Slow Cooker Recommendations - Argos Offers

[Deleted User]

Hi Moneysavers

I'm looking at buying a slow cooker but I'm a bit baffled by all the different options available as I've never had one before. I have read through a few review websites but before reading up on which models are any good performance wise I could do with knowing what size and features I would want / need as it seems there are quite a few options available. Can anyone help me?

I have seen Argos have quite a few offers on at the moment which I am hoping to take advantage of.

Some info about me and what I think I am looking for:

- I live with my Husband so the cooker would be used to produce meals for two however I am already in the habit of cooking in bulk and freezing meals to reheat later so I suspect a model with a greater litre capacity than the basic 1.5 options would make more sense.

- The cooker would be used to cook our evening meals ready for when we get home from work so it would need to be on from approx 8 in the morning until about 6 at night. Do people normally leave their cookers on for 10 hours? It sounds a really long time and I worry that the food would just turn to mush or go dry?

- We have a dishwasher though I do not mind if the pot is not dishwasher safe this is not a necessity.

- I have seen that some models have a keep warm heat option / timer or auto shut off. Do you think these are features I would need?

- I have also read that you can cook a whole roast chicken in a slow cooker! Has anyone done this? How good is it? Does the chicken go quite soggy with all the moisture being retained in the pot or do you still get a crispy skin? I suppose you could always put it in the oven to crisp up when you get home from work?

Thanks

Gemma

Sui_Generis

There's a huge multi-year recipe/experience thread on here, search for it.

But in case it's helpful - slow cookers are really simple items and great!

Don't get confused, a very basic model is all you need. It will have a high, low and warm setting (never used the last). Some have Auto which basically cooks at high until its heated through and then switches to low.

Aside from that - the idea is to cook slowly so having something turn off is unnecessary as its -really- difficult to overcook.

I regularly cook a whole roast chicken - and though hard to believe the chicken goes in with -nothing- else and is more tender and delicious than you can imagine.

HTH