Slow cookers FAQs
Are slow cookers cheap to run?
Not only can slow cookers help you knock up some seriously delicious dinners, they are also energy efficient, with energy company USwitch noting the appliances use a little more energy than a traditional light bulb to run. While they take a little while to cook food, they use just 1.3kWh per meal cooked.
According to research by energy company Utilita, an electric oven is one of the most energy-intensive cooking appliances, costing on average £1.05 per day to run, whereas a slow cooker is typically five times cheaper to run.
What are the benefits of slow cooking?
There are many benefits to using a slow cooker, including that you can create delicious dinners with minimal prep and without spending hours in the kitchen. Once your ingredients are in, you do not have to check on or stir, because the pot warms up evenly and should never overheat.
Cooking for a long time at a low temperature is also perfect for tenderising meat and can preserve nutrients that are sometimes lost when cooking via other methods.
What are the key features to look for in a slow cooker?
Slow cookers often have a number of important features you should consider when choosing the right one for you…
- Capacity – As a general rule, a 1.5-3l slow cooker will feed one or two people; 3-5l will serve three or four people; 5-5.5l will feed four to five people; and a 6.5l machine will feed six to eight.
- Timer – Some slow cookers also have built-in timers, which means, once the set time has been reached, the appliance will either switch off completely or automatically change to a keep-warm setting.
- Temperature controls – Most appliances come with different temperature controls, including ‘low’, which is used for longer, slower cooking throughout the day and ‘medium’ and ‘high’, which are both used for speedier cooking but with similar results.
- Sous vide – A French term that means ‘under vacuum’, some models come with the ability to cook via the sous-vide method, using a sealed pouch. By doing so, the juices and subtle flavours that would otherwise be lost during conventional cooking are retained, making for a tastier meal.
Top tips for using a slow cooker
Choose cheap cuts of meat
Slow cookers work best when it comes to cooking cheaper cuts of meat such as brisket, ham hock, pork or lamb shoulder and chicken thighs, so bear this in mind when shopping for your ingredients.
Remember to reduce the liquid in your slow cooker
The liquid in a slow cooker won’t evaporate as it would in a standard pot, thanks to the appliance’s tightly sealed lid. You can reduce the liquid in your pot by roughly a third, so it covers the meat and vegetables but make sure not to overfill your slow cooker, as the food won’t cook as well.
Use flour to thicken your sauce
If you have added too much liquid and need to thicken the sauce, mix a small amount of cornflour with some cold water and at it into your slow cooker contents at the end.
Optimise the slow aspect of the cooker
Use the low setting on your slow cooker so whatever dish you’re making can benefit the most from a slow, gentle heat. It is also the safest option, should you be putting something to slow cook overnight or if you nip out to the shops with the appliance on, while cooking a dish.
Throw everything in together
If you’re looking to optimise a relaxed form of cooking and not have to stand by the pot, you’ll want to choose recipes featuring ingredients that can be added all at once, at the beginning, and then left to cook.
How long should you leave things in a slow cooker for?
The general rule of thumb is that if a dish usually takes 15-30 minutes in an oven, it will cook in one to two hours in a slow cooker on the high setting, or in four to six hours on the low setting. If it takes one to two hours to cook in an oven, it will take three to four hours on ‘high’ in a slow cooker, or six to eight hours on ‘low’. If it take two to four hours in an oven, cook it for four to six hours on your slow cooker’s ‘high’ setting, or eight to 12 hours on ‘low’.
The verdict: Slow cookers
There are so many amazing slow cookers in this line-up, but we especially loved the Crock-Pot, thanks to its simplicity, value for money and the fact it doesn’t skimp on size, either. The fact we could brown ingredients on the hob first, all in one pan, was a big bonus, too. Meanwhile, if you’re just looking for a basic, budget-friendly option, the Salter cosmos will do nicely.
For more ways to make weeknight meals a little easier, read our guide to the best air fryers
