Do you use a slow cooker?

[Pilotman 16,956]

11 minutes ago, faraday said:

Slow cookers have been available for more than 30 years.

 

 

now that is slow cooking 

[cmrichsw 218]

On 10/5/2020 at 12:04 PM, scoupeo said:

just a new useless trend it seems, like bread machienes and other krap that chinese want to sell to the world.

 

what a sour puss you are

[cmrichsw 218]

On 10/5/2020 at 12:17 PM, Pilotman said:

now that is slow cooking 

ya so what is your point just looking to post something???

[Pilotman 16,956]

5 minutes ago, cmrichsw said:

ya so what is your point just looking to post something???

duh, it was a joke.  Buck up mate. 

[champers 9,539]

After reading this thread and looking up recipes on that Internet thingy, I bought a slow cooker yesterday from Big C Extra, an Otto SC-207 with a capacity of 3.5 Litres for 499 Baht. It is a clay pot and lid that slots into a steel jacket c/w heating element. A simple English instruction leaflet and controls in English clinched the deal.

I made a simple beef stew today with chuck steak, potato, carrot and onion. I cut the meat into 2cm/1" pieces and was concerned with the very tough membrane/sinew round the meat, so sealed it in 2 batches in a frying pan. I used Bisto gravy powder for my gravy, about 1 1/2 dessert spoons plus a dollop of ketchup.

I cooked on slow for 10 hours and was out most of the day doing my 90 day report at immigration.

The result was a triumph: the meat meltingly tender and all sinew gone. The carrots I sliced too thin and they broke up in the gravy. The taters (skin on) and onion were just right. I made too much gravy so my stew was more like soup but no less delicious. I added garden peas at the end for a nice bit of green. Any other green veg would do. I have plenty left to heat up for another meal the day after tomorrow.

I will try pork goulash, chicken casserole, sausage casserole and other dishes in the future. So simple and hardly time consuming. I wish I had bought one years ago.

Edited October 28 by champers

[Andy from Kent 672]

On 8/6/2020 at 9:20 AM, Pilotman said:

I found that the flavours were too concentrated and no opportunity to adjust the various ingredients as it cooked. It also seemed to just 'boil' meat, which I found unappetising for all meat cuts and for chicken.    

 

"no opportunity to adjust the various ingredients as it cooked."

 

You're confusing a croak pot and a pressure cooker.    You can lift the lid of a croak pot at any time during the cooking process.

 

 

[Pilotman 16,956]

14 hours ago, Andy from Kent said:

 

"no opportunity to adjust the various ingredients as it cooked."

 

You're confusing a croak pot and a pressure cooker.    You can lift the lid of a croak pot at any time during the cooking process.

 

 

fair point.  I was actually referring to the selling point for slow cookers. that you can throw everything in it,  go to work for 8 hours and come home to as nice cooked meal. as opposed to cooking and  adjusting as you go, to get the right result.  I never found that to be so, but I know that many people swear by them. To me its like taking a sledge hammer to break a nut. No finesse whatsoever, and good cooking is all about finesse.   I didn't make that clear enough.   

[Andy from Kent 672]

3 hours ago, Pilotman said:

No finesse whatsoever, and good cooking is all about finesse.

 

 

[ravip 4,496]

On 8/5/2020 at 7:45 PM, jaiyenyen said:

 

I dont know about the cooker, but the food looks delicious... mmmm

[tonray 12,225]

I just got the bug yesterday to buy one of those digital pressure cookers..."Instant Pot" of course the real version can be had for about $100 bucks in the US (Amazon) but here triple at about $300 dollars. So of course looking for a knockoff from China...anyone have any recommendations ?

[actonion 391]

Cant't get much slower than 'Er indoors

[khunjeff 647]

On 10/28/2020 at 7:59 PM, Andy from Kent said:

 

"no opportunity to adjust the various ingredients as it cooked."

 

You're confusing a croak pot and a pressure cooker.    You can lift the lid of a croak pot at any time during the cooking process.

 

You can lift the lid, but doing so frequently can greatly increase the cooking time:

 

"Keep the lid on. Do not lift the lid or cover unnecessarily during the cooking cycle. Each time the lid is raised, the internal temperature drops 10 to 15 degrees and the cooking process is slowed by 30 minutes."

[kenk24 6,682]

On 8/5/2020 at 8:40 PM, jaiyenyen said:

Prep the food, chuck it in the slow cooker

My wife is a fast cooker - can whip up a meal in minutes...

 

You lost me at 'prep the food' 

[kenk24 6,682]

On 10/29/2020 at 10:38 AM, Pilotman said:

good cooking is all about finesse.

Yeah, I try and do ballet while my food cooks but it doesn't help.

[Bogbrush 205]

Whatever you do, please don’t reheat your meal in a slow cooker; the contents can ‘turn’ and become inedible and possibly poisonous for some reason. Rather tip into a saucepan and reheat on a stove or microwave.