Crockpot? SLO cooker

Hi Lucky I have a Moulinex slow cooker that is really efficient. It has a small "footprint", doesn't take up much space and is easily cleaned (although it can't go in the dishwasher). It can be used on the hob for browning. I'm really pleased with it. It was comparatively expensive, but worth it. It isn't ceramic.

What about an electric pressure cooker? So much more versatile than the old stove top ones, and you can have a meal ready in minutes with virtually no heat generation at all, except for the steam release at the end of cooking.

I have a slow cooker which is good for making casseroles/pie filling/bolognaise . The ceramic middle dish comes out of the casing for serving and can them go on the dishwasher. It doesn’t let off a lot of heat cooking and can be cooked on high or low and has a keep warm feature when cooking has finished

I have a slow cooker but frankly not a lot of cooking was going on during the recent hot weather anyway.
It will come into its own with hearty stews when it is cooler.

I was given a Tower Slo-cooker years ago. I have found it really useful over the years.
Used it just last week to leave a Bolognese cooking while I went out for the day. Ready and delicious on my return.
It does give off heat ofcourse, but less than the oven I'm sure, and there is the added advantage of preparing food early in the day when it is cooler, and then feeling like I have been given a night off from cooking.

I thought crockpot was just another name for a slow cooker, so can’t advise on that!

I love mine, but it gets used mostly in the colder months. It doesn’t seem to give out much heat though. I’d say it’d be a better option than the oven in hot weather. Ours has a ceramic inner too, good for finishing off in the oven, dishing up and throwing in the dishwasher.

I love my slow cookers and have been using them a lot during the hot weather.

I have a biggish Crockpot with a non-stick coating. This can be used on the hob if you want to brown things over a direct heat before starting the proper cooking process. It isn't dishwasher proof and you can't use metal utensils in it. It gets used for loads of things - roast joints, casseroles, curries, soups etc and is large enough to cook a 1.5kg joint of meat plus veggies for 2 or 3 people. It also has a timer function for up to 8 hours plus a Keep Warm period of (I think) up to 4 hours.

My smaller one is Lakeland's own brand with a ceramic, dish washer safe, inner. I got it mostly for making porridge overnight in winter - chuck in the ingredients, switch it on Low at bedtime and, hey Presto, breakfast's ready when I wake. It's also very useful for poaching smallish quantities of fruit - plums, gooseberries etc or any veg that can't be accommodated in the big Crockpot.

The kitchen stays much cooler than when using the oven and, although they are in use for longer, they use much less power than the oven so electricity use is reduced.

I am also one who thought that a Crockpot is a brand name for a slow cooker. I have one and on hot days plug it in an outside socket and leave it to cook on the patio. I use it sometime though not as often as I thought I would. It´s great for getting meat really tender, vegetables get quite mushy though.

Re easily cleaned - you can buy liners! What ever next!

Bought a small,2person,one from Lakeland yesterday as I had a money off voucher. Made a tagine for supper. It all worked very well. Don't normally eat a lot of casseroles this time of year but DD says slo cookers are excellent for porridge. We have a large range cooker so I thought it might be cheaper to use a slo cooker than a big oven for just me and DH.

Interesting.

I can see the benefit of putting a meal on in the morning so that it's ready to enjoy after a day out at work. Can someone who uses one please tell me if you're at home all day while the slow cooker slowly cooks, are you driven wild by the smell of cooking all day? By which I mean does it make you feel permanently hungry!

I've also been thinking about the new electric pressure cookers. The Sage model seems to have the best reviews, although some reviewers complained about an unpleasant lingering smell in the unit. Again, does anyone here have experience to share of a newish pressure cooker?

Happiyogi, my big slow cooker is currently cooking a piece of silverside of beef, potatoes, parsnips and onions and I expect to be here all afternoon. I'm rarely aware of food smells from it because I generally stand the thing on top of the hob (if the hob's not also in use) and turn on the extractor hood so most of the aroma is wafted outside.

It's good to come home after you've been out on a cold day and catch a quick mmmmmmm-mmm of dinner drifting through the vent as you walk up to the back door, though!

Never used an electric pressure cooker, sorry but, knowing GN, someone will be along in a little while !

Thanks Scribbles

My extractor fan is quite noisy so I think I'd have to just put up with smelling dinner cooking!

I have an electric pressure cooker. It is a great improvement on the old type. You can go away and leave it come up to pressure and cool down without standing over it. It is a Pressure King Pro. I think the larger size.

It was bought as a present by eldest son who said he remembers many dinners as a child from the old type.

I made a stew thing in my slow cooker yesterday. It was horrible. DH reckons he enjoyed it though. He had the rest of it for lunch today.

It stank the place out.

You can buy linings for slow cooked(bit like the roasting bags) you pop it in, then obviously throw it away after. Never used one so not sure how they perform.

I always put my slow cooker (and bread maker) by the back door so that the heat and smell mostly goes outside.

That’s what we do rockgran. OH got some braising steak from the reduced counter in Waitrose this morning and the smell is wafting through. Lost my appetite since being on this treatment but hopefully I'll feel better once i’ve eaten.

Does anyone make dumplings? Not very healthy but very filling.

Same here, rockgran. The slow cooker's in the utility and the breadmaker's in the garage. I use them a lot, far more than the cooker! Both have an inner pot that can go in the dishwasher. Just remember that you need very little, if any liquid when cooking in a slow cooker. Ordinary recipes don't 'convert' easily so it's best to use recipes designed for slow cooking.

Dumpling.....ohh I am droooooooooooling I love them!

I will be know to make a stew/broth just! for the dumplings.

I dont faff around I just but the goldenfry/Tesco packet mix they are so light and fluffy my record was 16 dumplings [blish]

Late dh once asked ? where the dumps? I said ohh I decided not to male any (liar) we used to live in Nelson Lancashire they used to call them "little lads"

Dumplings? Eeeeeurgh! Reminds me of when I was very small and my mom was ill so my aunt came to stay and cooked for us. Beef stews (lovely!) completely ruined by these lumps of soggy dough. «shudder»
I've never eaten anything with dumplings in it since and I just realised that, as I type this, I'm sitting with my teeth clenched in case anyone tries to force one of the beastly things on me....

We bought a Crockpot. DD decided that she should have it as it was bigger than their slow cooker so we swapped. Ours is great great for us. My sister bought a digital one from Aldi and says it's fantastic.

I love the smell of tasty stews coming from the slow cooker (though to be honest, if I'm in all day, I get used to the smell so don't notice it as much as when coming in from outside). The same goes for the bread maker - bread baking smells divine.