Help! Which slow cooker should I buy to cook healthy meals?

Here at Healthy Mummy we love slow cooking. You can take something simple and make a great meal for the whole family.

By popping everything in the slow cooker in the morning, you can go home to a delicious home-cooked meal without much effort at all.

You can even Use it for breakfast!

Why invest in a slow cooker?

Slow cookers are ideal for those days when everyone has different activities too – for example if you have a few Chili con carne There in the “warmth” setting, everyone can help themselves as soon as they get home.

You can use cheaper cuts of meat because they really benefit from the low and slow cooking process (like chicken thighs for this purpose Taiwanese chicken).

It’s also perfect for a roast dinner (like this Grilled Mutton) or to make pulled pork.

If you’re in the market for a slow cooker, we’ve done the hard work for you and asked some of our Healthy Mummy members which ones they have.

Please note that this is not an exhaustive list of all the slow cookers available, just a snapshot of the ones some of our Healthy Mummy members have.

The main things to consider when buying a slow cooker are:

timer. Want a timer that you can set and then automatically switch to “warm” when you’re done?
Do you want a digital display or a manual key?
What capacity will you need. For example, for large lamb legs, you will need a larger one compared to cooking for one or two people?
Do you want to be able to grill meat In the slow cooker or are you happy to do this in a separate skillet?
How much are you willing to payWhere there are great options available at the lower end of the scale too?

Sun rays

Lee is the food editor at Healthy Mummy. “I have a Sunbeam HP5590 slow cooker, it was $55 from Target. It’s great because it’s nice, big, easy to clean, and works like a dream.”

“For some reason the display on the projector doesn’t work well, and you can’t set the timer longer than 12 hours (I’ll cook chicken broth longer than that), but other than that I like it and will buy again. I didn’t have the old timer for that that’s cool.

“I love to cook my lasagna soup and then have it for lunch all week. I also pop the bolognese in there after I’ve done the initial cooking on the stove, so it can explode all day and be ready for dinner. My kids love too. porcupine meat. “

Adesso

Melanie has the Adesso slow cooker, which is available for $39 from Woolworths.

It has a dishwasher safe attachment, which makes cleaning very easy. Not many slow cookers say this is an advantage of their product, which we think gives the Adesso the advantage.

Melanie says, “This slow cooker from Woolies has lasted me 10 years without a hitch, and everything always cooks perfectly.”

Positives: Good price, dishwasher safe.
Negatives: Nothing to report.
Milani’s favorite recipeBeef with sweet potatoes and peanuts (recipe available to members 28 day weight loss challenge).

Cambrook

Trins has the Kambrook KSC120 slow cooker, available from Good Guys for $59.95. “We’ve had it for 8 years, and it was given to us as a wedding gift.

“I love making curries and stews and I am currently making a slow cooker ragu. I love that they have warm, low and high options but I don’t like the warm after being high on the button because it confuses people.”

Bec Kambrook also has it. Bec has a great idea for using your slow cooker while you do other tasks in the kitchen.

“I make my own chicken broth in the slow cooker while preparing my meals – I throw in the chicken bones and leftover vegetable stews and they run out while I prepare the meals.” What a wonderful idea!

Tamara is another happy owner of Cambrook. It has a digital timer although unlike a standard slow cooker.

Include her favorite dishes to prepare Pasta sauce, chili, lemon, rosemary, roast chicken, roast beef, vegetables, pork chops, and vegetables.

“I love that I can prep everything, drop everything in, and cook all day with minimal fuss after a busy or lazy day!”

Breville

Naomi has a Breville BSC500 slow cooker. “She is almost eight years old and still going strong! It was an engagement gift. You can buy one of the devices online for $99.

love its size “I can prepare meals for our family of four while saving on leftovers. They fit a small leg of lamb or a whole chicken easily and the two heat settings mean I can either cook slow or really slow cook.”

As for anything that could make it better—”The timer would be a great addition. “

Positives: Nice and great for great roasted cooking.

Negatives: No timer means you have to be at home to turn it off.

Naomi’s favorite recipeSlow Cooked Chicken Tikka Masala (recipe available to members 28 day weight loss challenge).

Sunbeam’s Secret Chef

Rolls-Royce slow cooker world (recommended retail price $169 from Sunbeam website).

Mandy says she has quite a few devices but “My favorite is the Sunbeam Secret Chef because it has a keep-warm function and a digital timer, plus the interior is a light metallic material so it’s not too heavy to lift. “

Despite the fact that the meat can be browned in the pot (so you don’t have to fry ground beef or chicken thighs in a skillet first) Mandy doesn’t actually like or use this feature.

Says , “I don’t like the sear feature because it keeps the slow cooker very hot, so it cooks hotter and can burn the bottom of the dish.”

Mandy says she has plenty of healthy mummy slow cooker recipes to pick as a favorite, but she’s partial to making sausage.

Positives: Digital timer and keep warm function.
Negatives: The burn function leaves the insert too hot to slow cook after.
Mandy’s favorite recipe: sausage;

I left the apples for the slow cooker version, and tossed in more veggies and potatoes. Just follow the instructions in the above recipe and then put everything in the slow cooker after the onions have been cooked.

Get more delicious slow cooker recipes at 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge!

The 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge is a family-friendly, affordable, and customizable program designed to help moms reach their weight loss goals and manage their health.

Our challenge includes: