Slow cooker hell - HELP!!

[Flojo1979]

After yrs of pondering i finally bought myself a Breville slow cooker in the sales, i read the instructions and it says use high setting to cooker things and low setting to keep things warm. I made chicken casserole using Colemans chicken casserole packet and put twice as much liquid in, when i returned 6 hrs later is was burnt to the bottom.
My mother reckons its got something to do with being a 4.5l one and only being a quarter full. Is she right? Pls help, what did i do wrong?!

you had it on the high setting, then?

If you are going to be out all day, low, low, low all the time. The heat will build to cook things perfectly.

I have a 6.5l one, and have rarely had any problems. Only time was when I didn't put enough stock in and it became pretty solid.

My slow cooker cooks a lot hotter than I would expect given my experience with my first slow cooker. My high setting isn't a lot different from using my oven, and the warm setting definitely cooks.

Slow cookers are a bit of an art form. It gets easier with experience.

Ok i'll try low setting and see how that turns out, but book says high setting for everything, why!!! I like to follow recipes to the letter!

i started a thread on these in chat...also a slow cooker virgin...

they also say cooks in 4 hours and other stuff like that as well

Well, bugger that! I am out of the house for up to 10 hours a day. High would cremate everything!

i have a feeling that slow cookers are a lot hotter than they used to be. My 6.5l one will do a decent casserole in 4-5 hours, less if it is good quality meat, if am in often do not put it on till lunch time.

for all tougher cuts of meat I'd do it on low all day

also i try never to make half a pot full, you may as well get the benefit and do a whole vat of stuff and freeze the excess or have it next day, if you can bear the same meal two days running.

oh im confused now....

so do i cook on high or low? im scared to use it!

I cook everything on low.

If you're loading it up in the morning to be ready for tea, put it on low all day.
Add less liquid, not more. I find I need to use half the amount of liquid, if not less. You can do whole chickens without adding any liquid at all.

But presumably the liquid amount has something to do with whether its water or stock or a thicker cooking sauce? Would u put less if it usually is thick in the oven?
I saw Anthony WT whole chicken pot recipe, migh try that then, I'd have never thought of doing stuff like that in it.

I've never found SC recipes thicken up on their own like they do done on the hob or in the oven, unless you add flour.
If too much water is in at the start, then liquid comes out of the meat, it adds up to make a very watery soup/stew/whatever.
If you're adapting a normal cooker recipe, use about 1/2 or 1/4 the amount of water suggested for that, or invest in a decent slow cooker recipe book which will give the right amounts.

I think SCs are hotter than they used to be. I have an auto setting so you that. even when I have left things all day or over night it has never burnt dry - how annoying! I would look everything low and see how you get on.

I never add any liquid as it makes its own but I have a big SC so maybe that was something to do with it?