Slow cooker opinions please

[harrap]

I can't decide if I should get a slow cooker. I have a very small kitchen with limited storage space and I mostly work from home (so I can generally be in if something is cooking slowly in the oven) but slow cookers are calling to me.

Is it worth me buying one?

I got one 3 years ago and I don't know how I lived without one for so long!

But I'm out the house 3 days a week but even on my days off I use it, it's great come tea time not to have to faff about making tea, just do it all in the morning and leave it all day
I make in mine
Stews
Casseroles
Joints of meat

I don't like mince in it, for some reason it tastes burnt but that could be because it's fine meat so doesn't need long

i love mine. i actually do like mince in it and don't find it tastes burnt, but that may be either my preference or my slow cooker, i don't know. i find the slow cooker breaks the mince down nicely, particularly with bolognese which sort of caramelises

also stews, curries, joints

i use it for around two meals a week

Definitely buy one. I bought mine a few years ago and use it loads. Joints of meat, casseroles, soups. So easy to just bung everything in and leave it to get on with it.

Willie, how would you do a bolognaise in the slow cooker and for how long? Do you fry anything first?

opal i do fry off a bit i'm afraid - i know most people like to chuck everything in raw but i like the mince browned a little bit (not completely cooked through), and i have a slow cooker with a pan that can be put directly on the hob and then put straight into the slow cooker so it doesn't create any more washing up and only takes 5 minutes to do

chopped onions/shallots, crushed garlic, softened in butter
mince browned off a little
stock
tinned tomatoes
sometimes concentrated tomato puree
sometimes dash worcestershire sauce
sometimes chopped raw mushrooms
a little water if needed

into slow cooker on low for hours and hours - probably about 8? i have done it overnight before without any problems, i love how it caramelises and the tomatoes really break down

you could probably do it on medium for less time - four hours maybe?

Ahh I see. Only reason I asked was because I tried the bunging everything in method with bolognaise and it wasn't that nice, but browning it off first sounds nicer.

yes, tbh i'm not sure whether i would go to the effort if i didn't have the pan that could go directly from hob to slow cooker

Thanks all. Willie which one do you have?

morphy richards sear and stew iirc

I always brown the meat, too...even with my old sc which didn't have a hob-suitable bowl.

Yesterday was the first time I'd used the new sc (as mentioned in ^^) and it was less of a faff to be able to use the same bowl.

I go through phases of using mine lots and then not at all for months but that's more because I'm not very organised with my shopping/meal planning/time. I am trying to be better and to use it more.