To not really see the point in a slow cooker?

[Hippodisk]

I keep seeing slow cookers recommended on quick or cheap meal threads. I've also noticed that good food mag has started including slow cooker recipes.

How is it any quicker than cooking a casserole in the oven? You still have to chop veg, brown meat etc. Is the appeal that you can leave it on while you're out?

I will say I'm probably biased as I used one years ago to cook a casserole and it was bland and watery, I also cooked a whole chicken and ended up throwing it in the bin it was vile.

So did I try the wrong recipes, are they really that much of a time saver?

Convince me to give it another go

Ok there's definitely a lot of love for the slow cooker on this thread .

See if I need something quick one night I take something out of the freezer or just have something easy like a jacket potato.

As for the meat hanging around, I don't think it is a silly point as surely it takes a while to get it up to a safe temperature?

I like the idea of making candles in there, how do you do this?

I bought a slow cooker about ten years ago after reading reports on how great they are but I didn't really like the food so haven't used it much. It doesn't actually save any time so I'm always perplexed at the fact that so many people recommend it for those who have absolutely no time to cook.

I love our slow cooker. We cook all sorts in it including a donner kebab

With the candles where I make lots of little ones at once with all different colours and fragrances, I put the little tiny glass jars in the SC then all all the colours/scents and wax to them and then heat it so the wax melts. It's just so I don't have to do small batches at a time because I'm a lazy caaahhh it means I can bang out a batch of personalise teacher gifts in a short time.

I love my slow cooker! I work 2 days a week and for that it is a godsend. I make it up the night before, put it in the fridge overnight and then put the slow cooker on just before I leave for work. It's really handy as I'm not back for dinner with DH and DS so they have something they can eat straight away. DS is usually a handful after a day at nursery so not having to cook anything is really helpful.

Fajita chicken, chickpea and sweet potato chilli, haggis, bacon wine and potatoes, beef and ale stew and beef in black bean are all favourites here. Oh and anything with chorizo.

The tricks are
Don't add lots of liquid as it doesn't evaporate
Don't use really soft veg (e.g. broccoli) as it will turn to mush
Use cheaper cuts of meat or cuts which might be tough (I bought some reduced venison steaks and did a venison and redcurrant stew which was amazing)
Any meat cooked with a tin of evaporated soup is delicious
You can just use a cheap sauce from the supermarket if you want as the flavours will be enhanced by the long low cooking time

I use my slow cooker a lot. This past week I've made donnor kebab, chocolate brownies, tear and share garlic bread, stew & dumplings & Mexican beans. Not one thing has come out watery and all of it has cooked while I've been out.

Please could someone who makes yoghurt in their SC please share how to do this if it isn't too much trouble?
Thank you x

I heat my SC up before putting food in it. Boiling water for a couple of minutes gives the food a good kick start.

I have a sear and stew morphy richards one so you start it on the hob eg fry onions and brown meat then transfer the dih to slow cooker. Lots of mince based dishes taste better cooked like this - so bolognaise, chilli, cottage pie. Also use to make pie fillings like steak and ale then top with pastry and finish in oven. Also soups.

I find it convenient to prep when I have time then can leave it cooking and can go out on school run etc. I WFH a lot so can prep at lunch time, then cook for say 6 hours.

www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/4044921.htm?CMPID=GS001&_$ja=tsid:59157|cid:199888833|agid:17471076873|tid:aud-158518126633:pla-154968425073|crid:74692319553|nw:g|rnd:3844227030815958438|dvc:c|adp:1o6&gclid=CjwKEAjwj92_BRDQ-NuC98SZkWYSJACWmjhl3gHMdUCv-bxuaA7M-y-HUiAvz9teUG2ayquCMGNACxoCcTvw_wcB

I also use the facebook group slowcooked wonders. Some great recipes on there.

Cheesey bacon potatoes - fry bacon bits add sliced potatoes and sliced onion and mature grated cheese in layers. I also add ranch seasoning powder which is a bit garlicky (was an american recipe) Cook on high for several hours. Much nicer than done in oven where it dries out.

I love mine. I love how you can just forget about it and go out,then come home to dinner ready to be dished up. Did pork in apple juice in mine today for pulled pork. Also like casseroles,lamb legs,whole chicken. Black forest cake and rice pudding is also fab but you have to be home for that to top up every so often with milk and coconut milk/cream.

Oh and fakeaway doner kebab.

ooh yes rice pudding. My DD loves that.

www.bbcgoodfood.com/user/191983/recipe/slow-cooker-rice-pudding

I love mine,
Breakfasts are cinnamon swirls, porridge, kedgeree, breakfast casserole and frittatas.
Dinners as above really, I like Stephanie O Dea's recipes she has young DC and is GF.

Canyou- cinnamon swirl recipe please!

Steak pudding ! No adding water to steam the pudding which means you have to be near the cooker to top up. Line basin with suet pastry add steak top with suet pastry lid cover in foil add hot water half way up pudding basin cover DONT lift lid for at least 8 hours -done great in the winter

I love mine! I do cook whole chickens in it, they come out really juicy and tender and brown quickly if you need by sticking under a grill for 5 mins. I love making soup, lentil and vegetable soup is amazing in a slow cooker, spicy indian lentil soup... you get the picture. I also throw in chicken breasts to cook so I can shred them and use them in dishes all week long. Slow cookers aren't perfect for everything but they do some things really well.

If you have a timer it's great for making delicious overnight oatmeal recipes ready for breakfast. This has been a huge hit with visiting family every Christmas :)

I'm going to need someone to tell me how they make donner meat in a slow cooker please!

Isn't part of the point that it's small, therefore cheaper to run than having an entire oven on for hours and hours?

I just cok stuf that benefit from slow cooking on my hob (induction, hence super slow, if I want), when I'm home. often better for sitting in the fridge or freezer until really needed, anyhow.

Mine is great for putting food in on a morning and coming back to after work. It seems safer than timer in oven and cheaper and no annoying beep noise for the neighbours. Good for cheap cuts of meat. Also good if out cycling

titsalinabumsquash do you make scented candles? Just asking because I made some in my slow cooker the other day and I put some cinnamon in one and some lavender essential oil in the other. I put a lot in but they didn't smell...what am I doing wrong?

I do but you need to buy highly concentrated scents designed for either cosmetics or candles. I make bath bombs and cosmetics too so I have a whole collection of them.

Thanks titsalinabumsquash I will experiment with those then. Some artificial scents make me feel quite sick which is why I put natural stuff in but I might as well not have bothered!

Do you make the bath bombs etc. in the slow cooker too?