How big should it be? I’m cooking just for myself, but I love having leftovers, and I don’t know whether recipes usually assume that you have a certain size.
Good cheap flexible recipes, or sources for such? By “flexible”, I mean as much room as possible to exclude listed ingredients just because I don’t like them.
Answers will help advise me as to whether getting one is a good food investment. Thanks!
I’m not sure of the size of ours.
Mrs P uses it for all manner of stews and curries and meat sauces. Rather than give specifics, probably suffice to say that slow cooker recipes are not by any means highly technical such that you can’t change them to your liking; quite the opposite. About the only slightly technical thing is the amount of liquid which, due to the very long cooking period, has to be a little different to what it would be if cooking on a stovetop.
And again due to the long cook time, slow cookers are inherently able to turn cheap ingredients into nice meals.
Really the question I would be asking myself is this: am I the type of person who plans meals a long way ahead and has the foresight and willpower to put your meal on to cook ten (or so) hours ahead ie when you get up in the morning? Or are you the type of person who is likely to have the best intentions but procrastinate and end up just making a meal immediately before mealtime?
If the former, slow cookers are fantastic. If the latter, you need to be realistic and slow cookers might not be for you.
Do it! It is a great investment- they don’t really cost that much. I have the large one because I cook for the week (or more) when I use it. There are lots of threads here about recipies. I use mine mainly for 1) chili , and 2) beef sandwiches.
Consider getting an electric pressure cooker like Instant Pot instead. It can work as a crock pot, but most crock pot recipes will easily adapt to a pressure cooker, and will be done much less time. I used to make chili in a crock pot. Now I make it in the Instant Pot and it’s done in less than an hour.
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Slow cookers are great. We use ours all the time. With a little proper planning, you can cook for the week on a weekend. Without being tied to the kitchen all day.
There are tons of crock-pot cookbooks available. Buy a couple and go crazy.
This looks interesting, but I like having a ready-to-eat meal that has been cooking all day in the crock pot when I arrive home from work.
mmm
I have a Hamilton Beach Stay or Go 6-quart slow cooker. It’s big enough for ham hocks & black-eyed peas (1 pound of beans and two ham hocks), and for making BBQ beef. Mrs, L.A. will take it to work with her Fat Tuesday after I fill it with the jambalaya I’ll cook when I get up. But it’s not big enough for pot roast when I make it. I like the potatoes, carrots, and so on beside the meat. My slow cooker isn’t big enough for that. (Anyway, it’s quicker and better – because of the arrangement of the veg) cooked in a roasting pan in the oven.
I love my slow cooker, and even living alone I have a huge one. When I don’t make a large batch of something I end up with partially used cans or produce that eventually get thrown away, kind of a lowest common multiple thing, when I can get even units of all ingredients makes me happy.
And most of the stuff I make in it freezes great so large batched are good.
Get the large one.
The slow cooker pros say to only fill the cooker to 3/4’s.
A small one won’t yield enough for three guests. No left overs.
That’s what I was trying to say.
Seconding the Instant Pot. You can use it as a pressure cooker, a steamer, or a slow cooker. They’re pretty awesome.
Thirding the Instant Pot. Insanely versatile including slow cooking for hours at a time.
Yep, an instant pot is a crock pot plus.
Listen, I’d just jump in and get one and start using it right away. They’re not that expensive, it’s not complicated, and if you end up with a meal or two that’s not your favorite, so what. Don’t we all get those now and then no matter how we cook.
The crock pots etc. I’ve bought usually came with a recipe booklet of some kind to get started with and there are tons of recipes online. You can always try switching ingredients for ones you don’t like. If you’re not sure, just ask us here!
I don’t usually use recipes but just dump in meat, vegetables, a starch and some spices and take what I get. 
I’d get a large one because you can always make a smaller amount in it but then you’d have the option of cooking larger meals for the freezer or for company.
Let us know how it goes!
Well, I usually don’t like that as-seen-on-TV crap*, but I’m starting to think that an Instant Pot might let me replace my crock pot, my wife’s rice cooker, and provide me the desired pressure cooker. I’m not sure how it is as a yogurt maker (I use a Yogatherm), but if it’s not a PITA then maybe there’s that, too.
Does it act as a chamber vacuum, too? (I’m in the market for one, too.)
Most of the small ones are only one temp, usually equivalent to high on a larger one. Go for the big one.
I have two crock pots (one big oval and one smaller round) because I got one cheap at Goodwill and the other my neighbour gave me one when he moved. I rarely use them, though they are handy when I have the time to wait for something to cook for hours, or we’re having a potluck at work.
If/when either of my pots breaks, I won’t replace it in any big hurry. They just don’t get enough use to bother, though the inserts make good dog water bowls.
Since we got an electric pressure cooker, the only thing I use my crock pot for anymore is making soap. The pressure cooker is just so much better. You won’t regret getting one.
Hmmm — typo or uncommon activity? Is that making SOAP or making SOUP?
Crockpot soap is a thing. Besides, pressure cooker is better for soup, too.
I don’t use my slow cooker for meals per se. I use my slow cooker to cook meat for meal progressions I do over the course of the week. Pot roast on Sunday. Use the remaining vegetables and some of the meat for hash on Monday. Shred some of the beef for tacos on Tuesday. BBQ sauce and hamburger buns for pulled beef sandwiches on Wednesday. The last of the meat for beef stroganoff on Thursday…
Next week Ham: Boiled dinner on Sunday, Cuban sandwiches, breakfast for dinner Denver omelets, Senate bean soup…
Next week pork shoulder: pulled pork sandwiches on Sunday, pork fired rice, shredded pork tacos, pulled pork gyros…
If you put these little recipe grouping together in your head when you shop on the weekend you can save money, time, and stress over the work week. So I recommend getting the biggest one you can handle.