To wonder if you can overcome that slow cooker taste?

[AStitchInTimeSavesN1ne]

When slow cooking goes wrong, there is an identifiable taste to it.. I don’t know how or why it goes wrong.

AIBU to wonder if you can overcome that weird taste it develops?

I’ve often slow cooked sometimes for longer than they say but I’ve never heard of this taste thing?

You might want to buy a new slow cooker.

I’ve used slow cookers for years and still don’t know what people are talking about when they refer to this slow cooker taste.

I only cook things in there that are suitable for slow cooking and have only ever used ceramic slow cookers, though my stainless steel multi cooker does have a slow cook function.

What kinds of things are you using your slow cooker for?

I don't know what you mean OP? Burnt food? Is the coating coming off?
You can buy slow cooker liners if you think its a metallic taste. I don't know if heated plastic or heated metal is better for you though?

www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/310158345?srsltid=AfmBOoqJNf3lKTRVYwumZjD6IoKlpac68AVxv4rvs4ZQnJO_keVjVv4g

I think a lot of people who use a slow cooker tend to default to traditional slow cooker meals, like beef stew with tinned tomatoes. Then they associate that metallic-y tomato-ey taste with the slow cooker.

Slow cooker food shouldn’t taste funny. Unless you’re burning it or it’s degrading.

I use a slow cooker a few times a week, not sure what you mean by a slow cooker taste? I make curries, stews, casseroles they alll taste like they should.

No weird taste here either! How old is your slow cooker?

There’s definitely a slow cooker taste.

If I cook the exact same dish in my le creuset in the oven and also in my Lakeland slow cooker the latter has a distinctive taste- although I can’t put my finger on exactly what it is.

i do have very sensitive taste though- if you’ve used plastic spoons to stir my soup I can taste it.

I think it’s the receipe, remember you use less liquid slow cooking so you have to adjust seasoning. I personally prefer to use the oven or hob because I’m too disorganised to put the slow cooker on

It's probably missing the maillard reaction that gives flavour when it's cooked at high heat. Need to brown off anything and probably soften onions to stop them tasting boiled.

Is it a specific flavour or just blandness, like everything’s been boiled rather than oven roasted and reduced? (Obviously if you make rice or porridge or other things that don’t need browning this doesn’t apply.)

Browning and reducing are important for texture and depth of flavour, so I don’t use the slow cooker anymore. You can brown everything beforehand but to me that’s an extra step and an extra pot, I’d rather make it on the hob in an enamel pot and put it in a low oven.

Do you use recipes specifically for the slow cooker? You need less fluid than an ordinary recipe.

(ETA cross post, I see this has all been mentioned upthread.)

It definitely does have a weird taste/smell and it always puts me off eating it.

I think people saying it doesn't are just used to it and don't notice it.

I agree OP.
i only use my slow cooker for pulled pork or braised brisket of beef, because they really need a long slow cook.
With other dishes Everything comes out too mushy for my taste, and the seasoning is seems to evaporate.
It ends up tasting like canned food.

It definitely doesn’t. I have used a slow cooker for years and my oven has a slow cooker facility…absolutely no ‘slow cooker taste’ from any of the many things I slow cook.

I know what you mean but I can't describe it. I almost never use my slow cooker now becaise it doesn't taste quite right.

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?

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.

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

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 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.

Yes…quite fussy myself!

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.

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 🤔