Let Delicious Meals Make Themselves

You can be forgiven for thinking that, in this age of fast food, slow cooking is an unattainable luxury. Nothing could be further from the truth. Strange as it may sound, slow cooking is designed to save you time! When using a slow cooker, delicious meals practically make themselves while you do something else. Just put all the ingredients into the pot, add the liquid, and come back to your kitchen to find your home-cooked meal ready and waiting. There is no need to watch over it, stir it, or worry about burning it.

Slow cooking involves simmering food at a low temperature for several hours. A wide variety of dishes can be prepared with this cooking method, but it is most suitable for pot roast, soups and stews. Tough and cheap cuts of meat such as pork shoulder, beef chuck and brisket are ideal choices for slow cooking and often give better results than more expensive cuts.

To be able to do all that, you need an electrical cooking appliance called a slow cooker. A slow cooker, also known as a crock-pot, consists of a cooking pot (usually ceramic or porcelain) placed inside a housing which contains an electric heating element. 

Slow cookers come in a wide range of prices and functions. Finding the one that is right for you requires careful thought. Here is what to look out for.

Size: This is probably the most important consideration when buying a slow cooker. A 3-litre cooker is fine if you plan to cook for two or three persons. If your family is bigger, or if you intend to freeze the leftovers, go for a 5-litre of 6-litre capacity cooker. When making your decision, bear in mind that a slow cooker performs best when it is at least half full.

Shape: The choice is usually between a round and oval slow cooker. Whole chickens, roast, or ribs will fit better in an oval slow cooker, but if you mostly make stews, shape is not important.

Removable insert: Make sure that your new slow cooker comes with a removable insert (most do). This makes cleaning much easier. Besides, the insert can double as a serving dish!

Lid: A glass lid is preferable, because it allows you to check on the food without opening the cooker. A lot of heat and moisture can be lost by lifting the lid, which can alter the cooking time and influence the final product.
Searing functionality: Some slow cookers are able to brown meat. This is done in two ways: with the built-in searing setting, or by searing the meat in the insert (which must be stovetop safe) before proceeding to slow cook the dish.

Temperature control: Most slow cookers come with at least two temperature settings, high and low. Some also have a setting for keeping the food warm.

Digital or manual: With a manual slow cooker, you need to switch it on and off and select the temperature manually. Slow cookers with digital controls allow you to schedule all that without having to go near the device.

There is even more to consider when buying your first (or your next) slow cooker. If you are storage-challenged, you may opt for a multicooker, a versatile pot that acts as a slow cooker, pressure cooker, steamer and more, all in one. If, on the other hand, you are on a shoestring budget, take note of Wonderbag, that wonderful South African invention that requires a power source only initially. You simply place your food in an ordinary pot and put it onto the stovetop until it reaches boiling point; then you wrap the pot in a Wonderbag, and it will keep on cooking without any heat source.

All in all, slow cookers are economical to use, require the minimum amount of effort and allow you to make tasty dishes with budget ingredients. Those who have a slow cooker say that it is one of the most used tools in their kitchen. Join them!