Slow cooker advice....

"ChattyCathy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Have seen more and more recipes for slow cookers/crockpots mentioned here
on r.f.c.(and even some in the Signature dish section on the site), so I
am debating about treating myself to one for Christmas 😉 I have a decent
dutch oven and I often do stews etc. in that. Is a crockpot better than a
DO for stews (and whatever)?

So who has a slow cooker? Do you love it/hate it, use it often?

Should I or shouldn't I?

Comments welcome.
--
Cheers
Chatty Cathy

Garlic: the element without which life as we know it would be impossible

I lwould eave the house with the slow-cooker on. I wouldn't leave the house
when cooking on the stove or in the oven. That's about it.
Teri

"ChattyCathy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Have seen more and more recipes for slow cookers/crockpots mentioned here
on r.f.c.(and even some in the Signature dish section on the site), so I
am debating about treating myself to one for Christmas 😉 I have a decent
dutch oven and I often do stews etc. in that. Is a crockpot better than a
DO for stews (and whatever)?

So who has a slow cooker? Do you love it/hate it, use it often?

Should I or shouldn't I?

Well, I have two. A big one at home and a wee one in the caravan. The big
one is especially good because I can go out and leave it and the timer will
stop the cooking and keep it warm until I get home from work in the
evenings. Lovely to have a hot meal ready when we get in.

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.pickeringappliance.com/images/CSC-650.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.pickeringappliance.com/part_69_260-1577.html&h=355&w=500&sz=26&hl=en&start=5&um=1&tbnid=msq3Pt4_WZSpXM:&tbnh=92&tbnw=130&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcuisinart%2Bslow%2Bcooker%26svnum%3D10%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG

or http://tinyurl.com/25c5px

The small one doesn't have a timer but it is still safe to leave running
when we are out. The only problem with that it is that it will overcook if
you are out too long.

lakeland.co.uk!10722Open ↗

ChattyCathy said:

Have seen more and more recipes for slow cookers/crockpots mentioned
here on r.f.c.(and even some in the Signature dish section on the site),
so I am debating about treating myself to one for Christmas 😉 I have a
decent dutch oven and I often do stews etc. in that. Is a crockpot
better than a DO for stews (and whatever)?

So who has a slow cooker? Do you love it/hate it, use it often?

Should I or shouldn't I?

Comments welcome.

Buy a fairly large one. I bought a small one once that I ended up
never using because it was too small. Also, make sure that it has a
removable inside that goes in the dishwasher.

Quoted message said:

--
Cheers
Chatty Cathy

--Bryan

ChattyCathy said:

Have seen more and more recipes for slow cookers/crockpots mentioned
here on r.f.c.(and even some in the Signature dish section on the site),
so I am debating about treating myself to one for Christmas 😉 I have a
decent dutch oven and I often do stews etc. in that. Is a crockpot
better than a DO for stews (and whatever)?

So who has a slow cooker? Do you love it/hate it, use it often?

Should I or shouldn't I?

Comments welcome.

They are great for being able to load in in the morning and having a
nice meal ready when you come home at night.

The common complaint about new ones is that they are too hot (probably a
result of the legal department) so that the all day cooking doesn't work
anymore. You may want to check if there are any current versions that
work properly.

Bobo Bonobo® said:

ChattyCathy said:

Have seen more and more recipes for slow cookers/crockpots mentioned
here on r.f.c.(and even some in the Signature dish section on the site),
so I am debating about treating myself to one for Christmas 😉 I have a
decent dutch oven and I often do stews etc. in that. Is a crockpot
better than a DO for stews (and whatever)?

So who has a slow cooker? Do you love it/hate it, use it often?

Should I or shouldn't I?

Comments welcome.

Buy a fairly large one. I bought a small one once that I ended up
never using because it was too small. Also, make sure that it has a
removable inside that goes in the dishwasher.

Also, make sure you buy one that has a real stone/ceramic crock.
Some of the cheaper ones have these composite plastic "crocks"
that don't distribute heat as evenly and can discolor.

-sw (who has 3)

"Sqwertz" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Bobo Bonobo® said:

ChattyCathy said:

Have seen more and more recipes for slow cookers/crockpots mentioned
here on r.f.c.(and even some in the Signature dish section on the

site),

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

so I am debating about treating myself to one for Christmas 😉 I have a
decent dutch oven and I often do stews etc. in that. Is a crockpot
better than a DO for stews (and whatever)?

So who has a slow cooker? Do you love it/hate it, use it often?

Should I or shouldn't I?

Comments welcome.

Buy a fairly large one. I bought a small one once that I ended up
never using because it was too small. Also, make sure that it has a
removable inside that goes in the dishwasher.

Also, make sure you buy one that has a real stone/ceramic crock.
Some of the cheaper ones have these composite plastic "crocks"
that don't distribute heat as evenly and can discolor.

-sw (who has 3)

Another option is the West bend slow cooker with the rectangular metal pan
that sits on a heating element. I've had one for about 15 years and use it
frequently in the colder months. I like it because I can brown the meat on
the stove top and then add the other ingredients and put it on the base to
finish cooking....Sharon

ChattyCathy said:

Have seen more and more recipes for slow cookers/crockpots mentioned
here on r.f.c.(and even some in the Signature dish section on the
site), so I am debating about treating myself to one for Christmas 😉
I have a decent dutch oven and I often do stews etc. in that. Is a
crockpot better than a DO for stews (and whatever)?

So who has a slow cooker? Do you love it/hate it, use it often?

I can't say I use it all the time, maybe 3-4 times a year (although it was
great for pot lucks at the office!). I find it's great for bean soups,
stews and pot roast (although I do brown the meat first). I'm sure if I
didn't have one (actually I have two, a 5 quart round one and a 7 quart oval
one) I'd suddenly discover I wanted one desperately! LOL The best thing
about them is you just set it and forget about it. There are slow cooker
cookbooks, and tons of recipes on the Internet. Basic recipes come in the
booklet with the cooker.

I've been using one since my mom "gifted" me with hers when they moved away
in the 1980's. It was an old-style cooker without the removeable crock.
Cleaning it was a PITA. The removeable crock is essential for easy clean-up
(and storage of leftovers in the fridge).

Jill

ChattyCathy said:

Have seen more and more recipes for slow cookers/crockpots mentioned
here on r.f.c.(and even some in the Signature dish section on the site),
so I am debating about treating myself to one for Christmas 😉 I have a
decent dutch oven and I often do stews etc. in that. Is a crockpot
better than a DO for stews (and whatever)?

So who has a slow cooker? Do you love it/hate it, use it often?

Should I or shouldn't I?

Comments welcome.

I used to use my slow cooker for soups. But I have found that I like a
pressure cooker better for the same recipes. I don't think I've taken
out the crock pot for quite a few years now.

My dutch oven has recently become one of my favorites to cook with
though and I am finding more and more recipes to use it with especially
as the weather is getting colder.

Just make sure if you do get a slow cooker that the insert comes out.

--
Queenie

*** Be the change you wish to see in the world ***

George said:

ChattyCathy said:

Have seen more and more recipes for slow cookers/crockpots mentioned
here on r.f.c.(and even some in the Signature dish section on the
site), so I am debating about treating myself to one for Christmas
😉 I have a decent dutch oven and I often do stews etc. in that. Is
a crockpot better than a DO for stews (and whatever)?

The common complaint about new ones is that they are too hot
(probably a result of the legal department) so that the all day
cooking doesn't work anymore. You may want to check if there are any
current versions that work properly.

Too hot?! I can't imagine the legal department of whatever mfg. demanding a
slow cooker cook at higher temperatures. That's just inviting trouble.

Jill

"ChattyCathy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Have seen more and more recipes for slow cookers/crockpots mentioned here
on r.f.c.(and even some in the Signature dish section on the site), so I
am debating about treating myself to one for Christmas 😉 I have a decent
dutch oven and I often do stews etc. in that. Is a crockpot better than a
DO for stews (and whatever)?

So who has a slow cooker? Do you love it/hate it, use it often?

I have a Crockpot and love it (I've had it for 15+ years). I use it a few
times a month. I really like how I can just load it with ingredients in the
morning, turn it on, and go about my day (even leaving the house), then have
dinner ready that evening (I usually have to do some other cooking--like
make gravy, side dishes, etc., but the main course is pretty much done).

It also comes in handy for parties/pot lucks, because you can just plug it
in and keep foods warm on the buffet.

Mary

ChattyCathy said:

Have seen more and more recipes for slow cookers/crockpots mentioned
here on r.f.c.(and even some in the Signature dish section on the site),
so I am debating about treating myself to one for Christmas 😉 I have a
decent dutch oven and I often do stews etc. in that. Is a crockpot
better than a DO for stews (and whatever)?

So who has a slow cooker? Do you love it/hate it, use it often?

Should I or shouldn't I?

Comments welcome.
--
Cheers
Chatty Cathy

Garlic: the element without which life as we know it would be impossible

Slow cookers (Crock Pots) are generally really cheap, so no reason not
to have one.

The main advantage of the slow cooker is that they can run at lower
temps than most stoves and apply the heat in a more diffuse manner than
a typical pot on a stove. This means little chance of scorching the
contents at the bottom of the pot and little need for stirring to even
out the temps.

A side effect of this low heat input from the slow cooker is the need to
be careful what you put in and often pre brown meats and whatnot before
putting them in the slow cooker since with the low heat input, the slow
cooker can potentially linger in the "danger zone" temperature range for
a while.

I find the most common use for slow cookers is not actually cooking, but
holding and serving, be it pulled pork, meatballs, chili, soup, mulled
cider, etc. At the $20 or so they typically cost, it's not very
expensive to have several on the buffet line.

ChattyCathy said:

Have seen more and more recipes for slow cookers/crockpots mentioned
here on r.f.c.(and even some in the Signature dish section on the site),
so I am debating about treating myself to one for Christmas 😉 I have a
decent dutch oven and I often do stews etc. in that. Is a crockpot
better than a DO for stews (and whatever)?

So who has a slow cooker? Do you love it/hate it, use it often?

Should I or shouldn't I?

Comments welcome.
--
Cheers
Chatty Cathy

Garlic: the element without which life as we know it would be impossible

Slow cookers (Crock Pots) are generally really cheap, so no reason not
to have one.

The main advantage of the slow cooker is that they can run at lower
temps than most stoves and apply the heat in a more diffuse manner than
a typical pot on a stove. This means little chance of scorching the
contents at the bottom of the pot and little need for stirring to even
out the temps.

A side effect of this low heat input from the slow cooker is the need to
be careful what you put in and often pre brown meats and whatnot before
putting them in the slow cooker since with the low heat input, the slow
cooker can potentially linger in the "danger zone" temperature range for
a while.

I find the most common use for slow cookers is not actually cooking, but
holding and serving, be it pulled pork, meatballs, chili, soup, mulled
cider, etc. At the $20 or so they typically cost, it's not very
expensive to have several on the buffet line.

"ChattyCathy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Have seen more and more recipes for slow cookers/crockpots mentioned here
on r.f.c.(and even some in the Signature dish section on the site), so I
am debating about treating myself to one for Christmas 😉 I have a decent
dutch oven and I often do stews etc. in that. Is a crockpot better than a
DO for stews (and whatever)?

So who has a slow cooker? Do you love it/hate it, use it often?

Should I or shouldn't I?

Comments welcome.
--

One of the things I like best about using my slow cooker is making
multi-meals aka, planned left overs.
Day 1, Pot roast
Day 2, shredded beef sandwiches
Day 3, beef and barley soup or beef vegetable soup made with the left over
shredded beef.

Cream of chicken
Day 1, Cream of chicken
Day 2, Chicken Pot pie
Day 3, Chicken soup

Another pot roast
Day 1, pot roast made w/ green peppers, onion and canned tomato
Day 2, shredded beef w/ vegetables and rice wrapped in phyllo dough
Day 3, BBQ Beef sands.

Whole chicken
Day 1, whole chicken
Day 2, chunks of chicken served in salad
Day 3, White Chili

None of these have to be served one day after another. They all can be
frozen for later use. I buy huge pot roasts and chicken. And to freeze
the creamed chicken for pot pie I line the pie pan w/ plastic rap, fill the
pan and then freeze. I then remove the pie pan, wrap again (so it's a disk
of frozen creamed chicken). When I'm ready to cook, I just take out the
frozen disk and put it in my pie pan w/ crust added.

I have a pot roast in the crock pot today. 🙂 I'll make at least 3 meals
out of it, maybe 4. In the fall/winter I use my crock pot quite a bit. In
the summer, not so much.

"ChattyCathy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Have seen more and more recipes for slow cookers/crockpots mentioned here
on r.f.c.(and even some in the Signature dish section on the site), so I
am debating about treating myself to one for Christmas 😉 I have a decent
dutch oven and I often do stews etc. in that. Is a crockpot better than a
DO for stews (and whatever)?

So who has a slow cooker? Do you love it/hate it, use it often?

Should I or shouldn't I?

Comments welcome.
--

One of the things I like best about using my slow cooker is making
multi-meals aka, planned left overs.
Day 1, Pot roast
Day 2, shredded beef sandwiches
Day 3, beef and barley soup or beef vegetable soup made with the left over
shredded beef.

Cream of chicken
Day 1, Cream of chicken
Day 2, Chicken Pot pie
Day 3, Chicken soup

Another pot roast
Day 1, pot roast made w/ green peppers, onion and canned tomato
Day 2, shredded beef w/ vegetables and rice wrapped in phyllo dough
Day 3, BBQ Beef sands.

Whole chicken
Day 1, whole chicken
Day 2, chunks of chicken served in salad
Day 3, White Chili

None of these have to be served one day after another. They all can be
frozen for later use. I buy huge pot roasts and chicken. And to freeze
the creamed chicken for pot pie I line the pie pan w/ plastic rap, fill the
pan and then freeze. I then remove the pie pan, wrap again (so it's a disk
of frozen creamed chicken). When I'm ready to cook, I just take out the
frozen disk and put it in my pie pan w/ crust added.

I have a pot roast in the crock pot today. 🙂 I'll make at least 3 meals
out of it, maybe 4. In the fall/winter I use my crock pot quite a bit. In
the summer, not so much.

ChattyCathy <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Have seen more and more recipes for slow
cookers/crockpots mentioned here on r.f.c.(and even
some in the Signature dish section on the site), so I am
debating about treating myself to one
for Christmas 😉 I have a decent dutch oven and
I often do stews etc. in that. Is a crockpot better than a DO
for stews (and whatever)?

Yes, a crockpot works awesomely for stews and many other dishes.

Quoted message said:

So who has a slow cooker? Do you love it/hate it,
use it often?

I have three; 3-qt, 4.5 qt, and a 6.5 qt. I love all of them and
use them all year-round. Except for browning the meats, they're
great for setting-and-forgetting! You put da ingredients in and
come home 4-8 hours later to a wonderful meal.

Make sure to supplement your library with "The Complete Slow
Cooker Cookbook" [ISBN 1-4027-0850-5]

This book is set up with a hard cover and spiral bound (I really
like this new format for cookbooks) so when open it lays flat. The
author, Carol Heding Munson, produced it in such an organized
fashion that everyone will find it useful. For someone new to
crockpot cooking, there are two chapters to help with
understanding slow cooking. Then the book is chaptered into soups,
stews, vegetables and sides, poultry, meat, desserts. The index is
also highly useful (AT LAST!) being broken down similar to the
format similarly found in Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, and BH&G
cookbooks.

The Ranger

ChattyCathy said:

Have seen more and more recipes for slow cookers/crockpots mentioned
here on r.f.c.(and even some in the Signature dish section on the site),
so I am debating about treating myself to one for Christmas 😉 I have a
decent dutch oven and I often do stews etc. in that. Is a crockpot
better than a DO for stews (and whatever)?

So who has a slow cooker? Do you love it/hate it, use it often?

Should I or shouldn't I?

Comments welcome.

They're okay if you're the type who does soups and stews but doesn't
ever lift the lid to taste and adjust, and doesn't care about
texture. And they can't brown food either, you need to use another
pot for that and then unless you deglaze you lose all the flavor (and
then you may as well finish the dish in that pot). If you do get
one I'd suggest it's at least 4 quarts, 6 quarts is better, I think
anything smaller is useless... and get one with all the bells and
whistles; dual temperature, full range timer with keep warm
capability. Be sure it has a removeable insert and that it's of
ceramic, not plastic. On the plus side they don't cost much, on the
negative side they are bulky and take up substantial space, and one
must take care when cleaning the ceramic insert and glass lid so they
don't break. I bought mine specifically for cooking steel cut oats,
does a fantastic job. I tried it for pot roast and beef stew, I
thought it did an awful job... but then everyone's taste buds are not
in the same orifice. If you feel you really need another small
appliance to assauge your kitchen itch I would strongly suggest you
put your money towards a meat grinder.

Sheldon

"ChattyCathy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Have seen more and more recipes for slow cookers/crockpots mentioned here
on r.f.c.(and even some in the Signature dish section on the site), so I
am debating about treating myself to one for Christmas 😉 I have a decent
dutch oven and I often do stews etc. in that. Is a crockpot better than a
DO for stews (and whatever)?

So who has a slow cooker? Do you love it/hate it, use it often?

Should I or shouldn't I?

Comments welcome.
--
Cheers
Chatty Cathy

Garlic: the element without which life as we know it would be impossible

I have a smaller one - very old - higher than wide. I like the way it cooks
best.
I have a larger new one, wide and shorter in height. It cooks hot.

In the warm months, even though they don't give off a lot of heat, I leave
them outside to cook, leaving more counter space.
I love that. I also do that with my electric skillet.

Dee Dee

"George" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

The common complaint about new ones is that they are too hot (probably a
result of the legal department) so that the all day cooking doesn't work
anymore. You may want to check if there are any current versions that work
properly.

My new one is just too hot, too. Even the lower setting is way too hot. I
wish it had a regulator like a electric skillet, so you could see just how
hot it IS getting.
I'm glad I didn't toss the old one.
Dee Dee

"The Ranger" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Make sure to supplement your library with "The Complete Slow Cooker
Cookbook" [ISBN 1-4027-0850-5]

This book is set up with a hard cover and spiral bound (I really like this
new format for cookbooks) so when open it lays flat. The author, Carol
Heding Munson, produced it in such an organized fashion that everyone will
find it useful. For someone new to crockpot cooking, there are two
chapters to help with understanding slow cooking. Then the book is
chaptered into soups, stews, vegetables and sides, poultry, meat,
desserts. The index is also highly useful (AT LAST!) being broken down
similar to the format similarly found in Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, and
BH&G cookbooks.

The Ranger

This is my favorite slow cooker book:

"The Gourmet Slow Cooker" Simple and Sophisticated Meals from Around the
World" by Lynn Alley.

http://www.amazon.com/Gourmet-Slow-Cooker-Simple-Sophisticated/dp/1580084893/ref=sr_1_1/102-2406054-7640147?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1192546781&sr=1-1

or
http://tinyurl.com/3a7syx

Dee Dee