Slow Cookers

skellyness
skellyness Posts: 165 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi, I was wondering about slow cookers - I'v heard a lot of people on here recommend them/speak about recipes. I was wondering what people think of them on here, good places for recipes, and most of all which one should I go for if I do get one?
Thanks,

Replies

  • diadojikohei
    diadojikohei Posts: 732 Member
    I bought one last week! I got a 3.5 litre Breville one, and I love it! I put all the ingredients in the night before and put it on low and go to work. We have had morrocan lamb stew, hot pot, curry, chicken soup............

    Get one with a high and low setting and my one has a keep warm setting too, perfect for when half the family are getting in at different times.

    I love it!


    edit to add that my 3.5 litre one does 8 servings if you are serving with rice/ quinoq/ pasta or 6 if it is straight from the pot!
  • kerrimanuel
    kerrimanuel Posts: 1 Member
    I love love love my slow cookers! I have several of them myself, in different sizes, so I can make a little or a lot. I think that a small recipe book came with each one, just enough to get a newbie started. My favorite slow cooker recipe book is an older Better Homes and Garden book that is out of print now. However, I found the same book on Amazon recently and ordered it for a friend of mine who is learning how to use her crockpot. There is an entire line now of crock cookbooks called "Fix It and Forget About It," (or similar - I don't know the exact name) and I've heard they're good books. I've seen several at the stores, each with its own group of recipes. I also found a slow cooker blog recently that I've been enjoying. She has some good recipes on it, and she even posts the recipes that didn't work, with notes. Her link is http://Crockpot365.blogspot.com/ I recently made her Pomegranete Beef or roast and it was wonderful, definitely something I'll make again. I have also made bread, desserts, and drinks in my slow cookers. You can do just about anything with them. The main difference in cooking is that you use very little liquid in a crockpot, because slow cooking uses the food's own juices to cook.

    I have one with the "Keep Warm" setting, which is a good thing to have as suleng mentioned. My others mostly have high and low, and one has an Automatic setting, which starts it on hot and switches to low after a couple of hours.

    I encourage you to get a slow cooker and a couple of books. I don't know anyone who doesn't love theirs. It's so versatile and very convenient, and you won't believe how tender it makes any meats you cook in it.
  • bonnielovinglife
    bonnielovinglife Posts: 17
    I must say I also love love LOVE my crock pot. There are a million sites to find things to make in them. My cooker has high, low, warm and automatic as well as manual settings. I am actually thinking of picking up a smaller one to use to make sauces and such too. oh...there is nothing better than walking in to the smell of dinner ready!
  • cramernh
    cramernh Posts: 3,335 Member
    My crockpot is a honkin' huge Rival capable of setting it up for 2, 4, 6, 8hrs of cooking, or simply to keep it warm.

    There are crockpot-disposable bags available in stores that you can line the crockpot with to fill the bag with food/liquids. When you are done and its cooled down a bit, all you have to do is just take the bag out, and no mess, provided you never use a knife in the bag.

    You can visit any recipe-related website for recipes - just load up Google.com and search for the sites/recipes that interest you.

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