Slow Cooker Recommendations?

[beamonme]

Hello, like many mothers here I'm cooking several times daily for an ever increasing family. I've always cooked large batches and the kind of food we eat has to be easy to produce in bulk. I tend to cook a lot on the weekend when I'm not working and that's when I can get a lot of the food cooked up ready and stored in the fridge or freezer. I'd rather start cooking from fresh each day if I can. I've just been managing with big saucepans and frying pans to prepare all our food so really need a change of technique. I'm looking for a slow cooker option so I can start creating tasty meals on the day but with minimum effort. I can throw everything in and let time do its thing. I was wondering what slow cookers other moms use for the best results and best versatility?

[charla]

I have four slow cookers and have been known to use them all at one time. I have two smaller ones (those tall ones that don't have a removable insert) that I got for our wedding almost 24 years ago. I have a medium-sized one with a removable insert that I've had for a few years and the newest one is large with a removable insert that I keep on my counter. Things that are important to me in a slow cooker are the removable inserts for ease of cleaning and serving, size and having low, high and warm temps. I know some come with delayed cooking timers but I haven't ever needed anything like that. I've often wished that my slow cookers had locking tops for easy transport to church dinners.

[beamonme]

Originally Posted by beamonme

Hello, like many mothers here I'm cooking several times daily for an ever increasing family. I've always cooked large batches and the kind of food we eat has to be easy to produce in bulk. I tend to cook a lot on the weekend when I'm not working and that's when I can get a lot of the food cooked up ready and stored in the fridge or freezer. I'd rather start cooking from fresh each day if I can. I've just been managing with big saucepans and frying pans to prepare all our food so really need a change of technique. I'm looking for a slow cooker option so I can start creating tasty meals on the day but with minimum effort. I can throw everything in and let time do its thing. I was wondering what slow cookers other moms use for the best results and best versatility?

As mentioned in another thread, I'm quite keen on trying some Vegan and Gluten free recipes in the dutch oven as I'm having a go at going Vegan and my daughter has a glucose intolerance. Most of the cooking at home I do tend to use saucepans etc but we do have a shallow Lodge dutch oven that gets a fair amount of use too. It tends to be used more for pasta bakes, lasagnas, that sort of thing, so hasn't really been used for what its designed for. I want a nice deep one now so that I can try out some proper slow cooker recipes. I just need a bit of inspiration on which one to buy and which recipes to use.

[beamonme]

Originally Posted by charla

I have four slow cookers and have been known to use them all at one time. I have two smaller ones (those tall ones that don't have a removable insert) that I got for our wedding almost 24 years ago. I have a medium-sized one with a removable insert that I've had for a few years and the newest one is large with a removable insert that I keep on my counter. Things that are important to me in a slow cooker are the removable inserts for ease of cleaning and serving, size and having low, high and warm temps. I know some come with delayed cooking timers but I haven't ever needed anything like that. I've often wished that my slow cookers had locking tops for easy transport to church dinners.

Thanks for your response. I guess there are different kinds of slow cookers. I was mainly referring to the dutch oven style where they are a ceramic covered cast iron pot with a lid and you then use your hob or oven to create the heat, depending on what you are cooking. They can be used for slow or fast cooking. Ideal for slow cooking as they retain the heat well but also good for braising etc.