Which is the best brand & any faults to look out for please!
jude343,
May 27, 6:20am
jessie, i have had x2, one was a russel hobbs oval shape, the one i have now is a warehouse special, i prefered the oval shape, but other than that not a lot of difference. However now the family have flown the coup, other than for an occasional soup, I cant say it gets much use.
chrisbarton,
May 27, 6:27am
No. don't bother. Everything tastes bland. i ahve to add about 10 kilos of salt and herbs to get any flavour. (ok slight exaggeration)You could just cook stuff for a couple of hours in the oven instead!
vaughan62,
May 27, 6:42am
I have one and i love it, being busy with 3 children i find it excellent when i only have to organise the veges at night time.
angie117,
May 27, 6:46am
I love mine, I have a breville oval. I cook roasts in mine and the meat is soo tender. I also do casseroles, its good to be able to put it on in the morning and its ready for tea that night.
dalkemade,
May 27, 6:47am
I bought the Slow Cooker brand. It was quite a heavy one so would advise against that one.
darlingmole,
May 27, 6:59am
I have a Sunbeam slow cooker.To be honest I mostly cook my silverside/corned beef in it.As far as bacon hock soup goes you have to boil everything in a large pot first and then transfer so why bother!But putting a hangi in works very well!It's also very good for just keeping curries/stews warm . very much a personal choice.As I got mine on here 2nd hand for around only $20 I cannot complain
coffee3,
May 27, 8:30am
Buy a pressure cooker the food tastes better, cooked in a short time and uses less power! The new ones are quite safe.
tehenga288,
May 27, 9:04am
Don't use mine much as I thoughtI would. Best things in it are 'hangi' and quince paste, casserles etc are tasteless and I think it often dries out the meat - better 2-3hrs in a low oven.
antoniab,
May 27, 9:04am
I love ours - put it on in the morning, spend all day at uni and dinner is ready when we get in. Its a really old ceramic one that hubby got from his Mum when he went flatting
lythande1,
May 27, 8:41pm
I went off them, don't like the way it cooks. Now I justput the dish in the oven on low and slow and set the timer.
norse_westie,
May 27, 8:53pm
I love my crockpot. Apart from making porridge every night so its hot and perfect first thing in the morning, I do desserts, soups, roasts, bread, cakes and casseroles. I've never had anything come out bland.
When you work long and unpredictable hours, they are a godsend. You know your family will have piping hot, healthy, tasty food no matter what. In fact I am buying a second one this week.
maynard9,
May 27, 8:56pm
I LOVE mine - it is one of the original Ralta ones with the heavy brown bowl.Have tried friends new Sunbeam and it really dried the contents out.
I am dreading when my 35yr old one gives up the ghost. I got Joan Bishops new recipe book for Mother's Day and there are some great recipes in it. Have made 20 different ones so far and all very successful.
earthangel4,
May 27, 9:23pm
I love mine,going to buy another one soon.
lyndyhopper,
May 27, 9:27pm
I was wondering about power useage.Ive been umming and arring about getting one too.
biggles45,
May 27, 9:33pm
Not sure about power usage, but wouldn't think it would use much. Never had anything come out bland, can't imagine why it would. It is no different than cooking in the oven, you use the same herbs, spices etc, but it is awesome if you are working or busy all day - just put it on in the morning and it is all cooked and ready (apart from thickening sauce or gravy) when you get home. I don't use it for roasts though, prefer to oven roast. I use it for stews, soups, casseroles, curries, etc.
harrislucinda,
May 27, 9:42pm
mineisonly a230wattsowillbelessthan aoven
wheelz,
May 27, 9:45pm
I wouldn't bother.oven does a better job.
pickles7,
May 27, 9:59pm
I have never had tough, dry, or bland meat out of my slow cooker. Cheaper than the oven to use.
fifie,
May 27, 10:04pm
They use less power than a ovenhttp://www.contactenergy.co.nz/web/saveenergy/appliancesI have 2, 30yr old ralta C/P which is great for stews,curries, mince, bolar roasts and rolled roasts,it cooks at a lower temp than the newer S/cookers. Invested in a S/C it cooks quicker at a hotter temp than the old one, use that only for soups,silverside,pickled pork, some puddings. They are great for busy mums,Get joan bishops, alison holsts book from library read up the tips both are very good.
veejay13,
May 27, 10:20pm
fifie wrote: They use less power than a oven
Yes, they certainly do.I cook almost all my meats in the slow cooker.It makes the meat tender and juicy, and I've never noticed "mushy" or "flavourless" as mentioned in previous posts.
Alison Holst's books are really good for suggesting herbs etc. to enhance the flavours.
cgvl,
May 27, 10:27pm
I too have one. a round one. And while I used it heaps when I first got it, it now sits mostly unused for the best part of the year. I tried bread in it and one or two other things but as it only has high and low not so good for those. Bland food haven't noticed but mines seems to taint everything the same . think someone left food in it and didn't empty or clean it properly, when I was away once. otherwise yes its great if you are busy and organised (I'm not always organised enough), especially if you want to come home to hot food at night, great in winter.
dian2,
May 27, 10:45pm
What a great idea! Even the smell of the porridge cooked in the morning will be lovely to wake up to :)
I love my crockpot too. and knowing that our dinner or desert is slowly cooking beautifully while i'm out n about
venbar,
May 28, 12:06am
I wouldn't be with out my crock pots.yes I have two as I often make enough to feed my parents and daughters hubby and 3 kids as well as the two big boys at home, never had anything come out bland or experienced dry meat,in fact Ive never had a failure yet with any thing Ive cooked in them Id be lost with out them.
sarahb5,
May 28, 12:12am
I only use mine for soup and even then very, very rarely.None of my family like the way the meat tastes after being in the slow cooker so I just don't use mine.I think it's the fact that the meat isn't sealed that makes it a bit bland even though I use plenty of seasoning, herbs, etc.
I make porridge in the microwave - leave the oats, milk and water to soak overnight in the bowl I'm going to cook it in, press one button 6 times in the morning and it's done.
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