Slow cooker

[annie]

Was wondering if i should buy a slow cooker for soups or other dishes.. any mummy can advise me if this is worth purchasing? My concern is the use of it (is the use very limited?) and the nutrients lost.. cos the food is cooked inside for a long period of time.. eg for soups.. we boil it in the pot for long period of time, there is nutrients lost too isnt it? so the nutrients lost when we boil soup for 1-2hrs in pot and the nutrients lost in slow cooker, which is greater? not sure if there is a NEED for it... does the food cooked in slow cooker taste good? any mummy using slow cooker can advise me? TIA

 

[uddermummy]

i personally feel that soups boiled in slow cookers taste nicer than those in ordinary pots.

I think it doesn't matter if you boil in normal pots, or in slow cookers; as long as you cook food for a long time, the nutrients will be lost?

I've got one slow cooker, but haven't really used it yet cos most of the time i steam my girl's food and it's faster.

My friends use the slow cooker to cook porridge for their kids, and they just dump everything in the cooker. :001_302:

 

[apollo]

i think shd invest on a slow cooker. cos i personally burned a few pots at hm when i didnt use the slow cooker haha!!

as for the nutrients, i just throw in the fish 10-15min b4 serving the porridge to ds.. same goes to those carrots and pumpkin puree :001_302:

 

[annie]

actually cooking porridge dosent takes alot of time n ive been using a normal pot and feeling very comfy with it. i was wondering if i can use the slow cooker to cook soup or stock for my girl or cook some dishes for the family(me n hubby la lol) but then not sure if i can achieve this with a normal pot as well so dunno if i should buy...

but if so.. does it means that all stock n soup has not much nutrients since they are usually cooked for hrs?

uddermummy, your fren dump everything inside then the nutrients all lost lor? haha. at least should add the ingredients just 10-15mins before the porridge is cook like wat regina is doing..

 

[apollo]

actually cooking porridge dosent takes alot of time n ive been using a normal pot and feeling very comfy with it. i was wondering if i can use the slow cooker to cook soup or stock for my girl or cook some dishes for the family(me n hubby lol) but then not sure if i can achieve this with a normal pot as well so dont know if i should buy...

but if so.. does it means that all stock n soup has not much nutrients since they are usually cooked for hours?

uddermummy, your friend dump everything inside then the nutrients all lost ? haha. at least should add the ingredients just 10-15mins before the porridge is cook like what regina is doing..

my mum always tell me just throw everything into the slow cooker cos the fish nutrients will be INSIDE the porridge/soup.. dunno hw true but for fish i definitely will throw in 10-15min advance cos i scare the fish smell too strong aft cooking for a long time haha!

 

[Frenchkitty]

hubby & I bought a slow cooker as soon as Adam turned 6mths and we never regret. I usually just pour the rice in during noon and by dinner time his porridge is ready. Dont hv to worry about watching over the fire.. Worthy investment

 

[uddermummy]

yeah loh, my friend just dumps everything in the cooker in the morning before she goes to work. Don't dare to tell her that the nutrients will be lost lehhh...

 

[uddermummy]

my mum always tell me just throw everything into the slow cooker cos the fish nutrients will be INSIDE the porridge/soup.. dont know hw true but for fish i definitely will throw in 10-15min advance cos i scare the fish smell too strong after cooking for a long time haha!

that was what i thought also, but when i read those bb nutrition books, they say that some nutrients are just lost, and not in the soup, when you cook for too long. The soup will still contain some nutrients though...

 

[Phoebii Cheng]

But slow cooker will cost a lot right? I mean in terms of electricity? I also hv a slow cooker, but so far only used once.....cook porridge for my son, I admit that the porridge taste nicer....

 

[uddermummy]

hmmm, i suppose it does use quite a bit of electricity since it's switched on for hours.

But i feel that it's safer than cooking on stoves cos of the open fires on stoves. :001_302:

 

[apollo]

that was what i thought also, but when i read those baby nutrition books, they say that some nutrients are just lost, and not in the soup, when you cook for too long. The soup will still contain some nutrients though...

yup, the nutrients will 'zhen fa' away in the air.. that is what i know.. haha

 

[apollo]

But slow cooker will cost a lot right? I mean in terms of electricity? I also have a slow cooker, but so far only used once.....cook porridge for my son, I admit that the porridge taste nicer....

yup i think cost more in electric wise.. usually i will start the slow cooker at 11+ and off it ard 3+ cos ds having his porridge at 3.30-4.30pm... haha...

 

[diymummy]

I bought my slow cooker and use it everyday! LOL! I use it to cook my son's porridge. I steam his fish seperately and puree his vege seperately as well. 30min before I serve my son his meal I would steam the fish and put in the frozen vege into the slow cooker to warm up. After that just mash all the vege and fish together.

I cook porridge using it because I cook the porridge overnight so that I can bring it to my son's infant care. I also have probelm with burning pots so would use slow cooker. Even on weekends, I just put the grains in and leave it. No need to watch fire.

For soups, I like the taste of soups from slow cookers than from pots. But then again, if all nutrients are lost, why would people go for "dun4 tang1"?

 

[iwan2noe]

yup, the nutrients will 'zhen fa' away in the air.. that is what i know.. haha

hmm, in my opinion, i think slow cooker is a wonderful invention.
It allow foodand soup be cooked over a good heat without getting ur food / souo burnt thus burning the pot. Although more electricity may be used, i think it is a good investment and i dun think the nutrient will be lost. I always notice that the water vapour on the glass lid and once there are too much water vapour it dripped back to the pot...in my humble opinion, i think slow cooker wont cause nutrients be 'evaporate' away or lost

It also make soups taste better due to its slow 'fire' cooking in the pot :red:

 

[isabelandrew]

Yes, it has been wonderful. actually slow cooker can contain the nutrients. the pot itself is clay-like. it cooks slowly and the taste is better.

like the porridge i cook for my bb. there is a lean meat in it. so her porridge taste real sweet - the essence of the meat. something that pot cannot produce. not as nice la.

we hv been using this for good, man

 

[annie]

i bought a cheap slow cooker! hehe. less than sgd$60 ehhe. but i got few qns...

1. how we know when to use high n when to use low?

2. my slow cooker has only 'off' 'low' 'high'. no timer.. is there any chance we need to use high first then change to low? if we not at home then cant change then how?

3. also... there is no 'keep warm' button... if i put my things inside now n then by tmr morning its cooked but i dun want to remove n i want to keep warm inside.. wat should i do since there is no keep warm button? put to low n let it continue to cook? if so, wont the food inside be over cooked? eg if i make soup with potato inside, wont it melt??

TIA :001_302:

 

[lynnie85]

Do the nutrients really lost? coz my mum always started cooking my son's porridge since 6.30am and my son will be eating it like 11.30am? Usually it'll have carrot, veg and either fish or pork...as usually, my mum say all nutrients will be in it...but if really nutrients are lost, i would probably ask my mum not to cook for so long

 

[chelle]

I use the slow cooker too! I bought the small cooker for ard S$30!
Just throw all the ingridents in and cook for ard 1.5 to 2 hrs and the porridge is READY!
My mum say can use normal pot if you have the time to look after the fire and stir it.
But she scared i will burn the porridge and set the house on fire (haha) so she advise slow cooker better!

 

[jasobias]

Actually porridge doesnt take tht long to cook.Can cook over weekends then freeze.Thts wht i have been doing all along.Kids as babies loved it n all grew up nice n healthy.
Takes me abt 2 hrs..i put fish cabbage spinach carrot potatoes n rice in the porridge.Cook it till abit mushy then blend it then store it in those little round glad containers.Eating time just microwave.

 

[annie]

I realised my slow cooker's cover dosent cover very tightly. is that normal? also, i put on high heat but it dosent boil. is is suppose to be like this as well? cos my mum told me to put on high to let it boil first then after boil turn to low.. but its not boiling...is it suppose to boil???