I personally do not like the food that comes out of them. The juices all leave the meat so that nothing is roasted and everything is stewed anyway. I also think that once all the juices are removed the meat loses its succulence so even though it is fall-apart tender, it is also dry and stringy. I also hate that the food is never hot enough at serving up time and the meal is luke warm. Blerk. Also, if you are not into packet sauces and thickenings, there is still a lot of fiddling about to make a halfway decent sauce or gravy.
That is just my opinion and I am in a minority on this subject on these boards.
rainrain1,
May 17, 4:04am
They have their place and are brilliant, you will just love it.The food from them is ALWAYS hot in my house
nzhel,
May 17, 4:11am
I love my crockpot and you don't only have to cook stews and casseroles in them. You can cook soup, puddings, vegetables, cake and even bread plus many other things. It is great being able to put it on in the morning and come home at night to tea already cooked esp in the winter. Have a look thru several crockpot/slow cooker recipe books, especially NZ ones to see the variety of meals you can create!
cb14,
May 17, 4:11am
I would love to use my slowcooker..Was thinking about pulling it out again but for some reason I always BURN the food in ours..!!Bizarre but true..!!DP has always turned his nose up at the meals too..I'm a SAHM with 3 under 3 so think it would be wonderful to learn to use properly..Can anyone recommend a decent slow cooker recipe book..??(sorry, don't mean to swipe post)
kay141,
May 17, 4:22am
I love mine, both of them. I haven't tried a roast but I fill them up with casseroles, enough for several meals. I have never used packet mixes, just stock or tins of tomatoes.
rainrain1,
May 17, 4:24am
Alison holsts is the only one I have, she has some good ideas.I don't use mine for anything but meat meals so am not the best person to ask.I cooked a stuffed chook on a bed of sliced onions yesterday and the flavour was very nice.I can't honestly see why anyone has a problem with them, it is not as though people eat from them every night of the week.I have a lot of men to feed every day and as far as cooking corned beef, a roast beef etc (for cold meat lunches) it is worth it's weight in gold, nobody grizzles to the cook about their meals around here.
petal05,
May 17, 4:42am
I love mine, would not be without it.Best cakes, HOT tender meat, Just turn it on and leave, only 1 pot to wash.
buzzy110,
May 17, 5:20am
Down people. There is no need to get personal. I am not criticising any of you, nor am I debasing any of your opinions. I merely gave poster #1 the benefit of my opinion on, what I consider to be, a useless gadget. I am allowed an opinion aren't I? It would be a boring place indeed if everyone thought the same.
# in response to your original question - "Slow cookers - are they really good?", I'd have to say, in my opinion, they are merely mediocre. I can't be bothered using mine.
rainrain1,
May 17, 5:26am
If you can't stand the heat get out of the kitchen
korban,
May 17, 5:38am
Thanks everyone for your opinions.
onekiwigirl,
May 17, 6:00am
I was exactly like buzzy110 and I had bought a slow-cooker once when it was on special, used it once and thought what a waste of time and threw it downstairs and forgot all about it for some years. Some years later I happened to see the "Simon and Alison Holst 100 great ways to use slow cookers and crock-pots" recipe book which looked really interesting with large coloured photos, so I had to retrieve my slow-cooker from the garage and trial the new recipes and basically I have never looked back.
I firmly believe that one needs to learn how to use them because they require different cooking techniques than cooking on a stove top or in an oven.Secondly one also needs to have good recipes and then to take the time to trial them.
Now I find that my slow-cooker gives me another option for a whole new set of recipes that are different to recipes made for cooking on the stove and in the oven. So mine has its rightful place in my kitchen and I love mine.
Cheers
winnie15,
May 17, 6:04am
if you don't like casseroles, soups and stews then i wouldn't advise you to get one to be honest.
lythande1,
May 17, 6:26am
Which is really the point of them, so don't. Although I think you're nuts - much more flavour and tenderness from stews.
taniajane,
May 17, 6:32am
I use to really dislike soups but now thanks to my crockpot im a huge soup fan. tortilla soup, pork and fennel soup having been on the menu last week.chocolate self saucing pudding is also a good recipe for when guests decide to just pop in. huge timesaver, its great to know i get home to a cooked meal and saves me from a life of takeaways. the best way to get the most from allot of cheaper cuts.
jenner4,
May 17, 6:46am
Corned beef on special this week at the supermarket ,the slow cooker will be on while at work tomorrow , yum yum yum
jallen2,
May 17, 6:46am
I've always been at home so I couldn't see the point in getting one. (I thought they were for people who were too busy to cook. lol) But last year I got a small george foreman one. Well - its changed my whole way of thinking..... so I had to go and get a big one too ! Now I quiet often have them both on at the same time. Weird but true. I would now recommend one.
gerry64,
May 17, 7:30am
jenner - whats your best tip for cooking corn beef in the crock pot - have the corn beef and have the crock pot so should give it a go
tullyann,
May 17, 7:46am
go for the new Pressure cooker they are so much cheeper to run 40 mins conpaired to 4hrs in slow cooker the best tip for your corned beef put in table spoon Vinegar and spoonful Honeyyummmmy !!!
orcawhale,
May 17, 7:51am
i think i am cooking the chicken wrong?,, in water in the slow cooker..
is this correct??
thanks.
(female asking. thanks)
onekiwigirl,
May 17, 8:32am
To answer tullyann - a pressure cooker is also a great piece of equipment but it does not replace a slow cooker because the food cooked in one is not the same as the food cooked in the other. There are completely different recipes for a slow cooker compared to a pressure cooker and they both have their uses. One might be better for one thing than the other depending on what you want to cook and what you want the final outcome to be.I use both and they both have their uses as do other pieces of equipment like rice cookers, bread makers etc.
Cheers
orcawhale,
May 17, 8:38am
cheers onekiwigirl but the chicken is for the Jack Russel.. he has a allergy and needs to have chicken and rice.
nick2178,
May 17, 8:58am
Just asking, but what's wrong with raw chicken for a dog?
orcawhale,
May 17, 9:01am
vet said boiled chicken. we buy the table hen at $4.07.
kuaka,
May 17, 9:06am
I'm not sure that you're supposed to give raw chicken to dogs (or cats) - doesn't sound like something they should have.
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