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Recommend me a slow cooker

19 replies

MikeWozniaksMohawk · 05/09/2024 11:16

I’ve never had a slow cooker before but am looking at getting one. We are a family of 4. Can anyone recommend one? I’m overwhelmed by choice 😂

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MikeWozniaksMohawk · 05/09/2024 13:36

Bumping

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weegiemum · 05/09/2024 13:52

You don't need a fancy one. Mine was £10 in Tesco 18 years ago and still going strong!

Pilotingmyownlife · 05/09/2024 14:18

I have a tower branded one bought for £5 from a charity shop (to see how much I'd use it) still going strong 10 years later (not sure of it's age).

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Ilovechees3 · 05/09/2024 14:23

Bought mine in Lidl years ago still works fine.
Just make sure you get one big enough for your family.

Oldandcobwebby · 05/09/2024 14:34

I got a CrockPot from our local charity shop for a fiver.

LauderSyme · 05/09/2024 14:42

I was going to say... me! Everything in the kitchen takes me ages.

Good Housekeeping always do helpful, reliable reviews imo:

www.goodhousekeeping.com/uk/product-reviews/electricals/g25900206/best-slow-cookers-reviewed/

Devilsmommy · 05/09/2024 15:03

Definitely get a 6 litre one for a family of 4. B&M have got some for £25 that are really good

ScottBakula · 05/09/2024 15:03

Mine is a basic Cookworks one , it has 2 heat settings but no other features.
Make sure the one you get is big enough for your family .
It has a removable pot a old one I had didn't it was a pain in the ares to clean.
Two temp settings is nice but not essential.
A timer is useful too but you can also use a socket timer if you need the feature.

BlueChampagne · 05/09/2024 15:09

I have the basic John Lewis one which is fine. Though if I had to buy another, I might get one that was a bit more programmable. Will you be in to put it on? You could ask on Freecycle?

DogInATent · 05/09/2024 15:11

Wait for Aldi/Lidl to have one on the middle aisle. I think ours is Lildl - been going strong several years. You do not need a fancy one. A dial that goes Off-Low-Med-High is all the controls you need.

SanMarzano · 05/09/2024 15:16

Instant pot, that way for the same space you also get a pressure cooker, rice cooker etc

olderbutwiser · 05/09/2024 15:46

Came to say what @SanMarzano said - consider splashing the cash on a multifunction thingy that pressure cooks as well as slow cooks. I was very unsure about it but use the pressure cooking function several times a week now. You can pressure cook most stuff that you would slow cook, but in in minutes instead of hours. And it is really gentle and unscary - absolutely the opposite of the terrifying bomb that Mum used to use on the gas stove!

CraftyNavySeal · 05/09/2024 15:49

I also echo InstantPot

You can use it as a slow cooker if you want or cook the exact same thing in 40 minutes with the pressure cook setting

greenparrots · 05/09/2024 15:54

Could I ask if anybody has one that they can recommend that has a stainless steel pot I.e. all the parts that come into contact wish food are s/steel?

I don't want one with any sort of coating ... non stick or glazed ... that comes into contact with the food but it's really hard to see the inside of them from pics online.

flooachoo · 05/09/2024 16:07

@greenparrots mine was a glazed ceramic insert for the slow cooker, the same as ovenware so I am not sure why you would have an issue with that. But as others have recommended, the Instant Pot is a stainless steel pot.

@MikeWozniaksMohawk it depends what function you would use, as a sahm I liked using high setting for an hour to heat everything up (usually had frozen chicken breasts submerged in a sauce) then I would reduce it down to low for the remaining 6 hours. Do you need a timer? Will you be putting it on before you leave for work or will you have time to put it on when you need to? I used to have a Morphy Richards one and used a plug in timer for the days I was out.

Re the Instant Pot, you can saute in it so great for browning off onions or meat before using it as a slow cooker but it is a lot more expensive. If you use it as a pressure cooker you have to get used to timings because it can cook in say 20 minutes but it isn't ready 20 minutes from when you turn it on. It needs time to come up to pressure and then cook. It might also need a natural release which is where the pot depressurises itself over time, for my pulled pork that is 40 minutes before I hear the button drop. Or you can force the release and remove the lid it depends on what you are cooking. I use mine to cook chicken breasts from frozen, any amount of breasts, they cook for 25 minutes but I give it an hour to heat, cook, release.

I also use the Instant Pot to make yoghurt. Literally UHT milk if you want a cold start, plus a yoghurt starter, I just use a small pot of Yeo Valley, leave overnight on the yoghurt setting, strain off the whey to the consistency you want and you have yoghurt. You can sweeten it at this point with vanilla or honey. We like it tart and thick so a proper Greek yoghurt.

longdistanceclaraclara · 05/09/2024 16:10

greenparrots · 05/09/2024 15:54

Could I ask if anybody has one that they can recommend that has a stainless steel pot I.e. all the parts that come into contact wish food are s/steel?

I don't want one with any sort of coating ... non stick or glazed ... that comes into contact with the food but it's really hard to see the inside of them from pics online.

I've got a crock pot with a steel dish, you can brown on the hob with it. No idea what mode it is it must be 15 years old.

MikeWozniaksMohawk · 05/09/2024 17:56

Devilsmommy · 05/09/2024 15:03

Definitely get a 6 litre one for a family of 4. B&M have got some for £25 that are really good

Really? 6l? The 3.7l crock pot says it is for 3-4 people.

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Devilsmommy · 05/09/2024 18:09

MikeWozniaksMohawk · 05/09/2024 17:56

Really? 6l? The 3.7l crock pot says it is for 3-4 people.

I've got a 3 litre one and it just about does 2 adults and a toddler.

MikeWozniaksMohawk · 05/09/2024 18:13

Devilsmommy · 05/09/2024 18:09

I've got a 3 litre one and it just about does 2 adults and a toddler.

Ah right! Glad I asked!

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