slow cookers any good?

[iwastooearlytobeayummymummy]

I'm thinking of buying a slow cooker.
Any suggestions about what to choose,how to use and what recipes work best.
And do you need to brown meat and veg before plonking them in?
thanks in anticipation

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This thread is quite old now, so some of the suggestions are out of date, but we’ve very recently refreshed our best slow cooker page with the models Mumsnetters have tried, tested and loved, including info on how to use one. We hope you find it helpful.
MNHQ

hopeful bump for a very boring question

Very very useful piece of kitchen equipment. Good idea to brown the meat off before putting it in. It's lovely to have a nice stew going all day and sitting down at night to eat it. We particularly like a nice piece of brisket on top of root vegies for Sunday dinner...totally yummy! Also you can buy cheaper cuts and by the time they're ready they're sooooo tender, you'll never go back to using anything else.

I

I just got a cheapo one. I suppose it depends what settings you want, whether you want a timer etc. Mine just has a high and low setting and a 'keep warm' setting. It's a Rival Crockpot, I think it was only about £20 or £25.

Recipe-wise, I am not very imaginative I'm afraid! I tend to stick to casseroles and stews. I also use it for joints of meat like brisket which are much nicer done in a slow cooker than in a conventional oven. There are lots of websites and recipe books with more creative suggestions!

I never bother browning meat before I chuck it in. Not sure if this is the right thing to do or not.

If you can, get a slow cooker that you can put on the hob first to brown your meat. I have one where you can't put it on the hob and I don't use it 'cos it seems wrong to do so much cooking and dirtying up the kitchen for something which is supposed to make it easier!

I like them, bought mine so when my back hurts I don't need to lift/bend, to use the oven. They save energy, and in the hot weather they don't heat up the house like an oven can.
I do brown stewing beef, and if I use it for a roast, I brown that, otherwise I do not pre-brown.

Things to look for.
Removable crock for easy wash up. (As older models may be all in one)
Larger size, rather than a small one. 6-7 litres at least for a family of 4.
At least 3 temperatures, as EauRouge says, mine is same as hers, hot, low and warm, that suits my needs.

It will come with a small recipe book, and there are tons of slow cooker recipes on line. You can make anything from main course meats, to deserts, mulled cider, hot chocolate and oatmeal. Some people even make their porridge in it as they sleep, but I have not, as I think it would be too mushy cooking all that time.

One good tip, put a layer of thick sliced onions on the bottom when making a roast, it helps it not get soggy, and most meats don't require much liquid, if any.
Never put cold meat or liquid in a warm slow cooker. The crock will crack, I ruined my first one that way. And Hamilton Beach was kind enough to send me an entire new slow cooker, for free when I called to ask about buying a new crock for the inside. Apparently it was recalled anyways, for weak handles. (which I didn't know, as I never bothered filling out the warranty)

My son's love this recipe.

Lemon Honey Chicken

1 lemon
1 whole roasting chicken, rinsed
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup honey

1. Pierce lemon with fork. Place in chicken cavity. Place chicken in slow cooker.

1. Combine orange juice and honey. Pour over chicken.

1. Cover. Cook on Low 8 hrs.. Remove lemon and squeeze over chicken.

1. Carve chicken and serve.

Very easy to make and delicious. I usually make rice to go with it, and veggies.

And this one. You can cook it with just onions and some people add a bottle of beer, without other spices if you like. The bbq sauce adds flavour anyways. il.youtube.com/watch?v=noU1grXjYXY&feature=related

I add homemade bbq sauce to the pot after shredding it and simmer for a half hour, but you can use bottled just as easily. We eat it on rolls or in wraps. This is the only pork my oldest son likes. (not counting bacon)
Sorry for the book, got carried away.
www.hamiltonbeach.com/recipes/slow-cookers-recipes.php

And when you get one, don't make the beginners mistake - most of us have done it - of putting in liquid as if it is something you cook on the hob. THe liquid DOES NOT boil down, it has no where to go. Be astonishingly mean with liquid, you can always add more later

I'd really recommend getting a recipe book specifically for slow cookers/crockpots. There are loads on Amazon and I'm sure your library will have some too.

Its definitely time I started using mine again..

Can I just ask, if there are 5 in my family [2 adults, 3 children] should I get a 6 litre one?
Thanks

Fewer in our family so stand to be corrected, but I think people tend to go large. Means you can cater for extras, do extra to freeze, cope with hungry teenagers etc, it's just more flexible

Thank you everyone, I was thinking about getting a smaller one as fewer children at home these days but will now reconsider
I especially like the tip about using less liquid
many many thanks

I am definitely going to get one. Thanks

I love mine, I got it for £10 from Tesco. I just chuck in some meat veg and stock and hey presto a lovely meal at the end of the day.
I must admit that I never brown anything off before I put it in. It is my favotite gadget in the kitchen.

I use mine for

1. Boiling ham in full fat cola (a bit like Nigella's recipe)
2. Roasting beef (one glass of red wine, beef- cook)
3. Rice pudding
4. Curries (cook it on hob and leave it in slo cooker until everyone's home)
5. chillies (see curry)
6. casseroles, stews.
7. Roast chicken and pork just falls apart.

Its mainly useful as I never know exactly when DH is home. things are kept hot and what's left gets frozen for my lunch. Worth every penny.

I've just put a bolognese sauce in the slow cooker last night for lunch time today. The meat looks fantastic. Its ready now but I'll put it onto warm in a little while.

Really easy

I love mine. Couple of tips I'd make when choosing one would be:

1. Go for an oval shaped one so that whole chickens can easily fit in (fantastic to put in a chicken, some garlic and a halved lemon in the morning and come home to a decent evening meal all ready for you)

2. Go for one that has cool walls. Otherwise they reach an incredible temperature and are a danger to adults, let alone children.

Finally, I've got a few recipe books (can't stop buying them!) but the best recipes I've found are online tbh.

I don't ever brown anything first, it seems to negate the whole one pot benefit.

I've just popped in chicken, onions, spices and tomatoes which will be chicken curry this afternoon when we've had a long walk at the beach.

I have a £10 one from Tesco. It is great. I never brown anything and it still comes out tasty.

Online slow cooker recipes annoying all seem to be American recipes of the sort where a can of condensed soup is considered an ingredient.

I never brown things, after Jamie Oliver said no need when making stews etc.

I find mine invaluable when making big batches of eg bolognaise (always cook mince to get rid of fat), chili and chicken casserole with thighs.

But mostly I don't use it for same-day cooking. I prefer to make for another day, as I can't get organised enough in the morning, and I think that the meals it produces are often better next time anyway,as casseroles tend to be.

So for me, great to bung in and forget, but for another day, not today's dinner!

I chop things the night before. Leave meat in fridge but chopped onions etc can sit in the slow cooker ready to be turned on the next morning. Would never feel like chopping before work in the morning.

Ok I bought the Argos Cookworks 6.5 litre one and it's massive!
Excited now. Off to look at recipe books on amazon.