Ideas include bean and lentil chilli, mushroom stroganoff and casseroles using vegan or vegetarian sausages to name just a few. However, the list is endless. With a transparent toughened glass lid you can monitor your cooking progress without disturbing its cooking process, and unlike ceramic cooking pots the Sear and Stew hob proof cooking pot is extremely light and durable making it easy to take to the table and serve directly from.

Food shopping on a budget? Read our guide on how to spend less at the supermarket. Can I roast meat in my slow cooker?As a rule of thumb, the more work a muscle does, the more it benefits from slow cooking. For example, a shoulder of lamb can be quite tough and gristly with normal cooking, but if you slow cook it, it will soften beautifully. The Morphy Richards Sear and Stew has decent dimensions for slow cooking a large cut of meat, but because it was a little more shallow than the length of this particular leg of lamb I had to turn it halfway through cooking to make sure it was evenly cooked.

Millie Fender heads up all things small appliances at Ideal Home. There’s nothing she loves more than testing out the latest and greatest cooking gadgets, for indoor and outdoor use, from toasters to air fryers. She reviewed the Morphy Richards Sear and Stew from her own kitchen, testing it for quality cooking and ease of use. Slow cookers are also great for jam – speeding up the process by softening fruit without drying it out. Slice fruit and slow cook on a low heat overnight to make a great jam base. The Morphy Richards Sear and Stew Slow Cooker manual includes great information on safety, handling, features, tips and trouble shooting. As well as some recipes to get you started. I made a lamb curry in the Morphy Richards Sear and Stew, so I first cooked off the leg of lamb in the pot before adding it to the base. This heated up the handles on the oval pot, so I used oven gloves to lift it up and place it in the pot. Slow cookers come with different temperature settings. Basic models usually only have high, low and off settings, while premium models may have a medium and an auto setting, which will automatically swap between cooking settings for you. The best one to choose depends on the food you’re cooking. High setting

We review the Morphy Richards Sear and Stew (48702) Slow Cooker. Does it really brown meat as well as they claim and how does it slow cook? We test it out in detail.

First step with any unit is always a good wash first of the lid and inner bowl that you will be cooking in. A keep-warm or hold setting is handy if your dinner is delayed as it prevents food from drying out while stopping it from getting cold. Be careful, though, as some models will actually keep cooking the food. It’s an impressive looking unit on your bench or in your collection with its shiny red finish making quite an impact. If you prefer to use dried beans, lentils and peas to cook with, make sure you read the instructions and prepare them carefully. Usually, they will need to be soaked overnight to soften and then boiled for a minimum of 10 minutes to get rid of any toxins before you add it to the slow cooker. You can make an easy and tasty pudding in a slow cooker by adding servings into individual bowls and then placing them into the main pot. Pour boiling water in between the bowls, halfway up their sides, to gently poach the puds. Any mess will be contained if you have an easy-clean ceramic pot.

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As well as being a convenient way to prepare tasty and wholesome meals, a slow cooker is great for cooking cheaper cuts of meat, as well as vegetable-based dishes, making it perfect if you’re on a budget. One of the great benefits of slow cooking is convenience. Many like to add ingredients, turn on and walk away and let dinner cook itself. Yes, and it can be a more energy efficient to do so. Roasting in a slow cooker uses an average of 246W – a tiny amount of power compared with the average oven, which uses around 700W. However, the results won’t be identical to oven-roasted meat. There are plenty of vegetarian and vegan recipes to cook in a slow cooker, despite many people associating slow cookers with warming stews and meaty dishes such as chilli con carne.