Slow cookers

[MrsCadwallader]

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!

For a recipe book, I can recommend 'Ultimate Slow Cooker Book' by (me)Cara Hobday, about £6 on Amazon, it's got great modern recipes and well tested on family and friends!
I would recommend the Morphy Richards 3litre cooker, it's excellent value, and does not get too hot to the touch. It also cooks at a good temperature, not too hot. If you wanted to spend a bit more the Cuisinart is an excellent cooker, it has 3 temps, a hold function, dishwasher proof bowl, and looks good if you leave it on the counter - I noticed the March issue of delicious magazine has a really good offer on the large one.

I've just bought the large Cuisinart - we're usually 6, and I'm quite keen to do double quantities and freeze. Will be looking here for recipes thanks for all the links!

Can anyone tell me if you have to brown mince off before putting it on for a chilli or bolognese? Seems daft to cook the meat first but dont like the idea of putting it in raw. Would frozen mince be better?

Oi, Cara! I linked to your book earlier in the thread!

Hi,This my be late in the day but I'm passionate about slow cookers for so many reasons:

• cheap to use (as a light bulb)
• safe to use (plug into the socket any problems then the normal socket trips out)
• brilliant for cheaper/ safer cuts of meat
• you can use no or very little fat and it's pretty hard to burn food too!
• most importantly it will save you time
• one pot to wash up too

..honestly but yes you need to think abut your meal in advance. I suggest you also by a plug in timer, the sort that you can set the equipment to go on at a certain time. Plug the slow cooker into it, set on low, to come on say 11am - noon for a standard stew/ casserole to be ready at 6pm.

I am continuing to develop recipes for groups I teach cookery (SureStart/ Age Concern, etc). Hope you won't put it at the back of the cupboard, instead try my lemony rice pudding recipe- google Wendi Jarrett, BBC Radio Northampton, challenge. or see 1st ed. of Dodgem Logic mag. Happy eating x

Any tips for converting 'normal' stew and casserole recipes to slow cooker? My attempts so far never seem to thicken nicely. Have yet to master how much liquid I should be putting in.

Sukie - Mince is the only meat I brown before throwing in the slow cooker. Everything else goes in raw, but mince didn't work for me doing that.

My friend who loves her SC tells me she never browns anything. No meat, no onions nothing.

Is that right?

Jamie Oliver says not to bother browning meat for casseroles, but what about the onions? Would they taste ok?

I dont brown anything. I find it dosent make the slightest bit of difference.