To wonder if you can overcome that slow cooker taste?

I don’t have one. But I ate a friends recently and the sausages all tasted like old Tupperware in the sausage casserole. Like a stale sort of old mush taste and it was from a slow cocker

Yes this is why we gave up using a slow cooker. And I'm not fussy. But everything has that taste to it. Have now gone in the opposite direction and air fry almost everything, and it's nicer and easier.

My dd complains of this. I don't notice it.

I don’t taste anything strange or metallic like but bloody everything comes out too runny, even when I use less liquid and put a tea towel under the lid. It’s turning me off to be honest.
Oh and I’m talking about actual slow cooker recipes from cook books. Don’t know what on earth I’m doing wrong.

In short no. It you like the flavour of condensation use one. They are rubbish

I wonder if it is just the absence of the taste produced by the Maillard reaction rather than a distinct 'slowcooker' taste?

I agree there is something very different not in a good way.I have a new Lakeland one which goes on the hob to brown before the slow cook.Much prefer my pressure cooker or the oven.

Same herw.

I have no idea what a "slow cooker taste" is.

Mind you, I always brown everything before it goes in the slow cooker, and the results taste the same as something that has been oven cooked.

Yuk.

Hate slow cooker food. Whatever you make it tastes kind of ‘stewed’

Tried so many times but just don’t like the taste. I’m very sensitive to taste though.

Yep, always tastes of slow cooker. I can't describe it but it's a definite taste, and I'm really not keen on it. The only time I've known anything else come out similar was when I left some potatoes baking in the normal oven on very low for a whole day - they had the same taste when we ate them! So it must be to do with the length of time the starches are cooked for or something.

I've tried slow cooking a few times as people say such good things about it, I've given up now for this reason.

Yes, I know exactly what you mean. I got a slow cooker as a wedding present and there was a definite odd slightly metallic taste to everything I made in it, even with pre browning etc. I really didn’t like it and ended up giving it away. I got an instant pot which can be used similarly - food can be pressure cooked and then left on keep warm. It has all the convenience without the weird taste.

I pretty much only use my slow cooker for 3 things - chilli con carne, curries and mulled wine. They all come out OK.
But dishes that aren't spicy... nope. The flavour and texture doesn't seem right.

I also think there is a slow-cooker taste. It has put me off certain dishes I used to do on repeat in the slow cooker when DH and I were working long days with long commutes. I had slow cooker recipe books and understand about using less liquid etc, so it’s not about competence or suitable recipes.

I do still do occasional dishes in the SC, mainly casseroles, occasionally curry, and the following makes it taste better (but I still think it’s detectable it’s been slow cookered):-
I use a slow cooker with a metal, not ceramic, inside now (hated the ceramic one)
I always brown meat and soffritto etc, always toast spices (and can do this in the metal dish so easy)
Put a teatowel or paper towel under the lid to absorb moisture
And finally, if time allows, I always try to finish off for 20-30 mins in the oven (which is possibly “cheating”) and this gives a depth of flavour.

But on the whole, if I have the option, I’d choose to use the oven or hob over the slow cooker.

It's really hard to describe isn't it? Almost metallicy/plasticky and just odd. You don't get it an oven-cooked dish.

Okay?

You seem to be taking this very personally - lots of responses on this thread (and on other similar threads) agree with me that slow-cooker food tastes odd - it's not some kind of attack on your cooking 🤔

I just slow cook in the oven using my usual roasting tin or casseroles and don't notice any off flavours. There is an extra low setting especially for that. Doing a chicken that way as we speak.

Yes…quite fussy myself!

I gave up on slow cooking as there was definitely a 'weird taste' going on, and everything I made tastes better cooked in a conventional oven.

Well, I'm not the only one to notice it so it clearly is a "thing" for some of us.

I'm very fussy with food, flavour and texture in general though so I suspect it's something to do with that. If something tastes or feels wrong to me I can't eat it and will be sick, lol.

I do cook in other ways apart from using my slow cooker! Absolutely no difference in taste…

Everything I've ever tried from a slow cooker has tasted weird to me.

Maybe you're used to it, or maybe some people are more sensitive to taste.

I think it's when people don't soften their onions or brown their meat before putting it in the slow cooker. Even if you do that you can get the slow cooker smell a bit but it doesn't affect the flavour so much. And I always cook for much longer than suggested to get better flavours.

Do you brown meat off first?
Do you use it for things that should be slow cooked? EG tougher meats, not chicken breast?
If you just overcook everything in it, then it will taste funny, surely?