Slow Cookers

My main gripe is that to make lunch I’d need to be prepping at 4 a.m. or for dinner it’s lunchtime prep, and I’m at work 5 days out of 7, so that’s out.

I guess I could set a dish to cook from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. but I leave home pre 06.05 on a working day so I generally hit the hay by 10 p.m. and also cooling/refrigerating first thing in the morning would be problematic.

However, at weekends I find mine incredibly good for a very limited number of dishes. 3 ingredient pulled pork is excellent, and it makes rillettes de porc perfectly.

I have a vintage 5 qt 1970’s Rival Crockpot with the removable crock. It was my mother’s and I’ve been schlepping it around for at least a couple of decades and used it maybe four times until recently. In\ drug it out a couple of weeks ago and made Hungarian Goulash. Last weekend I made Beef Stroganoff.

I’m going to try to use it more often. I somehow have two copies of the little cookbook that came with it, but I’ve been using recipes from the intertrons.

I like to cook, so to be honest it’s a little too hands-off for me.

Hi marlingardner/everyone,

I don’t have a formal slow cooker, stock pot, or pressure cooker: I rely on my larger Le Creuset and Staub ECI cocottes to emulate the first two functions, and use the heavy lids that slowly release excess pressure as a semi pressure cooker as well. It works pretty well for one pot meals, but not everything. I’m considering a more orthodox approach by buying the 8.4 qt. All Clad PC8:

What do you think?

We have an old “crock pot”. Hasn’t been used in years. Today’s crock pots don’t work like the old ones

I recently purchased an Instant Pot for my daughter. She’s a bit intimidated by it and has not yet used it but it’s an electric pressure cooker that can also function as a slow cooker and can heat high enough for searing and browning.

I’m not big on unitaskers

I love my crockpot. I work 10 hrs days and my toddler is always hungry when we get home (so am I). I will fill it up the night before stick it in the 'fridge and my husband will start it up around noon. Supper is ready when we get home and there is lunch for me the next day or two. I also love it for cooking beans. I like my beans fairly soft so a crockpot is a great way for me to get beans the way like.