4Real Forums: Do I need a crockpot?

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Our Lady's Loom, Larder, and Laundry
4Real Forums : Our Lady's Loom, Larder, and Laundry

Topic: Do I need a crockpot?

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St. Ann
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Posted: April 08 2011 at 1:53am \| IP Logged

I have looked for them here in Germany for years without success and now...crockpots are being sold here, too!

But now my question is, Do I need one?
I have one large leCreuset dutch oven which gets used a couple of times a week.
I have never cooked with a crockpot before. It sounds like it would be great for Sunday dinners.??? Is it true I could put the meat in the pot the night before and set it on the table at noon without that I lift a finger?

What do I need to look out for in deciding which one? IF!

Does anyone know the brand Morphy Richards? Is 6.5liters enough for a family of 6 plus 2guests?

I would love to hear the pros and cons.

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Stephanie

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Nat B
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Posted: April 08 2011 at 5:35am \| IP Logged

I have been using a slow cooker for years, but I was never really happy with it because it was more like a fast cooker (would cook in 2-3 hours). My dh recently bought me the Morphy Richards 6.5L and so far I love it! It has an option to brown the meat before cooking, and 4 different cook settings (low 8-10hr, med 6-8hr, high 4-6hr and 1 1/2 hr stew), as well as a 2hr keep warm setting. I have used it 3 times so far and am very happy with it. I like to get dinner ready in the morning and then forget about it. My only complaint so far is that it still cooks a bit quicker than it says, so my last curry I put on the 8 hr slow setting, and turned it off an hour early.
An added bonus is that it is compact, so the element part can be stored in the bowl. Oh, and the size is great - we have 7 in our family and there would be room to cook more than this. Hope that helps.

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Natalie
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Grace&Chaos
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Posted: April 08 2011 at 9:20am \| IP Logged

I love our crockpot. I use it about two maybe three times a week. I can have our dinner set in the morning before officially starting a school day and not have to worry about it for the rest of the day. I almost always cook on the slow setting. I found this site a while back and there are some great ideas for meals

. I've yet to try making a desert in it, but I'm hoping to do that soon

.

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Jenny
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Carole N.
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Posted: April 08 2011 at 9:35am \| IP Logged

I love my crockpot. It was one of the first items I replaced when we moved overseas. I have a Rival crockpot, but I also have a Morphy Richards bread machine (which was the first thing I replaced), and it works like a champ. Happy cooking!

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Carole ... in Wales

MicheleQ
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Posted: April 08 2011 at 10:12am \| IP Logged

I love my crockpots (I have 2) and use one almost every day because I slow cook oatmeal every weekday evening for the next day's breakfast. Mine are Rivals' and one has 3 settings: keep warm, low and high. I use the keep warm setting for the oatmeal and it cooks perfectly.

My mom always used a crock pot so I guess I learned it from her. One of the favorites dishes here is Ham, green beans and potatoes (it's a PA Dutch thing) which is perfect in the crockpot. The longer it cooks the better!

Thanks for the link Jenny --I'll have to check it out!

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Michele Quigley
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guitarnan
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Posted: April 08 2011 at 11:15am \| IP Logged

I could not live without my crockpots.

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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.

St. Ann
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Posted: April 08 2011 at 4:09pm \| IP Logged

Thank you all!

I enjoy cooking, but I have to adapt our kitchen to a gluten free style of baking and it is taking me awhile to get the swing of things. We have 3 children with celiac disease so the cost of buying gf baked goods is very very high. I am spending a lot more time in the kitchen trying to find the baking recipes that work best for us in addition to the normal bread that I bake and the meal prep... Anyway, I got the idea that with a crockpot I could greatly reduce meal prep time. Am I kidding myself or is it really true that I can just toss in the ingredients, turn it on and 8 hrs later... voila! ???

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Stephanie

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guitarnan
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Posted: April 08 2011 at 4:20pm \| IP Logged

Yes, you can do that. Some recipes need prep (like chopping carrots). Most times I do 1 - 10 minutes of prep, then turn it on and walk away.

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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.

JodieLyn
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Posted: April 08 2011 at 4:54pm \| IP Logged

Better to think that you're able to do the prep in a more time flexible way. Not that there is no prep. And then the cooking is hands off.

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Nat B
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Posted: April 08 2011 at 6:14pm \| IP Logged

You can just cut everything up and throw it in. I never browned the meat in my old crockpot, but I am doing it now just to see if it makes a difference in taste. To make a simple curry, I have thrown in 1kg diced meat, a chopped onion, 2 tins chopped tomatoes, 1/2 jar curry paste and some water. That's it. So quick and easy (especially if the meat is already diced). I cook the rice closer to dinner time. The curry above is gluten free, as long as you buy the right curry paste.

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Natalie
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Aagot
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Posted: April 08 2011 at 6:24pm \| IP Logged

We enjoy beef stew, chicken in a pot, and chili in our crockpot. A friend has a big roaster that she does the same with but for 8+ people. I find our 5 qt is too small for our family of 9, so I am looking for something bigger. However, I can't complain about the end results. Do you not leave your Le Creuset in the oven and forget it for the day? Sorry, never used one, just wondering if it can be left for a long time.

There is a thread here somewhere about lead in crockpots, so i would watch out for that.

St. Ann
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Posted: April 11 2011 at 7:30am \| IP Logged

Aagot wrote:

Do you not leave your Le Creuset in the oven and forget it for the day? Sorry, never used one, just wondering if it can be left for a long time.

There is a thread here somewhere about lead in crockpots, so i would watch out for that.

I need the oven for baking bread ... I guess I can use my dutch oven like a crock pot. I just haven't explored all it's possibilities yet!

One more question about that is the energy costs of slow cooking in the oven and on the stove. I was once cooking a bone stock on the stove on a day when my dh was home. He came into the kitchen several times that day and finally exclaimed: "That is one expensive soup!"

Does anyone know if there is a big difference in energy costs?

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Stephanie

Wife and mother to Hannah '96, Maria '99, Dorothea '01, Helena '03

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