A slow cooker can save you a lot of time, space and money! Just throw a few ingredients into this compact device (as small as a regular pot) can create delicious meals, turn the knob, and it does all the work for you. You can work, clean the house, even go out and run errands the whole day, then come home to a delicious meal. The slow-cooking process also tenderizes cheap cuts of meat and melds flavors in a way that no instant seasoning can. Read on for more benefits on getting a slow cooker.
Slow cookers are energy-efficient
Slow cookers will cook food on very low heat for as long as eight hours. Most people hear this and worry about the cost of electricity or gas. However, slow cookers are actually quite energy efficient, and cost as much to run as a light bulb. In fact, it costs less to cook on a slow cooker than in a traditional oven.
Slow cookers will cut your supermarket expenses.
Even cheap cuts of meat will melt off the bone if they are cooked for several hours. And, the long cooking process will tease out the flavor of the meat. You can also make a delicious broth by adding bones and the stalks and bits of vegetables, so you waste nothing. (For more tips, read our article on tenderizing cheap cuts of meat.)
Slow cookers will free up your time
Slow cookers are the best investment for busy people who have no time to cook! You don’t have to watch your food, worrying over whether or not it will burn or stick to the pot. Just place all the ingredients in the slow cooker,
add boiling water or stock, and you can leave it for several hours. You can even do this overnight, or as you go out of the house and run errands. (Just don’t leave the slow cooker unattended the first few times you use it; like any new appliance you have to make sure that it has no defects or problems.)
Slow cookers don’t heat up the kitchen.
While slow cookers are great for making hearty winter food like stews, they’re fantastic for summer cooking, too. They release less heat than an oven, so you can cook a delicious meal without feeling like you’re being braised yourself.
Slow cookers are easy to clean
Since food is cooked at a lower temperature, there’s less chance of it getting burned, or of ingredients sticking to the bottom. You spend less time scrubbing pots and pans!
Image from slowcookerrecipes.net.au