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 put a small Le Creuset casserole dish inside our large slow cooker to solve the problem. (Browning onions, veg and meat in it on the hob first).

Rarely cook with tomatoes as I don’t like them. I tried the bags and it stopped the taste.

As others taste it too there must be something to it.

Yup. I know the taste you are talking about. I find it’s worse if you do not fry off/caremalise your onions/carrots etc before hand.

I wish I could put my finger on what the taste is (it’s not metallic) but I’ve not been able to over the years. It’s almost but not quite like off onion.

Mind us ceramic too. The slow cooker taste (at least I’ve found) turns up in both types of inner pot.

I think it’s a problem with the sear and stew type. I didn’t have it with my old ceramic one.

@AStitchInTimeSavesN1ne I hate that taste too and you get it from an instant pot too. No idea how to get rid of it.

There’s definitely a slow cooker tang. I used mine quite a lot when we lived in the USA but never bothered to replace it once we moved back to UK. Don’t miss it.

I have a ceramic one and it’s fine but I alter recipes to it
brown everything
No water
double the seasonings

Yes, just curious what causes it. Or if it's something that some people can taste and others don't? I might have to do some researching this later. I'm curious. Interesting to hear the different experiences on this thread.

I don’t use my slow cooker for this reason.

100% there is a taste. I can always tell a slow cooker meal. No matter who has cooked it or the way it has been done

Some research suggests that the issue is either caused by low quality ingredients, acidic ingredients, or a damaged inner. Also suggested more expensive models are less likely to have the issue. I can't verify any of this. My models are mid-range prices and I do use high quality ingredients. It's not a problem I've ever had.

I 100% know that’s why taste you’re talking about and I no longer use my slow cooker because of it. I never did work out what it was but it just distinct taste right. It wasn’t as off flavour or anything bad but not as delicious as the oven cooked version.
I tried various things to rectify it but nothing worked so it went in the bin

In my experience, if there's a metallic taste in a slow cooker meal, it's usually due to the other (overcooked) flavours being so bland and muted that you're actually tasting the metal cooker itself, combined with the bitter aftertaste of overcooked herbs, garlic etc.

Slow cooking is often overrated and used inappropriately. High heat is needed at least at the early stage to bring out the best flavour in many meats etc.

And people often just cook things far too long in slow cookers. Ignore anyone who says "it just keeps getting better the longer it's cooked!" It doesn't.

Even when it goes right there is a taste i dont like, i cant put my finger on it but I am not a fan mostly

Sort of metallic i think

I suppose it depends on how much you paid for the food. A cooker is a cooker.

I'm so glad to read so many people get this weird taste from a slow cooker! I thought I was just rubbish using it. When I have to brown and fry in a different pot anyway to make it edible, I see no need for a slow cooker. Much happier with a cast iron casserole dish.

I used high quality ingredients in a new cooker.

Still tasted horrible.

food cooked in my slow cooker definitely tastes different from food cooked in a casserole dish in the oven, I prefer oven cooked.

Yeah, those recipes are grim. It always makes me laugh when the whole thing consists of throwing in multiple cans of soup, loads of msg-laden seasoning, and a bag of grated cheese. That’s not cooking 🤢.

Not sure if it’s been mentioned already, but the Taming Twins website has some really good slow cooker recipes. I’ve never had one of those go wrong.

My food doesn’t have a specific slow cooker taste but never tastes as nice as when it is slow cooked on the hob or in the oven. I brown meat and fry off onions/soffrito mix etc but it’s never as rich when you do it in a SC.

Tend to only use mine for pulled pork and keeping things warm on a buffet now.

I think it’s just a case of some people being able to taste it and some people not.

Like a PP I’m autistic and a bit of a super taster around food, so I suspect that comes into it for me.

I gave mine away due to this! I made a few different things and they all had this weird taste. Glad it’s not just me!

This is useful to know because I was worried about getting an air fryer incase it had the same issue! I also can’t believe I’ve found so many other people on here who have found this too.

Like a PP?