6 reasons why we love slow cookers

Who doesn’t love the smug feeling of coming home after a long day and having a hearty home-cooked dinner ready to serve up from the slow cooker?

Not having to cook at the end of the day when energy lacks is just one of the reasons we love our slow cookers. Here are 6 more reasons why plenty of Consumer staffers make room for one in their kitchens.

1. They’re very cheap to run

You’ve probably thought about how much your dinner ingredients cost, but have you thought about what your cooking is costing you in power?

We’ve done the sums and found cooking a roast in the oven costs about $1. Even if you cook on a slow cooker’s low setting for 8 hours, it’ll only cost you 20c.Those savings could add up over the winter.

Our test results let you check out each slow cooker’s running costs over a year, so you can make sure you’re not getting a power hungry one.

2. They can also be cheap to buy

Of the 12 we’ve tested, seven of them cost under $100. Two of those cheapies were so good we gave them our Consumer Recommended tick. Members can check out which two they were below.

3. They save you money at the supermarket too

All those cheap cuts of red meat, such a chuck steak and silverside, come out beautifully tender after a day of being cooked low and slow. You can make your money go even further by adding cheap lentils or beans to beef up the recipe.

4. You can cook once, eat twice

The only thing better than that smugness of having dinner ready because it’s been cooking all day, is scooping the leftovers into containers to freeze for another night. A 5L or 6L slow cooker actually has a usable volume of about 4L, but that’s enough to feed a large family or, if you’ve got a smaller household, stock up the freezer.

5. They’re easy to clean

You’ve just got the slow cooker bowl and lid to clean rather than a bunch of pots and pans. Plus, you don’t have to worry about splatters on your oven walls or cooktop. You can make it even easier for yourself by choosing a slow cooker that fits in your sink and is dishwasher safe.

6. They cook more than just dinner

There’s more to slow cookers than just savoury meals. You can experiment with cooking rice and mulling wine. Some models even have settings for baking and making yoghurt in them.

Two super cheap slow cookers we love