Hopefully quick question about slow cookers

Dee123_2

What I know about slow cookers you could write on the back of a stamp (apart from they cook slowly).

I searched the forums and some of you talk about putting it on to cook for the time you come home in the evening. This may be a daft question but do some of them have pre-programmed timers to start and finish at a certain time, or do you just cook it all really really slowly with a timer to turn it off.

If some do have pre-programmable timers, are they a lot more expensive? Does the Morphy Richards one you all seem to love have one?

Have seen all your lovely recipes so if I get one, much obliged to you all :wave:

1sttimer_2

Had mine for years and all I have to do is pre-heat it for about 20 mins/put in my veg (or whatever) - I warm mine thru first - then put it all in the pot, and leave it. No timers or anything. I use it mainly for soups/casseroles. Great!

Dee123_2

How long do you leave it for, 1sttimer? I work for a several hours in the evening and it would be ideal if I could leave it cooking while I am away....

Noozan

My slow cooker cooker has 3 settings - high, low and auto shift. I usually just pre warm it and then use the low setting either all day or all night depenidng on what I'm cooking and when I want to eat it. I've never actually used the auto shift but I seem to recall reading somewhere in the manual that it was used for cooking something on high and then auto shifts to low to keep it warm.

If I know I'm going to back very late in the evening, then I use an independent timer switch. I don't do this very often though as most things that can be cooked in the slow cooker are very forgiving and don't mind sitting on a low heat for ages anyway.

Loretta

Forget about time, put it on before you go to work in the morning and it will be ready in the evening when you come home whatever time that is, the longer and slower the better, it will be just ready, and then it will be ready again for anyone coming in later

MATH

I've had a number of slo-cookers over the years. the one I have now is the most fancy with controls to cook on high or low for 4, 6, 8, or 10 hours after which it automatically switches to keep-warm. It cost £4 from a car boot!

When I had non programmable ones I always worked on the principle that on high it was ready the next meal so put on a brekki and it was cooked by lunch and on low it was ready in two meals time so put on a brekki and it was ready at dinner. HTH

1sttimer_2

Dee123 wrote:

How long do you leave it for, 1sttimer? I work for a several hours in the evening and it would be ideal if I could leave it cooking while I am away....

Usually leave for work 8.30 and eat tea around 6pm. - so about 10 hours.

elona

With some of the newer slow cookers - you do not need to pre warm them -just use boiling liquid with the meat, veg etc.

Have a look at the slow cooker thread - it is huge.

Curry_Queen

It's a good idea to look at the wattage they use too as some of the bigger ones i.e. MR 6.5 litre, which many of us have, are higher (350W I think) and food seems to cook much quicker in these, even on the low setting. I can do a whole 2kg chicken in 6 hours in mine, although it wouldn't harm being on for an extra hour or so, but I have found some of the thicker sauces just starting to catch after 6-7 hours.

I won't even tell you about the night I put a rice pudding in it (one of those must have comfort food moments) and fell asleep whilst waiting for it (ok, I'd had a glass or four of wine ) and woke up the next morning wondering what next door was cooking as I could smell something yummy. Still took me a couple of hours to twig that the smell was coming from MY slowcooker :doh: ... and had been on for well over 12 hours and was a bit ... ermmmm ... burnt :wall:

Dee123_2

Spotted this one. Not very Money Saving I know but I havent shopped around for it yet. Am I being overambitious? It seems all singing all dancing.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0002APCJM/ref=br_lf_li_1_2/202-2163219-1836624

PS There's only me to cook for unless anyone knows any single good looking millionaires who want to pop round for dinner :rolleyes:

elona

Morphy Richards is much cheaper and is oval so would take a small joint of meat.