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Post by chrisg on Jan 24, 2015 17:37:16 GMT 10
Anyone have any experience with these?
My wife is, finally, convinced that slow cookers can do a lot more than make stock, so she went web shopping.
I hadn't realised but apparently now there are some multi-cookers out there that you can sear the meat right in the cooker then put it on slow and away you go.
It's a bit of a minefield though, some the searing part is done on the stove some the appliance does it, some have aluminum inserts - do not like cooking anything with aluminum, foil is quite enough, some are non-stick but getting bad reports on the coating pitting.
She's paying and not THAT fussed about budget but they all seem to be at or below $200, anyone recommend anything ?
Cheers
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Post by gatsby on Jan 25, 2015 6:41:03 GMT 10
A while back I got one of these www.morphyrichards.com.au/ProductDetail.aspx?Product=48784At the time I was looking for a programmable one & saw this with the sear function (plus it can do stews etc). It is rubbish, what a disappointment. The shape means you can't do shanks (unless you cut them into three). Sear, stew or slow cook do work but the idiots that set up the program functions don't want you to do anything but what they say. Things like you can set the time but depending on what function you have picked they limit the min & max times available. So say you pick a High slow cook (S3) - the available cook time are between 4 and 6 hours. You cannot pick any other time. Ditto low slow cook (S1) - the times are 8 to 10 hours Stew time are either 1:30 or 1:45 You also cannot program a mix & match (i.e a couple of hours on Hi slow & then 10 hours on Low). Just thinking about it now - it's still in the cupboard unused for 2 years - so it may be going in the bin very soon - unless someone out there wants a lump of rubbish... After that experience I gave up on the combination sear & slow cook units. Got a programmable simple one & never looked back. I use a pan to sear the food & drop into the cooker. I use the same pan to mix the liquid in & heat up - tend to do this to give the slow cooker a kick start & have already dirtied a pan. The only combination unit I like is the Sunbeam Sous Vide Duos - which gives you both the slow cooker plus the Sous Vide option. Cheers |
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Post by chrisg on Jan 25, 2015 7:07:23 GMT 10
Yeah, That one I'd already pretty much discounted, there's a Sunbeam the same price that looks better but is one of the ones being reported as having poor non-stick coating. Going to be a case of physical shop around I think, Sunbeam, Breville, Tefal seem to be the choices. I'd love to get her interested in SV but, only just had her accept slow cooking  Cheers |
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Post by ozymandias on Feb 11, 2015 18:45:45 GMT 10
Check out one called the flavor maker by Breville... I have it for six months now. Pretty happy with it
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Post by chrisg on Feb 11, 2015 19:55:58 GMT 10
Hmm,
yeah, that one is on the list, thanks for the feedback.
Cheers
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Post by ozymandias on Feb 11, 2015 21:06:25 GMT 10
The only problem with SC is that they tend to make food rather watery and at times tastless so yoy'll have to up the taste from the start and use much less water and or thickening agent
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Post by chrisg on Feb 12, 2015 8:13:43 GMT 10
Oh, I've been using slow cookers for um, about 40 years mate, they do indeed need less liquid and just a different approach really to get good flavour. My wife had never used one for much other than to make chicken stock, which we still do, but I've been showing her how versatile they are. Now that she is keen and having seen these ones that will do an initial sear exploring if one is worthwhile and can replace at least one of the couple of SCs we have Cheers |
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