Do I need a slow cooker

[MyBigToes]

Just that really, I can’t decide if I’m better buying one or not
YANBU - slow cookers are vital in the kitchen
YABU - slow cookers are a waste of space and money

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MNHQ

@formerbabe I love my slow cooker for curries, bolognese, chile and gammon but I’ve only ever done roast chicken one time - never again!

Currently mine has sausages, baked beans, passata, chopped apple and Worcester sauce which we’ll have later. Threw is together in minutes and will enjoy later with rice for children (I’m low carbing-ish).

Gammon (on its own with no sauce or water - literally place it in there) is brilliant in there. I never really understood my pressure cooker and the weight thingy.

Ha! Ours blew too and since then we have family fear of pressure cookers😂

Sauces come out beautifully from slow cooker. Never did whole chicken but regularly do duck or lamb to just finish it off-crisp it up in the oven.
Just did lamb shoulder last week and then finished the crackling in the oven. Delicious

@formerbabe

I remember everyone raving about how amazing a whole chicken is done in the slow cooker...I tried it and it was absolutely vile, sweaty, greasy, grey, just disgusting

Mine was lovely. And it was for the cat who was ill at the time. Best chicken I have ever cooked, the resulting broth was actually for the cat but the chicken was moist, tender and vanished very quickly. Cooked that way there is no meat left clinging to the bones as it falls off.

For me the difference is I can leave the slow cooker on before going to work. I wouldn’t leave a pressure cooker on the gas hob and leave the house.

I love my slow cooker! It works fab for our family - has a keep warm function so we can eat at different times, and I love being able to prep meals while DC are in school, so I only need to plate up when they are home.

I don’t batch cook though, so no idea what meals are like if you freeze them, but I’ll regularly cook something that can be eaten over 2 days.

I cook beef overnight on Saturdays for Sunday lunch, it’s lovely to wake up to, use the juices for gravy and then make stew with the left overs.

I do chicken fajita mix - one day with tagliatelle and the next use the leftovers with wraps for lunch.

I do the same with chilli and pulled pork - as a meal the first day with rice/wedges etc and then with jacket potatoes or wraps/nachos the next.

Oh @m0therofdragons when I say a pressure cooker I mean an electric multi purpose cooker type thing not one that goes on a hob , they scare me

I've never had grey sludge from my slow cooker. They're brilliant for curries, soups and stews. I've currently got a piece of gammon in there, which will be ready for tea. It will be 'pulled' and we'll have it with crusty rolls and salad.

As a pp said, if people end up with grey sludge, they're doing something wrong.

I also have a Crock Pot - and as a huge fan of a Le Creuset, I’ve been impressed. Have used it for stews and chilli and it works well. No issues around things tasting the same. I do have a slow cooker recipe book which provides details of how to cook the same dish in a slow cooker or oven/hob and that’s been helpful for understanding about how much liquid is needed, etc.

@LastMinutesAndLostEvenings

We have just bought the Ninja Foodi multi cooker and it is amazing! We have used it almost every night, it's a pressure cooker, slow cooker, air fryer all in one, so it's got so many uses, massive pot too so I bet it would be good for batch cooking!

Would it fit a whole duck?🙈

I am asking because I am looking for new to buy soon. But the multicookers aren't so wide from what I've seen?

The advantage of a digital pressure cooker is that it can cook things slow or fast. I’ve got a Crock-Pot CSC051X 12-in-1 Programmable Multi-Cooker, mine cost €85 in the Black Friday sales. I’ve personally never had much luck with a slow cooker and the Croc Pot does pulled pork in 25 minutes so there’s no need to wait.

It’s a no from me. The thought of food sitting around in warmish liquid all day isn’t appealing to me.

@Housebuyer2021

It’s a no from me. The thought of food sitting around in warmish liquid all day isn’t appealing to me.

I don't think that would appeal to anyone. Luckily that's not how slow cooker works. Mine is simmering away nicely

@Housebuyer2021

It’s a no from me. The thought of food sitting around in warmish liquid all day isn’t appealing to me.

It sits in bubbling liquid, not 'warmish'.

Have you never cooked anything slowly in the oven or on the hob and are not familiar with the concept of slow cooking in general? A very low heat in the oven does the same thing.

I agree with PP's that lifestyle is a factor. I was given one as a long-term loan when my kitchen was out of action, and then was allowed to keep it! Food doesn't have to all taste the same; I batch cook "basic" casserole and freeze, then add different veg etc to make different dishes. The model I acquired has different heat settings, which gives more flexibility. Now I'm retired, I don't use it as much, but when I was teaching full-time, it was a great help to build up a supply of frozen stuff during the holidays.

Definitely no you don't need to. I love to batch cook and I find cooking a chilli in the evening and letting in cook for a few hours or making a big casserole/ stew on my day off or evening much nicer and I still freeze into portions

Deffo ! Just make sure u have space to put it away I use mine for loads of stuff curries casseroles spaghetti gammon joints so much u can use it for ! I also could not live without an air fryer 😂😂😂

No. I’ve used mine a couple of times but it tastes better out of a casserole dish cooked in the oven.

Like a pp, I use mine for curries, chillies and bolognese. It's great and I find the food it cooks very tasty often coming out better than if I'd used a pot.

A bonus I've found is that you can use cheaper cuts of meat cuts that are normally a bit tough or rubbery have responded very well to the slow cooker and to my surprise -- very tasty, often nicer than the more expensive cuts.

@Hairobsessed123 what on earth is an air fryer lol

@LastMinutesAndLostEvenings

We have just bought the Ninja Foodi multi cooker and it is amazing! We have used it almost every night, it's a pressure cooker, slow cooker, air fryer all in one, so it's got so many uses, massive pot too so I bet it would be good for batch cooking!

I've been looking at this recently. What do you use it for?

I’ve tried a few recipes and it’s not great. I really don’t get the difference between a slow cooker and a low setting in the oven. I got an air fryer as a Christmas gift and tbh, it’s similar to an oven on convection setting. Just gimmicks in my opinion

I use mine more after someone told me (probably on here) that if you make a casserole you have to reduce the amount of liquid you put in.

Regularly make
Ribs
Pulled pork
Casserole
Whole chicken
Coca cola ham

Can even use for soup if going out and can't leave a pan on the hob.

If it broke I'd probably have a ninja foodi. Mil has one and loves it.

@Userzzz

I’ve tried a few recipes and it’s not great. I really don’t get the difference between a slow cooker and a low setting in the oven. I got an air fryer as a Christmas gift and tbh, it’s similar to an oven on convection setting. Just gimmicks in my opinion

What does the convection setting actually do in the oven? Crisp it up more?

Ninja foodie it’s a pressure cooker / slow cooker / sautés / soups etc I love mine!! Also has a keep warm function which was essential for me