Instant pot meets all your requirements, and so much more! Barely scratched the surface of what it can do but love it!
Post your recipes and meals please data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
Not used my slow cooker for years!
My favourite , braising steak in some rich beef stock , leave it on low until it falls apart , then in the oven for a good few crunchy dumplings on top !!!
Bought a large one which is not really ideal for the smaller family as found.
I/we use ours to make big curries and chilli dishes to freeze up and use later and the occasional pulled meat dish.
So far the Andrew James seems to be ahead in the slow cooker choice, but I keep being drawn to the Instant Pot. (Damn you IG). data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
With the instant pot, would I need to purchase a slow cooker top as an extra or can it be used as a slowcooker straight from the off?
Also, as no one is at home during the day should I be wary of leaving either unit on and cooking?
The Instant Pot can be used as a slow cooker straight from the off. Tonight I did a spag bol ragu for the kids tea in 36 minutes and am now doing lamb ribs for us. Yesterday I did pulled pork in 90 minutes. that was a 4 or more hour recipe for a slow cooker. The big advantage of the IP is that spares are easily available, so you can buy a spare inner for example. This would allow you to ccok one dish, pull it out and get the next one on.
As others have said, the ceramic is better IMHO. Mine has a timer for 6 hours at a higher temperature or 10 hours at a lower temperature.
It's practically impossible to burn anything in a slow cooker because after the timer lapses it goes into a warm mode. Makes tougher cuts of meat more tender. Similar to outdoor slow cooking minus the smoke taste.
I like to throw abeef roast, carrots, potatoes and onions into the pot with just a small amount of water, mixed with something like an onion soup gives it some personality. Come home 10 hours later to dinner!
OK now i'm getting hungry.
Ordered an Instant Pot from Amazon.
Should arrive tomorrow.
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I'm too late now, but still relatively new to slow cookers. Following some research we ended up with this one. the Fast Slow Pro
Got to say that we are loving it. Slow cooking is fantastic, being able to sear the meat in the same pot is brilliant as you really keep all the flavour. But a true revelation to me is the pressure cooking part. The risotto those thing can make is just out of this world. Sure I feel like cheating but it is just perfect.
Oh and beef casserole and chicken casserole is lovely too data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7