Buying a slow cooker (which? & why?)

gravitytolls

samsil wrote: »

ive got a 6litre 'cookworks' from argos, it was 21.99
im fairly new to slow cooking but I do love it and use it about x3 times a week.
chose this one because - both the crockpot and lid are dishwasher safe, and I'll never need another one because its huge and fits a big whole chicken. only downsides are - because the crockpot is HUGE it fills half the bottom space in the dishwasher ...! and also, as ive read, it does tend to overcook a lot of things /cook faster because its power is for the full 6l capacity...so most meals I have to expect they'll be done in 3 hrs on hi or 6hrs on low, (as opposed to the recipes which usually say 4hrs hi, 8 hrs low)

HTH

Yup, me too, and yup, takes up loads of space. I could wash it by hand, but why have a dishwasher and still get sudsey hands?

I also have an enormous enamel lidded roaster, which I cook roasts in, they stay juicy and cook quicker than a conventional roasting tin.

Love the slow cooker.

MrsE_2

samsil wrote: »

and also, as ive read, it does tend to overcook a lot of things /cook faster because its power is for the full 6l capacity...so most meals I have to expect they'll be done in 3 hrs on hi or 6hrs on low, (as opposed to the recipes which usually say 4hrs hi, 8 hrs low)

HTH

Thats interesting, so its kinda like a microwave, less food, less cooking time?

I would like a biggish one so I can cope with anything in it & a chicken too if need be, but will usually only be cooking for 2.
I think the problem with my last one was it over cooked things, you could have 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low (or something like that).
Are there ones that you can say 5 hours on low? Or better still, set to start cooking at 1pm or something, rather than the crack of dawn before you leave for work?

Chris25

I had a Crockpot when we first got married & because it was huge, I always doubled/trebled up & froze the rest. One of the best things about it was that the inner pot was earthenware & was a good size to use in the summer for putting BBQ'd meat into. It looked good too as it was designed to be taken out of cooker & put onto the table. Sadly I dropped it on the kitchen floor and to get a replacement was almost as expensive as getting a new one.

The next one I got was a smaller Pifco make (I think now discontinued). I still use it & it's great but depending on what I cook, can be too small for family meals - still good for keeping mulled wine warm though What I like about this is that it has a 'cool wall' outside (like many kettles) & also that the worktop underneath doesn't get hot.

A few years ago, we won a Russell Hobbs (I think) large, stainless steel, oval one but I didn't like how hot it got. I used to stand it on a worktop saver as I was always worried about the worktops & I never felt I could leave it on all day. I also felt it was too big for us so gave it to a friend with a bigger family than ours.

MrsE_2

Opinions on these two please

This one is a great shape (oval for chickens) & looks good & the heater element stores in the pot so space saving

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003922VIU/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE

This one is digital (but no delay timer) & it a great shape for spacesaving & cooking smaller amounts (small foot print & higher rather than wider).

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00275FV6Y/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE

Chris25

both look very stylish but I would want to see what the inside 'cooker' bit looked like first before I bought one - could you try high street stores to get a view of them before buying online if they are cheaper that way?

Swan_2

rubytuesday wrote: »

Not an answer to the question sorry but I hated my slow cooker with a vengeance and gave it away.

I thought it made food taste revolting but then I don't tend to eat red meat much mainly chicken.

I hated mine too, it made everything (apart from soup) taste like ready meals & don't get me started on the travesty that is chicken done in one _pale_ _pale_ _pale_ ... so I gave it away to my Ex husband

I know you're looking for people who like them Mrs E, but perhaps the one I had is a model to avoid? it was the Morphy Richards 6lt oval one

[Deleted User]

Hi MRS.E - my slow cooker is a 1993 Tower Auto Slo-Cooker with a 3.1 litre capacity. I paid £2 for it in a garage sale some 10 years ago and use it right through the year. It makes the best cooked fruit I have ever been able to produce as it keeps the fruit (even rhubarb chunks) whole and only takes a couple of hours on high. It keeps the kitchen cooler in summer and makes lovely soups/casseroles to come home to on a winters day. I wouldn't be without it. We both like the food it produces, and don't find it has a peculiar taste. It is a model with a removeble ceramic dish and lid, and not one that is built in. Hope this helps, Lyn.

theladsmum

Had a slow cooker for about 2 years now - wished I'd got one years ago. Mine is a Morphy Richards, no idea of the volume, but it has digital setting, for low and high, and goes up to 10 hours. It then keeps stuff warm for 2 hours before switching off. I chose a lower wattage one, as I read about high wattage cookers doing stuff too fast.

Mine is round - did a chicken in it once but didn't like it, much prefer to cook chicken portions in the slow cooker but roast a whole chicken in the oven.

MrsE_2

theladsmum wrote: »

Had a slow cooker for about 2 years now - wished I'd got one years ago. Mine is a Morphy Richards, no idea of the volume, but it has digital setting, for low and high, and goes up to 10 hours. It then keeps stuff warm for 2 hours before switching off. I chose a lower wattage one, as I read about high wattage cookers doing stuff too fast.

Mine is round - did a chicken in it once but didn't like it, much prefer to cook chicken portions in the slow cooker but roast a whole chicken in the oven.

I thought that was a great point. I wanted a small simple oval one, but thought I needed a programmable one as I leave before 6.30 & am not home much before 7.00 some nights.

Then I read a FANTASTIC tip:j:j:j:j:j

Use one of those programmable timer plugs:D:D:D:D:D:D

I have one in the shed:T:T:T:T:T

So I've ordered a Crock pot 3.5 lt from Asda in the sale - £16.07 & its oval.

http://direct.asda.com/Crock-Pot-3.5L-White-Slow-Cooker/001568635,default,pd.html

Its only 210 watts;)

zippychick

ive merged this with our thread on which Slow cooker and why as it has loads of recent discussion.

Zip