Slow cooker yay or nay?

Yes yes yes! They re wonderful and I use mine all the time. Just stick a bit of meat, a few veg, potatoes, some water and some seasoning in in the morning and come home later to a delicious meal. I think they are brilliant. Lakeland do a small one for small households if your children have left home.

Love mine , such lovely meals, with very little fuss !

Yes, I really miss mine. I keep thinking that now I am not at work I don't really need one - but I have more energy in the mornings for cooking, so i shall get one eventually. I make lots of pot roasts at weekends, it would make sense to buy something that uses less power, as we don't have gas here.

Yep I agree , love mine and its just so comforting when you come in the door and there is that smell of dinner already to eat..

Yes yes yes !!!

Saves energy as well. Cheaper than using the oven.

Yes, if you can be organised enough to plan ahead!

I have one, but have since bought a new pressure cooker when I realised what a faff it was to get everything prepared and set up for the slow cooker before I went to work!

No, no, no! Just given mine away. I prefer to cook stews, etc on the gas hob, slowly. I find meat doesn't 'let down' in the same way in a slow cooker. As I'm at home a good part of the day I can watch how things are progressing.

If my house was on fire and once the family and animals were safe then I would rescue my slow cooker. Wouldn't want to be without it.

I have used mine for many years at least until I got my current range cooker which has a slow oven and I use that instead, but of course it is the same principle. I agree about needing a bit of forward planning (browning meat, by preference and having all the ingredients cut up and ready, although that could be done the night before) but being able to come home to a slow cooked casserole was a joy. It also helped that things really could not spoil - once we got back from DH's chemo in London several hours later than I had hoped and the cassoulet I had going in the slow cooker was still moist and perfect. I also use my pressure cooker at least once a week again for tender casseroles. Both methods save energy and produce excellent results.

Yes, I find mine so useful, and economical. If I was in the market for a new one, I would choose one of the oval ones as you can put a whole chicken or joint of beef, leg of lamb etc in and so a sort of pot roast.

The one I have is round, so a bit limiting in that respect. Still use it on a regular basis though.

There are some very good recipe books on Amazon (other on-line retailers are available) that cater just for slow cookers and aren't expensive, around £1.99 last time I looked.

You can have mine - only used it once and doubt if I shall ever use it again.

Funnily enough I've just bought one. I got a really big oval one and in the last week I've used it twice, once for a lamb joint and today for a venison casserole. I am very pleased with it - although I'm taking bets as to how long it will be before I chip the casserole dish or smash the lid, they're both quite heavy.

I do like mine a lot. Even as a vegetarian, I find many uses for them - one big, one small - especially for soup and sauces - the good old Neapolitan tomato sauce is delicious after cooking for a long time. And for cooking for carnivores it is great, because I don't have to faff round too much with the meat.

(Yes, I do cook it for them - no need to foist my ideas on anyone!)

It's a "yes" from me. Bought one last winter, an oval one very cheap from Tesco, and use it every week. I am a lazy cook so find the preparation of the veg tedious but it is well worth the half hour or so's effort to come home when you are tired and do not feel like cooking, to a meal that is ready and just needs serving up. I have cooked all different joints and a variety of veg, different herbs and spices, just throw it all in and walk away. The added bonus is plenty for freezing as well if you so desire.

Definitely more useful than all the other electric gadgets, I wouldn't be without mine.
Apart from cooking food, you can keep things warm on the upturned lid, then cover with a small towel. But best not use plastic containers on top as they can become mis-shaped.

Yes yes yes, slow cookers are great. I do a whole chicken curried in mine. Also stews, even dumplings. I have done a whole joint of beef in it but not so pleased with that one although tasted ok.
Makes great rice pudding as well.

Thank you so much for that everyone, you have convinced me, and the idea of an oval one being good for chicken and lamb is very helpful. Looks like I am off out tomorrow to get an oval slow cooker

Yes, absolutely. My slow cooker is the best help, far above any other cooking devices. Food tastes gorgeous and is tender, and it's so easy to use. Even cheaper cuts of eat are wonderful when done in the slow cooker.

Eat should read MEAT !!

I appear to be in the minority here as I had one many years ago, and found after a couple of years that food smelled the same regardless of spices herbs etc. None of my offspring like them either. So my answer is no, but realise that only two of us think that!!!!

That is interesting, Grandmanorm as I found that too with my first slow cooker, years ago. There was a sort of boiled cloths taste to everything. It got very boring and I gave the cooker away.

I don't know whether the current one cooks differently somehow, or if it because I no longer thicken a stew with flour before putting it in, but that taste no longer appears. I use tomato puree now.

Three Grandmanorm

I hardly use mine but do use the slow cook setting on my cooker instead.

I also use mine when I'm bread making as our kitchen is not very warm and I put the dough to rise in a bowl inside the slow cooker on low. Rises beautifully in there.