Want to buy a slow cooker...

The Sweeper

I'm hoping this may be similar in feedback to the breadmaker thread. I want to buy a slow cooker. I want a good one, in which I can do whole cuts of meat. I'm happy to do slow cooking in my oven on the weekends when I'm here, but I don't like leaving the oven on for hours when I'm out (I usually return to some charcoal fuck-up, to be completely blunt.)

Not trying to sound overly extravagant, because money is always an object - but when I buy a cookery item I'm happy to pay higher prices for top-end gear that'll last years. (I'm less interested in buying things in a fancy colour that'll fall apart in two years, and not remotely interested in buying the 12.99 range from Argos - unless by some miracle it's the finest thing on the market.)

I'm not too bothered about using one to cook stew, per se, but I love the idea of a slow cooked joint of lamb or pork for instance.

So - feedback - who's got one, what's your favourite dish in it, can it be left for hours, does it automatically switch off, does the outer casing reach nuclear heat proportions, so on, so forth?

Mr Magnolia

I hope you don't mind me looking for some info here The Sweeper what sort of temperature range does one of these cook at? How are they better than using an oven and are they generally just used for stews & joints? Suppose they could be used for some curries and the like? I'm looking for general information on them. Like yourself I'd be interested in a quality one if I was could get the use out of it.

I can split this post into separate thread if you wish.

CJhaughey

I have a Morphy Richards 6.5litre model.
Got it in Argos and have had 5 yrs with no problems apart from the temp knob being a bit loose.
Slow cookers don't heat over 100°c so they don't boil off the liquid.
I would recommend getting a larger model rather than a smaller one as you need a bit of space to put a chicken or leg of meat in it.
You can always cook less in a big one but it's hard to cook more in a small one.

The outer casing doesn't get red hot but it does get very warm, warm enough that you wouldn't want it to contact anything else while on.
Mine doesn't have a timer, the whole idea is that the cooking process is slow enough that it can stay on without burning the food.
Meat cooked in the slow cooker will cook to falling off the bone texture and because they don't bubble food food doesn't break up and go to mush.
Beans and Pulses are very good in them, in fact thats what they were originally designed for.

The Sweeper

Mr Magnolia wrote: »

I hope you don't mind me looking for some info here The Sweeper what sort of temperature range does one of these cook at?

As CJ says, they cook long and low - some have two settings, 'low' and 'high', but I'm not sure what actual temperature ranges those cook at.

Mr Magnolia wrote: »

How are they better than using an oven

I have a range cooker with a single large oven. I wouldn't trust a dish that I put in the oven at 8am, before going to work, to be all right at 5pm when I got home. My oven temp can fluctuate and generally it's going to use a lot of power, ticking away all day while I'm out. Plus there's no 'off' or 'countdown' settings on my cooker - when the timer stops, it just beeps at you, it doesn't switch itself off.

Mr Magnolia wrote: »

and are they generally just used for stews & joints? Suppose they could be used for some curries and the like?

Far as I know you can do whatever you like in them, assuming you find a method that works well. I've heard that you should always brown meat in a pan before adding to the slow cooker if that's the effect you want, because it's not going to happen in the slow cooker.

Some of them appear to have countdown timers, so you can cook for 6 hours and then switch to an ongoing 'keep warm' setting for instance - but I'm not sure if this is a feature on all of them.

Mr Magnolia wrote: »

I'm looking for general information on them. Like yourself I'd be interested in a quality one if I was could get the use out of it.

I can split this post into separate thread if you wish.

No need, I want to hear as much as possible about them, all contributory questions welcome!

kylith

I love my slow cooker. I got the cheapest brand name one in argos (about €20 for a Crock Pot). The only meat I've found doesn't do very well is chicken. It's definitely worth it to have dinner ready and waiting for you when you get home.

Bloody OH doesn't eat stews though, consarn him.

the beer revolu

kylith wrote: »

Bloody OH doesn't eat stews though, consarn him.

DIVORCE !!

I can't stand that line " I don't eat stews".
It makes no sense!!
How can you lump every casserole, stew, crock pot, etc etc, made from such a diverse range of ingredients, together and say you don't like any of them!!!:mad::mad::mad:

or "I don't like sauce" :mad::mad::mad:

CJhaughey

kylith wrote: »

Bloody OH doesn't eat stews though, consarn him.

Must be tough for him to cook for himself everytime you cook stew/curry/casserole?;)

rubadub

CJhaughey wrote: »

Beans and Pulses are very good in them, in fact thats what they were originally designed for.

Careful of some, if this is true.

Raw kidney beans, and some other beans, contain a toxin, phytohaemagglutinin, which is destroyed by boiling for at least ten minutes, but not by the operating temperature of a slow cooker. Raw beans must be boiled prior to slow cooking to avoid poisoning; canned beans do not require this, already having been so treated. Even a few beans can be toxic, and beans can be as much as five times more toxic if cooked at 175°F (80°C) than if eaten raw, so adequate pre-boiling is vital. Cases of poisoning by slow-cooked beans have been published in the UK; poisoning has occurred in the USA but has not been formally reported.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slow_cooker#Disadvantages

Also found this from that page
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perpetual_stew

A perpetual stew is a pot into which whatever one can find is placed and cooked. The pot is never emptied all the way, as ingredients are replenished as necessary. The concept is often a common element in descriptions of medieval inns. Ripley's Believe It or Not! makes mention of stews in some Polynesian families which have been cooking for over one hundred years.

kylith

the beer revolu wrote: »

DIVORCE !!

I can't stand that line " I don't eat stews".
It makes no sense!!
How can you lump every casserole, stew, crock pot, etc etc, made from such a diverse range of ingredients, together and say you don't like any of them!!!:mad::mad::mad:

or "I don't like sauce" :mad::mad::mad:

I don't know how he doesn't like them, I reckon he's just insane. What could be nicer than some nice melt in the mouth beef or mutton?

CJhaughey wrote: »

Must be tough for him to cook for himself everytime you cook stew/curry/casserole?;)

Well, I told him; if he doesn't want to eat whatever's put in front of him he knows where the bread is kept.

Dizzyblonde

I use my slow cooker quite a lot - but just for stews and casseroles. Things like pulled pork work well in it too.
I wouldn't use it for joints of meat though, because even though you brown it in a pan first you're never going to get the same tasty stickiness in a slow cooker. In fact, the meat ends up sitting in a few inches of liquid even if you only add a cupful at the start. So I suppose it's more like pot-roasting. I definitely wouldn't put a leg of lamb in it because that would seem like a sacrilege, lol.
Someone posted lately that you can do really great baked potatoes in them too.
The timer switch sounds very handy.

It doesn't get hot enough to heat the room, it can be left on for up to 18 hours as far as I know. It won't boil dry because there's no evaporation of liquid. I wouldn't spend too much on one because its use is quite limited, but then they're not expensive anyway. You'd get a good one for around €40.

The Sweeper

I like stew, I'm just not going to buy a slow cooker exclusively for that. I also like the idea of bean soups and green beef chilis and other such things, done long and low in a slow cooker.

Especially appealing is using the slow cooker as a sort of bain marie, placing a pudding bowl on a stand within the slow cooker and cooking some marvellous beef n mushroom pudding with a suet crust, for instance.

Choices here in terms of brands available - all about the 5 - 6 litre capacity - are a Cuisinart one (equivalent of €115), Breville (about €75), Sunbeam (about €60) and Morphy Richards (about €75) and Kambrook (about €40). There's also a fancy Breville Ikon with a removable pan that's usable on the stove top and in the oven, so you can brown meats in it on the stove before transferring to the slow cooker, which is about €125.

Choice magazine here tested a bunch between $25 and $169, the Kambrook came out on top in that, but they also tested three models that are out of production (why do they do that? What sodding use to me is that?) and didn't include some of the models listed above.

Dizzyblonde

The bain marie idea is very good. I'd hate for anyone to buy a slow cooker thinking they could roast joints in it, that's why I always warn people.

They're very simple appliances and I can't imagine what could be added to warrant them costing €100 or more.

The Sweeper

The price thing could be an Australian foible. Some stuff is just weirdly priced here in comparison to Ireland or England. However, it could also be that you're dead right and the extra pricing on the cuisinart is for the brand name, but the breville's removable browning pan (you know, because dirtying a frying pan is tantamount to too much effort) could be their selling point.

I'm not thinking I can roast a joint in it and get the same effect of crispy caramelised loveliness I'd get in my oven, but I'm hoping I can get the 'take all the fat off, cook long in liquid and other flavours, carve with a spoon' effect on a whole piece of meat.

CJhaughey

Those prices are crazy expensive!
I got my morphy richards from Argos and they still have the 6.5 litre model for 40 euro. LINKY
They aren't a very technical machine so I don't see that they should cost over 100 euro.
Even the digital model with timer is only €47 at the moment in Argos.
I did pork chops in it and they came out fabulous, Pork usually come out nice in the slow cooker especially the fattier cuts that stay moist and don't dry out.

rubadub

Dizzyblonde wrote: »

Someone posted lately that you can do really great baked potatoes in them too.

So I presume they are putting them in dry and just turning it on? if so it could damage the unit, I expect many require you to have water in them, this is since the element at the bottom needs to have liquid to dissipate/buffer the heat to the entire surrounding container/bowl/pot. I expect there is an element bolted onto the bottom of the unit and a thermostat somewhere on the pot too. This means if it is left dry the element could get very hot before the thermostat is actually triggered. Your instructions should state if you can run it dry.

The Sweeper

It could involve placing some water in the base of the slow cooker and propping the potatoes up, clear of the water, so they cook in the steam. You'd probably get a very fluffy potato without the leathery jacket of oven-cooking a baked spud.

CJhaughey

The Sweeper wrote: »

It could involve placing some water in the base of the slow cooker and propping the potatoes up, clear of the water, so they cook in the steam. You'd probably get a very fluffy potato without the leathery jacket of oven-cooking a baked spud.

There is no steam, the water doesn't boil.

The Sweeper

Okay, now I'm officially confused. I can see how that would make sense, but some have instructions or reviews like "Do not lift the lid to check during cooking, or you will extend cooking time by letting heat and steam escape". However, a lack of steam would also explain why you can use the slow cooker as a bain marie and cook a suet-crust pie without the crust getting soggy.

CJhaughey

The Sweeper wrote: »

Okay, now I'm officially confused. I can see how that would make sense, but some have instructions or reviews like "Do not lift the lid to check during cooking, or you will extend cooking time by letting heat and steam escape". However, a lack of steam would also explain why you can use the slow cooker as a bain marie and cook a suet-crust pie without the crust getting soggy.

From my observations lifting the lid releases heat, but not steam.

The Sweeper

Thanks. Think I'm going to have to bite the bullet and buy one and see how I get on. Any good recipes?

CJhaughey

The Sweeper wrote: »

Thanks. Think I'm going to have to bite the bullet and buy one and see how I get on. Any good recipes?

Loads, what for?
I have a really good vegetarian chilli with cornbread topping.
You can use meat in it if you wish.
Its really good and pretty spectacular as the cornbread rises and forms a thick crust on top of the chilli.

PaddyJules

I have a large size Morphy Richards which I got from Argos about 5 years ago and I love my Slow Cooker. I always do joints of beef and lamb in the slow cooker. I dont fry them first or anything - just put them into the slow cooker raw, on high for about 5 hours. I dont add any liquid at all - because then at the end, you have some lovely juices to make the gravy with. I can't seem to cook a joint in the oven and get it to be as nice as cooking it in a slow cooker.

I also do pork chops in it - would add abit of chicken stock and a few herbs and veg and cook on medium for the day.

Not a lover of chicken cooked in it as it gets abit stringy and chewy - but its OK if you cut the chicken into small pieces and dont cook it for too long.

Another lovely quick dish is stewing beef and a jar of Patak Rogan Josh Sauce - just put them both into slow cooker (with onions or peppers etc if you want). No need to fry them or anything first and leave it to cook away for the day. You end up with a lovely beef curry - delicious.

So hope this persuades you to invest in a brill kitchen appliance. Let hear it for the good old slow cooker ....

The Sweeper

CJhaughey wrote: »

Loads, what for?
I have a really good vegetarian chilli with cornbread topping.
You can use meat in it if you wish.
Its really good and pretty spectacular as the cornbread rises and forms a thick crust on top of the chilli.

Sounds good - bring it on!

The Sweeper

Just hauling this back up to say bought a slow cooker. Bought a digital Sunbeam HP950 (I think it's a 950...). You can auto time the cooking time anywhere up to 12 hours, and when the time's up it automatically switches to keep warm for up to 6 hours.

Made beef, beer n barley stew in it tonight - extremely pleased with the result. Used a bolar blade of beef (absolutely dirt cheap cut of meat) and cut it into chunks, and the long slow cooking meant it was melt in your mouth by serving time.

The Sweeper

CJhaughey wrote: »

Loads, what for?
I have a really good vegetarian chilli with cornbread topping.
You can use meat in it if you wish.
Its really good and pretty spectacular as the cornbread rises and forms a thick crust on top of the chilli.

Bumping this because of the other slow cooker thread, to say you promised a recipe and you never delivered it! SHAME!!!!

(Also, pls can I have your recipe? Chrstxbye.)

CJhaughey

Whoops! Sometimes I am away for extended periods of time and don't have net access so I miss threads.
anyway here goes.


115g dried kidney beans
115g dried black-eyed beans
1 bay leaf
15ml oil
1 large onion fine dice
1 crushed clove garlic
5ml ground cumin
5ml chilli powder
5ml mild paprika I like the smoked pimento dulce from Spain.
2.5 ml dried marjoram
450g mixed veges spuds,carrots, parsnips, celery, sweet potato, aubergine etc.
1 vege stock cube
1 can good quality chopped tomato
15ml tomato puree
salt and pepper.

Cornbread topping
250g fine cornmeal (polenta works but is coarser than the fine meal)
30ml wholemeal flour
7.5ml baking powder
1 egg + 1 yolk lightly beaten
300ml milk

Soak kidney beans overnight in plenty of cold water, rinse and add 600ml of cold water + the bay leaf.
Bring to the boil and boil for 10 mins rapid boil.
Turn off heat and leave to cool for a few minutes then add the whole lot to the cooker and set to high.

add oil to pan and saute onion 7-8 mins then add Garlic, cumin, paprika, chilli and marjoram. and cook for another minute.
add to cooker.

Peel and cut veg into 2cm chunks.
add to cooker pushing the root veg under the rest so they don't go brown or black.
cover and cook 3 hrs.

add stock cube and chopped tomato to the cooker then stir in puree and season. replace lid and cook for 30 mins on high.

mix the cornmeal, flour and baking powder and a pinch of salt in a bowl. make a well in the middle and add the egg+ egg yolk and milk.
mix well then add to cooker in dollops that roughly cover the surface of the bean chilli.
cover and cook for an hour until the bread is cooked.

serve up.