Benefits of a slow cooker please

kazd

Fozz

I love my pressure cooker, in fact I had to buy a new one recently as my old one died. They are not that easy to find nowadays I ended up getting mine in Debenhams you just don't get the choice you used to.

I also like the slow cooker but probably use the pressure cooker more.

angelavdavis

Although I bought it (and use it) during the week when I am working, I actually use it most on Sundays for lunch. It means that OH and I can get on with jobs/enjoying ourselves and have a lovely lunch to come home to.

My favourite meal is stewed shoulder of lamb with tomatoes and lentils. I also cook lots of chicken and beef in there too.

Benefits:
-Its cheap to cook with (a lightbulbs worth of electricity)
-You can use cheaper cuts of meat
-You can cook a whole meal inside
-Its great to come home to
-The dish is large enough that I always have some over to freeze/reuse
-Little danger of it burning (two of my old handmedown slow cookers only cook on one temperature which is low, my small one has two temperatures and a keep warm setting)

badkitti

I have just switched mine on to make sticky honey drumsticks <dribble>.

I use Dana Carpender's "Low-carb slow cooker classics" as it has absolutely loads in it and has been very helpful.

I've even used mine to make bread.

soon2bjobless

I got a great big digital slow cooker from Asda - you can set it to cook high for so long, then go to low and it will even keep things on a warm setting for up to an hour afterwards!

We have just eaten a value bacon joint cooked in the slow cooker - I will be freezing the stock to make lentil soup. Tomorrow we are having rice pud made in it - Sunday is a brisket cooked in it and when we can actually afford lamb I always cook it in it as its doesnt shrink so much.
Also you can make lovely stock from a chicken carcass (also cooked in the cooker!!!)
I am a huge fan!
I once made a lovely chocolate sponge pudding that came with its own sauce.....mmmmmmmm
How do you cook bread in it?

thifty

Do you bother to brown meat before you put it in or not? This is what puts me off using mine more. Also does anyone have any tips on getting the sauce thick for things like stews and casseroles?

recovering_spendaholic

I don't know if anyone else finds this, but whenever I make anything in my SC it is always really thin and watery and somehow whatever I make always has the same kind of taste - I can't really explain it. The kids refuse to even try it if it has come out of the SC so I have given up - It is languishing in the kitchen drawer now. I wish I could make something nice in it though as my electricty bills are astronomical as DD1 (aged 17) is forever in the kitchen with her friends making oven chips and pizza with the oven on full, and 9 times out of 10 she forgets to turn it off and when I come in it is still on!

sharon59

badkitti wrote: »

I have just switched mine on to make sticky honey drumsticks <dribble>.

I use Dana Carpender's "Low-carb slow cooker classics" as it has absolutely loads in it and has been very helpful.

I've even used mine to make bread.

Just been on Amazon and ordered book as l love my slow cooker but my repatoire is limited so thanks for recommending this!:T

Olliebeak

I a seriously thinking of buying a slow cooker having heard so much about them in the past. All your posts on here have convinced me now. Roll on Winter time for some delicious stews/casseroles!!

Last Christmas I bought myself a pressure cooker - my mother had one for years and I learned to cook using it! This one is supposed to be a hi-dome one but it's not as big as the one my mother had - and the internal baskets are nowhere near as big. Such a shame but then again there are only the two of us here.

So between a slow cooker and a pressure cooker, we are looking forward to some delicious meals this winter.

Pink.

recovering_spendaholic wrote: »

I don't know if anyone else finds this, but whenever I make anything in my SC it is always really thin and watery and somehow whatever I make always has the same kind of taste - I can't really explain it. The kids refuse to even try it if it has come out of the SC so I have given up - It is languishing in the kitchen drawer now. I wish I could make something nice in it though as my electricty bills are astronomical as DD1 (aged 17) is forever in the kitchen with her friends making oven chips and pizza with the oven on full, and 9 times out of 10 she forgets to turn it off and when I come in it is still on!

Hi recovering spendalholic,

I sort of know what you mean.......the word casserole isn't greeted with much enthusiasm in my house either!

I have found by adding different herbs/condiments etc it can make a big difference.......pork chops with mustard and cream was enjoyed (although I didn't mention that it had been made in the slow cooker).

The same with lamb, tinned tomatoes, white wine, garlic, black pepper and worcester sauce.

I treat things in the slow cooker the same as I would on the hob...I rarely cook without stock normally so I always add stock (or a stock cube or two if I don't have any)....IMO water added to the meat just isn't enough!

For thickening I usually use cornflour mixed in cold water but I know others use other things varying from lifting some of the veg/liquid out and blending to reducing the liquid..........there's a thread on it somewhere, I'll have a look for it tomorrow and edit it into this post.

Pink




Edit These threads might help:

How do i thicken up.....

Help!! Can You Thicken A Casserole Without Using Cornflower

lil_me

I throw it all in on a morning, it's ready at tea time, love it!

Changing herbs etc rather than just using 'mixed herbs' or the same stock, can help, sauces can be thickened with cornflour or arrowroot. Somethings I also remove some excess liquid and keep that for another days stock. Wine or beef in casseroles gives a nice flavour. Changing the veg you add makes a difference too.