rsqrott

OK, so I had to look up Tartiflette but OMG I am so making that .

I definitely suggest a crock pot with some sort of programmable/automatic shut off function as mine does not have this and things can get overcooked. But even once the crock pot shuts off the food will still keep warm for quite awhile as the heat is retained and confined.

I used to dismiss crock pots but once I got one it's become one of my essentials, right up there with my stand mixer. Dinner can be hot and ready the second you walk in the door after working all day...it's perfect!

I even use mine for things like Cajun roast beef where I cook the meat overnight, my better half shuts it off when he gets up for work. By the time I'm up the meat is cool enough to handle and shred and the stock is cool enough to go into the fridge. Once I'm home from work I de-fat the stock & turn it into gravy while the meat re-heats in the oven. The crock pot has also been great for short ribs. I use it frequently for biryani & even haggis ( don't judge, my husband loves it and even my son happily eats it).

I haven't really even begun to explore the possibilities of the crock pot since I keep on going back to standard recipes.

dchristiva

We have a Cuisinart model that does exactly this. No complaints.

gfunkdave

I have this one: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It might be the same as dchristiva's. It automatically switches to Keep Warm once the programmed cooking time is up. It's the perfect size for a household of two - makes plenty for one meal plus leftovers for another night.

Flyingmama

USA_flyer, now that you have our hearts set on making tartiflette in our slow cookers, are you going to share your recipe?????


(hopefully without needing special timers and digital displays. My crockpot is 20 - 25 years old and doesn't come with those goodies. But, it is reliable, cooks evenly and thoroughly, and will probably outlast me.)

gfunkdave

It was EVERYWHERE when I was in Chamonix earlier this year. French mountain food is good for a long day of skiing. It was so rich, I could only have a small small piece.

dchristiva

We have the 650, but also feed a family of 5, so the 6 1/2 quart capacity is a plus for us.

USA_flyer

a clove of crushed garlic spread around the bottom of the cooker.
1kg of peeled, sliced potato on top of that.
1 medium sliced onion on top of that.
100ml of water to soak around the potato.
a dusting of pepper on top of that.
2 large gammon steaks on top of that.
1lb of Reblochon or brie on top of that.

Cook on a low heat for 6 hours.

Just to be fair - it was a bit too salty for my wife a daughter but I liked it.

annieway

I have 2 crockpots and use them frequently. Something to keep in mind, at least for crockpots in the US, the newer ones seem to run hotter than the old ones did. My old one never has any visible bubbling when it is cooking. My newer one does, and it cooks much faster too. I think I read somewhere that the FDA thought the lower temperature might be unsafe and required manufacturers to use a higher set-point but I did a brief search on FDA.gov and couldn't find a reference so that may not be true. Maybe the manufacturer did it on their own.

A great place to buy a really inexpensive crockpot if you want to experiment without making a financial commitment is your local thrift store. I got mine for about $5. There's not much that can go wrong with them and they can be easily cleaned up. Just make sure to find one with a removable crock. Some of the "vintage" ones tend to have permanently attached crocks which are a pain to clean.

Another wonderful recipe is Overnight Oatmeal. Here is an example: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/a...al-recipe.html You can think of all sorts of variations. I put peeled sliced apples and cinnamon in mine. It works best in an old (lower temperature) crockpot. If you have a new crockpot you might want to try it during the day so you can deal it if it starts to burn.

BamaVol

^ for the info. My smaller crockpot, while purchased in the last 4 years, cooks at a lower temp than the larger one. It would be ideal for the overnight oatmeal. I'll give it a shot this weekend.

I actually like a hotter cooking temp. Most recipes can be cooked on high or low with corresponding differences in cook time. I've almost always opted for the shorter time. That allows me to prep at leisure in the morning or shop for last minute items in the morning without a panic over whether the meal will be ready at dinnertime. I've never tasted a difference although I imagine some foods like beans might benefit from the long slow process texture-wise.

My biggest issue currently is dealing with recipes I used to cook for a family of six now that it's just the two of us. No problem buying a smaller pork loin or fewer chicken thighs, but it's very tough to cut down a chili recipe that calls for 3 kinds of beans and 3 kinds of meat.

cubbie

I was tempted today to buy a 1.5-quart slow cooker at Walgreens, which I think is the right size for cooking steel-cut oats for breakfast, but I'm reluctant to buy a unitasking appliance (Alton Brown's influence, no doubt). So I'm wondering, who has a small slow cooker and what kinds of things, other than oatmeal, do you use it for?

BamaVol

You would really be limiting yourself with 1.5 Qts. It might truly end up as a unitasking device. If you go with a 3, you can do soups, stews, bbq pork. I use mine to feed the 2 of us. I have a 5 Qt. that I use with guests or when I want leftovers or have a recipe with too many ingredients to cut down. If you can make the oatmeal in a 2.5 or 3 Qt. with no impact on quality, go that way. I'm planning on using my 3 Qt. this weekend for oatmeal, but I'll also be feeding 4 of us Sunday morning.

CDTraveler

I make double use of the CrockPot by cooking in big batches even though there is just two of us. With mine, I can make 6 portions of something like beef stew, so we have it the first night and then two nights' worth go in the freezer, which means two nights I can have real food on the table in under 20 minutes freezer-microwave-table. CrockPots tend to be good for things that freeze well.

missydarlin

+1

USA_flyer

I have lamb shanks marinating in the fridge.

8 hours in the slow cooker tomorrow with a redcurrant and red wine jus.

tcl

I inherited a large crockpot form my grandmother that I mainly used for stocks and soups. I recently bought a basic 1.5qt oval that is perfect for meals for 1 or 2 for when I want minimal leftovers. The oval shape in more versatile than the round because you can put longer cuts of meat in there such as chicken thighs or breasts yet still have the correct ratio of meat to liquid. For the timing function, I just use a manual plug-in timer.

I don't have much experience with cooking actual meals in slow cookers, but so far my go-to dishes are braising dishes such as Lebanese Tahini meatballs a la Ottolenghi, Cuban Chicken and some Indian stews.

However I usually prefer using my pressure cooker for larger cuts and more versatility.