Is it worth buying a slow cooker?

fuddle

It's taken me years to perfect my slow cooking technique but these days I wouldn't be without it. I use cornflour when I get the liquid balance wrong but other than that I tend to keep my added liquids low.

I made oxtail stew last week. It took 5 hours in the oven as it was a 'special' meal but I know I could have altered the recipe and produced something just as flavoursome and saving on the electric.

I couldn't do without mine but I don't have a pressure cooker so I can't say whether it's worth the investment for you. Hth

angie193

Definatly worth it if you have a freezer to store ,my 23 year old son just moved out taking my other slow cooker, he makes a batch of different foods,and stores then takes work for dinner and then something else hes made in a batch for his tea, or even without batching with the slow cooker a steamer is fab to,and batch,then fridge or to freezer in microwave tubs

Hopeinhell

Costs roughly a third in the slow cooker to cook a dish rather than oven!

Teacher2

Is it worth it? Yes, yes and yes. Some people say the food always tastes slow-cookerey but I think they make a tremendous and economical job of any meat or stew dish. I also make Seville marmalade in mine by cooking the oranges slowly overnight for an amazing flavour.

Pollycat

I think it's up to the OP to decide - based on what posters have said about the pros and cons of slow cookers and on her research into recipes that use chicken and turkey mince - whether a slow cooker is right for her.

I'm in the camp that would go out and buy a new one if mine broke today but that might not be the right answer for the OP.

CapricornLass

I like my slow cooker too, although its something that tends to get used more in the Autumn and Winter, usually about once a week. Its wonderful for stews - just make sure that you brown the meat and fry the veg to soften it before you add it to the cooker, and add your seasonings, herbs and spices just as you would for something cooked in the oven. I've used it to make the foundation for other meals, i.e. cooking the mince and freezing it in portions, and then taking it out to make different things such as cottage pie or chilli con carne later on. I make the stock for a soup in it, rather than the soup itself, or use the liquid left from the stew as the basis of a soup - try it with the stock of a beek stew, it makes fantastic soup. I've also used it for cooking a gammon joint too.

One thing that hasn't been mentioned is that it's very good for steaming puddings. Just stand pudding basin/foil dish in the cooker, pour boiling water round it, turn it down to low and walk away and leave it. I do home-made steak and kidney pudding for my husband for his birthday, and Spotted !!!! and Treacle Sponge. And it really comes into its own at Christmas when I use it to heat up the Christmas pudding in it, just set it up when you get up in the morning to see to the turkey, and let it get on with it. Pudding is ready when you want it, and its one less thing to worry. It doesn't tend to boil dry either, or steam the kitchen up!

I think that you'll find you will either absolutely love it, and use it for everything (my son has one and uses it to make himself a hot breakfast in the morning) or it will sit and gather dust. Personally I would go for a larger rather than a smaller sized cooker. Other things you will need to consider is where you are going to store it and how much spare freezer space you have got ,or else accept that in all probability you will be eating the same meal two nights running. That doesn't particularly bother me, but it can bother others.

lhp07atr

I have found my slow cooker very useful, as I like to cook in batches. I can prepare everything in the morning, and put it in the slow cooker and forget it.

Eg, Spaghetti Bolognaise sauce is tasty; I just put everything in the slow cooker and switch on - no pre frying of veg required (although I do precook the mince so that I can remove the fat)

princess23

Hi everyone , I've been reading your posts on slow cookers and am also seriously thinking of getting one. But to be honest would love some help with basic recipes. If anyone could help with the following i would really appreciate it. Chicken/Lamb Curry, Spag Bog, Casserole (any meat), Rice Pudding. Thanking you in advance for any help you can offer xo:o

Pollycat

This should give you a good start:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=1332010#post1332010

maman

lhp07atr wrote: »

I have found my slow cooker very useful, as I like to cook in batches. I can prepare everything in the morning, and put it in the slow cooker and forget it.

Eg, Spaghetti Bolognaise sauce is tasty; I just put everything in the slow cooker and switch on - no pre frying of veg required (although I do precook the mince so that I can remove the fat)

My slow cooker is used for batch cooking too. I like the fact that I can forget all about it once the prep is done.


Personally I prefer to have the Bolognese (or savoury mince or chilli) the following day. It always tastes better after marinating overnight.


Extra portions go in the freezer for a HM ready meal.