...to think there’s nothing that a slow cooker does better?

[Bebepoor]

Cheaper running costs maybe. More convenient with timer etc, granted. But not better tasting than the traditional way of simmering for hours on hob or sitting in low oven.

Oh and for porridge we have a smaller one, soak the oats overnight, timer plug again wake up to loveliness.

A couple of years back I started threads with a SC joint of meat and all the meals I made from them.
I'll see if I can find them to link.
I love my SC, but as others say you can't just randomly sling things in and get a good meal, it's like any other method of cooking, you have to learn what does and doesn't work.
The FB groups for them are hilarious, people asking how to make stir fry and omelettes

Was planning to cook a beef stroganof in slow cooker, does anyone know if this is a good idea or would it be better done in the oven?

I like mine, but only for this that aren’t better with dry heat, like crispy chicken skin.

Also, I never put any water in - there’s plenty in veg, so adding any water at all just wouldn’t work.

My beef stew tastes no where near as nice in my slow cooker as it does on the stove. Nor my sausage casserole. Don't know what I'm doing wrong? Same ingredients.

I agree and disagree. I love my slow cooker for soups and stew type meals, ones that are liquidy basically. It’s so easy to just flick it on and leave it. However I once cooked a whole chicken in it and will never do so again, it was very odd. I don’t mind beef in the slow cooker that practically falls apart smothered in gravy, that’s nice. But I know what you mean, most meals taste better cooked via other methods but I do use my slow cooker at least twice a week because it’s just very easy and convenient.

Pulled pork is delicious done in a slow cooker ..... or at least we think so!

I find that that involves frying an onion- most things?!- needs to be done in a normal pan and then put in the slow cooker, which really isn't the time/labour save I was hoping for. But, I also find that once I transfer said recipe- bolognese (veggie or meat), curry, chorizo stew- it has a MORE intense flavour, not less.

I absolutely adore my slow cooker, use it at least three times a week, it's great for casseroles, curries, and brisket of beef with red wine is to die for!

My slow cooker can be put on the stove so that vegetables and meat can be browned.

(Sadly not on my new induction stove).

I find that that involves frying an onion- most things?!- needs to be done in a normal pan and then put in the slow cooker, which really isn't the time/labour save I was hoping for

That put me off as well, so I got the sear and stew version, that you can put over the hob to cook onions etc, then use directly in the slow cooker. Not cooking onions properly makes any dish a bit rubbish for me.

Vegetable lasagne is AWESOME out of the slow cooker - just put a tea towel under the lid to catch the steam so it doesn’t turn to soup and you’re good to go!

I was lucky enough to have all the ingredients for the rice pudding in, so it’s in the slow cooker now and am impatiently waiting for two hours to pass.

I do duck legs in my slow cooker and they are delicious. Brown them first and add 125ml chicken stock, 3 tbsp wine (red or white), 115g clear honey, thyme, salt and pepper. 6 hours high or 10 low. Yum.

And very grateful for the tea towel tip

The mistake so many people make is using a non slow cooker recipe in a slow cooker and then expecting it to taste the same. It wont because it is a completely different technique!

The best way is to get a decent slow cooker cook book and as you use it you learn what you need to do to adapt other recipes. Cutting down liquid by half for a start.

My favourite recipe is home made baked beans, sometimes cooked with a ham hock. It is amazing!

I had a slow cooker for years which I used a lot. Finally, had to throw it out and used my oven to cook a casserole. It tasted so much nicer cooked in the oven. The flavours were stronger, it was thicker. Haven't repurchased a slow cooker!

I‘ve been given two as presents and sold them both at car boots. Take up too much space for what they actually do but it‘s all horses for courses, isn‘t it? I can‘t see the point of rice cookery when rice is so easy to cook but i know people who swear by them. Personally, i‘m all for reducing the amount of stuff in my kitchen and a skow cooker is certainly one thing i can live without.

I prefer using a Dutch Oven (can go on hob or in oven). My slow cooker was only ever any good for making mulled wine, anything else took days to cook!

get best results by doing it quickly in the pan on the hob first.yes more faff but imparts that browning flavour to the meat.
also try sainburys self saucing slow cooker chocolate pudding.wow!

You can caramelise onions in a SC, I often do a whole load to freeze, but no, you can't quickly fry an onion at the beginning of a recipe.

acquiescencePulled pork in slow cooker is amazing. I use pork shoulder. I prefer it for joints so no day splattered round the oven.
Plus son who has issues chewing so soft meat that falls apart is all he can manage and i always make my oven roast meats tough as old boots

Great for stews, less good for whole joints, apart from brisket, I have found.

My main tip would be to halve the amount of water in the recipe, so if it calls for a tin of tomatoes plus half a pint of stock, just add a stock cube to the tomatoes with no extra water.

You can always add a little boiling water, but if it's too wet there is no way it will boil off in a slow cooker in a month of Sundays!

Mine caramelises onions beautifully.

Cooks cheap tough meat until it is tender. Even on a low oven, I find cheap cuts of meat are too tough. Slow cooker does them beautifully.

And rice pudding.

Slow cookers are for when you need to be out for hours (eg work) and can’t leave the oven/hob on for safety reasons. For some hot food as soon as you get in, not gourmet food.