Are slow cookers worth it?

[Ellen Cardinal]

Just thought I'd open this up for discussion. What do you think?

I'm currently sitting on the fence. It does save money if you meal prep and is an easy way to have dinner on the table with minimal work (post-prepping) however, I've heard from some people that with the electricity rates it just isn't worth it.

[padyofurniture]

I love my slow cooker. In terms of energy usage, I'd try to find out how much is consumed by both the slow cooker and oven for something like chicken. Four hours in a slow cooker versus 45-60 minutes in the oven.

I'm currently using mine to make pulled pork.

[lecale]

I have an 8 qt/7.5 L stock pot with a tight fitting lid that will simmer at 2/10 on the stove, usually 2-3 hours, for Crockpot-like projects. Doesn't take up any counter space, and the pot is really pretty.

[Rena13]

I love my slow cooker. I don't know if it's better on electricity costs or not. Regardless, I love it.

[veggies]

Is a slow cooker worth it? Not for the busy professional on the go, or someone whi is active. The time just isn't there to sit around waiting for something to cook, and you sure aren't going to leave it on while you go to work or the grocery store for example.

[Frugalbigmama]

Is a slow cooker worth it? Not for the busy professional on the go, or someone whi is active. The time just isn't there to sit around waiting for something to cook, and you sure aren't going to leave it on while you go to work or the grocery store for example.

Majority of people are busy/professionals and use a crock pot. They also turn it on while they go to work. That is the main reason to use a slowcooker.

[veggies]

You are not a "professional" if you stay at home and don't work. That will mean you have a lot of time on your hands to watch the crock pot. I wouldn't leave a cooker on while I go to work

Majority of people are busy/professionals and use a crock pot. They also turn it on while they go to work. That is the main reason to use a slowcooker.

[PurpleBunny89]

You are not a "professional" if you stay at home and don't work. That will mean you have a lot of time on your hands to watch the crock pot. I wouldn't leave a cooker on while I go to work

I'm not really sure what you didn't understand about frugalbigmama's reply but her point was that "professionals" ie. people who leave the home to work use these all the time. You don't have to sit at home and watch the crock pot otherwise no one would use it. The whole idea is that you leave it on while you are busy doing something else and/or out of the home. There are even timers for them so that you can have a delayed start or have it switch to keep warm if it finishes cooking before you are to get home.

I leave mine on overnight and even when I am out of the house all the time. I've never had an issue and I've been using one for 5+ years.

This all being said the slow cooker I have cooks too hot and too quickly so I am going to invest in a better quality one that is not a "crock pot" but rather a insert name brand here slow cooker. I still leave the one I have on for 8-14 hours sometimes if I'm doing something like stock or soup.

[padyofurniture]

I have a Delfino one that has 4 settings (low, med, high and warm). The longest I've left it is about 11 hours but the meat was really tender lol
Maybe the professional should invest in a really good slow cooker in order to feel confident that the house won't burn down whilst they're at work. I've left mine on plenty of times but my work shifts are anywhere from 6-10 hours long.

[Zonny]

I used to be huge on slow cooking, had three crock pots in different sizes. But about a year ago I got an 'Instant Pot,' which is an electric pressure cooker with several other functions including slow cooking. I have slow cooked maybe once since I got it, and only because I was making broth and it was bedtime and I didn't want to take the time to pressure cook it more then cool, etc. Pressure cooking gives the same results or better in a fraction of the time, and the electric ones can't blow up like the old fashioned stove top versions. I sold all my crockpots.

I can cook beans in it from dried (not soaked) in about a half an hour. Ribs about the same, plus a few minutes on the bbq or under the broiler to brown (and they're better than any other method I've tried to cook them). Pot roast from frozen solid in about 90 minutes. Soups or chili that I used to cook for 4-8 hours can be done in 40 minutes in my Instant Pot.

Did I mention that i really like my Instant Pot? LOL

Editing to note that when I did use a crockpot, I turned it on in the morning before I went to work and got home to dinner all done. Had no issue with leaving it running when I wasn't home (although I would not leave on the dryer or the oven when I wasn't here).

[PurpleBunny89]

I used to be huge on slow cooking, had three crock pots in different sizes. But about a year ago I got an 'Instant Pot,' which is an electric pressure cooker with several other functions including slow cooking. I have slow cooked maybe once since I got it, and only because I was making broth and it was bedtime and I didn't want to take the time to pressure cook it more then cool, etc. Pressure cooking gives the same results or better in a fraction of the time, and the electric ones can't blow up like the old fashioned stove top versions. I sold all my crockpots.

I can cook beans in it from dried (not soaked) in about a half an hour. Ribs about the same, plus a few minutes on the bbq or under the broiler to brown (and they're better than any other method I've tried to cook them). Pot roast from frozen solid in about 90 minutes. Soups or chili that I used to cook for 4-8 hours can be done in 40 minutes in my Instant Pot.

Did I mention that i really like my Instant Pot? LOL

Editing to note that when I did use a crockpot, I turned it on in the morning before I went to work and got home to dinner all done. Had no issue with leaving it running when I wasn't home (although I would not leave on the dryer or the oven when I wasn't here).

haha it sounds really cool! But there is just something about having soup simmer all day in the winter that gets me all homey

[redhdlois]

Definitely worth it ! They are so inexpensive so it's not like you'd be spending a lot on it. Got mine free on Amazon with SB's.

I use mine in the winter to make chili, pulled pork, beef bourginon (?sp).

I hummed and haw'd about getting one initially too, but glad that I did !

[macw1960]

I have had a crock pot forever it seems and I wouldn't part with it ever.

[samm07]

You are not a "professional" if you stay at home and don't work. That will mean you have a lot of time on your hands to watch the crock pot. I wouldn't leave a cooker on while I go to work

You're being a bit snarky. I'm at stay at home mom and I take some offence to your attitude. I am a professional in the career I left. So thanks... We made sacrifices (my career being one) so I could raise my children.

With that said, I have better things to do with my time then sit and watch my slow cooker.... So again not sure exactly what you think us "non professionals" do all day. But I can assure you it's not propping my chair up and staring at an appliance.

When I was a "professional" I stArted my crockpot at lunch and left it on until my husband got home from work. Not sure how it's different then leaving your heat on. But ok.

Now aside from feeling a need to defend my current "profession" as stay at home mom..... 😒

I'd say yes they are worth it. Although I guess it doesn't seem like I have much on my plate? I can assure you big time meal prep is just not in my cards. So to pop in a chicken, roast, chilli, whatever is a lifesaver. We have nice home cooked meals while I do things with the kids, errands, chores and so on. One less thing to worry about for me. And had I returned to my job it would be my lifesaver.

I'd say because of their general size they would use less energy. But that's just a guess also, heat wise! The crockpot is soooooo much better in the summer! I HATE running my oven when it's hot! So I use it LOTS in the summer I also make soups a ton in it dump my ingredients and leave it then freeze for later

Anyway I'm a huge fan. Lol I use mine several times a week at least.

[super807]

Just to provide a different point of view, I haven't been able to really get into using a slow cooker. I have one (was dh's), and use it occasionally, but haven't gotten on the slow cooker bandwagon cause I am not fond of the texture it gives food. Everything is soft and "stewed". That doesn't appeal to me for everything. I would much rather eat a chicken that has been roasted in the oven than one done in the slow cooker, for example. So I do use it sometimes for making chicken tacos (cause will shred the chicken, this is perfect), and it's great for a chili or a stew, but I don't use it as much as I could. It's a personal preference thing.

My other issue is that I am away from home for longer than my food needs to cook. I get home about 10 to 11 hours after I leave, too long to cook food in the slow cooker. I do know in part this is because mine is old (was dh's before we met) and only has low, high and off. It doesn't automatically turn off and keep things warm. So I use it weekdays that are my dh's days off, so that he can put everything in mid-morning and then go out and about on his day. Although I need to get him organized for this, at least it's one day that he cooks instead of me.