Slow cookers?

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Otterly

Otterly

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I’m thinking of getting a slow cooker. Can anyone recommend one that’s;

-stainless steel or hard wearing ceramic insert
-removable insert that’s easy to clean

It has to be non-stick free, not Teflon type. I refuse to cook on non stick. Available in UK/europe.

Ta. Also happy to hear about recipes, and whether they’re a good idea or not.
 
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I found this model, but I’m unsure if there’s a UK version or not, but it seems to fit what you’re looking for.

Not a slow cooker, but can function similar to one on a stovetop or over a fire. I bought this, and it’s really nice for soups and stews.
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Link to the product

Also, this recipe can be made on stovetop or a slow cooker. I made this stew for St. Patrick’s Day, and it’s very tasty
 
I have been using the same Crock Pot since I first moved out of my parent's house and it has held up just fine. Can't vouch for the quality these days but there is not much to it. Just a heating element, a dial, and a ceramic dish. They are such a classic that I'd bet they are available basically everywhere.

They are 100% worth it and you can cook so many things in one that it is hard to choose a favorite. I'd probably go with pulled pork sandwiches or beef and veggie stew/stroganoff but it is good for anything that you want to slow cook or can ignore for a few hours. A lot of the time I'll just prep the meal before bed and throw it in while my coffee is brewing in the morning and have a meal (or most of one) waiting when the day is over.

Found a newer version the exact one we use at asda for £40: ASDA

Feeds a family of 4 with plenty of leftovers.
 
Otterly said:
-stainless steel or hard wearing ceramic insert
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Every Crock Pot I've seen had a heavy ceramic/stone inner bowl. Instant Pots, which typically have a slow cooker function, plus the pressure & saute features, usually have a lighter stainless steel bowl.

I'm sure both are available even in communist countries like Europe.

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In my experience, any of the cheap Chinesium (sub 50$/£) slow cookers you can find on Amazon are fine as long as you don't need super-precise temperature controls or fancy timers. They all come with with ceramic inserts that are relatively easy to clean and don't scratch easily. Being ceramic, they can crack pretty easily if dropped, but otherwise are pretty hardy. The actual heating element is super simple, so there's not a lot to go wrong.

I do recommend getting at least a 4l/qt capacity even if you're just cooking for yourself, as prepping smaller batches is as much work as larger ones, and the leftovers are always amazing.
 
This is the exact beast I have in my house and have used for well over a decade. Sturdy, reliable, ceramic insert pot that's very easy to yoink and clean.

And as you'll note from the image, I went on Amazon's french-fuck site and verified it's available overseas (they won't ship from France to 'Murica though LOL - have to order it from .com for it to arrive in the land of Freedom)

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Diet Coke 4 Life said:
This is the exact beast I have in my house and have used for well over a decade. Sturdy, reliable, ceramic insert pot that's very easy to yoink and clean.

And as you'll note from the image, I went on Amazon's french-fuck site and verified it's available overseas (they won't ship from France to 'Murica though LOL - have to order it from .com for it to arrive in the land of Freedom)

View attachment 8731461
Click to expand...
This is the same one I picked up a year or two ago, and I can recommend it as well. I've honestly never used the temperature sensor features, so can't say if they're worth it over simpler models.

Man, those European prices are brutal though. Hamilton Beach is a lower-end brand, and the exact same model is <$90USD on burgerland Amazon. I recall it was closer to $60 back when I bought it.
 
I have a number of slowcookers. I have one crock pot and a few generic store brands I got for 10 dollars each. I can't tell the difference between the two.

I used it make bone broth. Keep all the bones you eat. Cook it overnight with a little onion, carrot, garlic and green onion. I use broth to make rice, stew. Soup, anything that requires a liquid base.

There's also a guy who has a few slowcooker meal prep videos. I make his chicken taco rice pretty frequently. It's chicken thighs slow cooked in taco seasoning and red enchilada sauce with vegetables and beans. After a couple hours, you pull apart the chicken and put in rice cooked in bone broth.
 
A slow cooker is a slow cooker is a slow cooker, assuming it has a ceramic insert. You could probably find an old one with plenty of life left in it at car boot sale or a charity shop for a fiver.
 
I've owned multiple Crock Pots of various vintages. All ceramic inserts, all work perfectly. Haven't bought one in 10 years though so who knows what the quality is like post-Covid.

Multiple people I know also have Instapots, I haven't heard any complaints. I think they're all stainless inserts. I don't know if those count as "slow cookers", but there's a lot of normal recipes that get tweaked slightly to work in slow cookers, and it's the same for Instapots.

Recipes for slow cookers can be found all over the place, but my favorite are the simple large roasts that are impossible to screw up. They're usually something like:
  1. Put a shoulder roast in the slow cooker
  2. Dump a can of Cream of Mushroom soup on top
  3. Turn on Low for 4-6 hours.
That's it. You can swap out cuts of meat and the soup type, or use sauces instead (barbecue, tomato, gravy, any leftover sauce/gravy you have). Most recipes start with that and add potatoes & vegetables, you just have to be careful with the timings so they don't turn to mush. Add seasoning or herbs to taste. Best part is they never burn, and almost never overcook, though you'll want to use recipes with timings until you get used to it.
 
Diet Coke 4 Life said:
This is the exact beast I have in my house and have used for well over a decade. Sturdy, reliable, ceramic insert pot that's very easy to yoink and clean.

View attachment 8731461
Click to expand...
I know someone who has one of those, the display started to die after a couple of years and now to use it you have to have count button presses and hope that you have it set where you want it.

Anyway, I have one of these, and I like it quite a bit, especially since I travel with it reasonably often. Yes, it has a Teflon coating in the cooking bowl (not to mention it's not available on Amazon.co.uk), but you're using liners anyway, right? Right???

 
Join team Instant Pot.

Raven of the Burning God said:
And can do all the other nonsense InstantPots can do (I wouldn't know, I've only ever used mine as a slow cooker and poor-man's autoclave).
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Learn the ways of pressure cooking. At least pressure cook some dried beans in there.
 
Personally, used Redmond brand 3 liters for years. But since you have a family, I recommend 5 liters. Also, make sure it has a condensation storage on hinge side.
And recipe for stewed vegetables:
Just cut cabbage, potatoes, one big carrot and onion. Put it in a bowl and choose either stew mode or 130° Celsius for one hour. Results are great. Also, can add meat to the same recipe
Boiled eggs are very easy. Steam cooking mode for 10 minutes. If you don't want to wait, just add boiling water.
Macaroni: boil water in kettle, put macaroni in bowl, add boiling water and set mode to frying for 12-15 minutes
Pasta: they almost all have special mode for it, same with macaroni, if you don't want to wait - pre-boil water in kettle.
 
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