MULTI-FUNCTIONAL SLOW COOKER WITH TEMPERATURE CONTROL FEATURES

Slow cookers are described that have multiple cooking modes that are based on user selected choices, including the cooking mode and the desired doneness or temperature of the food product to be cooked. Preferably, plural cooking modes are provided to be selected that include the use of a temperature probe to provided temperature feedback information. A control module can be mounted to the slow cooking and programmed to control the multiple cooking modes and the temperature probe can be operatively connected to the control module to provide sensed temperature data for use in the various cooking modes. Preferably, the cooking modes using the temperature probe include the heating of a cooking vessel within the slow cooker for heating the food product or a liquid within the cooking vessel to a desired temperature and to permit the user greater flexibility in cooking options and to vary option at time during the cooking processes. Moreover, the cooking modes preferably also provide functionality to control the cooking processes after a selected temperature is attained.