Thinking about getting a slow cooker:: Update, got one!

[Xyzse]

Last edited Thu Nov 15, 2012, 11:55 PM - Edit history (1)

Never cooked using one before, but I am looking at some recipes, and I am salivating at the possibilities.

Was thinking of buying Beef Ribs...
Small Onions
Cut up small potatoes
Celery
Carrots
Chives
---
Worcestershire Sauce
Red Wine
Smoked Salt
Rosemary
Non Grounded Pepper

Then see how that thing turns out after about 8 hours.
:::
Vegetables as accompaniment:

Broccoli - Fresh, Cut
Baby Carrots - Just peeled
--Steam cook in butter and garlic

Or maybe I'll just use green peas.

Hmmmm...

Sorry, just thinking of what else I could bring for Thanksgiving at my sister's.
I know I am going to bring Steamed Tilapia...
Where I would put it in a plate in the steamer, with soy sauce, garlic, hot pepper, little bit of sugar, ginger, salt and pepper. Then spring onions.

Steamed Fish is safe, but I wanted to try using the slow cooker since I am prone to experimentation.

[Incitatus]

1. OMG

[Xyzse]

2. I don't...

Never thought about it.
I've always either:

1 - Cooked quick for day to day purposes
2 - Ate out, for convenience
3 - Cooked long for special occasions.

Slow cooker never came up. Not till I just started thinking about it.
I mean, even steaming fish only takes about 20-30 minutes. And because of this Chinese lady friend of mine, she taught me that I could actually do that in the Microwave, cutting my cooking time to 10-15 minutes.

[Incitatus]

4. I use mine a lot.

Mostly for pulled pork and chuck roasts. They're awesome.

[Xyzse]

5. Yeah, I am looking at the recipes right now...

I have never done it that way.

I've used pressure cookers to shorten cooking time, but I guess, the idea of leaving something running for hours on end without any supervision always freaked me out.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. Slow cookers (or crock pots, as I call them) are wonderful!

I start the meal in the morning, and then leave it all day......Dinner's ready when I am.

It's great!

And the food smells wonderful...

[Xyzse]

6. I will get one this weekend.

Currently looking at "Delish" and other recipe sites.

[mythology]

27. Crock pots are great except for that awful sinking feeling you get

when you come back after a day at work and there's no smell from the food because you forgot to turn the crock pot on, or didn't plug it in.

Not that I'm bitter toward myself for that or anything.

[Kennah]

7. If you like experimentation, then you will LOVE a slow cooker.

[kath]

8. One potential problem - the newer slow cookers cook hotter than the old ones, so if you want to

leave something cooking while you're gone at work (8-10 hours) it may turn out way overdone. The old ones were great for cooking in 8-10 hours. the new ones, not so much. From what I can pin down online, the change took place 6 yrs or so ago (for "food safety" reasons, though apparently no one online knows anyone who got seriously ill from a slow cooker meal in the 40 yrs or so that they've been around)

Google -- crockpot too hot OR new slow cooker too hot, or something similar. Several sites show up, with tons of people complaining about the problem.

Because of this, some people are snapping up the old vintage slow cookers at thrift shops & estate sales. Plus the old ones are made in the USA and last forever.

[Xyzse]

9. Oh... Carp.

Craigslist here I come?
I was planning on just going to Target.

[Xithras]

20. Don't buy one at Target or Walmart.

Those are cheap, but they use inferior heating elements that will burn out quickly and heat unevenly. My wife went through several before learning that lesson. Also, stay away from the Hamilton Beach crockpots. You can find them everywhere, but the new ones are absolute garbage (though I've heard that the old ones were pretty good, if you can find one). Oh, and NEVER buy one with electronic controls...not only will the heat eventually destroy the electronics, but they're also much harder to clean properly.

We now use a Crock Pot brand Cook & Carry that we bought from JC Penney about 5 years ago. It was only about $40 so it's not too horribly expensive (yes, I know that Walmart sells cheapies for $10), but it cooks evenly, is uber reliable, cleans easily, and it has seals and latches that allow you to move it around without spilling. I've actually knocked it over on its side while it was full of stew, and it didn't spill a drop. Between my wife and I, we probably use it 2-3 times a month and have never had a bad meal, an undercooked meal, or a burned meal out of it. The temperature is perfect.

[Xyzse]

22. Crud... Now I have a harder thing to look up.

Thanks though, at least I am told the pitfalls.

[AnneD]

24. Two words...

Garage sales.

And Yes, I have noticed that the newer ones cook hotter. I usually buy pieces to repair mine...it really is easy and garage sale crock pots can be inexpensive.

[Wait Wut]

21. That's why I bought one of those timer thingys.

Things were overcooked and dry. Now...it's awesome, again!

[pokerfan]

10. Take a look at rice cookers

They're absolutely amazing these days and aren't just for making rice anymore. You can steam anything, meat, veggies, tofu, pasta, etc. Make soups and stews. Oatmeal, grits, etc. I love my slow cooker, but if I could only have one appliance, it would be the rice cooker.

From 'The Pot and How to Use It' by Roger Ebert:

Your ingredients, (1) Any meat. Lamb, pork, beef, chicken, goat, wild boar, minotaur, hot dogs, ground beef. Cut into bite-sized pieces. (2) Fish, you have to be careful not to overcook. Canned tuna is useful. Use chilled shrimp, but don't let it cook until it gets too tough. Delicate fish, wait to read my salmon recipe. (3) Vegetable protein. Slice up tofu bite-sized. Try textured soy protein, which comes pretending to be beef chunks, chicken chunks, hamburger. (4) Vegetables. Just about any and all, but use your common sense. Don't try to cook a whole head of cabbage. You can cut it into wedges and steam it. Easier, use Brusells sprouts. Obvious principles: Carrots take longer than peppers. (5) Grains and pastas. Any and all. Experiment. With some, you'll want to cook them a little before adding anything else. (6) Salt, pepper and oils. Use all the pepper(s) you like. Otherwise, see below.

http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2008/11/the_pot_and_how_to_use_it.html

[Xyzse]

13. I have a rice cooker... But I use it only for cooking rice.

[MiddleFingerMom]

11. The BEST thing about slow cookers is starting your meal in the morning, leaving for work...

.
.
.
... (or whatever your whole day consists of) and returning in the evening, walking through
the door and smelling that wonderful aroma of a dinner that is ready and waiting for you.
.
.
.
I use it mostly for comfort foods (as someone above said -- mostly pulled pork and pot
roasts).
.
But they can be used for all SORTS of dishes. My favorite online recipe site is
http://www.recipesource.com/main-dishes/crockpot/
It has 947 crockpot recipes alone (in the "Main Dish" section).
.
.
.

[HopeHoops]

12. Get one with a removable crock. If not, use the liners. They work great.

Either way, the liners offer an advantage - storage. After serving, just twist them closed and pull out the bag. Put the bag in a bowl and it's ready for the fridge as is.

[mysuzuki2]

14. Slow cookers are wonderful!

They are especially great for working people with kids. When my kids were small (I was a single parent) I would whip something up in the evening, plug it in in the morning and dinner would be ready when we all got home. They are especially useful for stews, chile and soup.

[ohiosmith]

15. Use mine (have three) all the time. Makes the best stews and corned beef and cabbage ever.

[geardaddy]

16. Crock pot all the way, baby!

Love 'em!

[hunter]

17. There's nothing better than the smell of warm food in the winter.

The days are short, it's cold outside, and you walk into a warm house that smells like food... yum.

That pleasure goes back to the times humans first migrated out of the intertropical zone.

[HappyMe]

18. I love mine.

It is a Crock Pot brand. It has a removable ceramic lining with 4, 6, 8, and 10 hour cook times. It clicks into a 'warm' cycle when done cooking. I have never had a problem with it scorching or stuff sticking at all.

[flygal]

19. My favorite crock pot recipe

One chopped up onion
One whole Chicken
salt pepper herbs

that's it. 8 hours on low and it FALLS off the bone and is so moist. don't be tempted to add water. No veggies, throw them in the last hour or cook them in a cast iron skillet. I swear by this recipe, you'll never oven bake a chicken again!

[jobycom]

23. My girlfriend has a slow cooker... wait for it.

ME!

Yeah, crock pots are cool. You can start a pot of steel cut oats or, better, grits, the night before and wake up to a nice breakfasty smell. You can bake potatoes in it while you are at work. You can cook stews or chili all day long. Fun stuff.

[AlecBGreen]

25. listen the people here, they know whats up

one added benefit if you get a big one is you can make many portions in one go and freeze them for later. I like to do a huge batch of split pea & ham and then eat off it for the next two days and then freeze another 5 or 6 bowls worth for later. when you're hungry, its so nice to just go to the freezer and pull out some very tasty, already cooked food!

[Bombero1956]

26. my wife bought one 2 weeks ago

I made a beef stew with red wine today.

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 lbs. beef stew cubes
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 can (14.5 oz.) whole peeled tomatoes, cut into pieces
1 can (14.5 oz.) beef broth
3/4 cup red wine
2 packets onion soup mix
1 teaspoon dried basil
8 small red potatoes
1 bag (16 oz.) carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 package (8 oz.) sliced mushrooms
1 large onion, cut into eighths

Stir flour, salt and pepper in large bowl; add beef. Toss to coat.
Heat oil in slow cooker stovetop-safe cookware or large skillet over medium-high heat;
add half of the beef. Cook until browned on all sides. Repeat with remaining beef.
Place stovetop-safe cookware in base or place browned beef in cookware.
Stir in tomatoes, beef broth, wine, onion soup mix and basil until well blended.
Add potatoes, carrots, onion and mushrooms.
Cover and cook on HIGH 6 hours or LOW 12 hours until meat is tender. Stir before serving.

Serves:16

[Xyzse]

28. Wow...

Sounds great...