Slow cookers have many benefits, chiefly their ability to be left unattended all day, slowly simmering a delicious dinner to be ready when you get home.

In order to achieve the desired outcome it is important to LEAVE IT ALONE to do its work – do not lift the lid to peek at progress as this will allow heat to escape and add hours to the cooking time. Stirring is not necessary.

To be effective, slow cookers should be at least half full, but should not be filled to the brim (leave a 5cm space at the top for air and moisture to circulate).

Cooking times may vary according to model and are given as a guide. However, if you can’t be there at the specified time for the end of cooking, it is fine to leave cooking on low until you get back. If you need food ready quicker than the stated cooking time on LOW, use the following guide:

 
However, check your user manual for specific instructions for your cooker.

Vegetables, in particular root vegetables and tubers, can take far longer to cook than meat, especially on LOW setting. It is therefore important that hard vegetables (esp. carrots and potatoes) be cut into small pieces, and placed at the bottom and the sides of the slow cooker to ensure maximum exposure to heat and cooking liquid. There needs to be enough cooking liquid to cover the level of the vegetables (meat can sit on the top and steam gently – it will cook).

It is better to cook vegetable dishes on HIGH if possible, as this will ensure potatoes and carrots are cooked and tender. If it is not possible, try to give 1-2 hours on high, before switching to LOW and leaving slow cooker unattended.

On LOW setting, the slow cooker can be left to cook for considerably longer than specified time with no risk of spoiling food.

Don’t peek - avoid lifting the lid while the slow-cooker is doing its stuff! Each time the lid is lifted, heat is lost and cooking time is increased.

Don’t be afraid to leave the slow-cooker unattended. You are safe to leave your slow cooker cooking away on LOW all day without fear of spoiling the food.

Slow-cookers should be at least half full when making soups and stews, but never fill to the brim – leave a space of at least 5cm to allow for simmering.

When cooking dried pulses and beans in the slow-cooker, do not add any salt until the end of the cooking time. Salt draws out moisture and pulses may never soften no matter how long you cook them. This applies to conventional cooking methods too.

If using dried beans or chick peas, they should be soaked overnight before using, then drained and rinsed. They should then be pre-cooked by placing in a pan and covered with cold water, brought to the boil and cooked at a vigorous boil for at least 10 minutes. Kidney beans contain a toxin called lectin, which can cause stomach aches and vomiting, but which is destroyed by this boiling process. Alternatively, add a drained tin of beans instead.

Add fresh herbs at the end of cooking to lift the dish and provide freshness. Good herbs to use include parsley, mint, basil, marjoram, tarragon and coriander.

A good handful of washed spinach can be added near the end of the cooking time – simply turn the slow-cooker to HIGH, add spinach and allow to wilt into your dish.

Browning meat and chicken will provide a much tastier final dish, but is not essential if you are in a hurry to get the slow-cooker on. Alternatively, brown the meat the night before and store overnight in the fridge, then start the slow-cooker recipe as normal the following morning before leaving for work.

As slow-cookers require ample liquid to cook the food properly, there can often be a lot of liquid left at the end of the cooking time. You can either thicken this by using a traditional thickening method (corn flour or arrowroot slaked with a little water, or beurre manié; equal quantities of butter and flour mixed together to a paste and whisked into the liquid a little at a time), or the sauce can be reduced to improve not only consistency but also intensify the flavour. To do this, strain the liquid contents of the slow-cooker into a saucepan. Return the solid contents of the slow-cooked food to the slow-cooker and keep warm on LOW. Simmer the liquid on a medium heat till the desired consistency is reached, pour back into the slow- cooker and serve.