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Nothing beats coming home to a hot cooked meal, especially when someone else has made it. But let’s be real, most of us are responsible for feeding ourselves, so to get that requires an evening’s worth of cheffing. Not the most appealing after-work activity. But what if a gadget could cook instead? We’re of course talking about the slow cooker. Hardly a novel idea, considering they’ve been around since the 1940s, but a genius one nonetheless.
Crock-Pot, has been leading the way in the slow cooker market since they bought the original Naxon brand in 1970 and, having used one for a few weeks, I can see why. Not only is it incredibly simple to use, but serves up perfectly cooked meals every time. With the Crock-Pot Lift and Serve, you can chuck in your ingredients, hit one button for low or high heat, hit another to set the countdown timer (at 30-minute increments up to 20 hours) and once it’s done it’ll ‘keep warm’ until you’re ready to dig in.
At a sizeable 4.7 litres, you can make enough to feed up to five people. I tried a whole (medium) chicken – cooked for five hours on low and finished off under the grill, as the dish is ovenproof – with unbelievably tender results. It was cooked evenly by the heating elements underneath and in the sides (cheaper slow cookers tend to only heat from below). A beef stew, curry and paella were also absolute winners.
When most kitchen contraptions cost the earth to do one thing, the Crock-Pot can feed a family daily for just £50 (currently on sale from £65). It uses less electricity than an oven and wastes less water, as you won’t be washing numerous pots, pans and trays. Plus, cheaper cuts of meat taste better on a slow cook as the fibrous tissues are broken down. The only downsides are that the cord is frustratingly short, and if you forget to stick it on in the morning, you’d best get the pinny ready. But user error aside, this Crock-Pot has the propensity to make the mad dash that is life just that little bit more delicious.