Heat retention: how the cooker holds heat for safety on the worktop and whether the food catches or burns It is because the majority of us out there who are using a 6-quart slow cooker are regularly preparing meals for families, bonus leftovers for the week ahead, or freezing. Some use various sizes for larger quantities required for entertaining. Before choosing the right one for you to make a list of your particular requirements and expectations of what you expect your new slow cooker to do for you. Choose from the low, high and keep-warm settings to best suit your creation. For ultimate convenience, the adjustable timer allows you to set the perfect cooking duration from 30 minutes to 20 hours while the digital display counts down the remaining cooking time so you can see at a glance exactly when your meal will be ready. But don't worry, if you're not around when the cooking time has elapsed, your slow cooker will automatically switch to keep-warm so your meal is ready when you are. They aren’t just for stews and casseroles either. In fact, they're real multi-taskers, even up to the challenge of cooking a whole cut of meat – including sweet and salty coca cola ham or a tender beef joint. Vegetarian family favourites such as macaroni cheese are also a go-to. Take a look at our collection of must-cook slow cooker recipes for more inspiration.

This will come in handy if you’re out for the day. Once the timer you set has been reached, the cooker will either switch off or automatically shift to the ‘keep warm’ setting, depending on the model, so you come home to dinner that's ready to serve. Slow cookers are great for tenderising cheap cuts of meat, be it beef brisket or pork chops. You can put your choice of meat inside with the relevant herbs and leave it to cook low and slow. Also what sorts of food you will be preparing and for how many hungry mouths? Having a detailed list will certainly assist you with purchasing the correctslow cookerfor your needs. The inner pot needs to be at room temperature before you start cooking. If you've kept a slow cooker dish in the fridge, you must wait for it to warm up before turning it on. It's a definite yes from us, especially for the convenience factor. Slow cookers can be left on all day, as they cook at low, controlled temperatures, meaning you're not tied to the kitchen.This function starts your cooking off on a high setting before automatically reducing the temperature to the low setting for the remainder of the cooking time. Manual or Programmable: Slow cookers usually come in two types. Manual cookers require monitoring, and you’ll have to turn them off. Programmable slow cookers are ideal if you’re leaving the house for long periods, since the digital timer lets you choose the cooking time and the digital display shows the remaining time. They also have a keep-warm feature which keeps your food warm after the cooking time ends.

If you're after a truly comforting and irresistibly slow-cooked recipe, our easy chilli con carne is the ultimate crowd-pleaser. You can certainly cook this on the stovetop, but making it in a slow-cooker takes its simplicity (and convenience) to a whole new level. If you have space and are uncertain of what size you need – this is an option. It does not take up any more space than the average family-size cooker but provides you with more. We’ve looked at different types of slow cookers that are available in the UK and come up with what we consider some great options. But first, let’s take a look at some essential features you’ll want to consider when purchasing a slow cooker. Important features to look out for when buying a slow cooker With a removable, easily washable, glass-lidded ceramic cooking pot sitting inside a housing that contains a heating element, slow cookers heat up from the base and cook food slowly in a way that retains moisture. Typically, you’ll simply add your ingredients in the morning, adjust the cooker according to the recommended settings and come the evening you’ll have deliciously cooked, piping hot food to serve your family (or yourself over multiple days!).Ease of cleaning: An easy clean slow cooker will feature a pot and lid which can be loaded into the dishwasher, saving time and elbow grease. You would be surprised about the number of slow cooking offers see my article Benefits of Slow Cookers for more information. Slow Cooker Brand Size Guide: Capacity, Dimensions, Weight, Servings

You can use a fresh red chilli to add some more heat. For most palates, adding it at the end of cooking is sufficient, but if you love things extra hot, put it in with the tomatoes before you leave it to slow cook (you can add the seeds too, if you’re a proper chilli head). The heat of the chilli will intensify during the cooking time. Size: With sizes starting at 1-litre through to a whopping 6.5-litres, choosing the right size for you is imperative. The smallest sizes are suitable when cooking for one or two. 3-litres to 4.5-litres (one of the most popular sizes on the market) serve four, and the large 6-6.5-litre models are super for families and batch cooking. It's also worth bearing in mind that the capacity stated on the sales blurb is the size of the bowl, not the working capacity, which can sometimes be half that. This is not because they are better than a smaller-size slow cooker. They will all cook meals as well as each other if liquid and ingredients quantities are followed for recipes in the correct size cooker. Cook from frozen and enjoy deliciously crispy results - perfect when you need to get dinner ready in a hurry.

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Finished results: the tenderness of the meat and vegetables, the consistency of the cooked sauce and the heat of the food when serving

V12 Finance and AppToPay is a trading name of Secure Trust Bank PLC, Yorke House, Arleston Way, Solihull, B90 4LH.Design: Are you looking for a simple, budget-friendly option that just slow-cooks (but does it extremely well) or something more versatile that sous-vides, pressure cooks, bakes and roasts too? Do bear in mind that the more technological the slow cooker, the higher the price. It would certainly be a talking piece to present meals to family and friends in a very fashionable slow cooker. Dehydrate fresh ingredients to create healthy dried fruit, including mango, apple, strawberry and bananas, homemade root vegetable crisps, beef jerky and dried herbs.