A team of ten test cooks at America's Test Kitchen spent a year developing recipes, and their discoveries bring profound improvements to slow cooker results. By adding a few quick and easy steps to the process, and utilizing key tips and secrets to optimize depth of flavor, texture and tenderness, these recipes avoid the pitfalls of many bland and mediocre slow cooker dishes. Classic barbecue ribs with crispy exterior, perfectly braised slow-cooked meat, delicious sides, desserts and more are among the many rewards that await in this essential addition to a cookbook collection.