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!

Thanks kevini I will be looking around at others. The points you make are really good ones and I'm becoming less interested in this boat to be honest - but I'll more than likely still go and look at it, and to a couple of other brokers as well where I can look at lots and lots. Thank you so much for responding. It's not mine in my head yet, but I have to look at every boat as to whether it really would be what I needed, what would I need to change and therefore is it a sensible option or could I get something better for a bit less money.

I don't really understand why you are looking at a boat with so many berths for just 3 of you. Why does it have so many berths, what is it's history? Those berths will not be easy to take out without messing up the inside of the boat, and what you need is storage, not berths. You can also see the damage to the panelling where the bunks came out, which we have managed to disguise to some extent - but will always be there. The panelling changes colour over the years - anything that is hidden from light and air will remain the original colour. Hi and thanks for giving all of this brilliant information. You ask about why so many berths. First of all two can be instantly discounted because when I got rid of the highly uncomfortable built in seating and table combo and replaced it with a comfy sofa, that would be down to 7. Then we have two sets of bunks (four sleep spaces in total)- which would likely have the two top bunks used for sleeping and with virtually no works required at all, the bottoms used for storage. Then the next room is a single which could be taken out and shelves/storage put in and cupboard doors on front (thus any damage or discoloration is not going to be seen). So, with fairly minimal work we would end up with three spaces to sleep (one a dbl for me) and gain one storage area so I think it could possibly work - maybe. Anyway it's only the first one to look at and there's plenty more out there as well as this one. Thanks for all the pictures of the works you did - very interesting to look at thank you.

Hey, my gran never had an inside loo or bathroom her entire life. The chamber pot was good enough for her lol!!! This possibly isn't much different!!!

The 40-500w you state, would that be a couple of residential size solar panels???? I did think the roof space would be crying out to be put to a useful task like this. Do you mean the boxed in floor cupboard thingy??? I agree with that and also that I don't especially like the built in seating with table either. As to the bunks and so on, as I'm looking at it it looks ok - guess I'll only really feel if it's a cramped up mess when I get in there and have a look. I will only need two lots of berths over and above the double - enough for me and two kids - I don't need any more permanent or temporary beds than this to be honest. Ahh, you're imagining me stumbling and tripping through the cabin and pouring poop on me bed!!! No I don't know - good point and I shall imagine this scenario and figure out whether it could work easily or not! I find the internal layout, generally, precisely what I would want, but the set up that is reliant on shorepower (even though I intend to be on a mooring most of the time) or running the generator is not ideal. What probably makes me most happiest is that I've figured this out myself - and you're all kindly raising things that I thought of myself (eg it would do with a dose of solar panels). So that's good - you see, without even knowing it I've already learnt loads on here!!! There are definitely lots more options of boats to look at but I'm interested to see this one anyway - gotta start somewhere!!

No I haven't seen any others - this is the first one to visit. I'm asking about how a purchase would progress a. because I've not bought a boat before and b. because I will have to plan ahead carefully to be sure I have monies for deposits and want to be sure I have that planned out and available - or it will be a bit daft. At some point you have to look at your first boat, this is mine. I'm certainly not ruling out looking at other boats at all. However, it must also be considered that because I need pretty much the layout this boat offers, from what I've seen, there are few with this layout actually!!! So it will be interesting to look at this one and see what I think of this in the flesh so to speak and may feel totally wrong the moment I see it/set foot on board. No indeed, the frequent emptyings doesn't appeal - can anyone give me a rough cost of what it would cost to swap from the existing offer, to cassette????

Hi Pquinn If I was able to insert some pics I'd be able to show you shots of each part of the interior going from one end to the other - but I can't get it work. I'm not quite sure what you mean actually?? Hello sueB I'm hoping for a residential mooring but certainly don't want to be sat running the generator all the time - hence looking at solar but not really understanding how much that could provide (I'm talking 1 or 2 of the residential size panels) and if this would be enough to run things on. Washing machine would do a max of three loads a week.

Solar panels to plug the gap????? Would that work? I was thinking it sounded a bit of a power reliant setup but that was just me guessing really based on the nuggets that have filtered down to me whilst reading through this site. Also, if it had a back boiler it would say so wouldn't it??? I'd hoped to have one of those...

Do you know what, I TOTALLY agree with you . On the 'ideal layout' diagram I put together on PowerPoint (which ended up almost exactly how this boat is laid out), it does not have a hard seat like that but I've inserted a piccie taken from DFS of a lovely squishy sofa! That's exactly what I want to sink into at the end of a hard day at the office I can tell you. I've never liked a box with a pad on top - doesn't do it for me. Just have to find a sofa that's suitably squishy and comfy, but will fit through the door!!! Much appreciated - a deposit with specifics attached sounds a darned good idea. Info much appreciated.

I shall now focus my efforts on crayfish possibly, but with a definite slant on home-brewed alcohol!

Doh! Here's more detailed spec - apologies - a load of piccies are not much use!: October is a 70ft semi trad narrowboat built in 2004 by Stenson Boat Builders. She benefits from nine berths comprising of one fixed double, one fixed single, two pairs of bunk beds and an L-shaped dinette which converts to a double. She has a Barrus Shire diesel engine, Electrolux 3.5kva generator, Sterling 2500w sinewave inverter, five leisure and one start battery, 12v and 240v electrics, Mikuni oil fired boiler to rads, Becton Bunny stove provides space heating, hot water by calorifier and immersion. Galley has free standing cooker, fridge, freezer, microwave, washing machine. Bathroom has bath/shower, cassette toilet with spare, bowl hand basin. Builder: Stenson Boat Builders Make: Stenson Model: 70 Semi Trad Year constructed: 2004 Registration number: 510777 Guests: 5 Berths: 4 No. of engines: 1 Engine model: Barrus Shire Engine power: 50 HP Fuel type: Diesel Length over all: 70' Beam: 6' 10" Hull material: Steel

Hi all Am going to look at this boat on Sunday (assuming it doesn't snow excessively over the weekend!!): http://www.longportbrokerage.co.uk/boatdetails.asp?id=572 This is with a view to it being a liveaboard vessel predominantly for me and the two kiddlies. It has an appropriate internal layout/no. of berths to suit us but I was interested on some general views on the spec, any comments from you much more experienced folk if there's say a massive downside to the way the vessel's set up that gives you the instant horrors and heebie jeebies! I'd certainly be looking to add a couple of solar panels more than likely. Then I wondered what is the normal (if there is a normal) process/steps if you did decide you were going to proceed. Deposit takes it off the market but is refundable if you decide not to proceed???? Also interested as to your view on the price and whether you think there's a bit of room for negotiation (I'm certainly fully happy not to just pay the full amount - if I can negotiate it down, I certainly will!!!). Just general thoughts really for me to consider and maybe raise some sensible questions when I do my first 'looking at a boat' at the weekend. Thanks everyone.