help with slow cooker please...

[gonnabesmall]

hi,i did write a thread on here the other day asking about getting a slow cooker well my mum had one in her cupboard that she has never used but it dosent have instructions.please excuse me but i did do a beef curry in it yesterday and omg it was lovely the meat was so tender.All very tasty.
i not sure if i done right but i did cook all the stuff 1st then put in cooker and cooked for about 5 hours.
Are you supposed to cook it all 1st or do you just put all raw ingrediants in it?
Also not sure on timings of things on mine it says low,high and auto...whats auto for?and is it best to cook on low say for example a casserole put it in in the morning on low all day?
when do you use high do you start on high for a couple of hours then turn it on low.
Please help useless without instructions
thank you all AGAIN...

 

[pizzle84]

There all different but i always cook the stuff 1st, like just browning the meat but not cooking it all the way through. I then put it in and cook it on high for a while then turn it down for the last few hours

 

[Fallen Angel]

I don't bother to cook anything first before putting it in and I leave it on auto or low all day. You can use high if you want a casserole in 2/3 hours, but if you're out all day then leave it on low.
Curry & chilli are fab in it, plus sausage casserole with quorn sausages as I feel they need the flavour & the liquid to absorb!
C xx

 

[gonnabesmall]

thanks girlies but what does auto mean .sorry im not the brightest bulb in the pack ha ha

 

[Fallen Angel]

I always presumed auto meant it adjusts the temp to what it needed to be at - i.e. would fluctuate during the day, but no idea other than that! Always works for me so never questioned it!

 

[OzzieMoz]

I don't have a slow-cooker, although I am thinking about getting one, so I'm not going to be much help! However, I did wonder if you've tried searching the internet for instructions? Put the make/model and "instructions" in to google and see if you come up with anything, or go to the website for the manufacturer and have a nosey round their site. Some manufacturers do with their gadgets, some don't. Worth a look though! :jelous:

 

[natasha1974]

mine just has high or low if im doing a sausage cassorole i brown them first is doing something like chilli i chuck it all in raw

 

[avisk]

I have the cheap one from Tesco, which has settings of high, low and "keep warm". On high it is faster cooking than I expected. I usually put it on high for a short time and then turn down to low. (I think that if you have one with an auto setting, it might do that for you.)

I cooked using my sister's slow cooker today, and her high setting was much lower than mine. I think you have to try it out a couple of times and see what works best.

I certainly never cook anything before I put it in the cooker.

My two favourite things to cook are:

Waitrose Irish Stew Mix (leeks, onions, potatoes, barley, herbs) which I just throw in with 300ml water, put some lean lamb on the top and just leave it on low for the rest of the day. If the barley hasn't absorbed all the water I turn it up to high for a while.

Chicken, butternut squash, leeks and barley. I use skinless, boned chicken thighs. Slice the squash and the leeks, put in the cooker with a small amount of water, put the chicken on top. When the vegetables have made a fair amount of liquid I put some barley in, give it a stir, and leave for as long as it takes.

It's all a bit hit and miss, to be honest, but it usually turns out fine! The only thing I would cook before putting in the cooker would be mince, to separate it out and cook out some of the fat.

 

[mumtheshopper]

I always just throw it in, or what's the point. It takes 1 minute to throw everything in in the morning, or whilst busy, and when you get back, the smell of dinner, then dinner. Lovely.

Lynfa