Should I get a slow cooker?

[LawyerMumAsia]

Hello I work full time with half the week from home in a fairly demanding role. I would really like to cook for my family as I often bung things in the microwave and feel like really rubbish mum! Would a slow cooker give me the ability to whip up something nice without me having to spend ages in the kitchen? Including cooking time and washing up (I really don’t have the time to stand in the kitchen in the middle of the working day but I can run down to mix or whatever it is and leave it to do its thing). Will a slow cooker support someone with very little cooking skills? Is there a really good recipe book for non expert cooks that I can look at before I buy a slow cooker to get a feel for the type of food I could make? Thank you!

I couldn't cope with full time work and a toddler without my slow cooker!!!

If you're on insta - Bored Of Lunch has great recipes never had a bad one and none take me more than 10mins to chop/throw in

I have a slow cooker, a seperate stove top pressure cooker and a Wonder Bag.

I use the Wonder Bag the most.

I just start the meal off and when it's at boiling point it goes off the heat and into the bag for the rest of the day.

Where I live we do have a lot of power cuts, and as this is energy free it gets used a fair bit in winter.

You could make all sorts in it, but I mainly use it for stews, curries and cuts that work well being slow cooked.

Do you have an air fryer ?

If not get one and it's very quick and easy

I have a slow cooker but don't really use it for much anymore

I recently bought an air fryer and it's great

I suggest you get a 2 drawer one

They are currently on sale at the Ninja website.

@BamberGirl thank you this sounds like a good option. Any recommendations for recipes for instant pot pressure cooker please? And any brand recommended thanks very much !

@LilacLilyBird yes just bought an air fryer thanks!

I use my multi cooker more then my slow cooker tbh, although saying that I had the slow cooker out last week to make good old fashioned oxtail stew which really does need the hours of slow cooking

Before I got the multi cooker I used to use it a lot, joints, chickens, stews, casseroles ,soups jacket potatoes etc. And I know lots of people cook dessert in them as well

However the one I have I particularly hate, it was a gift from the mother , its gets way too hot on the outside so I have to give it a lot of counter space

They are a very cheap and safe way of cooking. I just always forget to get something out of the freezer the night before so end up using the PC on the Muti cooker more

@LawyerMumAsia
instant Pot is the brand, mine is this one…
https://amzn.eu/d/i0cuZaL
I think it’s worth getting one with silicone handles to the pot as then you can just lift it out and serve straight to table v easily.

I bought this book with it as I’ve never had a pressure cooker before, it has some good recipes but I’ve quickly got the hang of adapting my own.
https://amzn.eu/d/6yBibIC

There seems to be a whole community of users and recipes out there on the internet too.

I think it depends on your lifestyle. If you're out a lot, it's useful to have one. If not, I much prefer a cast iron casserole dish with lid, as it cooks relatively quickly in the oven, and tastes better.

Hello, I now know that I require an instant pot and slow cooker all in one. Which is the best ninja product on the market for this please? Assuming an unlimited budget (I do have a budget but would like to first see what the best one available is to see if it is affordable!) thank you

I gave up on my slow cooker as nothing was as good as in a casserole in the oven or a pan on the hob (admittedly I'm retired so can keep an eye on a pan). I couldn't seem to get the flaked meat to stay juicy and everything ended up a dismal brown colour and we missed the crusty bits from the casserole.

I have the Ninja 15 in 1 - a lot of functions I dont use AND whilst Im really happy with mine, there are a lot of people who have had issues - but then you have to think they have sold hundreds of thousands of these, some are going to have issues. Most issues are about the probe function ( internal thermometer ) , the machine keeps asking for it when its there, or asking for the pot to be added and its there

If I was to start again Id go for the cosori , they do two models under £100 and they get good reviews but I do have a stand alone air fryer . If I wanted one that air fried as well id go for one of the smaller Ninjas

I use my slow cooker on most of my office days..put it on around 7am and dont get home till six. I do meatballs, bolognaise, curries, casseroles. I don't fry anything off beforehand, just chuck it all in. It is usually too watery, so I reduce it down when I get home by leaving lid off, and/or adding a cornflour and water mix - whilst I am cooking the rice/pasta/mash/veg to go with it. Could not live without it, and it cost £20 in Home Bargains.

I love mine

I often cook a ham slowly in it

or beef joint (did one today)

curry - bung all in and it is delicious

stew is delicious (I throw baby potatoes for last hour or two)

Thanks, all. I have air fryers already so I just need something that has the instant pot and slow cooker functions (mainly for soups and stews and other things that are best to prepare without an air fryer)

I got rid of my slow cooker and bought an Instant Pot, and haven't looked back.

I found the SC results poor. Everything tasted of stewed cardboard and I was left with gallons of juices that I had no use for. Food burned on frequently, and it was a beast to clean.

Bonus for the IP - DD found she could make the most delicious fudge brownies in it, that are steamed, not baked. I bought a Pyrex dish that fits inside it, though there may be inserts to facilitate this that ive never investigated. We've also 'baked' cakes. My kitchen is small and gets very hot in summer, so the IP baking/ steaming means we can have a dessert we'd normally avoid in the summer months. Not sure if this is necessarily a plus for everyone!

You have to realise that you need very little liquid in slow cooker foods, that's the main thing to learn. And you don't have to brown things (you are doing it to save time after all). And avoid taking the lid off to stir too often, you lose a lot of heat.
I don't still have one, but with small dc I used to put potatoes and veg in the bottom layer with a chicken or gammon or beef on top for a pot roast. Or tinned tomatoes herbs and veg in the bottom with chicken and chorizo on top for a kind of chicken cacciatore (no extra water needed, just anything for flavour). Or beef mince curries, stews. In the end I just found I could do exactly the same thing with a casserole dish or one pot pan in the oven on a timer, for less counter space, and also life changed a bit. You can do baked potatoes wrapped in foil in them too I seem to remember.

@LawyerMumAsia
the instant pot also has a SC function, though I’ve never used it so I think it is exactly what you need.

@BamberGirl thank you, is there only one ‘Instant Pot’ or is there a specific one I should get

Agree with this! I have the 9-in-1 Ninja and it’s amazing.

Love my slow cooker. Never burnt anything. Chuck the food in before go to work and come home to a delicious smell. Favourite recipe is all the ingredients of ratatouille (incl herbs and garlic), large glass of red wine, and a pork belly on the top. Just leave for 8 hours and you have fabulous pulled pork with vegetables.

I wouldn’t pay much, had trouble giving mine away for free on FB when we were moving in summer and it had a lot of different functions and was barely used. And that was the second one I gave away, should have learned my lesson with the first one. Basically I found that the meat and veg like onion really need a bit of browning first or it’s all a bit blah and meat ends up an unappetising colour unless browned.

By the time you do that, you can have the whole thing made on the hob In a few more minutes and in my opinion, tastes better.

obviously that’s just my experience and i was only trying soups and stews - I think, as with Hello Fresh, it’s still a faff if you are not into cooking. Definitely get a cheap or free secondhand one to try out. Since air fryers took over, there should be oodles of slow cookers people are keen to get rid of. Try charity shops too.

Oh sorry, I see you’ve moved on to wanting a pressure cooker, slow cooker, instant pot thing. My friend has a Ninja Foodi that does all the things including air fryer. She does all kinds of soups and stews and curries in it using the pressure cooker I think.

Yes!!! I love mine, 1 pot cooking! Get a good recipe book to make the most of it

I agree. I am going to give mine away, don't like stew or home made soup anyway