crock pot is my fav

crockpot is easiest but does not brown. stovetop is great because you brown the meat first in a large pot then add water and seasonings. vegetables the last half hour.

I made this for dinner tonight. Best in oven, but convienient in slow cooker.. Either way brown it first and cook slow and low. Also, add can of cream of mushroom, few dashes of Westchester, and cup of water and galrlic. Use drippings to make gravy. Its fire every time!

tinallen863 wrote: »

crockpot is easiest but does not brown. stovetop is great because you brown the meat first in a large pot then add water and seasonings. vegetables the last half hour.

You can still brown it before you put it in the crock pot...

You should get a Dutch Oven - cast iron preferably, or enamel-clad cast iron. Every kitchen should have one. They last a lifetime. I've gotten some as heirlooms. This is a great pot in which to cook a roast.

Stove top? Oven? Crockpot? It depends on whether or not you are at home to supervise it. If you have no time to cook that day, use the Crockpot. The result will be delicious. But even more delicious if you start on top of the stove. Sear your meat and remove it from the pot. Then brown your aromatic vegetables (onion, carrot, celery; or onion, peppers, garlic) Return the meat to the pot. Add your cooking liquid. Put in a slow oven for several hours.

By starting on top of the stove, you build layers of flavor that create a complexity to your finished dish that just can't be replicated in a Crockpot.

Also, if the weather is hot, Crockpot is a better option, so you're not adding heat to the kitchen. But if weather is cool, it's nice to start on the stove and finish in the oven. Either way, your house will smell heavenly.

Stove top is the quickest I find also easiest to sear than add stuff. You should sear the meat no matter what method. You can add potatoes and such near the end so you must be home. Crock pot is another easy method that is basically throw everything in set it up turn it on and forget it. My favorite is in a Dutch oven in the oven. You can sear on the stove top in most Dutch ovens, than add you juices, beef broth, veggie broth what ever broth you want, and your veggies and such. I find the carrots Carmalize the best in the oven. If the meat is of high grade meaning butcher grade rib roast, you must use the oven or else you will make your roast well done and steamed instead of the medium with some pink you want. The oven truely I find is the easiest and imparts the most flavor. It is the only true roaster of the set. It takes almost as much time as the crock pot so it's up to you which one you trust on while your not home. I trust my electric oven on low more than my crock pot. Either one has risk of fire while unattended but I feel if a flash fire happens in the oven, it's flame proof box has a better chance for the fire to burn itself out. If your thermostat to the oven works and you set it under 300 about 250 to slow roast it you shouldn't have a problem.

The definitive answer is old school: very slow oven, in a cast iron roaster. This is far superior to any other method.

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