slow cooker quick questions thread

squeaky

I've never seen it on a slow cooker lid before. It does seem wrong to me.

soon2bjobless

Grrrr - I have used slow cooker for years - had a few over the years as I am a clutz and forever dropping them but hey ho!

Anyway, I have a cheap small Hinari one in the caravan - cooks fine on low - if i need to do dumplings or make gravy bung it on high - roberts your mothers brother....too small for the house but fine for holidays

Fast forward to the one I bought a year ago - a larger cream Morphy Richards one on sale on Amazon - has low, medium and high settings. I always have to cook stuff on high as the low one, even after being on all day, doesnt cook the stuff. Now high with the Hinari cooks dumpling in 40 minutes and if I wanted gravy, just put on high for 20 mins and it boils - with the Morphy Richards one I cant get it hot enough to do that.

Couldnt find another Hinari one so I decided to treat myself and went online and got a Tesco one which arrived today - heat settings are low, high and warm - so thought that would be ok -read the leaflet and apparently the high setting is for all day, low is just for heating food up and warm for keeping stuff warm!

Which settings do other folk use?

mmmsnow

I have a little Swan one (1.5L) for the two of us. It has high, low and keep warm settings - I use the "low" setting mainly and it cooks perfectly. My mother has a Morphy Richards one (it was on special in Argos a few years ago) and she uses it overnight on the low setting to cook stew and it seems fine.

ladylouise62

I found just the opposite. When my ancient one (70's I think, maybe 80's) broke I replaced it with 2 different modern ones (Clas Ohlsen small cheap one and v.large fancy one, possibly Crockpot, where you can use the pot part on the hob to brown the meat. I find both of them run hotter than my old one.

sonastin

I have to have mine (possibly from Tesco - can't remember the make) on 'high' for about 4 hours for the liquid to boil. When I first used it, it didn't seem to cook veg at all.I think I must have been using 'medium' or 'low' in the past. Have just rediscovered the slow cooker and when I use it on high it works better. If I'm just doing a joint of meat or a chicken or something and its gonna be on for a long time (like when I'm in work) I use low but for stews and stuff with veg I go for high. Haven't tried gravy or dumplings yet but hoping to give that a go tomorrow!

mi_jardin

I have a CrockPot that my Mum bought me for Christmas a few years ago, VERY good!!
I can cook large dumplings in 30 minutes on high. If it ever needs replacing I will definately buy another one.

thisismoneysaving

I think I have the same one as the OP. It's from Tesco and it's silver. I use it for casseroles on low for 10 hours while I'm at work and everything is cooked lovely. Chicken, potatoes, carrots etc. Try it out. You could always bung it Iin the oven or microwave if its still uncooked?

Penelope_Penguin

OP, your SC might be faulty?

As this has fallen from the front page of OS, I'll add it to the existing thread to keep ideas together

Raksha

I've had Slow Cookers on and off for over 30 years (my first was a Swan for a wedding present). The one I have at the moment (a Tesco) is the first one apart from that Swan that appears to have any difference between Low and High. It's definatly better for it too.

pineapple

I have used my £9 Asda slow cooker for stew twice. And yes there is a vent in the lid. I only put it on low as I bring my stew 'up to speed' in an ordinary pan first. I am not sure if the temperature control is working though as the same cut of meat cooked quicker the second time. Also there seemed to be more bubbles (there was hardly any movement the first time) plus a bit of steam escaping from the vent. Also the bubbles tend to be round the outside so I wondered if this means you get uneven cooking?