Advice please on Slow Cookers (1 Viewer)

[bartiny]

Nipping to Aldi Tomorrow (Thursday) to get a battery charger etc.

Just wondering if the slow cooker below would be a handy addition for the motorhome.

Only two of us 99% of the time so was wondering if anyone has any experience, are they useful, too bulky, too big etc.

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or is this halogen a better, more useful addition.

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Thanks in advance

 

[vwalan]

pressure cooker much better and very easy to use cooks almost any thing in 15-20 mins .
many things in 5-7 mins .
plus keeps all the flavours and goodness in the pan .

 

[bartiny]

pressure cooker much better and very easy to use cooks almost any thing in 15-20 mins .
many things in 5-7 mins .
plus keeps all the flavours and goodness in the pan .

Thanks, yes I had forgot about pressure cookers, you are right about them, had one 20 years ago loved it

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[hilldweller]

>> Advice please on Slow Cookers

This is FUN. Slow is good, very slow nirvana.

Chill out, enjoy.

 

[Manic]

The Aldi slow cooker looks ok but would be heavy, my wife bought a slow cooker that a sear and cook type, meaning it has a non stick metal pan that you can use on the hob to read the meat and then put the same pan in the slow cooker, we did have one like the Aldi type but the new ones a lot lighter. She thinks it came from The Range or maybe Dunhelm and a similar price, like this
http://homeshopping.24studio.co.uk/...le_Properties&tmclickref=Google_PLA&cssoc=047

 

[garjanco]

We have a small slow cooker in the MH but it is much smaller than the one in Aldi. I think its 1.5 litres. Use it to cook gammon joints etc .

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[bartiny]

We have a small slow cooker in the MH but it is much smaller than the one in Aldi. I think its 1.5 litres. Use it to cook gammon joints etc .

Thanks, yes I was wondering if 6.5 ltr was a bit too big for the two of us, the one you have coupled with a pressure cooker (I had forgot about them ) could be the way to go

 

[Lenny HB]

The one Aldi are selling looks the same as our Russell Hobbs one we have at home, quite big & heavy. I prefer the pressure cooker option much easier and don't have to wait hours for your dinner.
Although I have an inverter in my van I still prefer to have items that don't require mains power.

 

[denisejoe]

We very rarely use EHU so wouldn't benefit from a slow cooker. I do however have a Mr D thermal cooker (www.mrdscookware.com) which is a slow cooker which doesn't use electricity. It's like a vacuum flask (a modern day hay box) - heat up the meat and veg in the inner pot on the gas and and then put in the outer and seal. Leave for several hours, usually at least 3-4 hours but longer is OK. Final heat up on stove for about 5 minutes whilst rice/pots/pasta etc is cooked to go with it.

It fits quite easily under one of the seats.

Denise

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[Armytwowheels]

If you want a slow cooker I can recommend the Sear and Cook Morphy Richards one. You can start the stew, chilli, curry, whatever in the pan on the hob, then transfer to the main body of the slow cooker (I have this warming up in the meantime). I have also done baked potatoes in the slow cooker too, not very crispy but they tasted good.

If travelling that day I then put the slow pot in a trug, lined with a cotton towel and the lid secured with a bungy across the top. Put this in the shower tray, pad out around the trug so there is no movement and get the miles in to the the next nights stop. If the dinner is not cooked by the time we stop we leave it going via the inverter as it draws very little power and we know the batteries are full after the drive.

 

[bartiny]

The one Aldi are selling looks the same as our Russell Hobbs one we have at home, quite big & heavy. I prefer the pressure cooker option much easier and don't have to wait hours for your dinner.
Although I have an inverter in my van I still prefer to have items that don't require mains power.

Yes good points, I am leaning more towards the pressure cooker now, but probably will get a 1.5 ltr slow cooker as a "just in case" it could join the sandwich maker, George Forman grill etc gathering dust in the cupboard at home

 

[Peter & Elaine]

Out off all the tack we have bought our little slow cooker gets most use of all
Load it up on a morning serve it up at night
We even run it when traveling just sticky tape lid down and put it in sink
Buy a low wattage one less then 200 watt and it will run on a small inverter

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[Popeye]

We carry a small slow cooker and use it whilst traveling, it only uses 300 watts so works a treat on the inverter and then dinner is ready on arrival, can't do that in a pressure cooker.

Only problem is the aroma makes you want to stop earlier....

 

[Rob and Val]

We were in Lincoln today and bought this in Lakeland: -
http://www.lakeland.co.uk/12921/Lakeland-Brushed-Chrome-Family-Slow-Cooker
It's reduced from £29.99 to £14.99 but only on offer until the end of October.
Also bought this to complement it: -
http://www.lakeland.co.uk/14570/Lakeland-Slow-Cooking-Book
It has some tasty looking recipes.

 

[bartiny]

Mr D thermal cooker

Mmmm, that does look interesting, the 4.5 ltr twin looks a handy bit of kit

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[bartiny]

We were in Lincoln today and bought this in Lakeland: -
http://www.lakeland.co.uk/12921/Lakeland-Brushed-Chrome-Family-Slow-Cooker
It's reduced from £29.99 to £14.99 but only on offer until the end of October.
Also bought this to complement it: -
http://www.lakeland.co.uk/14570/Lakeland-Slow-Cooking-Book
It has some tasty looking recipes.

Perfect thanks, great price, low watts, that with a small pressure cooker will do just perfect, covers all bases .

 

[Minxy]

Advantage of a pressure cooker is you don't need electric to use it - wouldn't be without mine!

 

[davanne]

I have a large and a small slow cooker at home but find I usually use the small one when there are only two of us. I also take the small one in the motorhome as the big one takes up too much room. I also have a small pressure cooker in the motorhome.
I think I paid about £9.99 for the small one from B&M bargains

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[vwalan]

We carry a small slow cooker and use it whilst traveling, it only uses 300 watts so works a treat on the inverter and then dinner is ready on arrival, can't do that in a pressure cooker.

Only problem is the aroma makes you want to stop earlier....

all i can say is with a pressure cooker you only wait 5-8mins and it done .
uses very little gas .
i use a 1litre a 3ltr in the van . at home i have various upto 25 litre . that one takes 6 whole chicken .
i was in the catering corps so cooking is one of my hobbies . but a nice cake or steam pudding can all be cooked in them .

 

[bartiny]

I think I paid about £9.99 for the small one from B&M bargains

Thanks, I will have a look tomorrow as B&M is next to Aldi

 

[Steve N Tracy]

We have one had one these http://www.lidl.co.uk/en/our-offers-2491.htm?action=showDetail&id=27557
for a while that are back on offer at Lidl at the moment it slow cooks, roasts, and fries chips, but only any good on pitches with 10 amps upwards.

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[Dazzlin]

We have a small R Hobbs slow cooker. 1.5l about 120w.
Use when driving like others.
But with two solar panels on a sunny day it only takes a little out of the battery.
Wouldn't be without ours. Use it a few times a week.

 

[Minxy]

Thanks, I will have a look tomorrow as B&M is next to Aldi

Yes, our little one came from B&M too - just make sure that the weight is in the box as they are usually in a delve on the top of the polystyrene packaging on top of the cooker and get nicked!

 

[bartiny]

all i can say is with a pressure cooker you only wait 5-8mins and it done .
uses very little gas .
i use a 1litre a 3ltr in the van . at home i have various upto 25 litre . that one takes 6 whole chicken .
i was in the catering corps so cooking is one of my hobbies . but a nice cake or steam pudding can all be cooked in them .

You have convinced me But I will get a small 2.5 ltr slow cooker as well anyway, it will come in handy at home if not in the motorhome

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[vwalan]

i use a hawkins 1.5 ltr not a 1 litre .
have prestige ,tower ,rochedo ,butterfly elite and the big one is a very old mirromatic .
always threatened my kids i would cook them in the big one . but really slow cooker is a waste of power . rice two minutes remove from heat. veg about 5 mins at pressure , chicken or joints meat 12-15mins maybe a bit longer depends on your weights .
i can just squeeze 4 meals out of a 3 litre one if i fill it to the top.
i find the smallest ideal for one person or good for rice pasta for two people .
mind i do like honey roast gammon for xmas cooked in proper oven with honey glazed carrots roast spuds etc .mmmm and fresh baked mince pies . i usually end up xmas cooking for a crowd.

 

[Minxy]

Info on how to cook with a thermal cooker (ie like Mr D's)

http://ladyrain.hubpages.com/hub/Thermal-Cooker

 

[sdc77]

We have a mr ds thermal cooker too. Works well and we use it a fair bit but always on our first night away so the foods ready when we turn up late at an aire

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[Popeye]

all i can say is with a pressure cooker you only wait 5-8mins and it done .
uses very little gas .
i use a 1litre a 3ltr in the van . at home i have various upto 25 litre . that one takes 6 whole chicken .
i was in the catering corps so cooking is one of my hobbies . but a nice cake or steam pudding can all be cooked in them .

I have a pressure cooker on board and I know how quickly they can produce the goods, however the whole point of the slow cooker is lost.

A large joint just falls apart and my slow cooker uses no Gas whatsoever. Nor do I need to be on EHU.

 

[ruthiebabe]

We very rarely use EHU so wouldn't benefit from a slow cooker. I do however have a Mr D thermal cooker (www.mrdscookware.com) which is a slow cooker which doesn't use electricity. It's like a vacuum flask (a modern day hay box) - heat up the meat and veg in the inner pot on the gas and and then put in the outer and seal. Leave for several hours, usually at least 3-4 hours but longer is OK. Final heat up on stove for about 5 minutes whilst rice/pots/pasta etc is cooked to go with it.

It fits quite easily under one of the seats.

Denise

How do you find it cooks, Denise? I have one too but haven't practised enough with it I think. Do you find you need to cut the meat quite small in order for it to tenderise?

 

[davanne]

Thanks, I will have a look tomorrow as B&M is next to Aldi

Argos also have a 1.5l for £9.99 if they havn't got them in B&M

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