Crock-Pot SCV655B Slow Cooker, Aluminium, 300 W, 6.5 liters, Black

Product Information

When we tested its slow cooking mode we found that it's almost too good at retaining moisture. Recipes that came out more saucy in some slow cookers were a little less rich because it's also designed to be an airtight pressure cooker. That can be remedied though by adding less liquid or taking into account the liquid that will come out of meat and veggies when you add them. The controls are a little cluttered, but the illustrations make the Sage The Fast Slow Go easy to use and very clear. The lid his hinged, which we don't love, but it does mean the Sage The Fast Slow Go will transition easily between slow cooking and pressure cooking for a range of the cooking modes. A slow cooker is a kitchen appliance that – in keeping with its name – cooks food slowly over a period of time. It's essentially a 'set it and forget it' kind of appliance, which makes it ideal for busy weeknights, or for cooking large cuts of meat. By slowly heating food to a simmer over several hours, the slow cooker method allows the flavours of ingredients to meld together, resulting in rich, tasty broths and tender meats. Slow cookers with digital controls and other cooking options are usually more expensive, but have more options and are a bit more versatile.

Slow cookers - Cheap Slow cookers Deals | Currys Slow cookers - Cheap Slow cookers Deals | Currys

Looking for an easier way to cook rice? See our round-up of the best rice cookers. Best slow cooker features to look out for Heat retention: how the cooker holds heat for safety on the worktop and whether the food catches or burns Removing the need to sauté in a pan before transferring to the pot, the Sage Fast Slow Go is as useful for slow cooking converts as it is to experienced cooks. Functioning as both a slow cooker and a pressure cooker, it includes sensors at the top and bottom to monitor temperature. This makes inconsistently cooked stews a thing of the past.A built-in timer is handy, but these are generally found on more expensive models with digital controls. They’re ideal if you’re going to be away from the slow cooker for longer than the recipe states. Once the cooking time you've set on the timer has been reached, the slow cooker will either switch to a 'keep warm' setting or turn off. This means your food will still be ready to eat when you are, without it getting overcooked. Hob-proof pots

Morphy Richards 461013 6.5 Litre Ceramic Slow Cooker, One-Pot

Basic slow cookers won’t get hot enough to sauté meat or vegetables, so you’ll need to do this in a pan before transferring the contents to the bowl. However, more expensive models offer a different one-pot solution. This can either be bowls that you use on your hob or in your oven in place of a pan (some will even be induction compatible). They will need to be moved to the slow cooker base. Machines with a sauté function for high-heat browning can simply be switched to slow cooking.Most slow cookers have a large claimed capacity, but the usable cooking space is around two-thirds of what is stated – that’s because it’s a safety risk if you overfill your slow cooker. When you make a one-pot dish, you usually start by searing the meat or sautéing base ingredients such as onions and garlic. Most slow cookers don’t let you do this, but there are a few that do. Some, such as the Morphy Richards Sear and Stew Digital Slow Cooker 460015, simply have a metal pot that’s sturdy enough to heat on your own hob (gas or electric, not induction). Pasta - While some people cook pasta in a slow cooker (2% of slow cooker owners we surveyed) it’s difficult to get it right. If you’re planning on being gung-ho doing it anyway, you should either cook it separately and put it in at the end or only add it during the final hour of cooking. The first thing you need to consider with any slow cooker is its capacity – each will list its bowl size in litres. Bear in mind that this won’t translate to the same amount of food, as you shouldn’t fill slow cookers to the brim. This gap allows your food to bubble and simmer properly. The usable cooking space will be around three-quarters of its bowl size, for example, a five-litre cooker can accommodate around four litres of food. Traditionally, slow cookers use a large, ceramic casserole dish that’s slow to heat up and slow to cool down. These are heavy and will break if you drop them, but they hold their heat well so they’re lovely to carry to the table and serve from.

Stew Slow Cooker - Stainless Steel Crockpot 6.5L Sizzle and Stew Slow Cooker - Stainless Steel

Finished results: the tenderness of the meat and vegetables, the consistency of the cooked sauce and the heat of the food when serving If you’re cooking for one or two and have no plans to freeze leftovers, choose a smaller 3.5-litre slow cooker (usable volume of around 2 litres). Most slow cookers will have similar standard controls – high heat for meals cooked in less than a few hours, low heat for all-day cooking. A 'keep warm' mode should hold food at a serveable temperature without actually cooking it. Some cookers will switch to 'keep warm' automatically after an elapsed cooking time, while more basic models need this altered manually. Slow cookers are also brilliant for less-than-confident cooks, easily creating all those meals that seem a bit scary on the hob. That’s because slow cooking develops the flavours of food for richer, tastier results. It’s not just dinners that slow cookers excel at making either. They make great porridge, granola, stewed apples, bread and butter pudding, fudge and dips. You can use your slow cooker to melt chocolate, as a Bain-marie. How much should I spend on a slow cooker?

The best slow cookers you can buy in 2023

Long cooking times allow cooking to happen while you do other things, such as go to work or the shops A smaller, round slow cooker is ideal if you’re cooking for one or two people, or aren’t fussed about having lots of leftovers to freeze.

slow cooker 2023 - batch cooking made easy | Ideal Home Best slow cooker 2023 - batch cooking made easy | Ideal Home

Design: Are you looking for a simple, budget-friendly option that just slow-cooks (but does it extremely well) or something more versatile that sous-vides, pressure cooks, bakes and roasts too? Do bear in mind that the more technological the slow cooker, the higher the price.

Enjoy one-pot suppers and family favourite dishes such as pulled pork and chilli with these easy-to-use cookers

While there are plenty of tasty recipes that you can whip up in a slow cooker, there are also a few items that you should think twice about before bunging them in.