Amazingly, after trawling the 500+ threads on slow cookers on MN, I ^still^ have a few questions!

[2happy]

I have also searched the internet, and have at least decided I do want a slow cooker (despite my kitchen having slight leanings towards a gadget graveyard ). But I still have some questions, and would be grateful for any advice!

a) What size? I have a (large) dh, and 2 small kids. I know there are problems with drying/burning if you underfill slow cookers. Will a 6.5l one be too big? I like to have leftovers for a night or so. I suspect the 3.5 may be a bit small, but I'm not sure.

b) How fancy? The reviews suggest that an automatic keep warm function is a good idea, then if you're not home on time the food is kept warm for you. Is this an expensive gimmick? I worry about being away and leaving something on that I can't switch off...

c) I'm currently looking at Morphy Richards ones - good prices and good reviews - anybody who's got one, do you recommend? Or anyone with a different one - what makes yours a good/bad thing?

Thanks!

I mean Baabi here

Wedll thanks again for all the help. dh came home from work via Argos and we now have our Antony Worrall Shithead slow cooker. Next time I go to the butcher I will try it out.

ps the Amazon reviews mention a bit of a smell on the first few uses - anybody else had that, is it worth running it with just water in or something at first?

Yes there is a funny smell the first time (it mentions it in the instructions too.) It didn't affect the food though. I have great cook book called Slow Cooker Easy by Sara Lewis. It has pictures .
Hope you enjoy it. I have a beef casserole in mine at the moment and so all I have to think about is thickening it up with some corn flour and popping some dumplings on later or whacking some jacket pots in the oven. Mmmm.

Thanks VP. I have her bread book and really like it, so have ordered that book now too! Chilli's on and cooking. dh is (worryingly) desperate to cook porridge overnight tonight! Brace yourself for multiple "help! Slow cooker advice needed"-type threads in the next few weeks

Ah, now I want to know how your porridge goes, quantities etc etc...
The dd's hav had their casserole with rice and I am just about to stick some dumplings in for dh and I to have with ours when the girls are in bed. Our weekend treat of a civilised meal time.
Sara Lewis does another book just called Slow cooker and that is good too if you like the first one. I like them as they have pictures. I need pictures to get inspired.
The lime and coconut rice pudding is great but bear in mind it only just makes enough for 4. DH and I would have liked bigger portions .

The lime and coconut rice pudding was mentioned by one of the reviewers on Amazon and was one of the things that swung it for me
dh intends to do porridge tonight...will let you know!!

I have limes this month so I will be making it. Mmmmmm.

So, how was the porridge???

Well, read up on internet and the most commonly suggested was 3:1 liquidats ratio. So dh did 6milk:2oats (just as well ds2 is on a growth spurt!) and put it on low all night. Thanks to ds2 we were up early, and it was really liquidy, so he put it up to medium for a couple of hours. It was still pretty liquidy, but very creamy smooth and dh assures me not far off his mother's standard! So I guess another time we would either reduce fluid put in, or put on medium from the start. But far from a disaster anyway, thanks for asking! Still eating yesterday's chilli, and have stew prepared ready to switch on in the morning before leaving the house. Love it!

Sorry, 6cups:2cups.

Oooh you are organised!
I do 2:1 porridge in a pan and thought I might need less liquid not more so that is interesting. I might leave my experimenting till the weekend though just in case...
Thanks

Nope, not organised at all - seems slow cookers work best when you take the carefully prepared food out of the fridge and put it in the slow cooker in the morning

I am sorry but I have just LOL at your last post . How very annoying.
This time of year I would be tempted to leave it all out on the worktop over night and then you will see it in the morning and be reminded. Poor you. Are you having it today then???