Slow cookers - any opinions?

[GermanDem]

I have been reading a lot about them recently, and as a busy working mom, the concept is appealing to me. But I have also heard bad things about mushy, bland food made with stuff from a can - definitely not my cup of tea! About me: I am a foodie, love gourmet food (Italian, French, Indian, Cajun, you name it, I usually like it!). I want to serve my family healthy, delicious food, and I don't want to spend hours in the kitchen every day to make it. So, what do you think, is a slow cooker a good investment? Any recommendations for specific brands and cookbooks are very welcome!!!

[CurtEastPoint]

1. I have a big one for spagh sauces, chili, etc. and a small one for Irish oatmeal.

YUM on both! I think they're a great resource when used correctly. Read up on times, when to add what, etc.

[ohiosmith]

2. Have four. Love em. Use them primarily for soups, stews, briskets, pastas, baked beans, etc.

Lots of great recipes on the web.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. I LOVE my slow cooker, or as I call it, my crock pot!

I've never had a problem with mushy, bland food coming out of it.

I'd guess that would depend on what you put in it. I like to use the tougher cuts of meat that benefit hugely from long, slow cooking.

For instance, this recipe is a favorite of my family:

Smothered Steak

1 top sirloin steak, cut in about 1 inch strips. Place these in the bottom of the cooker.

Cover with sliced bell peppers and a sliced onion.

Cover the whole mess with a can of stewed tomatoes.

Place the cover on the cooker; cook for approximately one hour at high. Then reduce the heat to low for the rest of the day. We eat ours over rice.

Enjoy!

It not only tastes great, but it smells wonderful all day!

[GermanDem]

10. Sounds great! No spices added?

[CaliforniaPeggy]

12. I guess you could, but we go easy...

We're not into heavily spiced dinners.

Thyme, basil and maybe oregano would be good additions, I think.

[madinmaryland]

24. That sounds good. Thanks!

[FSogol]

4. We have 3 in different sizes. Great for soups, chili, stews, etc. n/t

[barbtries]

5. back when i had a bunch of kids at home

and was a busy working mom, i used a "crockpot" all the time. i had a cookbook that came with it and made every recipe in that book.

unfortunately i can't remember any one meal that was so great i still remember it. or maybe i'm just getting old.

[ret5hd]

6. Why should the mental capacity of my cooker be an issue at all?

[ohiosmith]

7. Hahahahaha!

[yellowcanine]

20. Heh. I was going to suggest that slow cookers should just start earlier to make up for the longer

time it will take them to cook the meal. Glad to know I am not alone with my warped sense of humor.

[GoCubsGo]

8. They're a great investment.

It's amazing what you can do with them. You can bake in them, make chai tea in them, use them as a fondu pot... I don't use mine often enough. I don't have a specific recommendation for a brand. My Rival is 25 years old and still going. My only advice is to get one with a removable crock. It will make cleaning it so much easier.

I can't remember where I saw it (maybe here), but there's a web site (probably several of them, actually) out that has suggestions for pre-packaging and freezing meal "kits" that just need to be pulled out of the freezer and dumped into the crock pot. If I find it, I'll post it here.

[GermanDem]

9. Thanks for the replies so far! I really appreciate it!

Keep the tips coming!

[Arkansas Granny]

11. Slow cookers can be a great time saver, but (there's always a but) some dishes

just don't work well in them. In my experience they are great for stews and other dishes using meats and veggies, but rice and pasta are much better cooked separately and added just before serving. Thickening juices for sauces and gravies can be a little tricky, too. In general, recipes that can be cooked in a stovetop dutch oven works pretty well in a slow cooker.

You can find a wealth of recipes online. I would suggest buying an inexpensive cooker with a removable liner and experiment with it. If you don't like it, you don't have much money invested. If it works out for you, you can always upgrade.

My favorite thing to do was assemble my dish in the evening and pop it into the cooker the next morning as I left for work. It was really nice to have a hot meal waiting for me when I got home.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

13. I second these suggestions!

Esp. the ones about buying a slow cooker with a removable liner! You will want to be able to soak it because things do get stuck!

I often use mine the same way: start the meal in the morning and when I get home, dinner's ready!

[HopeHoops]

14. Cook damn near everything on low, get one with a removable crock, and use liner bags.

The liner bags make cleanup easy even with a fixed crock, but you still have to clean it. A removable crock is much easier to deal with. As for brands, just get a reliable brand, one you would buy a mixer from. Unless it has REALLY cheap heating coils, it should last pretty much forever. The only moving part is the temperature setting.

Ours gets used at least once every two-three weeks. It is perfect for chili and stews, but there's so much more you can do with them.

[hlthe2b]

15. Strongly advise you to spend time on Amazon reading reviews... Some cook way too hot--even at low

temps, so that you could not dare leave home with it on.

I have two... a westbend that allows you to brown meat on the stove in the cookpot and then drain and put on the slowcooker heating element. I also bought the DeLonghi with the larger volume interior crock and the square "retro-looking" metal base. The westbend is the second one I have owned of that model and replaced the first when it was damaged in a move because it is handy. But it does cook faster (i.e., hotter) since it is a smaller volume. I don't tend to leave it all day without someone home. Handy, though because it comes with a carrying bag. The Delonghi gets good reviews and I got very good follow-up from the company about a couple of questions I had--by email. It is a bit pricey, though. If I had more counterspace, I'd probably leave it out, as it does look pretty good--compared to some.

No kitchen should be without one, I think... they are great for so many things. Of course one needs to be choosey about recipes and ingredients. I really don't like to add canned ingredients--generally speaking, but only fresh.

[freshwest]

16. Shouldn't be bland, your seasoning will determine that. I've been using them for many years.

I've used West Bend, Oster and all different sizes. Some are big enough to cook turkeys, all will cook beans for you.

When you get one, it should have a cookbook, but you can also google crockpot or slow cooker recipes for anything from breakfast to dinner to bread, anything.

One of the things that you'll be warned is to not add too much liquid, as there is no way for the liquid to evaporate with the top on. Also reduce your salt because it has a strong effect, you may want to add it later. If you're concerned about the taste, you might want to braise some meats with spices so it's the way you want before you start.

You'll find that any sturdy food will do well. If you have something more fragile, like fish or zucchini, it won't do well being kept in the crockpot for as long as say, some of your heavier vegetables in the pot at the same time. In the past when I made stews with more delicate vegetables, I didn't add them until the last few hours.

But the advantage of coming back to a warm and heart meal after work can't be beat. Good luck.

[Brother Buzz]

17. Slow cookers make fine flower pots

Slow cookers get tossed all the time. I retrieve the ceramic pot and haul it home and punch a hole with a masonry drill bit and pot a Jade plant, or some other succulent in it. I've even done the same to crappy Asian cast iron pots I find, but I plant cast iron plant in them. Great gifts for friends; nobody turns them down.

[GoCubsGo]

19. Thanks for the tip on that.

My crockpot is ancient, and it's just a matter of time before it dies. I will probably wind up donating the crock to Goodwill, but I may just repurpose it.

[GermanDem]

18. Thanks everyone for your input!!!

[surrealAmerican]

21. The question to ask yourself here is:

"Does you family like stews, soups, chili, pot roasts, and similar foods?" If they do, it will be a pretty useful thing to have. If not, it won't be worth buying.

[dimbear]

22. They show up at garage sales often for next to nothing.

Hard to beat for cheap meals, especially if you have a freezer. And a little patience.

Good for corned beef and cabbage, frinstance.

[mysuzuki2]

23. It's a Dog-send for single parents.

Back when I was one, I used the crock pot at least 2x per week. I'd throw it together the night before, plug it in in the morning and dinner was ready when I came home! Still use it for chile and stews.

[annonymous]

25. I would definately get a Crockpot with a removable liner but get it secondhand.

Certain foods should not be cooked in a crockpot such as pasta and rice. The stuff that works best is cheaper cuts of meat such as chuck steak and pork loin. Dried beans should be soaked in boiling water for about an hour before being added to the slow cooker. I prefer to soak dried beans in boiling water for an hour than freeze them overnight before adding them to the slow cooker in the morning. This cuts down on the cooking time. Chicken recipes for slow cookers usually call for 4 hours cooking time but I have cooked chicken for about 6 hours with no difference in texture. However, cooking chicken for longer than 6 hours on low usually results in it getting mushy.