[mamatomartina]

My family has been vegetarian for just under a year. I've just become inspired to purchase my very own slow cooker but I don't know where to start. They come in so many shapes and sizes (to accomodate cuts of meat) but since i'm cooking veggies, does it matter what shape it has, i.e. oval?.

My family is comprised of 4: me, DH, DD (3 years old) and baby Alex is almost 6 months. I'm not sure if name brands can be mentioned in MDC but I'd love your feedback, any feedback as I don't know anyone who has or used a slow cooker or is vegetarian for that matter.

I already have "125 best vegetarian slow cooker recipes / Judith Finlayson on hold and i'll be getting "Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker" / Robin Robertson so I think I'm on the right track....I just need the most important tool. Help!

 

[Jadzia]

One slow-cooker to absolutely AVOID is the programmable Rival crockpot. It has settings for 4, 6, 8 hours etc. I thought this would be a nice feature to have and I bought one without reading the reviews first.

This unit runs way too hot for a slow-cooker! Everything I made burnt to a crisp. I went to Amazon and found this was a common complaint. Ieven tried another programmable model from Rival (thinking it may have been just specific to that model) and I had the same problem. Thankfully the store took it back.

I ended up buying a regular non-programmable one (also from Rival) and I have had no problems. I also used to own a Hamilton Beach and I was really happy with that one until I broke it (my fault, I accidentally caught the electrical plug between the crock and the heating element and it shorted out!) However, I was not able to find another Hamilton Beach so I replaced it with a Rival (that brand is everywhere.)

For veggie meals I recomend a larger crockpot as I like to make big batches of soups and stews which take up a lot of space. A 4 to 5 1/3 quart works best. I have never noticed the shape making a difference with what I make.

Robin Robertson's slow cooker book is amazing! She has some recipes for baked goods I have not tried yet, where you use a trivet inside the slow-cooker so a large oval shape would probably allow that better than a round one.

 

[avendesora]

I use a 4 qt Rival crockpot. I have no complaints. It is a few years old, which I think is a good thing (to be explained)... I have a new 2.5 qt Rival crockpot which is good for smaller dishes, or when I'm not planning on doing bulk cooking (for just the two of us), but it runs HOT. I've read that that's a common thing with the newer crockpots, that they run hotter. I think the manufacturers are worried about salmonella lawsuits, etc., and they don't want to run the risk of having the meat sit on a counter all afternoon without getting hot enough. So they've erred on the side of being too hot. Being veggies here, salmonella's not a problem. I would plan on buying a crockpot from a store that's not too far (i.e., don't order online) so that if you find your soups and stews are actively boiling after an afternoon of being on "low" it's easy to return. (I think Sears supposedly has great return policies.) Low should just be a gentle simmer, not an active boil.

I want to second the vote for Robin Robertson's book. While I don't use the cookbook very often, I use it as a resource. For example, I have a lentil soup recipe that I like better, but I'll look up how long/what setting lentil soup ought to take.

Good luck!