Why Slow Cooker Is The Only Skill You Really Need

Slow Cooker review
OUR SCORE:
PROS
Wonderful value for money

Oven and dishwasher-safe
CONS
Heavy crock
Basic controls
No sear function
KEY FEATURES
2.5-litre

Three heat settings


WHAT IS THE LAKELAND BRUSHED CHROME
FAMILY SLOW COOKER?
The Lakeland Brushed Chrome Family Slow Cooker is a straightforward slow cooker
No fancy controls, no whizzy features, just a knob
That selects one of three heat levels (low, high or automobile) and a little red light to show that

The cooking pot is a ceramic crock that is oven-safe to 150°C.
Means it's a significant burden to lug around but the up side is that it retains heat well, so it is
Fantastic for serving right to the table. The pot and glass lid are equally dishwasher-safe
too.
LAKELAND BRUSHED CHROME FAMILY SLOW

The stove is discreet looking: a brushed chrome oval-shaped appliance that's wide but
shallow. Thanks to this simple rotary dial on the front it appears almost retro. The dial lets
You select from three heat levels: low, high and auto.
Most as it uses a high heat until your dish comes up to temperature, then drops down to
A lower heat to cook slowly and economically. A little red light over the knob indicates
Whether it's on or not.

weight of a metal slow cooker pot. This makes it heavier to carry but it also makes it
Oven-safe (up to 150°C) and good at retaining heat. Its glass lid is good for inspecting
And both the pot and lid are dishwasher-safe.
This 3.5-litre cooker has a working capacity of 2.5 litres, allowing room for bubbling and
simmering. It is easily big enough to cook a curry for six. For batch cooking and larger
Families consider a larger capacity -- for #17 more Lakeland provides a 6.5-litre version with
A 5.5-litre functioning capacity.

COOKER -- WHAT'S IT LIKE TO USE?
The simple design of the cooker means there's no need to reach for the
instruction manual. Simply fill it with components and choose your setting. The low
Setting is ideal for day-long cooking, where you actively want the process to be slow so
Dinner isn't ready till the end of the day.
The high setting is for when you are in more of a hurry -- it still cooks slowly but a dish
Might take 4 hours instead of 6 or 7. Along with the auto setting offers the best of both worlds
-- it starts out high till your components come up to temperature, then cooks at a low
Heat until you turn it off. There is no timer, so once you have changed the Lakeland
On it is going to keep gently cooking till you return to it.
There is also no sear function for browning meat or sautéing ingredients such as onions,
garlic and spices. If your recipe requires this, you will wind up using another pan.
We used it on the low setting to make slow-cooked
honey and raisin granola. The dish was cooked evenly and the ceramic pot proved
surprisingly easy to clean. Where a few oats had stuck into it, they were admittedly more
stubborn than they would have been on a non-stick surface. But at least with a ceramic
Pot there's no fear of damaging it with a vigorous scrub.
The conventional, ceramic crock has a couple of other benefits. It is oven-safe to 150°C --
Great for reheating the next day -- and it keeps heat really well, ideal for serving a
Dish right to the table. The kettle weighs more than 2kg when empty, so it's heavy to
carry when full. But it's easy to grasp and, armed with two oven gloves, not a real
problem.
SHOULD I BUY THE LAKELAND BRUSHED
CHROME FAMILY SLOW COOKER?
If you would like a straightforward slow cooker with no fancy features, yes. It has great value for
Money and does a fine job of cooking simple, one-pot dishes. If you would like more control
over your cooking times, consider the Morphy Richards 3.5L Digital Sear and Stew Slow
Cooker. And if you'd prefer a multi-cooker that steams veggies and cooks rice, risotto,
Porridge and more then consider the Tefal 8-in-1 Multi Cooker or the Sage Risotto Plus.
VERDICT
Cheap as chips but far healthier, this simple slow cooker won't disappoint for
the price.