hmm.... I don't know then.

maybe you're just a crap cook?

I've never used a slow cooker but I wondered: Are you browning the meat first in a frying pan?

Maybe just not enough salt? or pepper? Or maybe you are just overcooking it a bit?

The best successes I have had with a slow cooker is with beef stew:
1. Cut up whatever veg you want--normally I do onion, carrot, potato. Place in the bottom of the slow cooker and season (minimum=salt)
2. Make about 400ml of stock--I combine veggie stock and beef stock. Make it stronger than you normally would--your mouth should pucker a bit when you taste it b/c of the saltiness
3. Add to the slow cooker and mix with veg. The amount of fluid should not be above the veggies...
4. Cut your beef into moderately-sized chunks. Too small will cook to fast and too large will take forever.
5. Make a mix of flour and whatever spices you like most and coat the meat generously. Be generous with spices and be generous with the coating. Typically, I use: salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, touch of brown sugar, paprika, cayenne, nutmeg, clove, oregano, basil.
6. Using a good amount of oil, quickly brown each piece on all sides and place the meat inside the slow cooker on top of the veg. When done, you should already have an oil-flour roux left in the pan but I would add the remainder of your flour to the oil (and add more oil if necessary to make equal parts oil/flour).
7. Once all the flour is coated with oil, throw in about a half a bottle of red wine (more or less, depending on how much you are cooking) and let thicken.
8. Coat meat with the red wine sauce and leave alone for about 4 hours. After that time, stir and check every half an hour and actually taste the meat. It will be tough until it is cooked properly--then it will turn to shite if it is overcooked. There is a time in between where it will be melt in your mouth yummy...

If you like your stew spicier, I recommend taking a couple hot peppers, some tomatoes and some fresh garlic and puree'ing them up and adding them to the wine as it is thickening. Heating it (and adding it to alcohol) always makes the flavor stronger. YUM!

HTH and happy cooking!

That was my experience too. I sold mine one.


So am not! It's a bad tool. :P

http://quaero-veritas.tumblr.com/pos...ames-his-tools

So, that's a no then

Maybe you should take Grynch's groan away?

" Together let us explore the stars, conquer the deserts, eradicate disease, tap the ocean depths, and encourage the arts and commerce, yet not ruin good food with bad slow cookers".

- John F. Kennedy

*L* ... I must have missed that speech... would you care to attribute a source/date ?

It was right after... or was it just before?.... the speech about pastry.
I can't remember. Before my time.

The first part came from JFK's inaugural address in 1961, the slow cooker part was a nice add-on.

Yes of course I browned the meat.
It makes no difference.

The truth is, I am an excellent cook. But the technique of just throwing everything into a machine, closing the lid and pressing a button and expecting a great result violates the something for nothing rule. It is also not real cooking.

I agree.

I wouldn't have even considered getting one. I still don't have a microwave either.

(and I can just about cook).

Microwaves are great....for defrosting frozen food, or heating up a cup of soup. It is not a cooking tool.

I disagree. My mom does great recipes with the microwave. They also have cook books for microwaves and the food are surprisingly tasty.

Yes, Nil, I had that experience too..always someone else or a book that promotes the virtues of microwave cooking....but you don't do it yourself, right?

OK, they are great for cooking a potato in 5 minutes.

I use my crockpot to simmer soup or tomato sauce. Although I once made a passable beef rendang in it. And a Cuban dish - ropa vielljo (Sorry for the spelling). I always have to do some prep work before though.

The most useful thing to do with a microwave is to heat up pappadums - except you have to get one powerful enough to do it properly.

Just because I am not a fan of microwave cooking, I enjoy the old pan and pot.

Here in Basel the MediaMarkt had them last time I looked. They sell for around CHF140.

I've been thinking of getting one for some time. Can you link me to any good recipe books?

I just got a slow cooker from M-electronics. Regular price CHF 49.90, but was on sale over the weekend (not sure if still on sale during the week). No fancy functions like timer, or auto-stop when cooking is done. Very basic but that's what we needed so no complaints.