I'm disappointed with my slow cooker

Penelope_Penguin

rigsby1967 wrote: »

I have put it on again today in an attempt making a stew in it.

I have put meat, and various veg with pearl barley and some stock, Maybe that was the problem, putting to much stock in it .

The meat i put in is always left overs from a roast i have done the day before, that way i find i dont waste good meat and when i do it in the oven it comes out so tender you dont have to chew it lol.

Thanks all.

rigs

Is that meat that's already cooked You don;t need a SC for that - you're wasting fuel if you leave it on all day It might be that your meat becomes over cooked.

That might be your problem, though I'm one who doesn't like SCs either

Penny. x

dixie_dean_2

I recently got given one for my 30th birthday. I foresee a very rock and roll decade ahead. Do they not give off any steam, that is to say they don't/can't reduce? Presumably you could maybe get round this by removing liquid towards the end and quicly reducing over a high heat.

thriftlady_2

dixie_dean wrote: »

I recently got given one for my 30th birthday. I foresee a very rock and roll decade ahead. Do they not give off any steam, that is to say they don't/can't reduce? Presumably you could maybe get round this by removing liquid towards the end and quicly reducing over a high heat.

You can do that, but why bother? Why not cook it in the oven or on the hob in the first place?

dixie_dean_2

Well, for me, with a pretty old gas oven that can blow out on low temps it's safer. Also, so it sounds, it could be cheaper.

morganlefay

Dixie, I don't get on with a SC either, so you really aren't alone. I find everything I cook in it tastes more or less the same, and in addition has a slight chemical smell (I got mine - new - from e bay and have wondered if they were a dud lot which smelt nasty when they cook for some reason) and I find that the smell of it cooking all day makes me feel a bit sick. But I'm very glad that they suit other people so much - shows we're all different !

dixie_dean_2

I never said I idn't get on with them, think you're confusing me with the OP. Not taken mine out of the box yet!

shazzle

I love mine and would not be without it.........
Horses for courses I guess x

stiltoncheese

I never really had any joy with mine either - found that most things seemed tasteless.

It was good for cooking whole chickens though as the meat just falls off the bones, but found the smell unbearably tempting when it was on for ages, as opposed to just an hour or so in a normal oven. Killer if you're actually at home when it is cooking.

Sold mine on ebay in the end, as it was rarely used and took up too much space to warrant keeping.

Swan_2

shazzle wrote: »

I love mine and would not be without it.........
Horses for courses I guess x

stiltoncheese wrote: »

I never really had any joy with mine either - found that most things seemed tasteless.

It was good for cooking whole chickens though as the meat just falls off the bones, but found the smell unbearably tempting when it was on for ages, as opposed to just an hour or so in a normal oven. Killer if you're actually at home when it is cooking.

Sold mine on ebay in the end, as it was rarely used and took up too much space to warrant keeping.

strangely, I found the whole chicken the worst of the many bland & tasteless things that emerged from my SC, & I tried it more than once to make sure I hadn't made a mistake ... I hated the soft, almost slimy, texture of the meat & the smell of boiling chicken in the house made me gag _pale_

but the smell of a roasting chicken now, that's another thing altogether :drool:

the horses for courses thing is so true :A

Silaqui

I like my slow cooker for things like stew and similar, but wouldn't bother using it for bolognaise and so on, as someone said they are quick to do anyway.

When I make stew in it, I put about half the veg in with the meat right at the start of cooking, cover it with stock and season, then leave it on low all day. When I'm at work thats usually about 7am. Then when I get home (usually about half 4) I put the other half of the veg in and switch it up to high for another couple of hours. By that time the original veg has reduced down a bit and helped make the gravy. Then abotu half hour before the end I use cornflour/gravy granules or a mixture to thicken and add a bit more flavour. It's worked ok for me so far!

x