Is a Slow Cooker Worth It?
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If you’ve been thinking about buying one recently, you might be wondering if a slow cooker is worth it. Can it save you money or will just end up languishing at the back of the kitchen cupboards with other long-forgotten gadgets?
Is a Slow Cooker Worth It?
For me, my slow cooker is probably one of my most used kitchen gadgets. I use it 2-3 times each week, even during the summer months. Sometimes I use it to cook a whole meal such as a stew, other times I’ll use it for part of a meal such as for cooking a joint of meat.
How A Slow Cooker Save You Money
One of the biggest benefits of having a slow cooker is that as well as producing tasty meals, it can save you money. While of course there is a small outlay to buy a slow cooker initially, this will easily be recouped within a few months.
Here are some of the ways a slow cooker can save you money:
1. A Slow Cooker Is Great For Cheaper Cuts of Meat
Some cuts of meat really benefit from low and slow cooking such as skirt, neck, and shin. These cuts of meat are usually cheaper too, meaning having a slow cooker could help reduce the cost of your groceries.
2. A Slow Cooker Uses Less Energy
Slow cookers use much less energy than a standard oven, even when they are on all day. They only use the equivalent of a lightbulb being on.
3. A Slow Cooker Helps with Meal Planning
I find using my slow cooker helps with meal planning, especially around my family.
For example, if I know we are all going to be home at different times having a hot meal on low in the slow cooker means we can all help ourselves whenever we get in, with no reheating needed.
I also find that knowing I’ve got a hot meal ready to come home means we’re much less likely to end up getting a takeaway.
By the end of the day, I’m often flagging, between having a lively toddler and trying to run my business.
So for me, prepping a slow cooker meal in the morning when I have the most energy is a great way to save money as it means I’m not relying on takeouts or ready meals come dinner time.
I can also make extra so I have something prepared for my lunch the following day too.
Related Post: How To Start Meal Planning To Save Money
4. A Slow Cooker Can Be Used For Batch Cooking
A slow cooker can also be great for batch cooking. This means cooking several portions of one meal at once and then portioning up and popping in the freezer to use at a later date.
As well as this saving energy, I often buy large packs of reduced-price mince or chicken so batch cooking is a great way to get them used up and it’s handy to have tasty homecooked meals ready-made that only needs a quick ping in the microwave for nights when I just can’t be bothered making something from scratch.
5. A Slow Cooker Creates Less Washing Up
While I do love cooking from scratch, lots of my favourite recipes have loads of components resulting in what feels like every single pot and pan in the kitchen getting used. Using my slow cooker feels like a welcome break from that level of mess.
As someone who hates washing up and doesn’t own a dishwasher, I love meals where everything gets bunged in one pot – I never even brown the meat when using my slow cooker.
What Are The Disadvantages of a Slow Cooker?
Of course, there are a few disadvantages to using a slow cooker. Here are a few of the pitfalls I’ve found when using mine.
My Slow Cooker Can be difficult to clean
While I do love my slow cooker, it can be difficult to clean at times, especially if I’ve cooked something with a high sugar content such as barbeque glaze.
I could use slow cooker liners but want to avoid this as I’m trying to reduce the number of consumables I use. Soaking the bowl a couple of times usually does the trick, but I have to admit it’s my least favourite thing about using my slow cooker!
Settings Can Vary
I found this recently when my old slow cooker needed replacing – the settings on my new one were much hotter and I had a few disasters with very overcooked dinners! It can take a little while to get used to your slow cooker and you may find you need to use slightly different settings or timings to those suggested in recipes.
Digital Slow Cookers
My old slow cooker was digital and we did have in indecent where a power cut occurred and it didn’t switch back on as you had to physically set the timers using the digital display.
Some People Find Meals Can Be Bland
While I haven’t personally found this, I am in a few slow cooker-related groups on Facebook and this is one of the biggest complaints I see.
I do think sometimes when cooking with a slow cooker, extra seasoning is needed and with any dish, keep tasting as it is cooked and adjust as needed.
Is a Slow Cooker Worth It? Conclusion
In my opinion, yes a slow cooker is worth purchasing, despite the few disadvantages I mentioned above. For me, the savings and convenience far outweigh these and it’s a piece of equipment I definitely wouldn’t be without.
As I type this, I can smell the chicken curry that is currently bubbling away in mine at this very moment.
As kitchen gadgets go, Slow Cookers can be purchased relatively cheaply, starting at around £20 for a smaller model that will make meals for 2-3 people. You could also look into buying one second-hand to save even more money.
