Buying a slow cooker (which? & why?)

dbs

Got a family of four two adults, two children aged 13 and 8 and thinking of buying a slow cooker for the first time but what size should I buy?

Would a 6.5L be too big on offer at ALDI £19.99 or a 3.5 L too small at Tesco £9.99?

Any advice welcome.

nodwah

I'd go for the biggest one you can get. I swithered over the Tesco one yesterday but it's not that much bigger than my old one- which is 30 YO and doesn't have a removable crock pot. Mine is also round which means that some things like bones for stock won't fit in and I can only fit a wee teeny chicken in. I was going to go and check out the aldi one, it looks similar to the tesco one but bigger.

Pink.

Hi dbs,

I'd go for as big as you can get.....there are five of us and for the last few years because of increasing appetites we've limped along with our old trusty 3.5ltr slow cooker, however I wasn't able to put the whole meal in there...I had to cook the potatoes separately if we were all eating.

A couple of weeks ago I got the Morphy Richards 6.5ltr and I wish I'd done it a long time ago. It's fabulous and now I can make two meals for us (ie 10-12 average portions in one go) and it's great to be able to pop a whole meal into the the freezer for another night.

There's an older thread with advice on slow cooker size so I've added your thread to it to keep all the replies together.

Pink

Merlot

Pink-winged wrote: »

Hi dbs,

I'd go for as big as you can get.....there are five of us and for the last few years because of increasing appetites we've limped along with our old trusty 3.5ltr slow cooker, however I wasn't able to put the whole meal in there...I had to cook the potatoes separately if we were all eating.

A couple of weeks ago I got the Morphy Richards 6.5ltr and I wish I'd done it a long time ago. It's fabulous and now I can make two meals for us (ie 10-12 average portions in one go) and it's great to be able to pop a whole meal into the the freezer for another night.

There's an older thread with advice on slow cooker size so I've added your thread to it to keep all the replies together.

Pink

I agree with Pink, I too got the Morphy Richards 6.5L, we are a family of four, and it's great, I couldn't have coped with a smaller one. They are in Tesco at the moment for £23.97.

Sallys_Savings

We are a family of six adults and use the Morphy Richards 6.5L...large enough to cook a little extra sometimes too

Olliebeak

Merlot wrote: »

I agree with Pink, I too got the Morphy Richards 6.5L, we are a family of four, and it's great, I couldn't have coped with a smaller one. They are in Tesco at the moment for £23.97.

Have to agree with Merlot, nodwah, Pink and Sally on the subject. Go for the bigger one - that way if you don't use it all there is something to be frozen for a lunch/supper another day.

Mine is an AW-T 6.5 litre one (made by Breville) and it's been in constant use since my first experiment. Have to admit that it sat laughing at me for the first four weeks - but once I'd 'had a go' we've never looked back since! I've yet to try roasting in it, but can highly recommend for casseroles and hotpots etc. No.1 son has also just gone and bought one as he's moved into a new home - his girlfriend is well impressed with his culinary skills! No.2 son and family have also just moved so I'm considering getting them one as a house-warming gift!

nopot2pin

I wish that they did a vegetarian option for the slow cooker. I feel like I am missing out on an essential OS way of cooking. Vegetarian food just wouldn't last the time in a slow cooker....... Would it ??

Olliebeak

nopot2pin wrote: »

I wish that they did a vegetarian option for the slow cooker. I feel like I am missing out on an essential OS way of cooking. Vegetarian food just wouldn't last the time in a slow cooker....... Would it ??

I'm sure that vegetable soups, casseroles, curries, chillies could all be done in the SC - have you checked out the recipe list?

This is the link for some (have to admit not many) vegetarian recipes in a slow cooker:


http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=493785&postcount=18

calleyw

There are only two of us at home and I have 3.5L one. I can cook medium chickens in it and joints as well as yummy rice pudding in it. More than big enough for us.

But you can use glass basins in a slow cooker if you want to cooker smaller amounts.

I love mine because on a sunday morning I can put a joint in go out shopping or what ever come back bung the joint in the oven as well potatoes for roasting and for an hour the veg in the steamer and have a sunday lunch ready by 1pm.

Yours


Calley

rach

i rarely cook meat in mine, it makes great veggie stews
i have a round old one that was my mum's, i'm guessing 3.5l but its fine for me and OH.