Crock Pots/slow cookers

[Judy]

I am wanting to buy a slow cooker and start using it regularly. Any slow cooker users in here?
Do you have favorite cookers to recommend? Favorite go-to recipies you like to make?
I have acumulated lots of slow cooker cook books, and will certainly be trying out things from them when I settle on which cooker to get, but I really like hearing about what people already do.
Any input is appreciated!!

[macsmomma]

There is a thread of recipes for slow cookers already. http://turkernation.com/showthread.p...ck-pot-recipes It has a lot of ideas

[lolabear]

i have one and i love using it! i used it more when i worked full time outside the home, now that im a stay at home mom i have more time to cook but i still like it for certain things. i love doing pot roast, bbq chicken, chili and my spaghetti sauce in it.

[Michi0122]

No advice on picking one out here. I always find myself using someone else's slow cooker. I like to take quick online recipes and then make them fancy by replacing quick ingredients with fresh or scratch alternatives and then tossing it in the slow cooker. The last thing I did was chicken and dumpling soup which turned out wonderfully. The great thing about using a slow cooker is that there are tons of different things you can make from it and the time investment throughout the day ends up being rather small so you can feel free to experiment with something new each day

[Judy]

thanks macsmomma that looks like a good thread.

So anyone have a favorite slow cooking machine suggestion? Anyone have an opinion on digital vs manual?

[super_soprano13]

Alton Brown has an episode on slow cookers, I always go to him for equipment advice, I'd just google it! Seriously, he's the best for stuff like that. And then you can look at his recipes! He even has a crockpot lasagna. I'd follow him of a cliff (figuratively) in the kitchen.

[lolabear]

Alton Brown has an episode on slow cookers, I always go to him for equipment advice, I'd just google it! Seriously, he's the best for stuff like that. And then you can look at his recipes! He even has a crockpot lasagna. I'd follow him of a cliff (figuratively) in the kitchen.

this! i love his show and his books! and you can find all his recipes online. there are several blogs out there as well dedicated to crock pot recipes that i used when i worked full time

[Judy]

sweet! Thanks guys--I like Alton Brown very much. Will go check that out

[super_soprano13]

Alton Brown- the internet's cooking guru of choice. I'm watching Food Network Star right now, and his one contestant Justin would get some serious backing from like...Reddit.

[MzSassyPants]

I could not live without my crockpot. I regularly make roasts, pulled pork, chili, sauced chicken and whatever-might-be-going-bad-in-the-fridge-soon goulash.

It is truly one of the most versatile pieces of cookware to own. Once you play with a few recipes (I get most of mine, or ideas for them, from Allrecipes) and get the concept down, the sky is the limit for you. I will say that mine is huge and it's digital. I rarely, if ever, cook anything on high in it. I always cook on low and for numerous hours. Not only does it allow the food to really get tender but the smells in the house are just amazing all day (or night) long.