Talk me into buying a crockpot

[Earthmummy07]

because they have them cheap in the shop down the road :shifty

Ok, stupid questions warning :o

1. This is the same as a slow-cooker, yes?

2. What can I make in it?

3. Why is it better than just shoving stuff in the oven

4. How safe is it to cook meat etc on low for a long time? I assume the crockpot is hot enough to keep it out of the 'danger zone'?

5. What else do I need to know?

[Rishuu]

1. This is the same as a slow-cooker, yes?

I think so. I've always thought crockpot was a brand and slow-cooker was the device.

2. What can I make in it?

What can't you make in them? Whole chickens, roasts, soups, sauces, oatmeal, deserts, yogurt, the list is almost unending.

3. Why is it better than just shoving stuff in the oven

It won't heat up your entire house in the summer. If you put your ingredients in first thing you can set it and leave it and it's like magic. Dinner is ready and waiting. For a long and low meal like a pulled pork the crock pot uses a lot less energy then an oven turned on for hours. I don't worry about littles pulling it opened and getting burned. It's out of harms way on the counter.

4. How safe is it to cook meat etc on low for a long time? I assume the crockpot is hot enough to keep it out of the 'danger zone'?

I have never gotten ill from a meat dish cooked in the crock pot. I am 99% positive that it keeps the food out of the 'danger zone'.

5. What else do I need to know?

:scratch I can't think of anything else. :shrug3

They seriously rock. Go get one. :yes

[mamaKristin]

1. This is the same as a slow-cooker, yes? yes

2. What can I make in it? what CAN'T you make in it? I make main courses, side dishes, desserts, drinks, appetizers. I roast whole chickens, make roasts, overnight oatmeal or casseroles, soups. I've made broth in there overnight too.

3. Why is it better than just shoving stuff in the oven because you don't have to watch it, I can cook while I'm at work or super busy at home. I can make a dish to bring to a pot luck and keep it warm. I can use it to cook while we're sleeping.

4. How safe is it to cook meat etc on low for a long time? I assume the crockpot is hot enough to keep it out of the 'danger zone'? I'm guessing yes, because it's never been an issue for us. I own 3, yes 3, crockpots, and have used all three at once before, but generally, 2 at a time.

5. What else do I need to know? You can make anything in a crock pot, but not everything is better in one. I like making a whole chicken in there, but don't really care for how most chicken pieces come out (kind of mushy). It's great for cheaper cuts of meat that would be tougher if cooker faster. It's more flexible with timing than the regular over, because you can let it go a bit longer without burning.

[Psyche]

It is a slow cooker. Its amazing. You can cook anything in it. I toss my dried beans in it, put a bunch of water on it and let it cook all day and they're done by supper time. No pre soak or anything. :rockon

They typically cook anywhere from 180-220 degrees. I hate my "new" crock pot b/c it cooks to hot.

You can get cheaper cuts of meat to roast in there and they're super tender by supper time.

I've cooked apple pepper pork chops, soups/stews (chilli, etc), whole chicken, beef roasts which are turned into bbq beef the next day.

You can also cook oatmeal in it but I never have. Drinks like hot cocoa.

You may want to consider getting a book or googling a bunch of recipes.

Its wonderful b/c I can prepare everything the night before after the kids go to bed, chopping it all up, then dump it in the crock pot in the morning and supper is magically ready.

I adore a corned beef roast with cabbage on it. :yum

Some things to know, you need to put some liquid in it every time. Root veggies are best cooked at the bottom then put the meat on that. Don't open it to stir. It needs no TLC and is better left alone until supper time. All crock pots have are unique. Some need a little more watching til you get used to it, just to add more water if needed or keeping it from over cooking.

[Lily]

Crockpots are sanity savers. I especially love that it doesn't heat the house and that I can turn it on and forget it for the day.

Check out 365 days of crockpot (http://www.365daysofcrockpot.com/). There is also a book by that name.

[Earthmummy07]

Ok, more questions :giggle

What size do you have?

Does brand make a difference?

The 3.5l Russell Hobbs is £24 and says cooks food for 2-3 people or a I can get an 'own brand' 3.3l for £12. I guess I don't want it any smaller than that, because we have 3 people in our family, sometimes have people over, and are looking to add to our family. For the same price as the Russell Hobbs, I can get a 6.1L in a brand I've never heard of.

They do a 2L for £7 which is what originally caught my eye but I don't think that's going to be big enough :think

But would the 6L be too big if I just want to do something like oatmeal? (the idea of overnight oatmeal rocks my world BTW :rockon)

[mamaKristin]

I have a 3.5L one, and a 6L one, if I am remembering my sizes well. The 3-ish size is good, but I like the larger one for whole chickens and for roasts. Also, with a larger one, I put a smaller container inside to do oatmeal, and put it in a water bath. Steel cut oats are the best in the crockpot, everything else gets mushier than my family likes. I do have a tiny one that came with my largest one. It's really only good for dips.

[Earthmummy07]

Would it be completely indulgent to get the 6L £24 and the 2L £7 one? Then I have the best of both world, for approx £30 which is still cheaper than buying a 3.5L 'real' crockpot. I think I have tesco vouchers somewhere that I can redeem against them too :think

[Marrae]

I have three! I really like them all but the big one does take up a lot of room. they do seem to be different tho afa heat and timing is concerned. You need to get to know them individually. :giggle. My littlest one is a Tesco cheaply and it's fine. :yes

[Earthmummy07]

I just checked our clubcard points and we can get both crockpots for £1 :jawdrop Tesco Points exchange FTW! Actually, we could get it free, but I'd like to reserve some of our vouchers for something else :giggle I didn't realise we had so many! I guess this is what I get for doing online shopping with exclusively for months on end :dance

[Niphredil]

Crockpots are a gift from heaven. :yes Tell us when you're ready for recipes. :)

[Earthmummy07]

Recipes are good now :shifty I like to plan ahead :yes

I already did our meal planning/shopping for the next fortnight :( I wonder if any of it is crock-pot worthy? Let me see..

Pizza, sausage and mash, Risotto, I don't think so.

Somerset Pork Casserole I assume would be good in there. Spaghetti bolognaise, white chilli, curry, Oatmeal I think are ok

Baked potatoes?

[mamaKristin]

You can do baked potatoes in the crock pot. :yes You could simmer your spag bol sauce in there, but if you are doing ground meat, I'd cook it first. Chili can be done, curries too.

A quick tip you might like: cleaning. Add a drop of dish soap and some water, put on high for about an hour. Helps get off all the baked on gunk. Just don't put your hands into the hot water.

[Earthmummy07]

Really? Why does ground meat need cooking first?

[magpiemind]

Not sure whether this is what mamaKristin had in mind, but one reason to pre-cook meat is for browning - since you're usually cooking it in liquid in the slow cooker, the meat is essentially boiling/poaching/steaming, and so won't get that nice brown sear. (insert a bunch of scientific stuff about the Maillard reaction here)

When I make beef stew, I dredge my chunks of beef in flour, then briefly saute them so they have a brown "crust" before throwing them into the slow cooker with the veggies, broth, etc. I think it gives a better flavor and nicer appearance.

Oh - another reason: to drain off fat! I made chili last week, and didn't want too much liquidy fat in it. So I pre-browned my ground meat in a skillet, then drained off and discarded the fat before putting the meat and chili stuff into the slow cooker.

Hope this is helpful! :)