8 Top Tips for Using Your Slow Cooker


Top Tips for using your slow cooker- get the most out of it; don't let it gather dust in a cupboard!

A slow cooker, or Crock Pot if you're American, is a wonderful thing. They are incredibly cheap to buy compared to other electrical kitchen gadgets and very cheap to run, especially when compared to traditional ovens. They are also fantastic for cooking cheaper cuts of meat and a great timesaver for busy people.

Most slow cookers come with their own little cookbook. I don't know about you, but I have never used mine, preferring to find other recipes and experiment with my own. Along the way, I have learnt from other cooks, and discovered myself that there are some great tips to help you with slow cooking.

So, if your slow cooker is gathering dust in a cupboard somewhere or you just got one and don't know where to start, have a read of my 8 top tips for using your slow cooker and see if they inspire you!



Top Tips for Using a Slow Cooker

1. SEARING- Do you need to sear meat before slow cooking? NO- Many people swear by searing the meat first and think it is essential to all slow cooking, so do you need to do it? No, you don't NEED to sear. I never do, and many people just can't be bothered. The value of searing is to add more flavour to your stew, but you will still get a perfectly delicious stew without it. My view is that, if you have time, and can be bothered with the extra dishes that will need washing up, then go ahead, it will taste great. If you just want to forget searing and chuck it all in as I do, then go ahead, your stew will be delicious too!  So don't let the evangelists of searing put you off, chuck it all in and enjoy!

2. VARIETY- Almost anything you can think of, can be made in the slow cooker. Want to make fudge, cake, jacket potatoes, curry, porridge, pasta and rice dishes? It can all be made in the slow cooker. So if you can't find a recipe (and there are slow cooker recipes out there for just about anything you can think of!), just try to adapt an ordinary one for the slow cooker. The first time you do it, you might need to keep an eye on the timings as it cooks, until you work it out. Generally most chicken or vegetarian dishes will be ready after 4-5 hours on high. Humble cuts need longer and a lower temperature (see point 7 below).

3.  PASTA AND RICE- Can you cook pasta and rice in the slow cooker? YES- Cooking pasta and rice in the slow cooker might sound odd, but I did it regularly when our kitchen was out of commission, and all we had was a slow cooker and a microwave. Pasta will cook fairly quickly by slow cooking standards. Add it to whatever sauce you've cooked in the slow cooker about 30 minutes before the dish is due to be ready (if on high). You may need to add 100ml of boiling water with it, for the pasta to absorb and be prepared add a little more if it looks like it's drying out. Rice takes a little longer. 2 to 2 and a half hours before the end of cooking on high will usually be enough for white rice (with some added water), whereas closer to 3 to 3 and a half for brown is better. Obviously, it is not the same as making say, chilli, and then serving it beside, or on top of, fluffy rice because the rice will have cooked in and absorbed the juices of the chilli. It's still pretty yummy though, and brilliant if you just need to be able to leave it.

4. LIQUID-  How much liquid should you use in a slow cooker? A lot less than you do in a pan- Very little liquid is evaporated in slow cooking, so it's important to remember not to pour too much water or stock in. It's difficult when you first start because it looks like such a small amount of liquid! If you accidentally use too much then, one trick you can try, which works well for me, is to pull the lid slightly off and let some of it evaporate. You could even take the whole lid off. It's the easiest way to correct it without losing flavour, which would be the problem with pouring some of it off. If you want to thicken your sauce near the end, mix a tablespoon of cornflour or plain flour with water and mix it into the liquid near the end. For meaty dishes, you could also use some gravy granules.

5. FAT- Do you need to use oil or butter in a slow cooker? No- One advantage of using the slow cooker is that you don't really need any oil or butter. You can still use butter for flavour, if you wish, but, if you are counting the calories, you can use the slow cooker to make soup without any at all.

6. ORGANISATION- It's not easy using a slow cooker unless you can organise yourself ahead of time. There are different ways to go about it. One way is to put the slow cooker on overnight on low, and then decant everything in the morning into freezer containers. Great if you have time in the morning, and if you're not freaked out by delicious dinner smells while you're making breakfast! Another way is to get it all together in the morning, chuck it in and leave it on low for the day. Again, you need time in the morning, so it's not great if you're a 'shower and leave' person! The best answer, I have found, is to prepare it all the night before and then pop the slow cooker dish and lid in the fridge overnight, so all you have to do is take it out and switch it on before you go the next day. Long cooking on the low setting often produces the best results, especially for dishes with lots of herbs and spices.

7. CHOOSE WISELY- What kind of meat should you use in a slow cooker? Using lean or expensive cuts of meat is a waste in your slow cooker. It works far better to use the cheaper, more humble cuts like shin, brisket, rib trim, oxtail etc. Many advise against using chicken breasts too, but I find they are fantastic in the slow cooker for certain recipes, especially recipes where you want the shredded effect. Otherwise you are better off with skinless, boneless chicken thighs. For humble cuts of meat, low and slow is best, so aim to cook them for 7-8 hours.

8. DON'T BE NOSY- Slow cooking timings work on the heat being trapped inside and the liquid remaining in tact. If you can't resist lifting the lid to check on things all the time, you're cooking time will just keep getting longer and longer! They put glass lids on slow cookers for a reason, you know, so you can look through them! Give them a little shake and the condensation will drip away so you can look. There's usually no need to stir or lift the lid, unless you feel there's not enough liquid in there. Keep lid lifting to a minimum during the cook.

I hope that's helpful to you. If you have any other tips, leave them in the comments! If you're inspired to get slow cooking- go here for some recipes to get you started: Improving Cook Slow Cooker Recipes

My personal favourites are:

Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken

Hearty Slow Cooker Beef and Bean Stew

Slow Cooker Leek and Potato Soup

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