Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

Original poster

Slow cookers

184 replies

MrsCadwallader · 06/01/2010 20:08

My sister has just bought one and is utterly evangelical and attempting to convert me

Do I need one? Are they worth having? Or will it simply spend all but the first month of its life cluttering up my worktop until my husband eventually puts it in the loft with the bread machine?

And if I do need one, does anyone have any tips? Brand recommendations? Recipes?

Thanks!

OP posts:
Monty100 · 01/02/2010 10:15

Neenook, I said that yesterday, I'll never put a roast or a chicken in the oven again.

Bodenbabe · 01/02/2010 14:29

I wouldn't be happy about cooking a whole chicken in there as it doesn't cook quickly enough to kill the bacteria, surely?

Having said that, my fave thing to do with the slow cooker is a leg of lamb, with chopped up potatoes, veggies & garlic, then splashed with lots of balsamic vinegar (honestly - the end result isn't vinegary) and some red wine. Hey presto - a one-port sort-of-roast dinner with gravy!

Mine cooks too quickly though - I could never go out at 8am and leave it cooking until 7pm, it would all burn, even on low

Neenook · 01/02/2010 21:28

Bodenbabe - I'm still here so far

differentID · 01/02/2010 21:31

Monty be careful what grains you put in as they soak up all the liquid. I did a Jambablaya in mine and added the rice an hour before serving. Just caught it before it burned.

Monty100 · 01/02/2010 23:10

Ooo, thanks for that Different, I'll give that idea a miss then.

clemette · 01/02/2010 23:21

Whole chicken was a success.
Recipe book ready for collection from the library.
Will let you know if I find anything else that is actually nice.

differentID · 02/02/2010 13:59

I have a chicken in for tonight's dinner. Hope it will be ok.

Monty100 · 02/02/2010 23:01

How was your chicken schmicken Different? Hope it was good.

I've got a bolognese sauce in mine tonight for tomorrow so will do lasagne with it when I get home from work.

poshsinglemum · 03/02/2010 00:06

Mum gave me hers as she never used it. I used it for the first time yesterday to make a beef stew and I am already smitten! The meat wa sso much more tender than in the oven.

BelleDeChocolateFluffyBunny · 03/02/2010 00:18

Hi.

I have a couple of lamb shanks, these should be OK to put in shouldn't they?

Kitkatqueen · 03/02/2010 00:19

I specifically bought mine to take camping, the 1st time we used it was to make a huge fabulous chilli.... mmmmmm..

Monty100 · 03/02/2010 00:21

Belle, put the lamb shanks in.

I'm a total convert me.

(Haven't tried lamb shanks but I know others rave about it).

BelleDeChocolateFluffyBunny · 03/02/2010 00:22

I get quite sick of cooking after being out all day. I like the idea of just being able to eat when I get in. I have had it for over a year though and not used it yet

BelleDeChocolateFluffyBunny · 03/02/2010 00:23

I will do tomorrow, I have the day off so can experiment in the morning when ds is at school, then he can have food as soon as he gets home. I'm liking this plan!!

Monty100 · 03/02/2010 00:38

Go for it Belle. My dsis has been going on at me for years to get one. (dsis is a sahm).

I don't know why I didn't! Apart from the fact that I thought it was all about doing a dinner in the morning before leaving for work (yuk) but they aren't just about that.

Honestly a great discovery for me.

Hope you enjoy.

Monty100 · 03/02/2010 00:39

I love the idea of when dcs get in there's a nice smell of food, I get in 2 hours after them.

BelleDeChocolateFluffyBunny · 03/02/2010 00:43

Tomorrow, I'm going to use it. I will!!

Thankyou

Monty100 · 03/02/2010 00:49

Yay!

Bodenbabe · 03/02/2010 10:27

Put balsamic vinegar on the lanb shanks, they will be delicious!!

clemette · 03/02/2010 22:12

got my recipe book from the library but seems that everything has to be cooked for three hours (we don't eat red meat). I am not happy to leave the chicken in the pot on the side for six hours until a timer switch kicks in.
Does anyone have any ideas for REALLY slow things I can do with chicken (as well as whole chicken)?

differentID · 03/02/2010 22:15

It was absolutely delicious. I used th juice form a lemon and about 200ml chicken stock and sprinkled osme rosemary over the bird. yummy.

MrsDinky · 05/02/2010 22:29

Just coming back to say I went out and bought the £20 Sainsburys one last week, have only used it once so far (my entire repertoire of recipes is based on meals that can be made in half an hour or less, so it's a bit of a change), just popped back on here for a few more ideas, thank you all for your help!

aristocat · 06/02/2010 19:00

MrsD welcome to the slow-cooker Chefs brigade .....

i have a nice recipe in my book with Newcastle Brown Ale but haven't tried it yet!
did Beef Stroganoff earlier this week and it was lovely.

MrsDinky · 07/02/2010 10:16

Thank you Aristocat. I cooked chicken thighs in gravy in there yesterday, it was the best chicken gravy I have ever made, although I had to thicken it up in a pan on the hob. I am going to have to work on this aspect I think. Beef stroganoff sounds yum!

QueenofWhatever · 09/02/2010 16:19

Slow cooker porn