Slow Cookers - are they really good?

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.

Here is a great recipe for baked potatoes in a slow cooker, no liquid, they come out like Hungi potatoes, wonderful, fabulous.

Baked Potatoes in a slowcooker
LOW for 6-8 hours

Baking potatoes is another use for your slow cooker that you may not have considered. It can, on occasion, be very handy to fill it up with foil wrapped potatoes in the morning, then return to the kitchen hours later to find them ready and waiting!

Essentially, all you need are potatoes, foil and a slow cooker - quantities are dictated by the number of servings required and/or the size of your slow cooker. Scrub the potatoes (this works best with potatoes labelled 'suitable for baking' on the bag). Wrap each one in foil (to stop them drying out), and arrange them in the cooker, best to fill one layer potatoes in the bowl. Put on the lid, turn the slow cooker on to LOW, and in 6-8 hours you will have delicious baked potatoes! Serve with butter and/or sour cream as a side dish, or 'stuff' them with a more elaborate filling (baked beans and grated cheese, leftover mince mixtures etc.,) to serve as a main.

NOTE: Sometimes potatoes that are pressed against the sides of the cooker bowl can brown a bit. To prevent this, you may want to turn or rearrange them after 4-5 hours, if you're passing. Larger potatoes take longer to cook all the way through, so for best results, select potatoes of similar size.

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 !

i think i am cooking the chicken wrong!,, in water in the slow cooker.

is this correct!

thanks.

(female asking. thanks)

Tonight I browned pork chops and put them in slow cooker on high with a packet of gravy mix for 1 1/2hrs till falling off the bone and yum with mashed spud and vege.

he doesnt get the bones. the chicken falls off the bones when i do it in the slow cooker.. i think i am doing it wrong though. lol

cheers onekiwigirl but the chicken is for the Jack Russel. he has a allergy and needs to have chicken and rice.

Just asking, but what's wrong with raw chicken for a dog!

I'm not sure that you're supposed to give raw chicken to dogs (or cats) - doesn't sound like something they should have.

To add to that (& for those who hate 'packet stuff' don't read!) Maggi has a small range out for Slow Cookers. I tried the 'Honey Pork' this week and it is delicious!

I love slow cookers. I actually have two! One huge and one medium sized. Roast chicken, sausage casserole, baked potatoes, soups, stocks, beef in beer.
My favorite is jacket potatoes - as when my daughter stays late at school her tea is cheesy jacket potato with salad - and it is cooked and piping hot the moment she walks in. No effort on my part.

I find I use my slow cooker quite a lot now that I'm home all day, but when I worked full time and had three kids to get to school in the mornings, I hardly ever used it, as I just didn't have the time in the morning to prepare the meal and put it in the crockpot before leaving for work.

me is getting a cascade one thats on spec at the warehouse or if they have another good brand cheaper at the warehouse that. Now question if i was to roast something in it what would i need to do.

For starters you could read the instruction/recipe booklet. I always find that the very best place to start and which is what I did. I faithfully followed the recipes and instructions to the letter and yet I'm a slow cook failure because I failed to appreciate that slow cookers require a different technique to normal cooking. You must always remember that when you are using one. It is similar, I suppose, to holding your tongue at the right angle, when cleaning the car, or the result will be less than perfect.

So carefully follow the recipe instructions whilst also remembering that crockpots/slow cookers require different techniques. Once you have that sorted you'll be a whizz bang slow cook master.

While at the WH you could also look for Alison Holst's Slow cooker book and buy that as well. I hear it is an excellent resource. Don't do what I did and try to go it alone without the book.

I love mine couldn't live with out it.
The kids and I love soup/ chicken/ stews/ butter chicken (curries)/ corned beef/ deviled sausages/ almost anything :o)

Wouldnt be without a SLOW COOKER OR CROCKPOT, got 2.Even do Beetroot in them, cook them up and then bottle them in Vinegar.Get Alison & Simon HOLST'S COOKBOOK FOR SLOW COOKERS, its brillaint.Between my Crockpot and Freezer got meals sorted.Pea and Ham Soup, if Hocks too expensive, get Bacon Pieces, I do Silverside in it, then finisheed off in the OVEN, covering it with a mustard sauce and grilling it, it turns out like Ham....

Thats great to hear must buy the Maggi ones and try that.

Here is a great recipe for baked potatoes in a slow cooker, no liquid, they come out like Hungi potatoes, wonderful, fabulous.

Baked Potatoes in a slowcooker
LOW for 6-8 hours

Baking potatoes is another use for your slow cooker that you may not have considered. It can, on occasion, be very handy to fill it up with foil wrapped potatoes in the morning, then return to the kitchen hours later to find them ready and waiting!

Essentially, all you need are potatoes, foil and a slow cooker - quantities are dictated by the number of servings required and/or the size of your slow cooker. Scrub the potatoes (this works best with potatoes labelled 'suitable for baking' on the bag). Wrap each one in foil (to stop them drying out), and arrange them in the cooker, best to fill one layer potatoes in the bowl. Put on the lid, turn the slow cooker on to LOW, and in 6-8 hours you will have delicious baked potatoes! Serve with butter and/or sour cream as a side dish, or 'stuff' them with a more elaborate filling (baked beans and grated cheese, leftover mince mixtures etc.,) to serve as a main.

NOTE: Sometimes potatoes that are pressed against the sides of the cooker bowl can brown a bit. To prevent this, you may want to turn or rearrange them after 4-5 hours, if you're passing. Larger potatoes take longer to cook all the way through, so for best results, select potatoes of similar size.

he doesnt get the bones. the chicken falls off the bones when i do it in the slow cooker. i think i am doing it wrong though. lol

To add to that (& for those who hate 'packet stuff' don't read!) Maggi has a small range out for Slow Cookers. I tried the 'Honey Pork' this week and it is delicious!

I had the Honey Pork tonight and it was lovely. McCormicks also have a range out too and they have some nice looking stuff.I really like using my slow cooker and my food always comes out of it HOT and tasty.

they are wonderful for cooking...especially if you are working...you can cook your meal while you are sleeping or at work....I put meat and veges together the food is always perfectly cooked...I highly reccomend that you get one...you will not regret it

you don't need any packets etc...just do as you usually do...brown meat first, then add your other ingredients and let the crockpot cook it on slow...delicous

Yep... any horrible old cut of meat turns out nice in a Crockpot. I lay in the veges (pumpkin, carrot, kumara, potato) cut into 1" squares, then lay the meat on top cut up into larger pieces, then broccolli, whole button musrooms & peas on the top. I then pour 1 brown onion gravy mix, 1 chicken gravy mix & 1 roast meat gravy mix into the blender along with a can of coconut milk, some steak sauce, black pepper & salt. Mix it thoroughly & pour over the top. Medium heat for 6hrs & yum yum...

You are quite right and I hardly ever use them - but if you feel like a change and are in a hurry they can be good to have on hand for those times.

Slow Cookers - are they really good?

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