Slow Cooker

Oh, yeahhhhh.

Picture

Ours is black though.

We bought a slow cooker a couple of weeks ago. Looked in Japan first, then realised it’s probably cheaper to buy one in the US and have it shipped over. We ended up going with this model from Crock Pot. It ended up costing us $43, and we paid $40 for the shipping.

So far I am liking it very much. It’s incredibly easy to use (just three settings: low, high, and warm) and you basically throw everything into it in the morning (or at night), turn it on, and leave it to do its thing for the next 8-12 hours.

I made pork and potatoes last week, and my wife made beef, carrots, onions, and turnip yesterday. Both came out really good.

I wish we’d bought one of these years ago!

It’s pretty much perfect for our lifestyle, as we tend to work long hours and come home late. Coming home to hearty, tasty food done to perfection is a nice change.

Anyone else have a slow cooker? Any good recipes?

15 Responses

  1. We haven’t used ours for quite a while, but once upon a time it was great for spaghetti sauce. I think it’s six quarts. I would usually fill it brimming the night before for the next night’s dinner and then leftovers. Heavy on veggies.
    The kids knew it as “daddy’s famous kubo spaghetti.” (kubo = 窪, part of our address) I might have to revive that for old time’s sake when the grand-daughter comes to visit.

    1. The main feature for me is the fact you can leave it on all day: I get home at 22:30 and don’t have an hour to pressure cooker something, I just want to eat and go to bed 🙂

      1. I would love it if Instant Pot made it to Japan. They make combination slow cooker/pressure cookers, so you could let it slow cook your stew all day, then when you come home just pull out the stew, put in a separate pot with your rice, and use the pressure cooker to cook the rice (about 15 minutes, IIRC).
        You can also use them to saute, so in theory you could sear/braise the meat and vegetables for a few minutes before starting the slow cook cycle for your stew.
        …now I’m getting hungry. 🙁

  3. I’ve been thinking of buying one of these for a while now. I’m wondering, though–are slow cookers economical? It seems that leaving something cooking for 8 – 12 hours would be a bit “un-frugal.”

  4. I am interested in buying one for a long time now, however I am always worried to leave it overnight or when going to work.
    How is your experience so far? 🙂

    1. So far, wonderful. Turn it on in the morning or at night, and it’s ready when you get home/up.

  5. You should also check out microwavable pressure cookers. We have one. cheap. You micro for like 30 minutes and then let it sit for a few hours. Works the same way. Cheap and awesome!
    Also I would double, triple check that your US slow cooker is okay on Japan power system. Digital electronics 99% of the time have no problem. Its the stuff that runs on DC like hair dryers, washing machines, and I think slow cookers (because of the heating element). So while it may work, it may not be working correctly and could burn out.

    1. A slow cooker is just a resistance heater, like an electric blanket. No moving parts. The slight voltage drop to 100v, and using either 50/60Hz won’t hurt anything. E.g., ours is from the US (tho we are on 60Hz here)–never any problem.

      1. I brought a unit from the US once that didn’t work out. It could have been a bad unit, but my uneducated guess is that the lower voltage going through the coils didn’t produce enough heat; I filled it with water and left it on high all day, checking every hour. The water warmed up to the danger zone for bacterial growth and stayed there. Same with the low setting.
        It’s a shame, because most Japanese slow cookers are small 2-3 quart affairs. That’s barely enough for two people.
        If nobody else has had a problem with an imported model from the US, I might try again. They might not be the most energy efficient way to cook, but I think the time you save is more than worth it. I introduced the concept of using a slow cooker to a Japanese friend who works. She found a four quart model and been using it regularly to prepare meals for her family of four. She is completely in love with it.

      2. As of today we are three for three: my wife made an awesome beef stew last night 😀

    2. I am seriously starting to be sold on this. I can feel my Amazon-mouse-clicking-finger starting to twitch…