Come and tell me about your slow cooker

[notjustamummythankyou]

Lots of mnetters seem to have them on here and I'm intrigued. I love the idea of an easy ready to go dinner in the evening.

Which ones are best, what do I need to look for in a slow cooker, what can I cook in it, and are there any downsides?

Go!

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This thread is quite old now, so some of the suggestions are out of date, but we’ve very recently refreshed our best slow cooker guide with the models Mumsnetters have tried, tested and loved, including tips on choosing the right one for your kitchen. We hope you find it helpful.
MNHQ

I've had many over 20+ years.

Tesco and Argos cheap ones are fine, Argos does a small one, perfect for 1 or two people.

I have a small one and a big one.

I use a lot of passatta. Simple recipe

1 packet sausages
1 piece of chorizo chopped in small chunks
1 packet passatta
seasoning - salt pepper, herbs if you like
1 tin beans - bertolli, kidney or broad

Put it all in the slow cooker and turn on. Boil a kettle and add just enough hot water to make the passatta warm.

Lamb is wonderful in a slow cooker.

Mine is very old and was very cheap and also very big.

You adjust to its capabilities. But size does matter IMO.

Always add a lot less liquid then you can imagine. Courgettes are a nightmare as they produce so much liquid.

This is all really helpful, thank you.

About the liquid, I get that you add less than you think, but what about when you use tins of tomatoes? Do they create too much liquid? sashh is that why you use passata?

www.amazon.co.uk/Slow-Cooking-Mouthwatering-Recipes-Minimum/dp/1849491232/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1350058390&sr=8-2

Could be good?

Thanks milk! That does look good. Right, just need a slow cooker now!