It's getting tough out there. Feeling the pinch?

Onebrokelady

Does anyone know if dehumidifiers are costly to run. I live in a 60s house and it gets damp and mouldy very quickly. I noticed this week while it's been rainy that the house is cold and damp feeling, it's actually warmer if I stand outside, I'm wondering if I will use loads of electric if I use my dehumidifier to keep the damp away. I've noticed when I have used it in the past that the room it's in feels slightly warmer than the rest of the house,I normally only use it if I'm drying washing inside 

enkeltliv

maryb said:

I don’t like the taste of slow cooker stews, they never seem right to me.  I often use a stove top pressure cooker which takes 20 minutes on a low heat from the time it comes to pressure to make the toughest beef meltingly tender. Gas is cheaper per kWh than electricity but there is usually some loss of efficiency   But very little with a pressure cooker because you need so little fuel once it comes to pressure 

Yesterday I cooked some shin of beef this way but for only 10 minutes, then transferred the meat to a le creuset type casserole.  I then thickened the cooking liquid and added that.  Brought it to a boil and tucked it into my thermal cooker for three hours.  Best stew I ever made and the best of both worlds - quick to prepare and very tender but the slow cooking afterwards added depth of flavor and meant I could get ahead and have the stew ready when I got back after an afternoon out.  

It also freed up the pressure cooker to cook potatoes for mash - cut them small, into the cooker on the trivet with 1/4 pint water, bring to pressure (very quick when there is just the minimum quantity of water in the cooker ) turn off the heat as soon as it starts hissing loudly and leave to depressurize in its own time.  Drain and mash.  I also did carrots at the same time in the basket on top of the potatoes.  I don’t think I could do a meal like this with any lower fuel consumption 

Help me understand MaryB. You don't like slow cooked stews but yesterday you slow cooked a stew which added depth to the flavour, your best stew to date. 

I'm bewildered in trying to comprehend what it is that you're trying to say.

Sky_

Onebrokelady said:

Does anyone know if dehumidifiers are costly to run. I live in a 60s house and it gets damp and mouldy very quickly. I noticed this week while it's been rainy that the house is cold and damp feeling, it's actually warmer if I stand outside, I'm wondering if I will use loads of electric if I use my dehumidifier to keep the damp away. I've noticed when I have used it in the past that the room it's in feels slightly warmer than the rest of the house,I normally only use it if I'm drying washing inside 

I've just worked out that mine currently costs me over 4p an hour to run, or 35p for an 8 hour day (my electricity is currently around 27p per KWh). I used this site  https://www.omnicalculator.com/everyday-life/electricity-cost-single-usage

I'll be running it for a couple of hours on damp days because mouldy walls are far more costly to purses and to health, but like everything else electric, I'll use it far less than I have in previous years.  We only use it in mid-Winter, when it's too cold to keep windows open all day. 

Pollycat

enkeltliv said:

maryb said:

I don’t like the taste of slow cooker stews, they never seem right to me.  I often use a stove top pressure cooker which takes 20 minutes on a low heat from the time it comes to pressure to make the toughest beef meltingly tender. Gas is cheaper per kWh than electricity but there is usually some loss of efficiency   But very little with a pressure cooker because you need so little fuel once it comes to pressure 

Yesterday I cooked some shin of beef this way but for only 10 minutes, then transferred the meat to a le creuset type casserole.  I then thickened the cooking liquid and added that.  Brought it to a boil and tucked it into my thermal cooker for three hours.  Best stew I ever made and the best of both worlds - quick to prepare and very tender but the slow cooking afterwards added depth of flavor and meant I could get ahead and have the stew ready when I got back after an afternoon out.  

It also freed up the pressure cooker to cook potatoes for mash - cut them small, into the cooker on the trivet with 1/4 pint water, bring to pressure (very quick when there is just the minimum quantity of water in the cooker ) turn off the heat as soon as it starts hissing loudly and leave to depressurize in its own time.  Drain and mash.  I also did carrots at the same time in the basket on top of the potatoes.  I don’t think I could do a meal like this with any lower fuel consumption 

Help me understand MaryB. You don't like slow cooked stews but yesterday you slow cooked a stew which added depth to the flavour, your best stew to date. 

I'm bewildered in trying to comprehend what it is that you're trying to say.

A number of people have expressed that opinion about slow cookers on here.
I've been using them for so long - almost 50 years - that I don't remember what slow cooked stews in the oven or on the hob taste like.

Floss

enkeltliv said:

maryb said:

I don’t like the taste of slow cooker stews, they never seem right to me.  I often use a stove top pressure cooker which takes 20 minutes on a low heat from the time it comes to pressure to make the toughest beef meltingly tender. Gas is cheaper per kWh than electricity but there is usually some loss of efficiency   But very little with a pressure cooker because you need so little fuel once it comes to pressure 

Yesterday I cooked some shin of beef this way but for only 10 minutes, then transferred the meat to a le creuset type casserole.  I then thickened the cooking liquid and added that.  Brought it to a boil and tucked it into my thermal cooker for three hours.  Best stew I ever made and the best of both worlds - quick to prepare and very tender but the slow cooking afterwards added depth of flavor and meant I could get ahead and have the stew ready when I got back after an afternoon out.  

It also freed up the pressure cooker to cook potatoes for mash - cut them small, into the cooker on the trivet with 1/4 pint water, bring to pressure (very quick when there is just the minimum quantity of water in the cooker ) turn off the heat as soon as it starts hissing loudly and leave to depressurize in its own time.  Drain and mash.  I also did carrots at the same time in the basket on top of the potatoes.  I don’t think I could do a meal like this with any lower fuel consumption 

Help me understand MaryB. You don't like slow cooked stews but yesterday you slow cooked a stew which added depth to the flavour, your best stew to date. 

I'm bewildered in trying to comprehend what it is that you're trying to say.

It wasn't cooked in a slow cooker - it was started in a pressure cooker & transferred to a thermal cooker / wonder bag to finish. I completely get that slow cooker stews don't taste "right", I've never used my slow cooker in that way from my very first one that was a wedding gift in 1984.

enkeltliv

Floss said:

enkeltliv said:

maryb said:

I don’t like the taste of slow cooker stews, they never seem right to me.  I often use a stove top pressure cooker which takes 20 minutes on a low heat from the time it comes to pressure to make the toughest beef meltingly tender. Gas is cheaper per kWh than electricity but there is usually some loss of efficiency   But very little with a pressure cooker because you need so little fuel once it comes to pressure 

Yesterday I cooked some shin of beef this way but for only 10 minutes, then transferred the meat to a le creuset type casserole.  I then thickened the cooking liquid and added that.  Brought it to a boil and tucked it into my thermal cooker for three hours.  Best stew I ever made and the best of both worlds - quick to prepare and very tender but the slow cooking afterwards added depth of flavor and meant I could get ahead and have the stew ready when I got back after an afternoon out.  

It also freed up the pressure cooker to cook potatoes for mash - cut them small, into the cooker on the trivet with 1/4 pint water, bring to pressure (very quick when there is just the minimum quantity of water in the cooker ) turn off the heat as soon as it starts hissing loudly and leave to depressurize in its own time.  Drain and mash.  I also did carrots at the same time in the basket on top of the potatoes.  I don’t think I could do a meal like this with any lower fuel consumption 

Help me understand MaryB. You don't like slow cooked stews but yesterday you slow cooked a stew which added depth to the flavour, your best stew to date. 

I'm bewildered in trying to comprehend what it is that you're trying to say.

It wasn't cooked in a slow cooker - it was started in a pressure cooker & transferred to a thermal cooker / wonder bag to finish. I completely get that slow cooker stews don't taste "right", I've never used my slow cooker in that way from my very first one that was a wedding gift in 1984.

Slow cooking in the crockpot that plugs into the electricity tastes no different to me than slow cooking in the thermal box but it may well to MaryB. Nevertheless, I understand now so thank you Floss.

maisie_cat

Floss said:

enkeltliv said:

maryb said:

I don’t like the taste of slow cooker stews, they never seem right to me.  I often use a stove top pressure cooker which takes 20 minutes on a low heat from the time it comes to pressure to make the toughest beef meltingly tender. Gas is cheaper per kWh than electricity but there is usually some loss of efficiency   But very little with a pressure cooker because you need so little fuel once it comes to pressure 

Yesterday I cooked some shin of beef this way but for only 10 minutes, then transferred the meat to a le creuset type casserole.  I then thickened the cooking liquid and added that.  Brought it to a boil and tucked it into my thermal cooker for three hours.  Best stew I ever made and the best of both worlds - quick to prepare and very tender but the slow cooking afterwards added depth of flavor and meant I could get ahead and have the stew ready when I got back after an afternoon out.  

It also freed up the pressure cooker to cook potatoes for mash - cut them small, into the cooker on the trivet with 1/4 pint water, bring to pressure (very quick when there is just the minimum quantity of water in the cooker ) turn off the heat as soon as it starts hissing loudly and leave to depressurize in its own time.  Drain and mash.  I also did carrots at the same time in the basket on top of the potatoes.  I don’t think I could do a meal like this with any lower fuel consumption 

Help me understand MaryB. You don't like slow cooked stews but yesterday you slow cooked a stew which added depth to the flavour, your best stew to date. 

I'm bewildered in trying to comprehend what it is that you're trying to say.

It wasn't cooked in a slow cooker - it was started in a pressure cooker & transferred to a thermal cooker / wonder bag to finish. I completely get that slow cooker stews don't taste "right", I've never used my slow cooker in that way from my very first one that was a wedding gift in 1984.

I use a multicooker and have over the years found that the best way is to saute/sear then pressure cook in as little liquid as possible and than leave on keep warm which is essentially slow cook low. The saute of mirepoix and sear of meat prevents the leaching of meat juices into the liquid. Today all of this was over 5-7 hours, used 600 watts or so & cost 24p

Rosa_Damascena

enkeltliv said:

I see no reason why not. It's all just about keeping the heat around the pot. I know @Si_Clist uses a bean bag over the top of their one. Towels, cardboard, wool, fleece, polystyrene packaging could well work too, even a couple of things together. 

To start off the cooking process a person could go outdoors, use a tin like a metal, must be metal, biscuit tin or Roses tin, start a small contained fire. Use dried sticks, some tumble dryer lint, some dried pinecones etc and a wire shelf out of the oven or cooling rack to support the pan. Be as safe as possible though. A person can buy a Kelly Kettle and/or and small fire powered stove to rest a pan upon but the point is, those aren't needed if the funds aren't there. 

I am fully aware that there could now be a slew of comments about health and safety following this post. The caveat is be safe, be aware, research and practise. I'd far rather get the knowledge out there than be concerned over some forum negativity. I hope to help a person just starting out. I am aware that this is basic knowledge but that is my point.

We live in a modern age yet are being forced to live like cavemen 

newlywed

Rosa_Damascena said:

enkeltliv said:

I see no reason why not. It's all just about keeping the heat around the pot. I know @Si_Clist uses a bean bag over the top of their one. Towels, cardboard, wool, fleece, polystyrene packaging could well work too, even a couple of things together. 

To start off the cooking process a person could go outdoors, use a tin like a metal, must be metal, biscuit tin or Roses tin, start a small contained fire. Use dried sticks, some tumble dryer lint, some dried pinecones etc and a wire shelf out of the oven or cooling rack to support the pan. Be as safe as possible though. A person can buy a Kelly Kettle and/or and small fire powered stove to rest a pan upon but the point is, those aren't needed if the funds aren't there. 

I am fully aware that there could now be a slew of comments about health and safety following this post. The caveat is be safe, be aware, research and practise. I'd far rather get the knowledge out there than be concerned over some forum negativity. I hope to help a person just starting out. I am aware that this is basic knowledge but that is my point.

We live in a modern age yet are being forced to live like cavemen 

Cavemen didn’t get any electricity bills… so seems like we could learn some things!

enkeltliv

Rosa_Damascena said:

enkeltliv said:

I see no reason why not. It's all just about keeping the heat around the pot. I know @Si_Clist uses a bean bag over the top of their one. Towels, cardboard, wool, fleece, polystyrene packaging could well work too, even a couple of things together. 

To start off the cooking process a person could go outdoors, use a tin like a metal, must be metal, biscuit tin or Roses tin, start a small contained fire. Use dried sticks, some tumble dryer lint, some dried pinecones etc and a wire shelf out of the oven or cooling rack to support the pan. Be as safe as possible though. A person can buy a Kelly Kettle and/or and small fire powered stove to rest a pan upon but the point is, those aren't needed if the funds aren't there. 

I am fully aware that there could now be a slew of comments about health and safety following this post. The caveat is be safe, be aware, research and practise. I'd far rather get the knowledge out there than be concerned over some forum negativity. I hope to help a person just starting out. I am aware that this is basic knowledge but that is my point.

We live in a modern age yet are being forced to live like cavemen 

I hate to break it to you but there's a poverty line that many were falling foul of well before 2022. This exacerbates a problem that is deep seated in this so called modern age.