Slow cooker advice

bigdaftkid

Can anyone tell me if it is cheaper to use a slow cooker than it is to use the stove. Not sure how it works with it being on all day or whether it is cheaper to use stove for stews etc. I have seen a 6.5l one in Argos for just £19.99

Chris25

I remember when I got my first one, the amount of power used was equivalent to a lightbulb - but with different models available now, that may be different.

But, with a slow cooker, you are only heating the inside pot and not the whole oven

renegade

Slow cookers are cheaper to run than gas as they use very little electricity, they also cook cheaper cuts of meat fantastically, and you have a whole meal ready when you get in from work!:)

bigdaftkid

Thank you both for your replies. I have bought one today and look forward to using it.

[Deleted User]

I am a slow cooker devotee and have two a smaller one my DD gave me as her family grew larger and my own one.I use them both The smaller one makes a superb rice pud, and the oval bigger one is great for stews and it cooks a chicken brilliantly.Evry scrap of chicken just falls off the bone and the remaining stock is great for soups.I only ever put my bigger oven on when I am batch baking cakes.I also have a Remoska which is money saving as well.

MrsChristmas

I am quite passionate about my slow cooker. It is quite possibly the best kitchen appliance we've ever purchased!

Just wanted to say though, that when we brought it (many moons ago) the first couple of times we used it, it produced a horrible smell that nearly put me off using it.
However, I now realise it was just the residue chemicals being burnt off after manufacturing.

Hope yours brings you as much pleasure as ours does!

Mistral001

Yes they can save you money in energy consumption, especially with cooking meat.

I bought mine a long time ago and the insulation in the surrounding holder is not very thick. I cover it with a few old towels and that seems to save a lot of electricity.

The slow cooker is really a new theme on a very old idea I believe. A pot would be brought to the boil and then put in a hay-filled box and left there to cook by itself for several hours as the hay would insulate it.