This is my second slow cooker, there was nothing wrong with the first one it was one of those 3 in 1 types that could be used to slow cook, steam or cook rice. I found I wasn’t really using it that much as I seldom cook rice, own a two tier steamer for use on the hob and the pot used to slow cook wasn’t the sort that you could use on the table. In short we didn’t really get on so after several uneventful years together we parted company (amicably I might add) and off it went to find a new lease of life with my sister.
Mr. T. agreed I could look for a suitable replacement as at the time the weather was starting to turn rather cool and the amount of days the oven was on a low heat for the best part of the day cooking our evening meal were increasing. With the price of gas soaring and our central heating working overtime we concluded ( Mr. T. as ever thinking of a saving to his bank balance no doubt) that the purchase of a new one should be done sooner rather than later.
Out came the Argos catalogue and I perused what was on offer. There were 17 slow cookers listed, differing in size, price and ability. Although I generally only cook on a daily basis for three, Messrs T. have healthy appetites I needed to concentrate on the ones capable of cooking enough for at least 4. Reading the blurb it was discovered I was best looking at ones with a 4.7 litre capacity which narrowed my search down somewhat.The one that did stand out, almost with neon flashing lights was the Crock pot sauté SC7500 slow cooker priced at £43.99. Resisting the temptation to put my coat on grab my bag and rush out to buy one, practicality took over and I set about searching online for the best deal.
Not surprisingly it was available from several outlets all selling it for various prices. I was rather pleased to see John Lewis amongst them who were offering it for £35.15 (the same as Amazon) and quickly removed Mr. T’s credit card from his wallet, placed an order going through one of the favourable cash back sites. It arrived 2 days later, just as the weather changed from cool to very cold.
*** What’s in the box ***
Well a slow cooker of course, but not just any slow cooker. The heating base unit has none slip feet; the removable stoneware pot is the thing that really makes this stand out from others is it features ETC which is the newest innovation in cooking technology.” ETC is a special formulation of stoneware which can withstand extreme temperature changes “. It is
safe to use not only in the heating base unit but on stove tops, in the fridge, freezer as well as conventional and microwave ovens too. In short it allows you to prepare, cook, store leftovers and reheat all using the same stoneware pot. I have only used mine on the hob and as a slow cooker and therefore unable to comment how it performs when used in other ways.
There is also a heat diffuser which is basically a metal rack which you will need to use should you use the pot on electric hobs. I assume this is a pretty new addition as I read on Amazon that some people had previously experienced problems which resulted in their pots cracking when used in this way.
We have a gas oven and hob so I have had no need to make use of it.
The 8 page instruction manual is perhaps better described as a paper booklet but explains how to use and look after your slow cooker. It also includes 5 recipe ideas to get you on the road to successful slow cooking.
An additional Sauté slow cooker recipe book written by the celebrity chef Phil Vickery (can’t stand the bloke actually) includes 15 recipes spanning 30 pages and is conveniently split into the following sections: - starters (2), mains vegetarian (2) Mains fish (2) mains meat (6) and desserts (3). The recipes aren’t exactly what I’d call everyday fodder but they do give you a good idea on timings should you wish to create something similar, this came in very handy when I made my first soups and curries the slow cooker way.
I must say I was stunned and amazed to see desserts in there as it had never entered my head that these could be cooked in such a way and as a result of this I am seriously considering giving the Bitter chocolate & coffee bread pudding a whirl.
This slow cooker has 3 settings high, low and keep warm, which is operated by simply turning a knob on the front of the heating base unit.
The high setting reaches a temperature of around 300°f with low reaching about 200°f. The keep warm function is designed to keep your food at the perfect temperature until you are ready to devour your wonderful creations. It is not advisable to use this setting for cooking or re heating.
The heat settings are really easy to grasp and if you work on the assumption one hour on high is more or less equivalent to 2½ on low, you won’t go far wrong. It is recommended that most uncooked meat and vegetable combinations will require at least 8 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high. Most things will cook well if left for the day but certain things don’t hold up too well if subjected to 8-10 hours cooking. These include, Chinese vegetables, rice, noodles, pasta, mushrooms, peppers and seafood, it is therefore best to add these around 2 hours if cooking on low or 1 hour if on high before serving. If your chosen recipe requires milk, then again this is best left to the end or you may well find it curdles. If you really do need to add the milk at the beginning use the evaporated variety instead.
I tend to start things off regardless on the high setting for the first hour or so then turn it down to low for the rest of the cooking time, however that’s just my personal preference and is by no means a necessary requirement.
As the Crock pot retains all moisture which would normally evaporate during conventional cooking, it is important to note that when cooking by this method you need to reduce the amount of liquid you use, nine times out of ten you’ll find you end up with more liquid at the finish than you had at the start. The 1½ pints of stock I would normally use if cooking a casserole in the gas oven is reduced to ½ pint when using the slow cooker method. Because the liquid doesn’t reduce, it is virtually impossible to over cook anything and there is no chances of it boiling dry either should you find yourself running late.
An added bonus is that slow cooking not only retains valuable vitamins and minerals but perhaps more important… flavour.
Because this Crock pot can be used on the stove top as well it makes short work in the preparation department with the added bonus of saving on washing up too…. got to be a good thing especially if you are like me and don’t own a dishwasher.
If I am planning to slow cook a casserole the following day, I find it easier to prepare things the night before. Vegetables will be peeled and chopped whilst meat will be cut into bite size pieces. The next day I lightly oil the inside of the stoneware pot, plug the base unit in and turn to the high setting. I like to brown my meat first and this can be done in the pot on the hob, it’s not necessary but I do find by doing so the crusty bits that form on the meat, (apologies to vegetarians if the thought of that repulses you) really enhance the finished dish not only by colour but a lovely rich flavour too. Once seared in go the prepared vegetables, usually onions, leeks, carrots and celery a handful of pearl barley hot stock and mushroom ketchup give it a stir before popping on the lid and placing in the base unit.You may have noticed that I have omitted to add any seasoning; this is because the flavours are more concentrated when cooking by this method and as such is best left until the end of cooking to avoid any possible disasters. The same can be said if you are using garlic- go easy as the flavours become very powerful with slow cooking. I made the mistake of using my usual 3 cloves of garlic in a chilli and I swear the vampires could smell us as far away as Transylvania. Beware too if you normally use fresh chillies, leave these till last too, unless you enjoy blowing your socks off.
I like to turn my casseroles into one pot meals so instead of doing a side dish of say mashed potatoes, I turn it into what’s known in Yorkshire as Ash, a dish my Gran used to make ( not to be confused with hash as in the corned beef dish) by throwing diced, par boiled potatoes into the pot. It’s not advisable to add raw potatoes to slow cook as I found to my dismay. The starch released from the spuds during cooking resulted in a scum like layer on the top and whilst it didn’t spoil the flavour, it wasn’t really attractive. I now boil some potatoes the night before so I can bung them in the pot with everything else. If you want to turn this into a real winter warmer, during the last couple of hours cooking, turn the heat up high and throw in some dumplings.
Whilst this one does not have a built in timer, I believe the SCV1600BS model does. I don’t think this is any great loss really as the idea of slow cooking is that “it cooks slowly” for the best part of the day. You get it going in the morning and at the end of the day you have a lovely nutritious meal ready and waiting to be enjoyed.
The Stoneware pot is elegant enough to be taken to the table and this has been borne out in its design. The handles stay cool whilst the rest of the pot is hot so make sure you put a suitable mat down before you put in on your dining table.
When I first unpacked mine I was a little alarmed at the shape of the pot as after peering inside it didn’t look that big, although the box states that this 4.7 litre capacity pot is capable of holding enough to feed 5, I just couldn’t see it somehow. The pot is shaped so it is wider at the top measuring around 9½ inches, then narrows down to 6inches at the bottom. It reminds me of a witch’s cauldron. . It goes to show that appearances can be deceptive and I can confirm this definitely holds enough to feed 5 as it claims.
One downside for some may be the fact that lid to the pot is not transparent so you can’t see how your food is cooking without lifting the lid. It’s not an issue for me and neither would it be for those who are out of the house whilst it’s in action. It is however, very tempting to lift the lid and have a peek especially when using it on the first few occasions, but there is a price to pay for doing so as each lift of the lid will add at least another 10-15 minutes to your cooking time, so these lifts are best kept to a minimum.Once you are familiar with your slow cooker you will find it easy to adapt your trusty recipes and I have successfully created numerous casseroles, soups, chillies, pot roasts, curries plus our favourite Greek dishes of Stifado and Kleftico by using the following conversions from conventional to slow cook.
15-30 mins = 4-6hrs (low) or 1½ - 2hrs (high)
30-45 mins = 6-10hrs (low) or 3-4hrs (high)
50mins to 3 hrs = 8-10hrs (low) or 4-6hrs (high)
Because I have found these conversions very easy to adapt, I don’t feel the need to spend money buying books containing recipes specifically designed for slow cooking ( a sigh of relief from Mr. T. no doubt)
Whether you choose low or high your kitchen will be filled with the most delicious aromas which will have you salivating and dying to tuck in. I have Oxtail in Guinness cooking at the moment and it smells absolutely divine.
I have found it is unnecessary to use the high setting if you are leaving your food to cook all day. Whilst the slow cooker is a very economical way of cooking using only the same amount of electricity as your average light bulb, the high setting is certainly more powerful than I first thought. I used it on my “first test drive “and was rather alarmed to be able to hear the stock bubbling away in a rather ferocious manner, so in my opinion it is totally unnecessary for all day cooking and best kept for occasions when you are short of time, however cooking certain dishes like casseroles, oxtail and pot roasts on a low gentle simmer does produce the best results.
The stoneware pot is very easy to look after and wash as you don’t tend to get food sticking to it, especially if as I do you coat the inside with a thin layer of oil before you start cooking. It is also suitable to go in the dishwasher too. It is important though not use metal utensils as this could scratch the pot.
I use mine at least 3 times during the week and can certainly recommend this model.
"Slow cooking is the art of making something sublime and special out of something ordinary" Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
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So whether you are working full time, a busy parent or like me fed up with spending too much time in the kitchen This Crockpot sauté slow cooker could just be what you are looking for and you can get yours from numerous outlets including :-
John Lewis £35.15
Amazon £35.15
Tesco Direct £43.97
It no longer seems to be available from Argos as it does not appear in their spring/ summer catalogue for 2010.
Sauté out your meals the slow cooker way
©tune57
~~~ Sautéd ~~~ 
Another fab write up