Should I Buy A Slow Cooker?
Oh yes you should! I love my slow cooker and now it’s getting cold (here in the UK) they are really convenient way of making super healthy comfort food to warm us all up on these cold dark days. Let me tell you more…
How They work
Slow cookers came into vogue in the 70’s. They heat from the base. The heat travels up the sides of the cooker and the food cooks from within plus the moisture, that is released during this process, is trapped inside enhancing the cooking process further.
A chicken curry I rustled up recently…..
Cost
You can expect to pay anything from £15 for a small 1.5 Litre capacity one to well over £100 for a large capacity super duper, all singing - all dancing version, but it’s really not worth spending that kind of money. However, for a decent size one, say a 3.5 Litre capacity, the average price is around £30. This size would be suitable to produce good size meal for the average family, easily.
They use the same amount of energy as a light bulb so they’re super economical. Npower, the electricity supplier, state that the average 3.5L slow cooker uses 1.3Kwh of electricity which works out as 21p for eight hours of slow cooking. Bargain, aye.
What Can You Make?
Curries, stews, chilli, casseroles are all regularly made in my slow cooker and are dead easy to rustle up. You basically chop all your veg up and bung it in your cooker, add a few herbs and spices and chuck in your meat. Dead easy. Because of the cooking process you can use inexpensive cuts of meat and they will tenderise very easily. It’s worth noting that the slower you cook the better it tastes. I subscribe to The one Pot Chef on YouTube and he can make absolutely anything in a slow cooker, from Nutella chocolate brownies to full roast dinners. He’s well worth a look if you have the time. There are also many slow cooker recipe books available.
I’ve got a 6.5 Lire slow cooker (a bargain at £35) . I will make myself a meal and freeze the remaining food so I can then have healthy ready meals available at any time. I usually load up my slow cooker in the evening, put the bowel in the fridge over night, take it out in the morning and leave it at room temperature for a while, and then switch it on and let it cook throughout the day. Preparing my meals like that fits into my lifestyle nicely and really works for me. I will also add that there’s nothing better than coming home from a hard days PTing and smelling a nice curry or stew that has been slow cooking all day. My beef casserole is my signature dish and pretty special, if I do say so myself.
Conclusion
What are you waiting for! Go out and get one right now! They’re healthy, they’re economical, they’re super convenient plus, when you get experienced at using your slow cooker, the meals are delicious. You can thank me later…
Neil