Cookin' Is No Longer a Chore! (Morphy Richards Slow Cooker)

Member Name: ztnelv

Product:	Morphy Richards Slow Cooker
Date:	28/02/06 (7687 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good size, 3 simply settings, accommodates family size meals

Disadvantages: You have to think ahead with prep time in the morning.

How many times have I heard someone say to me, "How do you do your cooking?" My normal response is if it can possibly be done in a slow cooker, than do it! I enjoy cooking and coming up with new recipes but sometimes I just want to sit and relax. Let someone (or something) do the work for me!

When I was first married, one of our wedding gifts was a slow cooker. I looked at it and wondered what I would do with a slow cooker! It sat on my shelf for a couple of years until I broke it during a move so had to throw it out! A couple of years later, a friend had one and I saw how easy it was to use so we went out and bought one. From then on, we have been hooked!

There are a variety of things I have done: Lamb, Beef, Pork, Chicken, Turkey, stuffed peppers, Tuna casserole, Mexican casserole, Variety Casseroles, Spaghetti Bolognaise, Macaroni and Cheese, Porridge, Puddings, Soups, and even Vegetarian meals. There are so many recipes available on the internet and there are even loads of Slow Cooker Cookbooks available!

Due to a recent move and a missing slow cooker, we were in need of another. We went into the town centre and found a shop that sold small kitchen appliances. They happened to have a Morphy Richards Slow Cooker CE on sale. I have had this one before and knew that it was an excellent slow cooker. We couldn't find one of the large ones with the rest of the small size slow cookers so we went to the lady in front and asked if there were anymore available. The price is normally £34.95 but they were on sale for £24.95.

"We have one in the front on display," she told us. We asked where it was and wouldn't you know it - it was in the very front part of the window with everything on display. She offered to get it for us and pulled out everything (very carefully) just to give us the Slow Cooker. I was really glad because I didn't want to have to do anything desperate like throw everything out of the way so I could get the last one. You never know what these desperate shoppers can be like when they really want something! LOL

On to some of the finer points -

1. Comes with a 2 year guarantee.
2. 6.5 litre ceramic pot.
3. 3 settings - low, medium, and high.
4. Removable ceramic pot that is dishwasher proof.
5. Toughened glass lid.
6. I believe still available in Green, Black and Silver.
7. Varying types and sizes - namely, 3.5 litre, 6.5 litre, and the 6.5 litre with an integrated timer.
8. If something should go wrong during the 2 year guarantee they have a website as well as number you can call to get it taken care of. There is also an address located in the same place.


Helpful tidbits --

1. While you are cooking DO NOT keep taking the lid off to check it because you will lose about 10-15 minutes of cook time that has to be added on to the end of the cook time. This is for every time you lift the lid off!
2. Read through the instructions as they give you a LOT more helpful tips in taking care of your slow cooker.
3. There are a lot of recipes in the instructions along with a cooking guide and a weight/volume conversion table.
4. The actual cooking of the Slow Cooker is very good and from what I have seen cooks a bit higher than other slow cookers I have had.

As an example, I tend to cook a beef roast on Sundays in the Slow Cooker and have just the recipe for you! This is for those of you who have just bought a 6.5 litre slow cooker and you are not sure what to cook first.

Remember if you are cooking from frozen you would probably want to get the roast started the night before but make sure you keep the slow cooker on low otherwise you might end up with a burnt mess. Cooking from frozen does tend to add a few more hours of cooking.

Recipe for Beef Roast

Get a fairly good-sized beef roast. Put it in the slow cooker. Cut several potatoes into quarters and add into the pot along with a good number of carrots.

On top of the roast and veggies pour in some wine. We tend to use red wine or sherry as those seem to have the best flavour on the roast. We also shake some red wine vinegar and sometimes some worcester sauce over it as well. If you like it spicy get some canned jalepenos and pour some of the juice over the meat and veggies. You can even put some of the sliced jalepenos in with the vegetables. This does cause the veggies to be spicy but not the meat. If you don't like it spicy than ditch the jalepenos (I do like my food spicy, though). Make sure you put herb spices and/or Italian spices on the meat and veggies. Don't forget to put salt (onion salt, sea salt, garlic salt, etc.) on there as well or you will end up with a saltless meat.

When it is close to being done then do up a sauce (we do a Beef and Red Wine Sauce). You can get the liquid that is in the slow cooker, as there will be a LOT of liquid from the what you have put in as well as from the roast, and put the sauce package in the liquid. Stir it up and pour it back into the Slow cooker over the contents. This should thicken up and you will have a nice gravy without having to make too much extra.

If you need more food then just cook up a couple of veggies on the hob and you have a really nice meal with hardly any effort, at all.

Enjoy your time with the slow cooker and remember easy is not always nasty sometimes it can be quite delicious!

Happy Eating!

Summary: Slow cooker does the job for you splendidly, instead of having to rush home!