Slow Cooker

[Bahumat]

I am planning to buy one of these bad boys. It will be an oval shaped 3.5L so I can fit a chicken in.

Does any of you have one of these? Any particular brand to look out for?

 

[Cerb]

I have one but it was given to me so I didn't really do any research. Can't remember what brand it is but they make a lovely job of Stew/Chilli.

What I love about it is I can basically cook dinner in about half an hour on a Sunday morning by cutting everything up, bunging it in the slow cooker and then forget about it till evening time. Right Job.

 

[Mabs]

they are epic, cant remember what weve got but i swear by it

 

[eksdee]

We use ours in the winter to make stews, soups etc when we're both working long hours. Definitely recommend getting one, I'll check what brand etc we have when I get home.

 

[Nate]

We have a Swan one, had it donkeys years. Great stuff. Our one looks similar to this, seems Swan is still in business so must be good.

 

[Bahumat]

What about cook times though? They suggest 6-8 hours, but I spend 11 hours from the moment I leave the house to when I get home after work

Do people use those timer plugs or can you set activation timers on the more expensive ones?

 

[Chilly]

Why not just use the oven?

 

[Fweddy]

I have an Asda own brand slow cooker and it works fine. I generally use a plug in timer and cook casseroles on low for about 7 hours.

 

[Bahumat]

Thanks again guys.

 

[Cerb]

The one I have you can set it to either High or Low and then you can program exactly how many hours you want to cook it at. I'm sure if you set it at low for 11 hours while you were at work it would be grand.

 

[Moriath]

we have a crock pot one i think they really good for winter stews and you can freeze left overs and nuke them later

 

[Fast]

I would say get a bigger one. I started with a 3.5L and found it wasn't big enough, so bought a 6.5L. I cook rabbits, pheasant, chicken owt really and you can leave it on low for hours and hours if you need to.

 

[cHodAX]

I don't use mine much at all but they are bloody good, especially if you are cooking for a family. Whack it all in a pot, set to low cook at 8am and come home to a lovely smelling house at 6pm. Cheap on power usage too or so I am told.

 

[Bahumat]

I would say get a bigger one. I started with a 3.5L and found it wasn't big enough, so bought a 6.5L. I cook rabbits, pheasant, chicken owt really and you can leave it on low for hours and hours if you need to.

I read bigger ones have a minimum amount requirement for using them? It's only gonna be things for me. I figure I can cook dinners to last a few days, or share with housemate etc

 

[Fast]

I read bigger ones have a minimum amount requirement for using them? It's only gonna be things for me. I figure I can cook dinners to last a few days, or share with housemate etc

Aye, you'll probably be fine then. We use ours and it lasts like 4-5days or so, also reallly handy when I have a poker night and you need plenty to feed fat drunken mates They are cheap enough, I think even a 6.5L is only £25ish.

 

[Lamp]

Do it bush style

Dig a pit in the garden. Fill with stuff. Light it. Place animals in pit. Leave for 4 hours. Uncover fire pit. Dance round naked. Sorted.

 

[cHodAX]

Do it bush style

Dig a pit in the garden. Fill with stuff. Light it. Place animals in pit. Leave for 4 hours. Uncover fire pit. Dance round naked. Sorted.

That is kind of how they do it in Salford but they use a wheelie bin instead of a fire pit!

 

[TdC]

I have an un-powered one that I use in the oven. current fave use for it is making my spaghetti sauce and meatballs, tipping everything in to the SC and leaving it in a low oven for an hour or two. smashing stuffs! my mate makes the most awesome beef rendang in his. takes 8 hours but omg it's delish.

 

[mycenae]

just bought a small one that does for three people, its a crockpot that I got from sainsburys for £16.99. Made a sausage casserole as a first attempt thing, cooked it on high for 7 hours and it was really blood good....am going to get some shin of beef this weekend and do a beef and dumpling casserole

 

[Hawkwind]

Have a big one that is great for stews, Chili etc. Bring everything to the boil in a big pan then transfer it to the Slow Cooker and leave it all day. Lamk Shanks where the meat is literraly falling of the bone hmmmmmm.

 

[Marc]

Slow Cookers are great! Just get any cheap kind from Argos, they will do the trick. Curries are fantastic in a slow cooker.

 

[Deebs]

Hmm, will now have to go out and buy one. Start posting some recipes please

 

[Bahumat]

I ordered the black one off amazon.
Haha that sounds so wrong.

3.5L. Oval shaped so chicken fits in better. Think it's morphs Richards? It cost about £26.

Also bought a timer plug so I can turn the thing on a few hours after I leave in the morning.

 

[Edmond]

Had mine about 2 months, looks great in the corner of the kitchen.....not actually plugged it in yet though, but i bet its great

 

[cHodAX]

Had mine about 2 months, looks great in the corner of the kitchen.....not actually plugged it in yet though, but i bet its great

No way to talk about the missus and not turning her on for two months is unforgivable!

 

[Tilda]

If you're doing dinners just for yourself or one or two others 3.5 is fine. I can just feed 4 from mine if its full.
I love it, you won't do any harm leaving it on for 11 hours, I'd probably put it on low though. Its so easy to just chuck stuff in, top up with water/stock/wine etc and then come home to dinner ready. There are cookbooks you can get for slow cookers which are worth a look at, but basically everything tastes amazing because its cooked so low and slow.

 

[Moriath]

do you guys add beef stock and stuff to enhance / thicken the gravy once everything is stewed all day ?

I find the juice thin unless i add something to thicken it up .. sometimes lentils etc

 

[mycenae]

when you brown the meat off, coat it in flour first....that'll thicken the sauce

 

[Fast]

Or, use these http://groceries.asda.com/asda-esto...7987248&startValue=&referrer=cookiesDetecting

 

[Bahumat]

Your link dont work. Look at the url, it's got &referrer=cookiesDetecting
When you click it you just get a page about cookies needing to be accepted.