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AIBU?

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Original poster

Are slow cookers shit?

209 replies

rainbowstardrops · 05/11/2025 18:41

I mean, I know they’re not shit but I’m currently cooking a Thai beef dish and it looks absolutely nothing like the picture in the recipe book. It looks dull and watery and just so unappetising.
Am I being unreasonable to think that the bloody recipes in these books look nothing like the final result photos?
Oh and I put half of the chilli flakes in because one of mine doesn’t like spicy (I do) but this is even setting my mouth on fire!
Pah!

OP posts:
Maddy70 · 05/11/2025 23:53

Always alway always don't add additional liquid. (Or very minimal)

treesandsun · 05/11/2025 23:46

I love mine I have two I use them all the time I particularly like them because I'm lazy and you can throw everything in and leave it. I didn't know weren't supposed to take the lid off . I usually take mine off and give it a stir once or twice.

ByQuaintAzureWasp · 05/11/2025 23:43

We have a sage multicooker ... husband loves it!

Cuppasoups · 05/11/2025 23:27

Stick to no more than 2 inches of liquid to begin with and it always works out.
You can add a bit later.
I got rid of the 6.5 ltr one as it was too big.
The 3.5ltr for a family of 5 is perfect.

Posithor · 05/11/2025 23:02

I always think everything tastes like slow cooker...

canyouseemyhousefromhere · 05/11/2025 22:17

Sounds like a poor recipe book. Try another one.

RaraRachael · 05/11/2025 22:15

I love mine and use it a lot especially in the colder weather.

Archer Kitchen has some great recipes on Instagram.

InfoSecInTheCity · 05/11/2025 22:08

Chess101 · 05/11/2025 21:23

Different foods and meat need different cooking times and temps. Absolutely disgusting when people dump meat and veg and jars of sauce in and think that’s cooking. Lazy, gross slop

I get that’s it’s not your preference but it’s not disgusting, gross and lazy it’s just a cooking method.

dontmalbeconme · 05/11/2025 22:02

Chess101 · 05/11/2025 21:23

Different foods and meat need different cooking times and temps. Absolutely disgusting when people dump meat and veg and jars of sauce in and think that’s cooking. Lazy, gross slop

Had a bad day today @Chess101?

D3vonmaid · 05/11/2025 21:58

I hope not as I’m currently cooking a ragu based on a Jamie Oliver recipe in the slow cooker BUT have already committed the cardinal sin of taking off the lid, twice 🤭

TheFifthTellytubby · 05/11/2025 21:39

Second point: the pictures in cookery books. A long, long time ago, when I was an inexperienced cook, I made an apricot tart to serve to my favourite aunt and uncle who were visiting. Athough it tasted fine the appearance was really disappointing, nothing like the photo. When I told my uncle how disappointed I was he explained to me that food photos are a big con, and the perfectly rounded, glossy apricots were a) not cooked and b) covered in inedible glossy gloop to make an appealing photo. I bless him for that to this day because it has made all the difference in how I judge my success at home cooking.....and various magazine articles over the years have confirmed that the food in recipe photos is often not actually edible!
This is so true! When did you ever get a McD's burger that looked just like the picture? 🤔😄

Chess101 · 05/11/2025 21:23

Different foods and meat need different cooking times and temps. Absolutely disgusting when people dump meat and veg and jars of sauce in and think that’s cooking. Lazy, gross slop

Rubyupbeat · 05/11/2025 21:22

If you find it too watery towards the end, leave the lid off, it evaporates and so thickens up.

Ahfiddlesticks · 05/11/2025 21:20

You need to use a lot less water/ liquid than any recipe says!

mumofonetwo · 05/11/2025 21:18

You must always brown the meat first, never add extra liquid other than the tin of tomatoes, splash of wine or whatever you’re using, assume vegetables will contain a lot of liquid, and always keep the lid on.

assuming you adhered to all of the above and it’s still rubbish then it must be the recipe.

Comedycook · 05/11/2025 21:16

Not a fan of a slow cooker...most stuff ends up tasteless and watery imo. Long slow cooking in the oven is a million times better and makes a better flavour.

OverlyFragrant · 05/11/2025 21:15

I use my slow cooker for joints of tough meat and it is fabulous.
For other things, not so great.

Chimneyonya · 05/11/2025 21:14

StrictlyAFemaleFemale · 05/11/2025 21:12

I did a Thai curry the other week that was lauded on the Facebook group. It just tasted like spicy beef stew. Having said that my Rogan Josh is delicious as is sweet potato curry as is my chilli. Think it depends entirely on what you're making.

There was a thread on here once about annoying colleagues. Someone had a colleague who would bring raw ingredients to work, put them in his mini SC UNDER HIS DESK and eat it at lunchtime!

😅 that’s genius! What a maniac 😂

x2boys · 05/11/2025 21:14

3ormorecharacters · 05/11/2025 20:01

I'm always so confused by this because so many people seem to live slow cookers and swear by them. I really like the idea but everything I've ever made has been a watery mess and has the same weird aftertaste. I've tried specific slow cooker recipes (in fact have bought several specific slow cooker recipe books) but can't seem to make anything edible. I feel like I must be missing something.

If it's watery you are adding to much liquid i rarely add any occasionaly half a cup if it looks to dry .

Chimneyonya · 05/11/2025 21:14

Genuinely shocked at the amount of people that hate them. We use ours a lot and I’d really miss it if we didn’t have it. I’d have to make bolognese, curries, chilli, lamb, and pulled chicken standing about in the kitchen rather than leaving the slow cooker to it and coming back to dinner already sorted. It always tastes gorgeous.

StrictlyAFemaleFemale · 05/11/2025 21:12

I did a Thai curry the other week that was lauded on the Facebook group. It just tasted like spicy beef stew. Having said that my Rogan Josh is delicious as is sweet potato curry as is my chilli. Think it depends entirely on what you're making.

There was a thread on here once about annoying colleagues. Someone had a colleague who would bring raw ingredients to work, put them in his mini SC UNDER HIS DESK and eat it at lunchtime!

bollockyness · 05/11/2025 21:07

Jewishbookworm · 05/11/2025 20:42

I only use mine to make cholent, a meat stew that Jews eat on shabbat. Due to the rules of shabbat cooking it needs to have been cooking since before shabbat. So from friday evening until saturday lunchtime. A lot of people love cholent, my family are meh about it, so I only make it when we have guests. (I am told my cholent is excellent)

Anyway, a few days ago an article popped up on my SM feed. Apparently the slow cooker was invented by a Jewish woman for exactly this reason. I don't know why I didn't know this.

https://jwa.org/blog/love-your-crockpot-you-have-cholent-thank-its-existence

I love learning new things like this - thanks for sharing!

Auburngal · 05/11/2025 21:07

I did have a slow cooker but every dish looked the same and smelt weird.

Got a multicooker which has a SC function which I have used once and took half the time too cook. It also has a sear function to brown meat and soften onions.

Hohumdedum · 05/11/2025 21:04

In my opinion YES! Everything I made in mine was as you described. I gave it away and have never missed it.

bollockyness · 05/11/2025 21:02

The only thing I use mine for is mulled apple juice ...