Tower Slow Cooker

kelzcash

Hi,

My mum has just given me her old, hardly used, Tower slow cooker. It doesn't look very big, when I get home I'll measure it, and it doesn't have any heating controls on it. Just turn it on at the wall. Oh, and it's a light brown colour.

Does anyone know of this make? Is it any good? I'm just a little worried about using it for the first time as it has no hi/low control.

Thanks in advance.

organic_wanabe

Hi kelzcash. I have an old Tower (brown dish/cream coloured outer) but it does have a Hi/Auto/Low control. I think its capacity is about 3.5l. It is very good and reliable. Sausage casserole in at at present and I always use it to cook my Lidl's ham and then use the stock for lentil soup. Another favourite is the Croc Pot Chicken - from this site - then I put back the carcass to make stock either to freeze (for my Boozy Chicken/Onion Gravy and such) or make chicken noodle soup. Last week I was tempted to buy a newer trendier version, but I've decided to stay with the old Tower. If it has a recipe book with it then perhaps you should try one of those recipes first. If not then start by using it on a day when you are going to be around and about for 5-6 hours so that you can keep an eye on it and gauge its performance. Good luck.

squeaky

My old one had no hi/low temperature control either. It was brilliant! Much better than these new fangled things.

For any recipes that you see - use the timing for low heat on them. The old ones are much gentler

sandy2_2

I've been given this old slow cooker by my daughter who didn't use it. Unforunately she's lost the instruction book and I can't sort out the heat setting

There is a switch at the bottom of the outside pot with setting as follows

High
Auto
Slow

when the rocker switch is in the middle that's auto, but how do I know when the switch is at high or low. Is it when the switch bit sticks out or when it's flat against the pot... sorry to be dim

Thanx

MRSMCAWBER

Hi there

Thats like mine...
when you push it in at the bottom you have it on slow

FairyElephant_2

Hi All!

I have a very old Tower slow cooker - pale beige in colour with a brown earthenware stock pot. It says it is a 3 litre capacity.

I have had it for many years, but I got it 2nd hand and it had no instructions. I use it on-and-off for slow cooked casserole, soup & stews in the winter, and occasionally have made stock in it, but have been inspired by the threads on here to be a bit more adventurous with it!

To that end - can anyone tell me what the Auto setting does/is recommended for? It has one switch with Low, Auto or High settings, but I have never used Auto as I don't know what it does!

Many thanks in advance,

FE

llac

I use almost the same model ( family deluxe model 4405 -wedding gift 20 years ago and still going strong) and my instruction book covers Tower Auto slow cooker model 2917 which sounds like yours. It says '' When the switch is in the AUTO position the cooker operates first on HIGH then changes automatically to LOW'' I don't know if that is much use if you don't have the recipes as the timings are specific to each recipe.

Magentasue

I had this model years ago and llac's explanation sounds familiar. I think the idea was that you could prepare something the night before and put it on in the morning. Auto would heat it up and then turn it down so that it was like starting it off from hot, IYSWIM.

donny-gal

I used to have the compact version, and still have the receipe book.

The principals I learnt were always use boiling water to start off, and never put in anything still frozen.

As for auto, I used to put it on that and leave it all as I do with my modern one, now, tbh just follow any sc recipe and it'll work.

Cheers

FairyElephant_2

Thanks everyone for your replies - good to know they have a long life-span llac - I hate these modern appliances which seem to be designed to break every couple of years!

Recipies?!? Well TBH, I tend to just chuck everything in and hope for the best! Did make sweet & sour chicken in it last week, adapting my usual recipe, and it was yummy, but I ended up with loads more sauce than usual, so have frozen the extra.

Going to try bacon casserole for tomorrow - will prepare tonight & switch on in the morning before I go to work, using the Auto switch...will let you know how I get on!

Cheers,

FE

Penelope_Penguin

Hi, there :beer: I've just found an older thread on Tower SCs. I'll add this one to that to keep ideas together.

Penny. x