Buying a slow cooker (which? & why?)

Pink.

Hi Dave,

I recently cracked the lid on my 23 year old slow cooker and replaced it with the same model as yours.

I love the size of the MR, but it isn't a slow cooker in the sense that my old one was and has taken some getting used to. It cooks much faster than my old one did and seems to have hotspots around the sides. Thankfully I am at home most days so I'm able to keep an eye on it, but I don't think I'd be happy putting it on early in the morning and returning to it in the evening.

Fortunately it suits me. I'm not an early bird so I'm able to start a slow cooker meal around lunchtime and it's ready about 6pm.

Pink

davetaylor

Thanks Pink,

Well at least I know it's working correctly. Not really sure what to do now though as I really like leaving it on all day when I am at work.

lil_me

I find my 6.5 MR one is fine when left on low, I tend to leave it on low then cook on high for the last 30 mins-1 hour after that when I get home (with dumplings dunked in then if doing stews etc ) , it's usually when it's on high it sometimes suffers from the same hotspots as Pink's

CRANKY40

I have a slow cooker, but it's only a 1.5L one. It's as old as the hills and still going strong, but it's a pain to clean as it doesn't have the removeable inside.

I want a bigger one now, I reckon 3.5L so I can put dumplings in the stew and freeze leftovers (don't currently have leftovers). I've read through this thread and am still having trouble choosing.

I may go for the Crock Pot one from Argos. Does anyone have one of those and is it OK? It's reduced to £19.99 and is less economical than the MR one....

bellaquidsin

Today I have invested in a MR 3.5L Oval Slow Cooker. I thought it would be good for cooking a whole chicken but the recipe booklet with it has no whole chicken recipes, only joints and pieces.

The only recipe in there for a whole joint is for beef which has to be completely covered with liquid. This is new to me as my previous experience of slow cooker has been to put in 1/4pt to 1/2pt liquid.

Has anyone any thoughts on either of these points please.

Thanks, Bella

davetaylor

bellaquidsin wrote: »

Today I have invested in a MR 3.5L Oval Slow Cooker. I thought it would be good for cooking a whole chicken but the recipe booklet with it has no whole chicken recipes, only joints and pieces.

The only recipe in there for a whole joint is for beef which has to be completely covered with liquid. This is new to me as my previous experience of slow cooker has been to put in 1/4pt to 1/2pt liquid.

Has anyone any thoughts on either of these points please.

Thanks, Bella

I cooked a whole chicken in my SC last week.

I started off by heating up a large frying pan as hot as it would go without any oil. I then put in the whole chicken and browned it on every side. I used two wooden spoons to turn it over.

I then seasoned it all over with salt, pepper and paprika.

I also cut an onion into quarters, chopped up some garlic and shoved them in side the chicken,

I then chopped up some more garlic and rubbed it into the skin.

Then I screwed up three balls of tin foil and dropped them into the slow cooker and sat the chicken on them. I did this so that it would not be sitting in it's own fat.

I cooked it on low for about 6 hours and that was that. I checked it with a meat thermometer and it was cooked through.

Carving the chicken was amazing. It simply fell off the bone. I used all the juice in the bottom to make gravy!

Oh, I made a stir fry the next day with all the left overs..

GOOD LUCK!


DAVE X

littlechezza

Not sure if this has already been asked but here goes, I have a slow cooker sittin gin the cupboard and I'm determined to use it, only problem is I've lost the book that came with it and can remember from my 1st effort that the stew was watery, what quantity of stock should I put in and do I leave it on Low/Medium/High and for how long, would appreciate any replies.

Thanks

bellaquidsin

Thanks Dave,

I have certainly cooked a whole chicken in a slow cooker before but the instruction book to that included directions. I just wondered if, as my new MR directions do not include instruction, it would maybe not be advisable in this particular slow cooker.

Still wondering if anyone has actually cooked a whole chicken in the MR 3.5ltr
slow cooker.

Bella

TheDoolallyDilly

littlechezza wrote: »

Not sure if this has already been asked but here goes, I have a slow cooker sittin gin the cupboard and I'm determined to use it, only problem is I've lost the book that came with it and can remember from my 1st effort that the stew was watery, what quantity of stock should I put in and do I leave it on Low/Medium/High and for how long, would appreciate any replies.

Thanks

I currently have a beef in red wine dish in my slow cooker - it's about 1 kg of stewing steak, a pack of streaky bacon chopped, a couple of onions chopped, two bayleaves and a clove of garlic, and only 300 ml of red wine. That's all the liquid that's in it. It's been cooking on low since 11.20 am this morning - it takes about 7 hours, but can be left longer. I will put in dumplings shortly, turn it up to high and cook for another 30 minutes.

I hope this helps.

TDD x

bellaquidsin

I am a happy bunny today. I phoned the MR Helpline and was told yes you can cook a whole chicken in this sc as long as you have a little water in the bottom. Now why don't they say that in the accomanying booklet?

Bella