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| Basic Slow Cooker with 24-hour Mechanical Timer and Cooker Pot Liners |
updated Sept 2019
When 67goingon50 had to choose - for financial reasons - between an Instant Pot and an Air Fryer, the Air Fryer won easily.
That's because Instant Pots are pressure cookers in disguise and 67 has never been a fan. And though Instant Pots have come down in price, slow cookers are still better value.
Your intrepid blogger bought a Morrisons own-brand slow cooker in 2014. it was 5.5 litres, big enough for family meals plus plenty leftover to freeze. It has a removable ceramic serving dish and cost all of £15 though prices have risen since then. (2019: You should be able to find a family-sized slow cooker for £20-25. For 1-3 people, smaller ones cost about £15.)
The slow cooker is still going strong and in regular use, despite the lid handle melting into a puddle during an experiment with artisan bread.
Of course, there are plenty of snazzy versions of slow cookers now available in major department stores which allow browning and have super efficient timers/warming buttons. But whatever you pay, it will be worth it.
Slow cookers:
- use roughly the same amount of energy as a light bulb
- transform cheaper, tougher cuts of meat and root veg into juicy, tender morsels
- can reduce the amount of meat used; the flavour permeates the whole dish
- encourages use of lentils & pulses to bulk out meals, making them lower in saturated-fat
- help cut the grocery budget
- provide a home-cooked main course at the end of long days
- produce soups overnight, terrific stock from a meat carcass and a few veg, and light and lovely steamed sponges
- if you're not careful, slow-cooked dishes can become like baby food. 67 checks the meat an hour before the end of cooking to make sure the meat still has 'give' but is tender and easy to digest. After a few tries, you'll recognise there the line is
- some food prep is necessary
- you're out all day but you may only need 4-6 hours of cooking
- the dish can be hell to clean
GUIDELINES FOR MAKING THE MOST OF SLOW-COOKERS
Use a Mechanical Timer
They're vital to prevent slow-cooked meat from falling apart and veg from disintegrating. The timers can be found for as low as £4 at supermarkets*, electrical shops and hardware stores. They turn the electricity for your cooker on and off at the times specified. The timer plugs into the wall socket and your slow cooker (or other device) plugs into the timer.
Overnight cooking Saves More Money
Electricity is cheapest from midnight to 7 am so it's worth using your slow cooker overnight. Soup stocks - which take a good 12-14 hours in a slow cooker - are ideal for overnight cooking.
Also, casseroles and stews can cook overnight with your handy timer. Reduce cooking time by an hour; the food continues to cook as it cools. Refrigerate before you head out the door and reheat when you get in.
Saving time on prep
- do it in the night before, not in the morning
- if browning isn't your thing, chucking everything in the cooker will work but the flavour may not be as subtly layered
- double the recipe or increase it by half so leftovers can be frozen and make another meal
Avoiding dishes that all taste the same
- choose dishes that have strong, defining flavours
- use different cuts of meat for variety: chunks of casserole/stewing meat for stews, large cuts for braising and slicing, whole chickens for poaching and jointing
- start with plenty of onion and garlic
- use fresh herbs where possible and throw in the stems, tied with string (remove before serving)
- check seasoning at end of cooking; more herbs and spices may be needed
- root veg cooks well in a slow cooker but other carbs (eg pasta) & veg are best cooked separately
- half an hour before the end of cooking time, frozen seafood, quick cooking veg like broccoli or green beans can be placed on top of the other ingredients where they will steam gently with turning into mush
Cooking Temperatures
- slow is best; flavours are much deeper
- if your dish requires only 4-6 hours cooking and you're going to be out for longer than that, use a plug-in 24-hour mechanical timer £4, from Morrisons)
Cooking Techniques
- trim the fat off meat
- root veg goes on the bottom
- cayenne & tabasco become bitter if cooked too long; only use towards the end of cooking time
- fill the cooking dish only 1/2 to 2/3 full and never more than 3/4 full
- the liquid should barely cover the contents
- a thicker sauce can be achieved by rolling the meat in seasoned flour before cooking, or at the end of cooking by adding a cornflour slurry of 1-2 tsp cornflour mixed with a similar amount of cold water
Cooking Times (67 recommends the lower number to prevent overcooking)
Normal SC High SC Low
15-30 mins 1-2 hours 4-6 hours
30 min-1 hr 2-3 5-7
1-2 hrs 3-4 6-8
2-4 4-6 8-12
- beef brisket
- pork shoulder
- lamb shoulder
- ham hock
- shin of beef
- chicken thighs
- whole chicken
- boiling fowl
*Morrisons
Note:
- 67goingon50 has plenty of fabulous slow cooker recipes. See NavBar:RecipesII
- BBC Good Food also has plenty of recipes for slow cooking. http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/collections/slow_cooker_recipes
FOR THOSE COMPLETELY NEW TO SLOW COOKERS
- be very careful lifting the lid; wear oven gloves; hold the handle facing you, directing the very hot steam away from face and hands
- turn cooker off at the mains before removing cooking dish
- wait till cooker cools before washing it; soaking it overnight will soften and remove cooked-on food
- slow cooker liners are now available at a not unreasonable price and save on scrubbing
B Lee/Bright Sun Enterprises accept no liability for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. The material was assembled by BM Lee/Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced without the author's permission.
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