# Stretching those food dollars **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [January 11, 2024, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stretching-those-food-dollars/995957 "2024-01-11T16:12:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2024, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stretching-those-food-dollars/995957/101 "2024-01-24T19:31:18Z")
> [@ParallelLines](#): > > I’d also suggest that you consider either an electric pressure cooker or a slow cooker/crockpot. If by “electric pressure cooker” you mean something along the lines of an Instant Pot, at least some (such as mine) do have a “slow cooker” mode. I haven’t tested it on mine. ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2024, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stretching-those-food-dollars/995957/102 "2024-01-24T19:33:27Z")
OK, this is dead easy, cheap and super delicious - a monster of a soup which is a whole meal in itself: > **[Scotch broth](https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/scotch-broth)** > > Tuck into a hearty bowl of Scotch broth soup for a healthy lunch or supper. Packed with veg and grains, serve with a hunk of crusty bread A couple of notes: 1. The recipe says use lamb stock - pshaw! - use vegetable stock cubes instead, they work great. 2. Marrowfat peas - not sure if these exist in the US (anyone?). You could sub in any dried pea, I guess. I think all the other ingredient names translate 3. The recipe reckons 8 portions. If freezer space is a major problem, you could scale to 50%. But it’s worth doing at full scale (and freezing half in portions) if you can - a week of lunch or dinner in one hit! There’s no meat, but it’s solid none the less. If you feel the need for more protein, throw some chickpeas in! j ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2024, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stretching-those-food-dollars/995957/103 "2024-01-24T19:35:14Z")
Yes, and they do, but it’s IMHO one of the things a pressure cooker does okay, but not -well-. Don’t get me wrong, of the two, the pressure cooker is the better multi-tasker, but both in terms of volume and performance the slow cooker does (what it does) better at the _specific_ task. Again, I suggested the OP wouldn’t need both, for just that reason, but crockpots tend to be cheap, while electric pressure cookers (Instapots being the most well known) tend to be more pricey. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2024, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stretching-those-food-dollars/995957/104 "2024-01-24T19:38:22Z")
I found my Instant Pot on a great sale, so am not completely certain what the usual price is these days. I have a quite small kitchen, so small appliances really need to be serious multi-taskers for me. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2024, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stretching-those-food-dollars/995957/105 "2024-01-24T19:54:50Z")
Picking a 3 qt (smaller size for one person, bigger are more expensive but not dramatically so) [Instapot on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-Duo-Mini-Programmable/dp/B06Y1YD5W7/ref=sims_dp_d_dex_ai_speed_loc_mtl_v4_d_sccl_2_4/130-1095312-9123169?pd_rd_w=2lbrA&content-id=amzn1.sym.64d20f06-51d9-447a-850a-c16826c7d071&pf_rd_p=64d20f06-51d9-447a-850a-c16826c7d071&pf_rd_r=9ZVYY2GDDP4GGDR6559S&pd_rd_wg=aL48o&pd_rd_r=9839c0fe-329d-49dc-b2d5-f82b60d01b39&pd_rd_i=B06Y1YD5W7&th=1), $84 US. Not currently on sale. The price range I see normally runs from about 69.99 to 89.99 depending on sales. A touch less for a brand with less name recognition. A 3 qt slow cooker (although I normally see 5qt as the sweet spot IMHO) [at Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Better-Chef-3-Tempature-Stoneware-Stainless-Steel/dp/B0BQ8RKQFF/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=3+quart+slow+cooker&qid=1706125786&sr=8-3) is $29.99 for a slighly above average option, but they’re a LOT more variable running from sub $15 up to around 50. Since they don’t operate under pressure, I am less concerned about buying other less known brands, but still probably wouldn’t go for the cheapest possible. Again, I -agree- 100%, the electric pressure cooker is the better multi-tasker. Even if it isn’t a _great_ slow cooker it gets the job done, and it does things no slow cooker would do. But if I was just getting into the cook more at home I’d wonder if throwing a twenty at a slow cooker vs four times as much as a pressure cooker was a better idea. I have both, and if I could ONLY have one, absolutely I’d keep my pressure cooker and toss my 3 (!) slow cookers (minicrock, 5 qt, 8 qt for rendering turkeys) - but… I paid as much for all 3 crocks together as my ONE pressure cooker. Thankfully, I have a house and can store it all, again, if I had more limited space like @Seanette, again, Pressure cooker wins. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2024, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stretching-those-food-dollars/995957/106 "2024-01-25T01:14:35Z")
Goodwill is jam-packed with Instant Pots. I think everyone got air fryers for Christmas this year and they’re getting rid of the Instant Pots they got for Christmas 3 years ago and no longer use. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2024, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stretching-those-food-dollars/995957/107 "2024-01-25T01:19:03Z")
They make an air fryer lid for the Instant Pot. For a two-person household, it’s sufficient for my air-frying needs. ---
**Author:** ![Disinfectus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/disinfectus/32/11085_2.png) [@Disinfectus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disinfectus)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2024, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stretching-those-food-dollars/995957/108 "2024-01-25T01:51:57Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > You can doll up Manwich pretty easily by sauteeing some onions, garlic, celery, and bell pepper or jalapeno with the beef before you stir in the sauce. It’s super easy to make homemade manwiches (sloppy joes) from scratch without adding the can of sugary chemicals, and they taste so much better. Just made some last night. You can make 8-10 good-sized sandwiches by using 2 lbs of ground beef. The whole thing cost about $25 and I get about 4 meals out of it. I also like to buy a big cheap hunk of pork, trim the fat, and make chile verde (or green chili depending on where you are from). It’s something that’s good to make on say a Sunday when you have time to let it cook all day. Then I freeze whatever I don’t use that night in individual 2-cup containers and usually fill 8-10 of them. Each is perfect for two big burritos. Costs about $40 to get all the ingredients. And for super easy, here’s the meal that got me through college. Cook a box of Kraft Mac and Cheese, mix in a can of tuna, some frozen peas and carrots, maybe some garlic. Then pour it into a baking dish and top with bread crumbs and a little melted butter. Bake for about 20-30 minutes or so until the top starts to brown. That’s easily 2 meals, maybe 3, for less than $10 ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2024, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stretching-those-food-dollars/995957/109 "2024-01-25T01:58:04Z")
> [@Disinfectus](#): > > It’s super easy to make homemade manwiches (sloppy joes) from scratch without adding the can of sugary chemicals, and they taste so much better. Just made some last night. You can make 8-10 good-sized sandwiches by using 2 lbs of ground beef. The whole thing cost about $25 and I get about 4 meals out of it. I’ve never had good results making sloppy joes from scratch - no matter what recipe I use they tend to come out drier than I like, and too sour as well. Manwich is only 79 cents a can where I work anyway, and I can get 8 sandwiches out of a pound of meat and chopped veggies. > [@Disinfectus](#): > > also like to buy a big cheap hunk of pork, trim the fat, and make chile verde (or green chili depending on where you are from). It’s something that’s good to make on say a Sunday when you have time to let it cook all day. Which reminds me that if the OP has an instant pot or a slow cooker there a myriad of things one can do with a chuck roast. French dip. Taco meat. Italian beef. Stew. Chili. Pot roast. And so forth. ---
**Author:** ![Disinfectus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/disinfectus/32/11085_2.png) [@Disinfectus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disinfectus)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2024, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stretching-those-food-dollars/995957/110 "2024-01-25T02:00:31Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > I’ve never had good results making sloppy joes from scratch - no matter what recipe I use they tend to come out drier than I like, and too sour as well. Manwich is only 79 cents a can where I work anyway, and I can get 8 sandwiches out of a pound of meat and chopped veggies. For what it’s worth, I use this recipe and love it. YMMV. (and no, I have no affiliation with the chunky chef). 🙂 > **[The BEST Homemade Sloppy Joes](https://www.thechunkychef.com/best-homemade-sloppy-joes/)** > > Step away from the canned sauce and give these homemade sloppy joes a try! They're truly the best version of a childhood favorite! ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2024, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stretching-those-food-dollars/995957/111 "2024-01-25T04:00:06Z")
> [@ParallelLines](#): > > I have both, and if I could ONLY have one, absolutely I’d keep my pressure cooker and toss my 3 (!) slow cookers Whereas i eventually tossed out both the the slow cookers we got as wedding presents decades before getting an instant pot, had to fight my husband to get an instant pot (the issue being counter space) but now we use the instant pot a couple days every week. The advance planning needed for a slow cooker didn’t work well for me. And when i did get organized enough to use it, i didn’t like the resulting food very much. Broth made in a pot on the stove just tasted better. Stews come out better in a pot, too. I found the slow cooker never really cooked veggies as much as i wanted, but overcooked the meat. And nothing browns in a slow cooker. They are good for keeping soup or mulled cider warm at a party, but i don’t have enough parties to keep something around just for that. In contrast, the instant pot makes good beans, pea soup, rice, yogurt (milk costs half as much as yogurt, and the home made came out better), chicken broth, and beef stews from various cuts. And the “keep warm until I’m ready to eat this, without burning” feature is awesome. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stretching-those-food-dollars/995957.md?page=5)