Slow Cookers, Anyone?

SandwichShortOfAPicnic

SandwichShortOfAPicnic

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Curried chicken legs.
Doesn't look too appealing but was just what the dr ordered.
Slow cooked chicken legs in tomato and a stack of curry spices, set them aside and finished the sauce with some yoghurt.
Wasn't in the mood to cook so just mopped it up with some bread.

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Slow cookers offer a lot of comfort for very little effort don't they!
Does anyone on here not have one?
 
SandwichShortOfAPicnic said:
I'm a bit surprised just because you're often out the door with a jumbo sized job list and the 'fix it n forget it' element they provide is handy.
Perhaps they don't really shine when it comes to vegan food?
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Typically I rig life that on a busy day, I only need to reheat food or we bake to the freezer. Beans and peas that are soaked get cooked in the pressure cooker for speed... and I often use the programming on the oven to come home to cooked food...

How life will pan out from the end of next month is another matter entirely when I go back to university full time but we'll play that by ear. I just can't see a lot of veg being hours in a slow cooker unless you're trying for the grandmother's Christmas Brussels sprouts texture...
 
SandwichShortOfAPicnic said:
Curried chicken legs.
Doesn't look too appealing but was just what the dr ordered.
Slow cooked chicken legs in tomato and a stack of curry spices, set them aside and finished the sauce with some yoghurt.
Wasn't in the mood to cook so just mopped it up with some bread.

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View attachment 113812
Slow cookers offer a lot of comfort for very little effort don't they!
Does anyone on here not have one?
Click to expand...
I don't.
 
SatNavSaysStraightOn said:
Typically I rig life that on a busy day, I only need to reheat food or we bake to the freezer. Beans and peas that are soaked get cooked in the pressure cooker for speed... and I often use the programming on the oven to come home to cooked food...

How life will pan out from the end of next month is another matter entirely when I go back to university full time but we'll play that by ear. I just can't see a lot of veg being hours in a slow cooker unless you're trying for the grandmother's Christmas Brussels sprouts texture...
Click to expand...
I used to make a sweet potato and cauliflower coconut curry that was ace in the slow cooker, not a Granny texture in sight texture 😆
Although I think that was a 4 hour cook rather than an 8-9 hour job.

I was surprised to discover most veg takes longer to cook in a slow cooker than meat does.
Does reasonable jacket potato too (so long as your not a crispy potato skin lover).

Going back to uni will be interesting on the food front!
 
karadekoolaid said:
I haven't got one, and no plans to buy one.
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Think it's different if you're not still in the business of getting large meal on the table when you're out at work or off doing things all day.
I definitely use my hob and oven more for slow cooks now I'm at home more but I still enjoy my slow cookers ability to just be left - switch it on, walk out of the house and come back to the smell of good hot food.

I would add that I only like slow cookers that have a removable pot that can go on the hob though because sometimes the long slow cooking times produce lovely food at the expense of blanding out some of the flavours, I don't like that at all so the option for some quick 'zhuzhing up' on the hob is good.
 
SandwichShortOfAPicnic said:
I would add that I only like slow cookers that have a removable pot that can go on the hob though because sometimes the long slow cooking times produce lovely food at the expense of blanding out some of the flavours, I don't like that at all so the option for some quick 'zhuzhing up' on the hob is good.
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My slow cookers aka crockpots have removable pots but they're all ceramic crockery and can't be put on the stove top. What are yours made of?

I've got 4 crockpots btw, lol.
 
SandwichShortOfAPicnic said:
Slow cookers offer a lot of comfort for very little effort don't they!
Does anyone on here not have one?
Click to expand...
I have two - little baby one that doesn’t even have a temp control, but it does get hot enough to cook things, though I mainly use it for holding things, like hot dips, and for mulled wine - it’s exactly the size to hold a bottle of wine.

My second one has two removable crocks - one large one, maybe 6-7 quarts, and one with a divider, so each side is maybe 2.5-3 quarts.

I don’t use it much. I have a few specific recipes I like it for (crockpot ribs, coney dog sauce), but most of the time, if I need to slow-cook something, I bring it up to temp on the stovetop in a Dutch oven, and then just slow-cook it in a 300F or so oven.

I started doing that when I’d go to make a beef stew or pot roast, and I’d think, “Perfect for the slow cooker!” then get aggravated at the extra mess, because the first thing any recipe for those calls for is to brown the meat separately, then put it o in the slow cooker. If I’m dirtying a Dutch oven already, why not just put everything else in there and chuck it in the oven?

I should say, I’m not one of those who minds running the oven in the summer. I’ve never noticed it particularly heating up the house (or even the kitchen) all that much, so that aspect doesn’t influence me much.
 
JAS_OH1 said:
My slow cookers aka crockpots have removable pots but they're all ceramic crockery and can't be put on the stove top. What are yours made of?

I've got 4 crockpots btw, lol.
Click to expand...
I have two versions, ones hob safe the other hob and oven safe.
The first one I bought for capacity alone, a big rectangular jobby that was so useful when trying to work, pick up the boys from school, run here there and everywhere that I bought a second one. Once I had a reliable slow cooker repertoire I wouldn't be without one.

And I have a cheaper one I bought for Spain because putting the heat source outside when the temperature rises is a blessing.
But I wish I'd splashed a bit more on it because the comparatively the quality isn't there, which is unusual for the Lakeland kitchen shop.

The one I enjoy-
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0117ODOWS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

TastyReuben said:
I have two - little baby one that doesn’t even have a temp control, but it does get hot enough to cook things, though I mainly use it for holding things, like hot dips, and for mulled wine - it’s exactly the size to hold a bottle of wine.

My second one has two removable crocks - one large one, maybe 6-7 quarts, and one with a divider, so each side is maybe 2.5-3 quarts.

I don’t use it much. I have a few specific recipes I like it for (crockpot ribs, coney dog sauce), but most of the time, if I need to slow-cook something, I bring it up to temp on the stovetop in a Dutch oven, and then just slow-cook it in a 300F or so oven.

I started doing that when I’d go to make a beef stew or pot roast, and I’d think, “Perfect for the slow cooker!” then get aggravated at the extra mess, because the first thing any recipe for those calls for is to brown the meat separately, then put it o in the slow cooker. If I’m dirtying a Dutch oven already, why not just put everything else in there and chuck it in the oven?

I should say, I’m not one of those who minds running the oven in the summer. I’ve never noticed it particularly heating up the house (or even the kitchen) all that much, so that aspect doesn’t influence me much.
Click to expand...
I also have baby ones for curry night (usually do three different curry's) and it's great for keeping things hot at the table. Gives a good bit of leeway if the wine and conversations are flowing. Works well for cheese fondue too.

The browning of the meat separately is the original reason for choosing to get one that goes on the hob but it's proven usual at the end when I sometimes like to add fresh veg thats fast cooking but needs to keep a crunch or just for adjusting spices, seasoning or thickeners.
Decanting things from one pot to another is a no vote from me!
 
I mainly use mine for soups and stews. I have two of those 1.5 liter size that I use for dips to take to parties and such. My big one is probably 5 quarts and I use that to make large batches of pasta sauce.
 
I have a seven quart sized crockpot that I use for bone broth, stews and ever so often Kalua Pork.
I like to use it to cook something overnight and have it ready in the morning.
I set it out on my work bench in the garage, over a thick wooden cutting board, so as not to heat up the surrounding bench (laminate topped).
But I do have to say that my Instant Pot is fast taking over the roll of the the slow cooker.
I can cook alot of things in the IP much faster and in most cases, just as delicious... haven't tried Kalua Pork in it yet though.
 
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