Slow Cooker: save money on food – and save on washing up

Miss Thrifty21 January 10, 2010

slow-cooker A slow cooker, I have discovered, is a gift from the Kitchen God. I’ve had mine since November and I’ve become ever so slightly obsessed with it.

Slow cookers have been popular in America (where they are also known as “crock pots”, after the Crock-Pot® brand) for ages. They used to be popular here, too – and from what I can gather, are gaining in popularity once again.

For the uninitiated, this is why slow cookers are great:

  1. They save time. You pile your ingredients in the slow cooker before work, turn it on – and come home in the evening to a yummy stew, all cooked and ready to go.
  2. They are easy to use. See above.
  3. They save on washing up. Generally, washing up = one chopping board, one kitchen knife and a good wipe around the inside of the slow cooker.
  4. They reduce food waste. No need to let those squooshy tomatoes or that stray courgette go to mush – chuck them in the pot.
  5. (Drumroll) They save money! They don’t use as much energy as an oven or electric hob. I have been making frugal-but-fabulous dinners with cheap ingredients including root vegetables, tinned tomatoes (value range), dried pulses, herbs from the garden and lots of crusty bread.

Today is a case in point. We haven’t done our  January supermarket shop yet, partly because all the snow up here in North Yorkshire has made it difficult to get around and partly because, like most people, we are el skinto this month following the excesses of Christmas. So we’ve been making do with our dwindling food stocks. Open the fridge or the cupboard door and there isn’t much to look at but right now, bubbling away as I write, is a stew made from the following:

  • vegetable stock
  • chopped onion
  • a sweet potato
  • tin of tomatoes
  • tin of haricot beans
  • chopped celery
  • clove of garlic
  • splash of red wine
  • half a packet of frozen haddock from the depths of the freezer
  • rosemary

I’ve written that like a recipe; it’s not really a proper recipe, but I love how I can throw all these odds and ends  into the slow cooker, wave my magic spoon and turn them into a top dinner…

Buying a slow cooker

You have two options: you can buy one or find one. The thing is, slow cookers appear to have been an ubiquitious wedding gift in the 1970s and early 1980s. Now, of course, loads of them are gracing dusty attics across the land. They need rescuing! If you’re in your late twenties or thirties, your parents almost certainly have one tucked away somewhere.

My mum ended up with two, so she gave me the smaller one: a glazed brown ceramic model that screams Life On Mars. The first time I plugged it in I was worried that it would blow up while I was at work – but meh, it’s fine.

If you end up buying one, it doesn’t have to be expensive. There are some pricey models out there but let’s face it: it’s a pot with a plug. You don’t really need the bells and whistles. Lakeland does a small slow cooker for £19.99 (1.5 litres). At the time of writing, Argos is selling family-sized slow cookers at half-price: the Morphy Richards cooker pictured above, which holds a whopping 6.5 litres, has been reduced from £49.99 to £23.99. It also sells a budget model for £9.79 (2 litres).

I got a slow cooker recipe book  for Christmas (thanks Mumsy) and I’m looking forward to working through it – so you’ll be hearing more from me on this subject!

In the meantime, if you’re looking for recipes, check out Squawkfox’s excellent selection. I’ve made all of the vegetarian ones, and they are uniformly excellent.

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21 Responses to “Slow Cooker: save money on food – and save on washing up

Justin says:

Great article! Over here in the states, I always see at least one (albeit usually heavily used) slow-cooker on the shelves of any resale/thrift shop, but I, too, would be concerned about leaving a used relic of the disco era plugged into an electrical outlet unattended all day, so I’ve never bought one. My girlfriend and I borrow one from a friend who rarely uses his, but it’s such a pain, and probably an imposition for him. Seems like buying a new one would pay for itself many times over, though…maybe you’ve convinced me to buy a new one. Thanks!

January 10, 2010 at 4:59 pm

Justin says:

Great article! Over here in the states, I always see at least one slow-cooker on the shelves of any resale/thrift shop, but I, too, am concerned about leaving a used relic of the disco era plugged into an electrical outlet unattended all day. My girlfriend and I BORROW one from a friend who rarely uses his, but it’s such a pain. Seems like buying a new one would pay off many times over, though…maybe you’ve convinced me to buy a new one.

January 11, 2010 at 12:22 am

apieceofwood says:

Thanks for the tips re items on offer… very very tempted!

January 11, 2010 at 7:52 am

Great way to save some money, added advantage of being really healthy.

January 12, 2010 at 1:24 pm

Maria says:

Slow cookers? hmn, i thought they were a waste of Gas/ Electric, depending on what you use…
If you left one, switched on, and went to work, that is also not safe…i am not a fan.
But love your website, has many useful tips!

January 14, 2010 at 5:08 pm

F.G. says:

For those of us who like our red meat (unlike Miss Thrifty) it helps that a slow cooker makes delicious meals out of the very cheapest cuts, (shin of beef, neck of lamp etc). Totally delicious !

January 17, 2010 at 2:08 pm

Hello,

My husband asked for a slow cooker for last Christmas – strange, I know! – and we’ve been really enjoying using it ever since. It seems to work best on stews and things which are nicest with plenty of liquid in them; we made a twenty-four hour Persian lamb which was amazing.

February 16, 2010 at 8:57 pm

John says:

One of my favorite things to do with a slow cooker is to put assorted chicken parts in with a can of cream-based soup. A very easy meal is waiting for you when you return home!

July 30, 2010 at 8:34 am

Mary says:

OMG Miss Thrifty I have been using a Slow cooker for over a year…have cooked, whole chicken, leg of lamb, spag bol, chilli, steak (cheaper cuts are fab)…I heard also that it only used a few pence an hour lecky so greaaaaaaat! Thanks for all your great tips x

January 6, 2011 at 8:44 pm

Mary says:

Oh forgot to say I LEAVE IT ON ALL DAY WHILST I GO TO WORK….on slow mind you….and when I am in I cook on the high setting…its just a basic cookworks one from Argos (now £11.99)….its fantastic….meal waiting when you come has got to be the best!!!! Save all that opening and shutting the oven door….and it must save money…I wouldnt be without mine and I am always praising it….

January 6, 2011 at 8:57 pm

pete jones says:

One of the best ways to cut waste and save money is to buy food from one of those sites which sell food approaching or past its best before date (ie totally safe and perfectly good to eat). I use bestbuy-foods dot com

August 16, 2011 at 2:30 pm

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