Come and comvince me about slow cookers...

[nosferartifartu]

I have a deep-seated phobia of slow cookers, thanks to my mum's stews and my dad's constant fretting that she would 'burn the house down'.

However, my cooking magazine this month has some lovely recipes and now I have 14 mo DS I also like anything that saves time/makes my life remotely easy.

So...

What kind of things can I cook apart from casserole-type things? My magazine informs me that bolognese sauce is possible and I'm guessing curries? tagines?

Do they have min/max cooking times? I leave the house at 8am and we don't eat until after 8pm - will everything be toast by then?

Is it like pushchairs - are there models that everyone loves/hates that I should know about?!

Will it 'burn the house down'?

It won't burn the house down..but it may become an expensive dust collector at the back of the cupboard like mine.

I want somethig that chops and scrapes everything at 7.30 in the morning for me too....

bolognese in a slow cooker is fab.

I did a triple load of mince one day with some tomatoes and other veg in it. gave us 4 meals- mince and tatties for that evening, made a cottage pie for the next, a lasgane for the third and still managed to freeze a good amount for pasta the following week.

Seriously, I cooked a Jambablaya in mine one weekend- was fantastic if I do say so myself.

Gammon in cider is great, you can cook a chicken in it.

What was wrong with your mum's stews btw? too liquidy?

Cybil, what's wrong with doing the prep the evening before ? Just lob the meat in in the morning and switch it on?

Cybil - yes, I do fear it could join the breadmaker...

I also think there's no way I could use it when I am work due to time in the morning (barely have time to brush my teeth) but I am off for 4/7 so guess I could pop it all in when DS has lunchtime nap.

Gammon in cider sounds lovely! My mum (bless her) is not the greatest cook and her stews were legendary. Watery, grisly meat, soggy carrots and parsnips, lack of any discernible seasoning. (In her defence, she makes the best mince pies!)

Cybil - yes, I do fear it could join the breadmaker...

I also think there's no way I could use it when I am work due to time in the morning (barely have time to brush my teeth) but I am off for 4/7 so guess I could pop it all in when DS has lunchtime nap.

Gammon in cider sounds lovely! My mum (bless her) is not the greatest cook and her stews were legendary. Watery, grisly meat, soggy carrots and parsnips, lack of any discernible seasoning. (In her defence, she makes the best mince pies!)

Apologies for double-post. DS seized control of keyboard...

that's ok.

the trick with slow cookers is to not use as much liquid if you are using a conventional recipe. The slow cooker basically steams everything so if you do use lots of liquid, it generates too much water, hence soggy and grisly stews.

Yes I suppose I could do the prep the evening before...but then I'd be making 2 meals in one evening when i can barely summon the strength to prepare one

not really

I find that while I'm watching the dinner so it doesn't burn, it's just as easy to prep veggies in that time.

but, I'll admit I don't have little ones screaming for me.

No it's not my little ones screaming for me, it's the fact I can't be arsed!

It may be a stupid question but if you put all the ingredients in, doesn't it need stirring at any point?

whats the difference between a slow cooker and using your oven on a low setting??

cat do you really stand there chopping onions at 6.30 in the morning? Or are you a night before girl?

sorry, nosfer- not oignoring.

No, nothing need stirring at all. In fact the more you take the lid off, the longer it takes ot cook, so it's discouraged

Give it a good stir before putting the lid on, and that will be fine.

Brilliant. Use mine alot.

So what make would you recommend?

Oooohhhh am watching this with interest - My Crockpot was delivered on Friday - have a Waitrose Curry Recipe to make in it tomorrow to see how it actually works and then will be off and running hopefully using it at least a couple of times a week!

Recipes PLEASE GIRLS!

I am another one considering a slow cooker so would like some help on makes. (Must renew WHich subscrition!) I like the sound of doing joints in it - then I might be able to leave the house at the weekend rather than slaving over the stove. And can you do rice in them?

Mine is a Morphy Richards 48715. And count yourself lucky, because I went to a lot of trouble for you to pull the cumbersome thing out of the cupboard just to get you the number !!!
It is heavy. But good. Don't know why we bought that one. Prob because it was on offer in Costco, I suspect !!

I have a Morphy Richards 6.5l one

Asda had them on offer.

Fab ,in use around 3 times a week. Great for batch cooking, using meat out of the reduced basket and old bendy veg!

Many thanks Oblomov. I hope you didn't put your back out [wink.

What about the rice situation?

Avon, (no probs) crippled I tell you
Good job I've had slow cooker'ed sausage casserole for my dinner, else I'd be in an even worse state !!!
Have known people to cook rice in it. risotto for e.g - makes not to self , must try, I do a fabarooney risotto, so will try it in slow cooker next time.