slow cooker disaster/s help

[missdetermination]

Righty operation slow cooker was put into action this week. I didn't want yet another item of kitchenware I didnt use...so Firstly I tried a beef casserole, left for 6 hours on high = hard veggies? SO today I put some carrots at the bottom, some stock covering and a small chicken (smallest they had) on top of the carrots, on high from 9-5, come home expecting my chicken to be done and to add some veggies = looks like the chicken hasnt been touched I'm really getting disheartened with it, I dont have a cooker at the moment, just a hob so thought this would help me out for a week!

Oh on the plus side the acti-fry is going much better, good job with the price but hey, yummy chips!

 

[Happy Holidays]

did you parboil the veggies first? If not you need to otherwise they don't boil & don't cook. Do you have a microwave you could cook them in first.

Then give it another go you'll be very pleased

 

[Batair]

Heya,

I have a cheap slow cooker from tesco I think it was. Anyway the high setting on mine is the equivalent to low on other models. I made chicken and veg soup in it in about 9 hours. Sounds like yours might be malfunctioning. Have you still got the reciept to take it back?

 

[mandy296]

did you parboil the veggies first? If not you need to otherwise they don't boil & don't cook. Do you have a microwave you could cook them in first.

Then give it another go you'll be very pleased

Been using my slow cooker for years and I've never needed to par boil anything, potatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes all cook directly in the cooker just fine.

Really sounds to me like the OPs slow cooker is a dud - 8-9 hours on low should definitely cook veggies, chicken and pretty much anything

 

[avisk]

I have never cooked anything before putting it in the slow cooker and it works just fine. Mine was a cheap purchase from Tesco.

I think you should take yours back, if you can. There is definitely something wrong with it. Does it get hot?

 

[Circes]

Just out of interest. When you took the lid off at the end of cooking was the outside of the cooker hot to the touch and was there condensation on the inside of the lid? The outside of my cooker becomes too hot to touch particularly on a high setting. And the heat from the food should cause condensation to form on the lid. If not then that would suggest that it is not working properly.

 

[mandy296]

The other daft thing I have done in the past is gone out in the morning, and set it to "warm" instead of low, or high. (Mine is the £12 tesco one with 3 settings of low, high and warm) The food had started to cook slightly, but clearly not properly even after 9 hours. I know you said you have used the high setting - could it be something as simple as the switch is marked up incorrectly. Even if that were the case, i'd still take it back as being faulty.

 

[Happy Holidays]

This is why I love this forum, everyone is so helpful. I've always parboiled my veggies before putting them in.

Next time I put something in I'll try without parboiling. My slow cooker also has 3 settings so should be fine.

BTW from the other thread, I'm now going to try a turkey this weekend, as per Avisk recomendation resting on carrots

 

[missdetermination]

Oh thanks everyone, sorry for the late replies. No I didnt par boil any thing just chucked it all in...I was running late Mine was from tesco's but wasn't there brand, I was being greedy and wanted the bigger one 3.5l I think. Yeah I checked all the settings and made sure it was on the high one. My other half took the lid off, he said the stock didnt feel that hot, but there was condensation on the inside.

Think I was take it back if I can find the reciept. Thanks again everyone

 

[missdetermination]

Oh just seen the same one on ebay - its a russel hobbs black one! Did anyone else know you can get a twin one...or am I just greedy

 

[Gettingthinnerbytheday]

Oh I love my slow cooker & would be totally lost without it!!

I didn't know you could get twin ones - how does that work then? Is it kind of side by side???

 

[missdetermination]

Yeah BRAND NEW S/S DOUBLE SLOW COOKER & BUFFET SERVER-2010 on eBay (end time 30-Nov-10 22:00:45 GMT)

Side by side one, can cook two meals at a time! I'm having difficulty with one so maybe a little out of my reach at this time LOL

 

[BevBunny]

Gosh, you'd need one HUGE family to need a twin slow cooker! It's be rare that you'd want two different meals too.

I've had a slow cooker for a few months and we use it a couple of times a week. I started off with stew type things but have now moved onto gammon joints, topside of beef, curries and tagines. All really yummy, and I have to say I've not once cooked anything before putting it in.

I've got a morphy richards one and everything takes 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low. Even on low things bubble v gently so perhaps yours is broken?