Halesowenmum

Swan advise, for interest and with respect to a very recently purchased slow cooker, that the cooking temps on hi and low are as follows: It depends what is being cooked but typically it’s average 95C on HI and 75C on LO and anywhere in between on AUTO/KEEP WARM I'm not quite quite sure why it depends on what's being cooked, unless a higher water content gets to a higher temperature. Anyhoo. Wonder what that equates to for you guys who are on the older slow cookers as having had an older one once, I'm quite sure it wasn't as hot as this one I've got now? I'm just going to have to fiddle around with my cooking times as I do find even the low setting really gets quite hot. I do agree that the slow cookers would be a lot better if between the inner cooking pot and the metal outer there was proper wall of insulation built in so that the cooker would not need to activate so often during the cooking time - that would be a very good improvement. I suppose if you went by the beanbag method of cooking using residual heat (sorry, can't remember the proper name for these things which you can shove your pot into so that it cooks without the need for further heating). You could maybe (using your handy separate timer) set the slow cooker to come on at say 6am on hi, get the heat into it, then take the inner pot out and put it into the beanbag thingy ready for when you come home at the end of the day. Although I am still stuck living in a house, I am very very keen to reduce my electrical consumption as much as I possibly can. However, the residual heat cooking idea is very much plan b. Plan a is to get to grips with using the slow cooker using the separate timer so that the food isn't destroyed due to really excessive heat over way, way too many hours.

Baked taters are just like you normally would. Rub in oil, salt, wrap in foil. I've had them in for 9 hrs on low whilst out at work and they were great. However, because of the long slow cooking, the carbohydrate cooks a little differently to when baked in the oven in the normal way... you'll notice that the skins go quite dark brown. Same for corns on cob - but add chilli to the lavish amounts of butter, or herbs, or whatever, then wrap in foil and cook. Here's the lasagna link: http://www.netmums.com/family-food/slow-cooking/slow-cooker-lasagne When i get my timer plugged in, I'm giving this another go.

Not on many of them. no. If they are electronic it's usually to program how long you want the hot bit to be then how long the low or keep warm. What they seem to omit is a delay start to the cooking process - which is the thing that's needed.

There is a lot more you can do in there other than stews which I also agree are great after 9 hours. But you can cook lasagne for example - seen it done and it turns out fab. However, that's based on the high setting and take 3-4 hours. I tried this leaving it for a whole day on the low setting - it was absolutely disgusting! The pasta had turned into a gelatinous mass. Some of these newer slow cookers cook REALLLY hot compared to the older ones. I have just had a response from Swan who say that this slow cooker is The SF11030 is 320Watts - mpared So you can see - quite a bit more power than the numbers you're quoting. I do feel it cooks way too hot even on low. So by the sounds of it, even with this higher wattage reading, the timer should still be ok, electrically-wise. No. In fact you use virtually no liquid as all the liquid from the meat is retained during cooking - you'd end up with soup if you put a load of stock in there, rather than a stew!! That's what I did when I tried the lasagne - it was vile lol!! This is the thing. I think we now have firm evidence that the modern ones are just way too powerful! I am determined to cook the lasagne though as having seen it done, when not left on all day, it turns out bloomin lovely. Have also done baked potatoes and corn on the cobs in there and they are great as well.

I need some help with the following: I have a Swan 3.5 litre slow cooker and want to look at (carefully) introducing the use of a separate timer in the wall socket to delay the turning on of the machine. Reason being having it on for over 9 hours due to working full time kills various dishes making them just totally inedible - some really do only need 3-4 hours if they are to survive and still be tasty. I am going to start by only putting the cooker on in this way during a weekend for a bit of a monitored trial run, whilst I'm there in the house. In this way any resulting fire can be immediately put out. I have initially purchased a 24hr timer which has the following spec: Max Wattage: 3200W Max current: 13 Amp Power: 220 -240v, 50/60Hz My question is, does anyone know the wattage of this slow cooker as I've even phoned Swan, and they don't know! I just want to be sure that from a purely electrical point of view, it's safe to put the timer in the wall and plug the slow cooker in without fear of a raging house fire. Thank you!

No expert whatsoever but these from Ikea seemed quite good: http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/S79900960/ It's a modular system and I thought it looked like it might fit in through a hatch (although I've not got the point where I've measured anything but the measurements are there on the site if you need them). I did sit on one last week at Ikea and they are very comfortable and have the option of a low or high back. What I liked about them was the fact that they are one of the deepest sofas. By which I mean the bit where you sit from but to the back of your knee is quite deep (deeper than a lot of sofas) such that you could curl your legs up to watch telly (well, I could curl my legs up but then I am only 5' 1" and the jury's out on if you could do this if you were 6' 6"!!!!!!).

Yes I love Collect+. And you don't have to return it to the same shop you picked it up from either - just go on their website, find the nearest participating shop to where you are at the time, and drop it off there instead. It's much easier (even if you are land-based) as I am never in when parcels are attempted to be delivered! With Collect+ I simply nip to the corner of my street to the Costcutter and pick it up at a time which suits. It's even nearer than the Post Office sorting office.

Yes, contact local authority's and find out how they accommodate children who don't live at the same address all the time. I'm not sure how this would work if you had to keep moving schools though (I mean how that would be on the kids). And there is also the option of home schooling. There are lots of groups around nowadays (see what there is on the net) and this might be easier for you to follow a more drop-in type of education and you don't have to have attended school to be able to take exams. I guess it also depends on if you want when both kids are at school, to go back to work part or full time. Be very interested to hear what you find out!

I've just looked at the ad via your link - do I have to pay something now?!! Seems a bit odd - I guess you call Apolloduck and see what they say! Be interested to know. Nice airy fit-out.

Thank you guys, all really really good and valuable points thank you so much.

If you watch the series - Planners - that's on at the moment, all new developments 'have to be sustainable' - ie community facilities,education, and reachable safely for pedestrians. Seems they forgot these rules when they shoved those houses up then! Shame if it was a nice pub - I'm from Nottingham and know Beeston only slightly as my bruv lives there.

thank you paul c and alan fincher - really good points for me to take on board. Thank you!

Nope - I think I'd starve if I tried to live off what the cut can offer me lol!!! But if there's fodder for a bit of home brew, I shan't say no!