Buying a slow cooker (which? & why?)

I'd definitely recommend the second one, which is what many of us on this forum use as it's big enough to contain a whole chicken or leg of lamb. They cook perfectly in there and the meat just falls from the bones :drool:

They hardly use any electric at all and I think someone mentioned that a slowcooker being on for 6-8 hours was equivalent to an electric hob ring being on for around 20 mins!

Just think of all the lovely winter casseroles and soups you can make and come home from work on a cold evening to the delicious smell of dinner ready and waiting!

I've got the first one. It works just fine for me. I don't use it every night, about once a week and everything I've cooked in in has turned out nice. When it dies, I will probably get one like the second picture though. Having said that I bet the darned thing will outlive me. :rolleyes:

Yep - I have a prestige one that was mum's so nearly 30yo. I have a Tower one which is 20 yo (although not used much ) and I have the 2nd one you show too. Absolutely brilliant, wouldn't be without one and even if there are only 3 of you, they make whole chickens and legs of lamb divine. Also, you can cook whole cheaper cuts like brisket and lamb shoulders or shanks till they melt, and what little you use in leccy, would be more than made up for in the fact that you've saved it on the meat in the first place.

kscour wrote:

I was also wondering how economical they are - I work from home so the benefit of coming in to a ready meal isn't an issue but would it be cheaper to cook a casserole in a slow cooker than in my fan oven for 2 hours?

I was a housewife till recently and I found one advantage of a slowcooker is that it doesn't give off much heat which was a huge bonus during the hot days of summer.

Even when you're at home all day it can be easier to just bung dinner in the slowcooker and forget about it, if you have to pop out to buy supplies or visit a client (or whatever your job entails) then dinner takes care of itself. If you go out at the weekends the slowcooker cooks dinner while the family has a trip to the beach or the football.

I understand that slowcookers are cheaper than ovens, the usual quote is that they use as much electricity as a lightbulb.

I've just converted my sister to slow-cookers, although to be fair, she did used to have one until ex dropped it She's about to start working 12 hour days so can have a meal ready for the rest of the family when they get home.

Thanks for the link to Argos, didn't realise they were so cheap. I'll pick one up for her next week.