Slow cookers,good buy or not?

[Doomandgloom]

I'm thinking about buying a slow cooker.Would like to know if you have bought one are you still using it or has it been shoved in a cupboard? Also any recommendations about which one to get?

I have had my slow cooker for 10 years and use it about 3 times per week. We are a big family and it is the largest cooker available . i always make one to eat and one to freeze. curry, Stews, bolognese, pie filling, soup and steamed puddings are the things I cook. Flavours are great, convenience is huge....so long as you are used to cooking from scratch....you do need to be organised eg chopping things the night before if you are putting it on in the morning before work etc. If you work from home or are around doing childcare though it's a even easier as you can organise your time accordingly.

My recommendations are...buy one with a removable crock pot in glazed ceramic, a glass lid is useful as you can't keep lifting the lid or your cooking time will rise if you break the water seal and buy one big enough to do an all in one meal ( ie starches and meat and veg) for at least 2 meals...saves money and effort to batch cook.

Enjoy...I'd recommend a make but mine is so old I don't know if it is around anymore.

PS I'd put a cork mat under the cooker if you don't have a heat resistant surface...just in case!!

xxFOTH

Search the threads on here they are good. I make curry, stews, bolegnase. Sausage casserole ect

We have anthony Worral Thompson one since 2004 and it's been great.

I really can't recommend them enough, I do same things over and over and need to get dome new receipes!!

I have two. One large one and one small one. I got them both on Freecycle last year and they are a life saver.

I love them.

I love mine. It's brilliant. I actually have two, a big 3.5 litre one and a small 1.5 litre one. Fill, switch on, go to work, come home, tea is ready. Awesome.

I have a big 6 lire one so I can do whole chickens and big pieces of gammon in it. It's an Anthony Worral Thompson one and it has a glass lid which is useful.

Wouldn't be without mine - use it at least 3 times a week if not more.

And if you want to speed up the cooking a bit place a folded tea towel over the lid -really helps.

Thanks for the replies.I think I wiil be buying one,think I will go for the larger size so I can freeze what is left.

That's what I do OP and a whole chicken is gorgeous done in the SC.

Love ours here too!
We make the usual stews, casseroles, sausages in gravy, chilli etc. But have also used to make lovely slow cooked Indian curries also whole chickens and most recently I slow cooked a joint of pork leg. Was amazing you could cut it with a spoon it was that tender!

Lots of vids on youtube with people showing you recipes. In the USA they call it a crock pot.

I have a Morphy Richards one and got it years ago, it is the smaller one but I definitely want the bigger one, as my current ones makes enough left overs for DH's lunch and no more

I am a SAHM so tend to make stuff that morning and put it on. But it is fab to walk into the house and know that your dinner is made!

RE your question about whether it ends up in the cupboard gathering dust, I only use mine in the winter when I'm in stew-mood. This summer it hasn't been seen. But in winter I love it, and the smell in the kitchen when you come downstairs after an overnight slow cook session. Never lift the lid once you've set it going!

I really love mine and it gets used about once a week. Depends if you like the kind of foods you can make in them! I wrote some advice on buying a slow cooker, etc, on my blog and to avoid cutting and pasting, it's here:

thedomesticgoddesschallenge.wordpress.com/2011/08/25/i-3-my-slow-cooker/

What about sizes? We are 2 adults,toddler and baby,would 3.5 litre be big enough with perhaps a bit left over to freeze?

thats size of mine for 2 adults 3 large children. so probably less. bit of squeeze if you want to do very large joints or big chickens maybe