Best slow cookers according to redditors
We found 1,103 Reddit comments discussing the best slow cookers. We ranked the 170 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
We found 1,103 Reddit comments discussing the best slow cookers. We ranked the 170 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
/r/slowcooking
http://www.amazon.com/Crock-Pot-SCR300SS-3-Quart-Manual-Stainless/dp/B003UCG8II/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1395917298&sr=8-4&keywords=crock+pot
Link without referral code: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FLYWNYQ/
I can help you with some stuff as for how to cook in your car. I'm a truck driver.
Gideon Heated Electric Lunch Box 12-Volt Portable Stove for Car, Truck, Camping, Etc. - Enjoy Hot Delicious Meals https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072QKTGM9/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_q5tKDbGPF7TZW
RoadPro 12-Volt Portable Stove, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00030DLEE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_l6tKDbTAFYRAK
RoadPro RPSL-350 White Automotive Accessories https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0013IR88A/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_a7tKDbMYVBQCG
These are sold at just about any chain truck stop.
The 12v cooker I don't like as much as the crockpot. It takes a bit longer than a real stove... But... It's possible to cook home-cooked stuff.
At the very worst things like canned stew and such. But in the cooker I've cooked steaks they just take a very long time.
How much money has Vince invested in crock-pots exactly? Seems like everything is on a slow burn these days.
Be a single 22 year old software engineer who eats nothing but cheap beef and rice, barely owns any furniture, wears the same high quality clothes I bought in college 3-4 years ago (that still look dope), and buy everything at Costco.
I could literally build a new computer every week with my cheap as fuck lifestyle.
Edit: To anyone reading this that wants a good tip: buy an instant pot, it lets you make really good food out of really cheap cuts of meat (think like $4.99 / lb or just vegetables if you're one of those people). Eating out like 3 times a week for lunch at work adds up really quickly. Making a whole lot of food in one of these bad boys is the easiest way to save money, and best of all, it's quick and you need approximately 2/10 kitchen skills. There's a cheaper one than the one I linked, but I have that one and basically everything I eat comes out of it.
An Instant Pot (from the official brand, not an off-brand one) is kind of an all-in-one type of device. It can be a slow cooker, a rice cooker, or a pressure cooker based on the settings. It can cook thick meat quickly, but it's not too great for vegetables. Also, they are large so they're not great for a small kitchen with limited counterspace. Here's an article that goes into more details and also has links for where to buy one: https://www.delish.com/food/a51371/things-you-should-know-before-using-an-instant-pot/.
A slow cooker does not have as many functions, but they are often much cheaper than the Instant Pot and you can still cook a lot of dishes in them. This device doesn't really have the capability to cook things quickly though. The minimum time I've seen on a recipe is 2 hours. But this is ideal for putting stuff in before work and coming home to have dinner done. There are a variety of sizes so you can get one appropriate for the amount of food you want to create at once. That also makes it easier to keep in a small kitchen. This is a list of tips to make the most of the slow cooker and some things that recipes may not tell you: https://www.foodnetwork.com/how-to/articles/14-tips-for-slow-cooker-meals. Here is a great option for $25 on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Crock-Pot-SCCPVL600S-6-Quart-Portable-Stainless/dp/B003HF6PUO/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1549838488&sr=8-3&keywords=slow+cooker.
Other easy cooking methods include baking/broiling with sheet pan or casserole-type recipes. These are really great for meal prep or feeding a crowd. One problem is that the prep may take a long time. For example, lasagna requires many cooking steps before you throw it in the oven, which may not be ideal for a beginner. It may also be difficult to get the type of browning you want on meat or knowing when bone-in meat is done. I'd be careful with this cooking method and just make sure you feel confident about the instructions.
Overall, I would recommend slow cooker for a beginner, but focus on what your needs and preferences are. The cheapest option is probably baking/broiling while the easiest is probably slow cooker or Instant Pot.
The Instant Pot hands-down.
It's the most popular, best-selling brand of electric pressure cooker, and has some features most other brands don't have...as one example, a stainless steel inner pot rather than non-stick-coated pot (no non-stick coating yet created will last forever since will eventually begin to come off into food or as larger flakes and then the pot will need to be replaced, plus some people feel no non-stick coating is as safe as not having one--and btw, stainless steel inner pots are still easy to clean since pressure cooking is a wet method so if ever necessary a bit of soaking and/or using BarKeepers Friend will be fine).
The "Best Review" of the T-Fal actually compares it to the Instant Pot (though lists only a few of the differences):
https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R2EBY5C6K2OA8D/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B016RYKKL6
And you can get lots more info about the T-Fal from all its other customer reviews at Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R2EBY5C6K2OA8D/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B016RYKKL6
Compare that with the customer reviews of the (most common) IP at Amazon, the DUO60:
https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-IP-DUO60-Multi-Functional-Pressure/dp/B00FLYWNYQ
We don't know which T-Fal you got though, but in general all the IP's are rated about as high as ratings go (and most of the low ratings are from people who were using it incorrectly, etc).
And the DUO60's are now all 7-in-1's too so will also make yogurt or congee and can also be used to ferment bread, tempeh, etc. (That's the IP model I've had for about 1 1/2 years.)
Also, there's much more info online for the IP specifically from the various Facebook groups for it (one of which is humongous, Instant Pot Community) where people ask questions or give recipes and solutions for any concerns, etc, and there are also many-many recipes/etc online specifically for the IP.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/InstantPotCommunity
Here's the same deal without the affiliate link.
https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-Programmable-Pressure-Steamer/dp/B01B1VC13K/
I personally love my Hamilton Beach Set n Forget programmable slow cooker. The locking lid makes it great for traveling (on days at work where we'll all bring something in to share), and the programmable features are nice for me to set it in the morning, and know that it will cook for only the time I specify.
If you live near a Bed Bath and Beyond, you could use a 20% off coupon to purchase it for $40 + tax!
With one of these;
http://www.amazon.com/RoadPro-RPSL-350-Quart-Slow-Cooker/dp/B0013IR88A
I got this one:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FLYWNYQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
It occasionally will drop to $70 (prime day) but usually sits around $80. You can look up the price history on camelcamelcamel.
8 quarts is pretty big if it's just for one person, but not necessarily so much if you meal prep multiple meals. You can also prep stuff, freeze it, and then cook from frozen.
In my opinion they're somewhat overhyped if you're already an experienced cook and enjoy cooking, but work well for quick and easy meals.
It's probably a food grade Slow Cooker Liner which is perfectly safe.
Power drill set for sure - something I would never think of but oh so totally useful.
I make sure to recommend the Instant Pot every time this question pops up here. It's the most used gadget in my kitchen now.
We also put a NAS on the registry. If you don't have a good backup system, it's definitely worth figuring something out for all the wedding, honeymoon, etc. photos to come.
I discovered the Instant Pot, even though I had a nice pressure cooker, and my wife uses it at least once a day, it seems. I bought another 2 - one for my wife's sister and one for a niece.
Slow cooking is your friend. You can get one for $20 and because you have a kitchen it should be okay for residential policies. Throw in inexpensive meat and simple flavorings to get amazing results.
For example:
wasn't able to find any on-feet pics but
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FLYWNYQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Not yet a parent, just someone who finds cooking really cognitively taxing. The things that have helped me the most have been:
0) Watching Alton Brown to get an idea of how cooking works.
I would highly recommend getting an Instant Pot while they are on sale today. It is a great slow cooker, but also a pressure cooker, rice cooker, and lots more.
This is a great article going over why a Pressure cooker is better than a slow cooker for most dishes, and with the Instant Pot you get both.
Beans and Rice. Compliment it from time to time with some chicken or ground beef. Deal with the slight plainness of it until you can buy some spices to add flavor.
My recommendation for spices is: salt, pepper, cumin, Total Seasoning, oregano.
For sauces: A good hot sauce, Sriracha, Sambal Olek.
Splurge: Sour cream
Hit up your local asian or latino market for cheap spices, rice and beans. Generally your normal grocer will have 'manager specials' on meats... sometimes chicken as low as 0.79/lb.
Finally, to make it all so much easier, buy yourself a pressure cooker, I use the Instant Pot. Rice cooks in about 20 minutes, beans in about 35 (including time to pressure). I cook out of mine 6-7 times a week. Mostly beans and rice, but sometimes whole chickens that fully cooks in about 30 minutes.
You mention rice cooker, look into an Instant Pot, all in one kitchen appliance.
No forgiveness. Pack your 3 qt. Instant Pot that measures only 12x11x11 and make some rice! /s
If anyone was holding out for a good deal on an Instant Pot (like me), it's Amazon's deal of the day today. $68.95. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FLYWNYQ
Its normal price that I've been tracking is $110-120
So I didn't purchase it myself but my boyfriend is getting me an Instant Pot from Amazon for my birthday this Friday. I'm so excited, it's going to change my cooking life. I do a lot of meal prep and I just know it's going to make it go smoother.
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00FLYWNYQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1506521569&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=instant+pot&dpPl=1&dpID=51c-mDssGAL&ref=plSrch
To add to this: buy some crock pot liners for really easy clean up!
The Instant Pot Ultra is normally $150, but is currently $85 on Amazon https://smile.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-Ultra-Programmable-Sterilizer/dp/B06Y1MP2PY
http://www.amazon.com/RoadPro-RPSL-350-Quart-Slow-Cooker/dp/B0013IR88A
?
This is the standard one that I recommend to people. Clips for sealing the lid for travel purposes, manual dial so it doesn't reset if there's a minor power fluctuation, big enough to make big batches but perfectly capable of cooking for two without any issues.
No such thing as a 'healthy slow cooker', because you don't eat the slow cooker itself.
That being said, it's all about the Instant Pot. These things are awesome.
I have an Instant Pot and I just love it. It's safe, reliable, and everything I've made in it has turned out perfectly, but mine is only 6QT.
Check out the Instant Pot
Along with sauté, steam and slow cooking, it's a rice cooker and pressure cooker too.
I've had mine for 6 months and I use it 2 or 3 times a week.
My best week was a slow cooked chicken on sunday, then pressure cooked the carcass into broth on monday, and then brined and slow cooked porkchops in the chicken broth on thursday.
Instant Pot
Specifically this one: https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-IP-DUO60-Multi-Functional-Pressure/dp/B00FLYWNYQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1485534564&sr=1-1&keywords=instant+pot
Since your lanlord doesn't allow ovens get yourself an instant-pot and enjoy delicious meals that are ready in 5-10 minutes! Much much better than a slow-cooker.
https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-Multi-Use-Programmable-Pressure/dp/B00FLYWNYQ/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1502884496&sr=8-3&keywords=instant-pot
I absolutely love this one by Hamilton Beach. I've used plenty of slow cookers over the past few decades and this is simply the best. It's large enough for every recipe I've ever made, programmable (by time/temperature), reliable, easy to transport and easy to clean.
Some slow cookers have features that allow you to sear and roast and even pressure cook. Something like that would definitely give you the most versatility.
My friend has this one and loves it. It even works as a rice cooker.
An Instant Pot is the way to go if you occasionally want a faster meal. Electric slow cooker/pressure cooker in one, very cheap and has an active fan base.
There are plenty of recipies around the place customised for this thing, /r/instantpot/ is a good place to start.
DUO60 are currently $69.95 on Amazon
> Why the foil? My slow cooker is non-stick.
I don't know why the foil, but you should really try those Slow Cooker plastic liners you put in, makes cleanup 2 seconds.
I have this one, Hamilton Beach
It is really easy to use, simple to clean, and I literally set it and forget it. The programmable screen is pretty nifty and so far I have not had one problem (knock on wood). The price is a good and the reviews are plenty, which justified me buying it.
Liner
It's on amazon.ca too, which is amazing because we rarely get sales that .com gets.
https://www.amazon.ca/Instant-Pot-IP-DUO60-Programmable-Generation/dp/B00FLYWNYQ/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8
How about both? I don't have one, but I have friends that swear by their instapots. Something like this:
https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-IP-DUO60-Multi-Functional-Pressure/dp/B00FLYWNYQ
Does both pressure cooking and slow cooker and more. Not sure this is the best model, but perhaps someone else can offer more specific advice on models?
Canned vegetables and meat are cheap. Chicken and tuna particularly.
Frozen vegetables are better than canned and comparably priced, but obviously not as shelf stable
Chicken thighs - learn to love them. I get a dozen of the skin-on bone-in thighs for like $4. Season liberally with salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder. Bake at 350 for like an hour skin side up. Skin will be nicely crisp, and the thigh is delicious. If you don't have a meat thermometer, get one. Pull the chicken when it temps out at 165F right next to the bone and in the big pad of meat.
Cabbage is cheap, nutritionally dense, and very good when treated properly. Get two smoked sausages (the kind in packages are fine), and slice them in half-inch slices. Chop a head of cabbage into bite-sized pieces (note: they shred it here, just chop your pieces bigger, maybe a square inch or so). Get two large cans of diced tomatoes, and some blackened cajun spice. Dice an onion and 3-4 cloves of garlic. Put some bacon grease at the bottom of a large (8qt) sauce pan and get it hot. Add your garlic, onion, and sausage. Saute that until the sausage has some crispness to it and the onions are translucent. Add the tomatoes with the juice from the can, and stir to deglaze your pan. Add 4tbsp of the cajun spice, 2tsp salt, 2tsp black pepper, stir well. Add your cabbage in handfuls, stirring every time to ensure even mixing. Stick a lid on it, and cook on medium heat stirring every 10 minutes or so until the cabbage is tender. The cabbage will release a lot of liquid, it'll turn kinda soupy. That's ok, the broth is very good. This recipe freezes very well portioned, too.
Edit: Your first place on your own will have a small kitchen most likely. Read some Alton Brown stuff to make sure you don't buy useless kitchen gadgets. One gadget I do suggest getting, however, is an Instant Pot. They don't take up much room and are remarkably versatile. Learn to use it at /r/instantpot
Get an Instant Pot. It is a good enough slow cooker, but it is an outstanding pressure cooker, and for the big majority of what you do that is better than a slow cooker. (And if you really want to hit that $150 mark, add a cast iron dutch oven)
I got the Hamilton Beach programmable 6qt one at my roommate's recommendation, and have liked it so far. Being able to tell it to switch to "keep warm" after a given amount of time is nice.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00EZI26GO/
It's $50
For most people the best one is the one at a garage sale or Goodwill for $5. Can't beat that, it's what I did and i've had great results. If you really want the best of the best however, that's without a doubt the Instant Pot. It makes just about everything under the sun along with slow cooking. Best part is it has a stainless steel bowl so you can brown meat and get a good sear before you slow cook it, all in one pot. And if you don't have all day to cook something it's a great pressure cooker. Along with rice, yogurt etc.
That being said you definitely don't need to spend $100 on a slow cooker either. Something like This would be great, as long as 4 quarts isn't too small for you (best for 1-2 people, not for a whole family)
could you add these things to your wishlist for me
>https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-Multi-Use-Programmable-Pressure/dp/B00FLYWNYQ/ref=sr_1_2?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1543527917&sr=1-2&keywords=instapot
>https://www.amazon.com/Goya-Black-Beans-Dry-Pack/dp/B00IMLSX76/ref=sr_1_7_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1543527980&sr=8-7&keywords=dry+beans
>https://www.amazon.com/McCormick-Original-Taco-Seasoning-pack/dp/B01N6INN2B/ref=sr_1_5_s_it?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1543528340&sr=1-5&keywords=taco+seasoning
You can use the pressure cooker like a rice cooker or steamer as well. I don't know what a good amazon price for rice is tho.
This Hamilton Beach 3-in-1 Slow Cooker with 2, 4, and 6 qt. crocks is the only slow cooker you will ever need.
Why this one?
Other Notes:
A pressure cooker makes eating a diet heavy in beans and grains much easier. I'm going to shill without compensation for the Instant Pot IP-DUO which is a popular countertop multi-function cooker (pressure cooking, slow cooking, hot plate saute mode, yogurt making) you see recommended on a lot of food blogs for good reason. It's convenient because you just punch in the cooking time and let it do its pressure thing without monitoring a burner. You can cook most any dried bean variety in an hour (tastes better than canned and cheaper), long-cooking grains like barley and wild rice take about half the usual amount of time, and whole white and sweet potatoes steam up in 10 minutes. I use mine all the time to cook rice, dried beans, and one-pot dinners. Think chickpea curry, fast rice pilafs and lentils, wheat berries, risotto without all the stirring, and homemade hummus. It has been going on sale on Amazon pretty often: yesterday was down to $72 and has been as low as $69, is $99 right now (honestly still worth it even at that price but keep your eyes peeled if you're looking for the best deal).
edit: $79 today (12/20): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FLYWNYQ
So far I've just been browsing Kinja deals and had one recommendation as well as interested in others' recommendations. Here are some:
$52 Instant Pot 3 quart. Love the 6 quart version, but it's huge. I think 3 qt would've been fine for me.
$26 dinnerware set don't know this item.
$37 Lodge enameled cast iron dutch oven. Considering this. Anyone own it? Do I need a cast iron dutch oven? Is it better than a stainless steel one? Already have a cast iron pan.
$25 Stick blender
The sous vide immersion circulator was sold out but will be back, let's hope.
If you don't have one yet, I would recommend getting an Instant Pot. It makes broth making in general quick and easy. I only used it once so far to make pho (with great results), but have used it to make a number of different stocks and broth in the past.
If you sell it you can buy three pressure cookers.
Or did you mean buy some other speakers?
This is the only one I use. I own two of them, and when our other manual slow cooker dies, we're getting a third one of these.
This cooker is nice because it will automatically shift to Warm when then timer is up, and Warm is actually "Warm" not "slightly less than hot"; I've left stews sitting on Warm for several hours when I couldn't get right home once it was done and never once have I returned to dried or burnt food. The temperature probe is also nice for cooking certain cuts of meat.
Make it a smile link and you can send some money to charity while you're at it!
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00FLYWNYQ
You're welcome!
I actually have a multi-function pressure cooker (this one) and I use the pressure cooker function probably about twice a month or so, primarily to cook beans. There's not much else that I cook that benefits from pressure cooking over using the slow-cooker function, but I could definitely convert my slow-cooker recipes to pressure cooker ones. If I did that, I'd probably be using it once a week, on average. I also use a lot of the other features often, so I'd say I use the actual machine at least twice a week.
Sorry, I actually meant it's available for pre-order! Anyway, if you use the code "ipot" it's $100 off for a total of $189. Considering their most popular model is $135, I wonder if the Bluetooth functionality is worth the extra $54.
Regarding the sous vide option: on the FAQ page they say with calibration it can be accurate to ±1° Celsius. This isn't quite as accurate as I wish it were... but I wonder if there would be a way to improve it a bit more, maybe by adding some circulator pump. Still, I'm very intrigued.
EDIT: I've emailed them and asked if the sous vide option can be turned on without the lid being fastened (in order to use a circulating pump), and if the firmware for the iPot is able to be updated at all. I'll update the thread when I hear back.
EDIT 2: It WILL work without the lid on, and re firmware:
>"There may very well be some firmware updates in the future".
Join us over at r/slowcooking!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004P2NG0K
I normally recommend a 6QT slow cooker because it is large enough to handle anything you need from 2 to 12. Unless you are cooking for 1 you are able to scale almost anything down.
Stay away from colored glazes (stick to white and black) because there was some concern over lead leaking from colored glazes.
For electronics it is really a lifestyle based decision. If you or someone else is able to be home enough to avoid overcooking then analog is my preference. Electronics are mainly only useful if you are gone longer than the cooking time, 8-10 hours on low usually.
Brand, there is not much difference in the major brands. Hamilton Beach or Crock-Pot will both get the job done. I normally recommend the Hamilton Beach 6QT Stay or Go. It is the one I use and prefer.
^ this, it's cheap and packs the flavor in with no mess! and you can make a lot of stuff in it!
I have this one which is good for single person meals (and a bigger one as well for when cooking for groups)
I would look into the slow cooker liners, Reynolds makes them. But definitely run the recipe past your friend first and ask her about avoiding cross contamination, like if you have wooden spoons in your kitchen you cannot use them to prepare a gluten free meal.
if you dont wanna go expensive a 4 quart one is on amazon for $17.
Instant Pot 6 Qt. Pressure Cooker.
Reg Price: $119
Sale Price: $69
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FLYWNYQ
They are made specifically for slow cookers. Example.
It's a pressure cooker but with a few more bells and whistles.
It cooks stuff like a crock pot but in about 1/3 of the time, we made a pulled pork roast in about an 1 1/2 hours and it comes out exactly like it has been in a crock pot for 8 hours.
It can also saute. Like cook bacon in it, throw in your beans after and you have everything done in about 20 minutes.
*Oh shit and you can make your Rice and Oats and Yogurt in it too!
I'm going to sound like a shill here, but the Instant Pot can also be used as a slow cooker, rice maker, yogurt maker, steamer, you can make cheesecake, and it has a solid saute function so you can brown your meats and vegetables without having to break out another pan/pot. The 6 qt model is also $99.
I have this Instant Pot, and it's amazing. Very easy to use. I also bought a second stainless steel pot, sealing ring, and the glass lid for other types of cooking.
It even has a yogurt function that works well. I like it because, while you can make it in the pot, there's enough room to make the yogurt in four 500mL glass mason jars. (Then I put the white reusable screw off lids on and put them in the fridge.)
Put the neck bones in the freezer and call up your parents and manipulate them into buying you an Instant Pot. Then you can do pretty much anything.
Instant Pot is the brand
Eta A link to amazon product page for Instant Pot
Buy an Instant Pot on Amazon. Get the 8 quart version if you can afford it.
Buy some silicone baking mats on Amazon.
Get a cheap food processor.
Then, stock up on dried beans (black, kidney, great northern, pinto, etc), dried split peas, dried lentils, dried chickpeas, and dried pasta.
Buy some better than bouillon style vegetable base. (Not a whole food, but it's used in small amounts and making your own vegetable stock doesn't seem worth it.)
Buy some frozen corn, peas, broccoli, and spinach.
If you can, buy some frozen berries for putting in oatmeal.
Buy some canned tomato products like diced, crushed, sauce, etc.
Get some nutritional yeast from the store, and if you like it, buy it in bulk on Amazon.
For fresh stuff, get potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, and sliced mushrooms. Then whatever greens you want, fresh fruit, and maybe some peppers as you need them for recipes.
From there, you can make all kinds of food in the Instant Pot with minimal effort. Chili, soup, stews, pasta, pasta sauce, burrito filling, taco filling, 'cheese' sauce, baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, refried beans, and hummus.
You can find lots of recipes on youtube, but once you know the basics you can make lots of stuff.
Want to make some pasta? Toss in 3 cups of water, 1 tablespoon of vegetable base, 1lb cup of whole wheat penne, a 28oz can of tomato sauce, mushrooms, peas, broccoli, and whatever else you want. Set the instant pot to cook for 5 minutes on high pressure, and about an hour later you've got a few days worth of pasta.
You don't even have to soak beans when making them in an Instant Pot. Just toss them in, look in the manual for how long to cook them, and walk away.
It also works as a slow cooker, rice cooker, and yogurt maker. And because of the keep warm setting, you can put something in to cook, head off to class, and have a warm meal when you get back.
Pressure cooked beans and lentils taste better than canned, and the chickpeas will be softer and creamier. You'll also save a bunch of money this way.
Hope that helps!
You're an adult now, just cook. It can be tough cooking for just one person
becausebut it's doable.Learn some basic, cheap recipes and get comfortable eating leftovers.
Here's one for you:
Hamburger Gravy
Ingredients
1 pound ground beef (get the cheap stuff 75%/25%, you're a poor student)
1 1/2 cup white rice (uncooked)
1 family size can of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup, (low sodium is healthier but doesn't taste as good).
Cooking
I cook my rice in an Instant Pot, it's very fast, easy, and requires no supervision. Takes about 10-13 minutes depending on how much rice I'm making. I used to have an amazing Zojirushi Fuzzy Logic Rice Cooker that was the most amazing thing ever, but an ex-girlfriend stole it, so... Use the Instant Pot, it's cheaper and faster anyway.
Rice cookers and Instant Pots typically come with a cup for measuring rice which actually measures about 3/4 of a cup, and the inside of the cooking vessels have graduated measuring lines showing you how much liquid to add for the amount of dry rice you're cooking.
Put the two "cups" of rice (1.5 cups actual measure) into the Instant Pot and fill it with water to the "2" line. Close it up and make sure the pressure valve is closed (I've failed to properly cook my rice too often because I am dumb and don't check this). Once everything is set, just hit the "rice" button.
While the rice is cooking put the soup in a sauce pan along with a can full of milk, any milk works but I prefer whole milk myself. Put the sauce pan on the stove, medium low and stir frequently.
Now that the rice is cooking and the soup is warming put the ground beef in a skillet. I like a good [cast iron skillet] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00006JSUA/) myself, they're cheap and indestructible, and because of the heat transfer properties of iron they tend to cook foods evenly without burning.
Cook the beef on medium high until it's browned, then drain all the water/grease out into a Tupperware container, do not pour grease down the drain! you can seriously make life hell for yourself and your neighbors if you do.
Add the beef to the soup, increase the heat to medium/medium-high and continue to stir frequently. You want the soup hot enough to bubble a bit, but not a full boil.
By now the rice should be just about done. Let the pressure out, take the lid off, wait a few seconds for the steam to abate then, with a large plastic spoon (you don't want to scratch the bottom of the Instant Pot), "fluff" the rice, just scoop and turn the rice in place, loosening it up, and letting more steam out.
To serve, scoop some rice on a plate, ladle some soup onto the rice, season with a touch of black pepper, and eat.
The rice is enough for 2-4 servings depending on your appetite, while the gravy is enough for maybe twice that. Typically it would be enough for two dinners for me, a 6'4", 225 pound man) and my girlfriend who is pretty petite.
Cost:
Beef: get the cheap stuff, depending where you go and the quality you get, this can be between $2-$5/lb. If your super poor, get a 10 pound tube of ground beef at Smart and Final for like $25, then break it up into 1 pound portions and freeze, otherwise it's about $5/pound most places. So let's say $5.
Rice: the cheapest food on Earth, and it's healthy too! You should probably plan on this being about $1/pound. Get a 10 or 25 pound bag and you'll be set for at least a quarter. Pro-tip: rice goes with literally everything. Add it to all of your meals for some good, clean carbs. Pair it with smaller portions of what you'd normally eat to get the same caloric intake but healthier and cheaper. Anyway the rice in this recipe has a marginal cost of maybe $0.15.
Soup: I think Ralph's usually has the family size can of Cream of Mushroom soup for $2-$3.
So, all in for one person, you could probably make at least 5-6 servings for $8, and it takes maybe 15 minutes to cook.
Store the rice and gravy separately in Tupperware in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Mix together in a bowl and b reheat in the microwave for 90 seconds to 2 minutes for leftovers. I prefer to make fresh rice each day, but making one larger batch then reheating it works as well.
Alternatives
There you go, cheap, quick, not totally unhealthy home cooking.
I use this Hamilton Beach one. I like that it's programmable, so even if I have an 8 hour recipe, it goes from low to warm by the time I get home. I've had it for a few years, in fact, I just made chili in it today!
Yes you want a crockpot with a timer. It will keep your food warm until you can get to it. It works very well and I have no problem leaving it on while I am at work. An outlet timer will turn it off completely and you start getting into issues with foodborne illnesses.
I have this this crockpot and its great. It is very highly reviewed and usually recommended on here.
Plastic Liners?
This very popular, and common model weighs 12.8 lbs.
That's 205 ozs.
Gold is about $1200 per oz
TIL crock pots are worth $246,000.
Bah, assuming the older one passes visual inspection, I'm willing to bet it's of higher quality than the $20 off-the-shelf one. Sure there are some great new ones with extra features and such, but the bottom-of-the-line one is, in my estimate, going to be more shoddily built. Probably break within 6 months of the warranty expriring.
/cynic
Otoh, the pic makes it look a bit small. When you do crock, you want big. I'd offer $5 for it, or ... -- quickly checks amazon -- get something like this.
This is what I have. Oval, two settings and a timer. Suction clamp lid...thingy. I love it. $48.99
Amazon has an Instant Pot 7 in 1 for $70. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FLYWNYQ/ref=crt_ewc_title_dp_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
Both, looks like they're around $1 Each on amazon. In the store they're usually with the ziploc bags, aluminum foil and picnic plastic stuff.
http://www.amazon.com/Reynolds-Metals-00504-Cooker-Liners/dp/B00HVG7SYW
But yeah, it saves so much hassle when it comes to not having to deal with anything baked or cooked onto the crock pot.
I bought an Instant Pot for like $65. The one you’re looking at is “Smart” meaning it’ll probably listen to everything you say and sell it to every government on the planet and then kill you when you’re asleep.
I have this one
Instant Pot DUO80 8 Qt 7-in-1 Multi- Use Programmable Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Steamer, Sauté, Yogurt Maker and Warmer https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01B1VC13K/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_cgilDbCNHVYV5
They make an 8 quart IP now. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01B1VC13K/ref=twister_B01DZM2UQ6?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
I have the 8 quart version - https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-Programmable-Pressure-Steamer/dp/B01B1VC13K
> However, a kitchen is such a fundamentally important space to what a house is and limiting the inhabitant to only eating out or microwavable food sort of diminishes that.
You could just set one of these induction cooktops on the microwave (or build another shelf for it). Also, another shelf for a pressure cooker or rice cooker wouldn't be too expensive to add as well.
You want a roaster. http://www.amazon.com/Oster-CKSTRS71-18-Quart-Roaster-Buffet/dp/B003V5GUZU/ref=sr_1_8?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1452174456&sr=1-8&keywords=roasters
Although, I don't know that I've ever seen one that goes as low as 130, at least on the temp gauge.
A little more googling got me this http://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach-33967A-Programmable-6-Quart/dp/B00EZI26DW/ref=sr_1_3?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1452174508&sr=1-3&keywords=crockpot+with+temperature+setting
There are recipes that specifically call for a 6 qt slow cooker, so if you want to follow the recipe to a T, the 4 qt might be limiting. I don't think you could go wrong with either, though.
Saw you're in Canada, so don't know if you have access, but I have this slow cooker and it works great:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EZI26GO/
Woohoo! I've been waiting for this one. I talked in the IRC for a bit about my new best friend: The InstantPot!
If you don't know what it is, a quick run down: It's a 7-in-1 electric pressure cooker that you can use as a slow cooker, rice cooker, sauteeing pan, yogurt maker, steamer, and warmer. The only thing is won't do is dehydrate!
If you don't know what a pressure cooker does, it can essentially cut your slow cooker meals down from 4 hours to 25 minutes. For the standard "jar of salsa + chicken breast/thighs" recipe, we have shredded chicken in front of us 30 minutes after it's in the pot. So far I've made succulent pulled pork, amazing shredded chicken, and beans from dried in record time.
My favorite recipe really is the salsa chick (so simple, so versatile), and I end up making 2 pounds of it to spread throughout dinner,s my work lunches, and a little leftover in the freezer for a rainy day. It makes meal prep unbelievably easy. I haven't made a good chili or anything yet because it's summertime, but I know it's going to be awesome.
But the best part? Throwing out my rice cooker (I am a cook of many talents, but perfectly fluffy rice in a pot somehow eludes me) and slow cooker, and thereby decluttering our kitchen/pantry.
I promise I'm not a salesperson (I feel like one, I just LOVE this thing!) but here are some recipes I've tried that are simple, basic, and what I feel are the most useful with my IP.
Anyhow, it's just been a valuable asset to my cooking game!
I'm in the same boat but I pulled the trigger because this also replaces my NuWave oven(wife's purchase long before we got together) that I ONLY ever use to incubate my own yogurt. This will save me quite the hassle of ever having to lug that thing up and down from the basement every two weeks. This and I have seriosuly limited cabinet space. This will help me out tremendously.
Also, if you live in an area that qualifies for PrimeNow through Amazon, order it through them(not the same site as amazon), get it delivered TODAY, and save another $15 if you use the code 15OFFNOW. Plus get another $5 credit for future use. Got mine for $66 including tax and delivery.
I mean this, it's a hybrid rice cooker/slow cooker/pressure cooker.
I know I'd use the rice cooker and slow cooker functions a lot, but I've never had a pressure cooker before so I'm not sure about that part, which is the feature that makes the pricetag worth it. But it cooks beans really quickly, which would be awesome, and being able to braise tough cuts of meat quickly also seems like a great feature.
Reddit loves the Instant Pot.
Do you have any hobbies where you could use some extra supplies? (i.e. camping, running, something else...)
There are ways around not having access to a kitchen.
a small rice cooker
can be used for steaming as well as cooking rice.
a slow cooker
a small George Formangreat for sandwiches as well as grilling meat.
an electric skillet
for soups
These 5 would meet most of your cooking needs.
Prep: splash of cold water
Soap: Phoenix artisan accoutrements coconut
Razor: standard
Blade: GSB (1)
Brush: drivenlegend synth
Post: extra lather, warm shower and chatillon lux catalan's prairie
The crock pot I ordered 3 months ago finally arrived today! I had totally forgotten about it until last night when I received a SMS asking me to come and collect it. Now I have a bit of a problem. Since we have 240V electricity here in SL I have to get a step down transformer. So can any of you guys please tell me whether [this](http://skyray.lk/products/electronics/adaptors-converters/voltage-converters-step-down-transformer/unitec-acac-converter-300watt-step-up-step-down/
) will work. This is the crock pot I bought.
Slow Cooker Soy Chorizo Chili
See full recipe with additional stovetop instructions at https://veggiechick.com/soy-chorizo-chili/
​
Optional Toppings:
INSTRUCTIONS
NOTES
Freezer bags, man! Portion it out into individual servings in sandwich baggies, then stick them all in a giant freezer bag.
Edit: Although tiny crock pots are totally a thing. You could buy a giant roast, cut THAT up into single-tiny-crock-pot-sized portions and freeze it with all the seasonings, veggies etc, that way you could just dump it right from the freezer into the crock pot when you want it.
Buy a small rice cooker and a small crock pot! I recommend this one:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004P2LEE0/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1406618804&sr=8-2&pi=SX200_QL40
As far as recipes, look here:
http://www.veggieonapenny.com/
http://ohsheglows.com/
http://www.theppk.com/
http://ohmyveggies.com/50-vegetarian-slow-cooker-recipes/
If you're not concerned about health, pasta is extremely cheap. The slow cooker is a great method or cooking beans in to make refried beans. Get a huge package or corn tortillas, make refried beans and rice, and should last you a few days.
My friend got a baby crockpot recently to complement his 5qt pot. I think it was this one. He's really happy with it and he said that it's quite useful for small servings.
Browing meats doesn't really matter (just ask the folks at /r/sousvide), however, if you would like to anyhow, you might consider a culinary torch to sear them up before you cook.
http://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach-Forget-6-Quart-Programmable/dp/B001AO2PXK/
I'm sorry, I don't know sizes, but I know it's a large one, and I'm going to guess 6 quart as it looks just like this one: https://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach-Programmable-Temperature-33967/dp/B001AO2PXK
I have the same problem, and I addressed it with a Hamilton Beach 33967 Set 'n Forget 6-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker. ($50 USD on Amazon w/Prime.)
What I actually wanted was an old slow cooker (the kind that cooks at lower temps before the USDA changes) on some sort of intelligent timer/variable power device but I know my limits.
I half expected disappointment, but I've been extremely pleased with it.
It's a special liner, not just a grocery store bag. Completely safe for quick cleanup of your slow cooker!
https://www.amazon.com/Reynolds-Slow-Cooker-Liners-4-Count/dp/B002U0KKK8?th=1
For the most part brand really doesn't matter end of the day it is a ceramic pot that sits on a heating element and they are all roughly equal.
Don't bother with fancy timers just look for something in the 6 quart range with a locking lid and removable insert/pot for around $20-30
One like this should be pretty much exactly what you need https://www.amazon.com/Crock-Pot-SCCPVL600S-6-Quart-Portable-Stainless/dp/B003HF6PUO/
If you have some extra cash I would HIGHLY recommend looking at an instant pot. They are a combo device that is a slow cooker, pressure cooker, and rice cooker for around $80.
https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-Muti-Use-Programmable-Pressure/dp/B01MFEBQH1/
As much of a craze as it seems I love my pressure cooker and use it all the time and my slow cooker has been on the shelf since last Thanksgiving. Chili from scratch in about an hour, chicken stock in 2 hours, Ribs in 30 minutes, stew in an hour, pulled pork/carne asada in an hour, yadda yadda yadda AND it is also a slow cooker if you want to let it go all day for something.
Depends on your situation do you need a programmable one or are you always home when you cook? do you need the traveling one or do you only cook for yourself? How many people do you cook for if its just 2 people you could probably get away with a 4.5 QT.
Crock pot is a good brand and its not really more expensive than the others.
this is one I usually reccomend its 10$ cheaper than normal you can bring it to parties and cook while your at work and big enough for a family or party.
These are the best
You will obviously have to remove the lid to get a reading, and doing so will allow some of the heat to escape, and slow cooking times, however doing this once or twice after 6 hours or so won't make a big difference. If you are cooking on High/Low will also change the duration of cooking.
Some cookers have a small hole in the lid to allow a temp probe to stick out. Like this one
If you go this route, I'd also recommend crock pot liners such as these to make clean up a breeze. As another chronically ill meal prepper, I know one of the worst parts for me is making it through all the clean-up, so anything to help with the mess is appreciated.
just went on sale on amazon for 81.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01B1VC13K/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
$69.99 for: Instant Pot DUO Plus 60, 6 Qt 9-in-1 Multi- Use Programmable Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Yogurt Maker, Egg Cooker, Sauté, Steamer, Warmer, and Sterilizer https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01NBKTPTS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_9L3kDbXEPCPAS
Good for cooking those big batch meals in preparation for baby!
This slow cooker. It changed my life. I use it multiple times a week and love /r/slowcooking for recipes. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EZI26GO?ref_=hit_wr_dt_vr_md_pt
Also, check out Sweethome. It's a blog that lists the best brands of certain products. I based a lot of my registry around what they said was best.
Honestly, if you're going to spend more than $100 or so just get the Instant Pot - the large 8 quart should be fine for families. There's the added functionality of using it as a pressure cooker, rice cooker, etc. It has a removable insert and it's very durable. There's a reason why the Instant Pot has gotten a huge cult following so fast - you can do a lot with it. But even if you just use it as a slow cooker, it's pretty great.
However, if you want to stick with a just a basic slow cooker, this site has pretty reliable reviews and rankings in my experience.
The best way is to purchase a pressure cooker, like this
I can cook an entire soup with dry beans from scratch in less than an hour.
Instant pot!
http://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-IP-DUO60-Programmable-Generation/dp/B00FLYWNYQ/ref=sr_1_1/185-5986159-8647865?ie=UTF8&qid=1409120445&sr=8-1&keywords=instant+pot
Even better than a crock pot is a pressure cooker. Perfect rice, dried beans, cheap meat cuts made tender in 1/4 of the time (10lbs of pulled pork from a $20 pork butt in 1 hour? Yup). Make yogurt, can foods, it's amazing.
I highly recommend the electric kind Instant Pot 7 In 1 Multi-Use Programmable Pressure Cooker, 6 Quart | 1000W https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FLYWNYQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_dr-bzb3BECR8N
Instant Pot
Bose QC35 Noise Cancelling Headphones - well worth the price
Amazon Prime membership
External/second monitor
The Instant Pot is a very popular combination pressure cooker, slow cooker, and more. A top seller on Amazon.
However, what she'd probably like more is some pampering -- a babysitter, a spa day, a massage, something like that. Or for you to do all her chores for one weekend. Or (if it's her thing) some jewelry.
Because I'm much lazier than these other diligent posters, I got the Instant Pot that makes yogurt. It's really easy and the pot pretty much walks you through it. Plus, this pot is a pressure cooker that is great for making all things lentil/bean. It can can things. It also acts as a rice cooker and even a slow cooker. But unlike conventional slow cookers, you can sauté and brown ingredients prior to slow cooking. If you get one, make sure you get the 7-in-1 so you have the yogurt making function. It's a bit pricey but super useful. And I'd advise that you get an extra one of the cooking bowls if you think you'll use it a lot!
Edit:
link
Instant Pots are pretty good and this is a good weekend to buy one. This one is on sale down to $50.
Prep can be painless. If you plan of leaving for more than 5 hours, the only recipes I can think of that require less than 6-7 hours of cooking time is chicken breasts, so just don't use them.
Please keep in mind that most meats (with an exception of chicken) should be browned before cooking. Some crockpots can go from fridge to cooking, some can't. I would read the manual.
As far as doing the prep at night, yes. If you can't leave it in the crockpot, leave it in a sealed container and pour it in.
Yes, if you're worried about leaving it unattended, use it for the first time when you plan on being home most of the day on a weekend.
Again, don't use breasts if this is a problem. Unless you like breasts better then thighs, this won't make a huge difference anyway.
I have a 6 quart for just myself. It's useful when I want to make soups and chilis because I feel the thing up. I highly recommend this guy
Hamilton Beach Set 'n Forget Programmable Slow Cooker With Temperature Probe, 6-Quart (33969A)
10/10, would buy again. The temperature probe is great if you're unsure about how long a recipe should be cooked. Just set the safe temperature and the slow cooker will automatically switch to "warm" after.
Direct link w/o affiliate tag
The "all or nothing" personality is something I struggled with. I recognized it, as you have, but what really made the biggest difference was making it my primary focus. The reason I never seemed to reach my goals, time and time again, was because I burnt out. I was fueling myself with the initial rush of motivation, forgetting that I would soon have to switch fuels to something I wasn't ready for: discipline. So, it's important for us to start small. Have you read "The Hobbit"?
Bilbo Baggins didn't go straight from his comfortable little hobbit hole straight to the Smaug's lair. His first step was simply leaving his hobbit hole, which he never would have done if he knew from the start that he'd be facing a dragon.
So, you need to start small. You have these goals, which are great, but they are the long-term goals. We need to break these things down into small, do-able goals that won't result in burnout. You need to leave your hobbit hole before facing your dragon.
---
You want to start going to the gym, among many other things. Going to the gym involves:
(a) convincing yourself to go to the gym, even on a rainy day or when you're super comfortable at home
(b) getting off your ass, into the car for ~15 minutes, into the gym where you would feel guilty for working out less than 30 minutes since you drove there, driving back home for ~15 minutes
(c) paying for a membership
Is this sustainable right off the bat? Remember, this is about building habits. We want to make this so easy that you will have no problem doing this. So start small and reduce the barriers of entry that will likely burn you out after your 2 weeks of motivational fuel runs out.
I did this simple routine. You can do it at home, it takes 20 minutes max, and all you need is a pullup bar. How much more doable does this sound?:
(a) convince yourself to get off your ass and walk 10ft to your pullup bar
(b) do pullups, pushups, and squats for 10-20 minutes
People may chime in about this program is missing this or that or how barbell squats cured their cousin's cancer. Fuck 'em. Doing something consistently is infintely better than doing the "ideal workout" inconsistently for 4 months before tapering off working out altogether. And guess what? Once you have built the habit of working out and want to go to the gym, you can!
---
You want to keep up with housework. So, using the same principles, start small! I mean so fucking small that you would laugh at yourself if you couldn't even do that. Turn on your favorite song and do housework until that song is over. You aren't obligated to do any more than the length of that song. Sure, you may not have cleaned the entire house, done all of your laundry, and roasted a fucking turkey. But, you may have done the dishes, or at least half of them. Again, something consistently is infinitely better than nothing. And, again, guess what!? Once you have built the habit of doing housework for the length of a song, you can play two songs!
---
You want to be healthier and take better care of yourself. Well, working out and doing some housework certainly falls under this. Let's address healthy eating. Again, we want to make this as simple as possible. Here is what I do that has been working really well:
Toss the following into a pressure cooker:
Meat (Choose 1):
Veges & stuff (choose 4):
Sauce (choose 1):
Seasoning:
I don't even cut anything. If anything, I just use my hands to split the green beans, carrots, etc. Again, low barrier of entry. Keep it simple!
At the same time, on the stove or in a rice cooker, make something to put this all on top of:
It takes about ~30 minutes to make a ton of healthy and tasty food. I do this twice per week.
For breakfast, I toss 1 cup of oatmeal in a bowl, 2 cups of water in that bowl, cover and microwave it for 4 minutes, and add a tbsp of brown sugar and maybe some peanut butter. Simple, easy, fast, little barrier of entry.
---
---
---
We've added quite a few (doable!) things for you to work on. You said you want to start studying programming. I would caution you to not start doing that now. You don't want to burn yourself out. Remember, start small, we're building habits here.
This doesn't mean you won't ever study programming. In fact, what if you start now? What if you burn out in 1 month and don't touch programming again? What if this leads you to stop working out, stop doing housework, stop cooking? It's not worth it.
So how do you know when you're ready to add studying programming? Read this. Only make 3 cards: workout, housework, cook.
Once you are done with these 3 cards, you can create a new one for programming. But make sure you follow the same principles of starting small! Only commit yourself to 10 minutes a day. You can always do more, but 10 minutes is success.
-
Enjoying this? Looking for another adventure to go on after 7 weeks of programming? Fix your sleep schedule. Make a card for light's out at : pm.
-
At this point, we're getting closer to facing Smaug. You want to add another thing? Add meditating. Again, start small! Start with 5 minutes a day, or maybe less! Whatever sounds so doable that there is no way you couldn't do it. I don't give a shit if that means 1 minute per day.
---
Don't feel bad if you don't fill out these cards perfectly. Remember, something is better than nothing. If you only have an X for half of those days, you've still improved yourself enormously.
There will be fuck-ups. Bilbo fucked up, but he still got to Smaug's lair. Use your fuck-ups. Fucking abuse those fuck-ups. When you fuck-up (which you will, it's part of the process), make it a point to learn from it. Make yourself glad you did it. Didn't workout today? Do something you otherwise wouldn't have done that day: maybe go for a short 5 minute walk, or call your mother to tell her you love her, or send an email to your favorite band or author and thank them for existing, or read a short story on /r/writingprompts, or write a haiku, or tell yourself you're fucking awesome. It doesn't have to be big, but I guarentee it will be worth doing.
Remember, the first step is coming out of your hobbit hole. There will be many, many challenges along the way. You might have to fight some spiders in Mirkwood, you might have to get in some barrels to escape some wood-elves, you might find a ring. Your life is a book, you aren't going to go directly from your hobbit hole to Smaug's lair. Along your journey, you likely won't even be thinking about Smaug's lair, because you should be focusing on the present, your 3 minute dishwashing session, your 10 minute workout. There will be a point you will look back and see how far you are from your hobbit hole. Before you know it, you'll be standing in front of a dragon's lair and realizing that back in your hobbit hole, you never in 100 years would have expected to be standing right there.
Now go take your first step toward becoming Bilbo.
$80 right now i bought a different version for $60 last year on a lightning deal on amazon (mine dosn't have a low pressure setting , which is pretty much only good for making yogurt.)
We decarb foil-wrapped packs in a convection oven at ~290. Then toss the ground stuff into an Instant Pot with a bunch of coconut oil. Leave there at low temp for 10-30 hours. Makes super mellow gummies.
Good vid, thanks!
Here are some ideas:
The multi-purpose are nice. I've got a 6 quart Instant Pot that I use quite a bit but if you're just looking for a crock pot you can definitely get one for less. I've got a 4, 6 and 8 quart that I also use and they were all between $25 and $35 (US). It's nice to have different sizes for different applications. I recently did a small batch of chili in the 4 quart and have a big batch of 15 bean and ham soup going in the 8 quart that will be ready when I get home! Perfect timing because we're expecting about a foot of snow by Friday. Crock pots are perfect for winter comfort food.
An electric pressure cooker. I have one and I have suggested this to many of my older friends and they seem to like the ease and safety.
As long as you put the prescribed minimum of fluids in them they are easy and pretty fail safe. The one I have not only pressure cooks, but also slow cooks and brazes. It is quick and easy and you don't have to stand over it to make sure it doesnt burn the food. The one I bought and has an easy to clean stainless insert rather than a questionable "no stick" one.
The one I am referring too is an Amazon #1 best seller. (Instant Pot IP-DUO60 7-in-1 Programmable Pressure Cooker with Stainless Steel Cooking Pot and Exterior, 6-Quart/1000-watt, Latest 3rd Generation Technology)
I use mine at least 3 or 4 times a week and really like how easy it is to use (set and walk away - if you are busy when it finishes it goes into a keep warm setting) and it's easy to clean. I would buy another asap if anything happened to this one.
I'd get an InstantPot. It combines a slow cooker, pressure cooker, and rice cooker into a single device.
http://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-IP-DUO60-Programmable-Generation/dp/B00FLYWNYQ
Next on my wish list. :)
Unfortunately, they're not cheap. I've considered the far less costly Presto Hot Topper, but it's more suited to sticks of butter than clarified. Plus, the capacity is too small for the amount of popcorn I tend to make.
Until that glorious day that I do have some extra cash to blow on a butter dispenser, I make due with a small slow cooker and a ladle. This easily accommodates 3-4 pounds of butter, plus it makes it very easy to skim the solids off the top after it melts. Enough clarified butter for gallons of popcorn! :)
I like this one. I love the handy probe that allows you to set the meat temperature. It's also large enough that you can fit just about anything.
Everyone seems to be asking all the wrong questions, and no one is giving you an answer.
For my wife and I, [this] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B008GS8R3K/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1495471094&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=1.5+quart+slow+cooker&dpPl=1&dpID=41A9X2qAIsL&ref=plSrch) makes enough soup for two servings (American, so consider large-ish servings), with one more serving for lunch the next day. We commonly use it for beans, small stews, and soups. It has about the same footprint as a toaster.
It's also great for making chicken or pork stock that we add to our dogs food.
Scaling up, [this] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003UCG8II/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1495471094&sr=8-1-spons&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=1.5+quart+slow+cooker&psc=1) is twice the size of the example above, and it's our workhorse. Everything from chicken tikka masala to soups to large amounts of stock. It works especially great if you prepare two weeks of meals ahead of time.
Finally, [this beast] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00S5HIN22/ref=mp_s_a_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1495471716&sr=8-7&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=7+quart+slow+cooker&dpPl=1&dpID=41UWiMWgVEL&ref=plSrch) is for huge family meals , and Chili cookouts.
There really is a slow cooker for every need, and they're not very expensive, incredibly energy efficient, and they make wonderful food
Whoa!!! Mind blown!! Great tip. Just went to Amazon and its one of the Prime deals, at $70 + $5 off for no rush delivery. Even check it on PriceZombie per another persons suggestion. Thank you!!! Instant Pot
Aw! I'd give you some if I could! I wound up buying this for Black Friday as an early Christmas gift for me and the hubby and just let it stay in there all day. Easy dinner lol.
I'm all about easy dinners lately. Cause I'm lazy and round haha.
Morning ladies! I just got to work myself and I'm trying to savor my morning cup of coffee. I've narrowed down my current favorite cup to include Community Coffee breakfast blend, 1 tbsp of heavy cream, 1 scoop of Vital Proteins unflavored collagen, and 1 tbsp Skinny Syrups sugar free chocolate caramel truffle (found on my last Marshalls run). It's pretty much my only caffeine for the day since my sleep suffers if I have any in the afternoons and I'm trying to kick my diet soda dependence.
I can't wait to get cooking this weekend, I scored an 8 qt Instant Pot for $80 on Black Friday and I don't know what I should make with it first! I've been eyeing the Instant Pots for the past two years when they go on sale and this year I finally pulled the trigger since I've only heard great things from people who have one.
Unrelated to Keto I've been trying to work on recognizing when I let my anxiety get the best of me, it happens a lot. I tend to do this thing where I implode when I've got something good going, whether it be professional or personal success (my anxiety doesn't discriminate). I usually don't know that's what's happening until the dust of my mini meltdown seems to settle and that's definitely what happened last week with me and the guy I was talking to, my brother called me out on that shit (like any good brother would). I'm not too proud to admit when I'm wrong so I had an honest as hell conversation with the dude and god bless him he's still willing to talk to me. I'm tired of letting my anxiety ruin things for me, at least I'm starting to realize when I've done something dumb so I can deal with it but I'd prefer to recognize that's what's happening before I self destruct... Also if my shark week could calm down with the crazy hormonal swings this week that would be great.
Not sure how good these deals are, but they're things I'd love as a vegan
Instapot for $90
Vegetable spiral slicer for $22
Cuisinart Food Processor for $180
Blendtec total blender classic for $400
* edit - it isn't amazon, but Fry's also has a 7/11 sale and has the Zojirushi Micom Rice Cooker & Warmer for $90 (after a promo code you get if you sign up on their website). I hear this is the best rice cooker out there.
Honestly, I never would have bought one for myself because I have all those tools already. It was a Christmas gift from my son and ohmygod I use the hell out of it! I haven't used my crockpot, pressure or rice cooker since Christmas and after sucessfully making yogurt in it in January, I'm convinced it's the greatest kitchen gadget ever invented.
I am shocked at how often I use the thing! It's seriously an all-in-one appliance. I can brown my roast right in the instantpot and then set it to slow cook all day. No extra pans necessary. It has a delay start timer too. It is soooo much easier to clean than my crockpot or rice cooker. No idea who came up with this invention but it is amazing! I finally understand all those gushing review blog posts I'd been scrolling by and ignoring for years.
This is the one they bought me. 8 qt.
The expensive brands in that same price range:
All-Clad, Le Crueset, Henckel, and Mauviel.
This five piece set is worth it's weight in... well, copper. Cuz copper is super expensive.
At a much more reasonable price range you've got Cuisinart, Calphalon, Lodge, Victorinox and a few others.
-------
Here's a list of things they could get (an entire kitchen revamp) for under $1000:
A $300 knife set with 4 steak knives (note: the 7 piece classic set is available from Costco online for only $80 if you have a membershit, same blades, no fancy handles. The steak knives can be got for $10-15 each, so the entire set is like $130 if you don't want rosewood)
Anova sous vide cooker for $110. Toys are fun.
Lodge enameled dutch oven for $60
Mauviel carbon steel pan for $40 (needs to be seasoned), or a pre-seasoned Lodge for $20
Lodge cast iron for $10-20 (depending on 8 inch or 10 inch).
Scrapers (super important!) and maybe silicon handles for $10
and the most important thing they'd want, is the Calphalon tri-ply set for $225 (which I think is also cheaper over at Amazon).
An Instapot (combined pressure cooker + slowcooker + ricecooker, this thing is like a slowcooker on crack). You can also opt for just a regular $30 slowcooker, too.
If they don't care about fancy looking handles, the Fibrox handles actually have a great grip, and Victorinox knives are sharp as shit.
Other things:
OXO good grips tools/spatulas/measures/everything for about $100 depending on what they want.
The Costco membership would probably be worth it just so you can buy the Victorinox knives (and I think also the Calphalon pans?)
---------
Total price: ~$1000 if going with the rosewood handles (I personally didn't bother), and instapot (I would highly recommend the instapot, though!)
If going with regular handles and instapot, $850 <--- my choice
If going with regular handles, instapot, but no sous vide, $750 <--- probably most economical choice
If going with regular handles and regular slowcooker, and no sous vide ~$650
Just regular Victorinox Fibrox knives, and Calphalon Tri-Ply set and one cast iron skillet: ~$400
The Instant Pot. A true multitasker. Makes yogurt but also does so much more. Definitely worth the price of admission.
I have this instant pot in 6 quart, and it's worked really well for us. Honestly haven't used too many of it's features, just saute, slow cook and pressure cook, but it has done all of those very well. It's great right now, as I am super pregnant and since it has a saute feature, I can do a lot of my cooking sitting down at my island, instead of standing at the stove. My only regret is not buying the 8 quart one for my growing family.
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It pressure cooks well, I've made a whole baked chicken in half an hour, chick stock in an hour (instead of three), rice is so fast in it. I also really like that in the summer heat, I can put it on the deck, and then I don't heat my house up at all (this is actually what convinced me to get it). I mean you could do that with a slow cooker too I suppose, I just used to use my stove and oven for everything.
8 liners for just over a buck each. You cannot beat Amazon :)
I just ordered this instant pot model on amazon. Had been looking at one for awhile and prime day dropped the price below what I was going to spend on a lesser model.
Instant Pot DUO80 7-in-1 Multi-Use Programmable Pressure Cooker, 8 Quart/1200W https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01B1VC13K/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_Tfnzzb670XC2C
You can scroll through them all day, literally.
Most if not all of the deals I have seen list three prices. MSRP > Normal Amazon Price > Prime Day Sale Price. However, they are stating the savings as the difference between MSRP and Prime Day Sale Price. You just have to do the math of Normal Amazon Price - Prime Day Sale Price to figure out how much you are saving.
Example item. In this case the actual savings is $14 or 20% which is quite nice actually.
I have a cheapie crock pot, it sucks in terms of temperature control unless the pot is nearly full. I think the cheap ones are completely open-loop (eg, don't have any temperature control at all).
It looks like you can buy some that do: https://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach-Programmable-Temperature-33967A/dp/B00EZI26DW
You could try using a lamp-dimmer to control the power of it, maybe.
Failing that, keep the pot nearly full and don't use additional insulation on the pot like towels.
I have the Hamilton Beach Set it and Forget it 6 quart slow cooker.
I love it. I'd reccomend getting the 6 quart size even if you aren't cooking for a lot of people. It's very annoying to want to cook something in there and not have enough room, so 6 quarts has been pretty good for just about everything I want to put in there. I even once (barely) fit a whole chicken in that thing! Here's the amazon link:
http://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach-33969A-Programmable-6-Quart/dp/B00EZI26GO/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1404759563&amp;sr=8-3&amp;keywords=slow+cooker
I have a Hamilton Beach similar to lborloz's. I love the different settings and the temp probe. I highly recommend spending a few extra bucks!
My version has a metal piece there that rises up.
EDIT: I have a different model. You can see my lid on this Amazon posting
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FLYWNYQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_2QhiAbWS1J118
Instant Pot makes rice, steams food, pressure cooks, slow cooker, and even makes yogurt. Stainless steel pot is easy to clean.
http://smile.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-IP-DUO60-Programmable-Generation/dp/B00FLYWNYQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=kitchen&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1412974175&amp;sr=1-1
buahahaha - I thought the same thing, but honestly I'm a total convert to it now!
Here's a link
The basic gist it that it's a hot plate with a removable stainless steel lining. The top has a gasket on it to make it a pressure cooker, and you can get a different lid for it so you can use it as a crock pot as well.
Pressure cooker basically does the job of a crock pot in about ohhhh 20-45 minutes depending (not necessarily including the time it takes for the content to get up to a boiling temperature and create the heat/pressure). Pressure cookers can be a little intimidating because back in the day they used to explode a lot. Instant pot has a lot of safety features to prevent that.
Last night I made bacon and corn chowder in mine - cooked the bacon in the pot on the "browning" feature, pulled that out, and added onion, potatoes, leftover grilled corn, garlic/salt/pepper to the bacon fat in the bottom of the pan and let that cook for just a few minutes then added flour as the thickener, and a whole box of chicken stock and less than 20 minutes later had soup that tasted like it had cooked all day. I finished the soup off with sour cream/milk/cheese and top it with the bacon I cooked before and some chives - seriously amazing.
Also instant pot would've worked great for your dr pepper pork! And it likely would've taken less time than anything else. Also cooked potatoes for your potato salad in 1/4 of the time as well. ;)
This is the recipe I made two weeks ago using my instant pot It turned out so good we made it 4-5 more times since then.
And as one more "holy moly big sell" here, I take chicken breast from the freezer, put it in the instant pot with a whole jar of salsa and a packet of taco seasoning and set the instant pot for 40 minutes, and I'll have perfectly shredded chicken. :)
Seriously, this thing is a life saver!
Instead of a slow cooker I recommend an Instant Pot. The best meal prep tool I've ever gotten, mine does 4kg of chicken in 30 minutes, 4 kg of pork takes 45. You can also use it as a classic slow cooker too.
I got you fam
http://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-IP-DUO60-Programmable-Stainless/dp/B00FLYWNYQ
On sale now
Just got mine for 20 bucks off.
You could look into getting a slow cooker. There are SO many things you can make with one, and generally the prep is quite simple, since the draw of a slow cooker is that you can walk away and come back to a finished meal. Another fantastic aspect of slow cooking is that you don't need to add cooking oil, which you typically do when sauteing.
Since you want to keep your calories down, I'd suggest looking at chicken or vegetarian recipes. This is a good one, for instance. In fact, the SlenderKitchen website has a lot of awesome slow cooker recipes. (Something to keep in mind when slow cooking meat: you really want to remove excess fat and skin, because the liquid-cooking will never get you that awesome crispiness.)
If you don't want to have leftovers, they make single-serving slow cookers which are remarkably cheap. This one is $12 and gets good reviews.
I return things with nothing wrong with them for my work all the time. Not liking the product is sufficient enough reason in most cases. Worth a shot for sure. No need to spend a ton on a slow cooker; even if you only get a partial refund you can spend it on a cheaper one you'll likely be happier. I adore my $50 Hamilton Beach one.
I've been looking for a croc pot to do something like this with. I have some questions.
A. Do you think this one would work?
B. What exactly are the spices that you use, how are the meals portioned, and what do you store them in?
This one was the top crock pot reviewed by Cooks Country. I asked for it and received it for Christmas and I can recommend it.
You better believe it! http://www.amazon.com/Reynolds-Slow-Cooker-Liners-4-Count/dp/B002U0KKK8
Putting the food in is super quick. Literally open a pack of chicken, open 1 jar dump it in, stir once. No measuring, unless you want to get fancy and add some extras like cumin or pepper.
Getting it out takes maybe two minutes. I shred the chicken with a fork. And then scoop out some rice and scoop out some chilli into a bowl.
Putting it into containers takes about the same amount of time as serving myself and I usually do it all at the same time. Maybe 5 minutes in total. I have some mugs with snap on lids that you can eat straight out of, which saves on dishes.
Then I can just whack those in the microwave for the rest of the week. 2-3 minutes.
I also hate washing up. You can get slow cooker liners which you just toss out, if you don’t want to wash up the pot. I don’t personally because I have a dishwasher, but it could work for you. Each mug only takes a quick rinse and wipe and they’re lighter than dishes, so less tiring to hold.
Slow cooker liners: https://www.amazon.com/Reynolds-Cooker-Liners-4-Count-Regular/dp/B002U0KKK8
Mugs: https://sistemaplastics.com/products/microwave/soup-mug
Why don’t you get some crock pot liners? You’ll be able to just throw them out when you’re done instead of worrying about washing it.
My recommendations from getting into cooking the past year or so. I'm not personally a stuffer but have accidentally gained weight with these two recipes, so figured I'd share.
For an actual meal- make broccoli cheddar soup. It has "soup" in the name, but good god. It's basically velveeta turned into a meal. If you don't have slow cooker... shame. Go buy one. They're cheap.
For dessert, or a meal (I'm an addict to this stuff)- pecan pie. It's basically just dark corn syrup, the pecans are just for flavor (and they have a ton of calories too). Use the classic recipe. The best part is that you only need to remember the corn syrup bit- the baking aisle of the grocery store, then the same recipe is on the corn syrup bottle.
This will do the trick, but is not healthy in any way at all.
Are you cooking for yourself or multiple people?
4 quarts is about the minimum size needed to cook a meal for a family of four. 6 quarts is the most common you'll find in the larger units, and with that you can cook a few days' worth of food for a single person. Also, most slow-cooker recipes are setup for the larger units.
1.5, 2, 3 and 3.5 quart units are also available, but tend not to have the added features, like a timer, automatic temperature switching or removable dish.
EDIT- Crock Pot's Smart-Pot 4 quart digital is a good option.
If you need the extra capacity, go ahead and get a 6 quart version.
If you want something smaller, this 3.5 quart Cuisinart is the only thing I could find under 4 quarts with digital controls.
I just picked this one up from amazon. they currently have online coupons for $10 off crock pot slow cookers (and i think a few other brands)
http://www.amazon.com/Crock-Pot-SCCPVL610-S-Programmable-Carry-Cooker/dp/B004P2NG0K
picked this one because i liked the locking lid for transport. it has a programmable digital timer that counts down (there is a similar looking crock pot that is $10 cheaper but you are locked into times based on the heat setting). also i prefer the stoneware insert....you can read up on that to see what your preference is as far as insert material. and the size is good for cooking big roasts or birds
hope this helps !
I bought my sister a fantastic unit with three different sized bowls that nest for storage. I'll try to find the model number.
Edit: I can't find the exact model, but here's a similar one on Amazon.com.
We have this Hamilton Beach 3-in-1 slowcooker. It has 3 pots (a 2, 4, and 6 quart pot) that fits into a single base that heats it up. Its great, because you have a bitty slowcooker for fondu or dinner for 2, a huge one for when you have company or want a bunch of left overs, and a medium one. This is also helpful because many recipes are made for a specific size, so you don't have to bother scaling anything.
If I had to choose between the sizes, I'd go for the 6-quart. We seem to use it the most because we love reheating leftovers for lunch and many recipes are for a larger portion.
I use this slow cooker with 2-, 4- and 6-quart crocks. (the crocks nest together for storage)
It's nice to have a range of sizes. I uses the 2-quart for small batches or slow cooking "experiments".
No, an inverter would have to be utilized which would be inefficient as you pointed out. There are DC appliances available for truckers (heres a DC crock pot ) but again, I'd just be doing it for the novelty.
I just ordered a crock pot (this one if anyone else is thinking the same http://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach-Forget-6-Quart-Programmable/dp/B001AO2PXK/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1311702260&amp;sr=1-1) just so I can make this. Once it arrives and I come some up I will report back, thanks for the recipe!
I have been very happy with my Hamilton Beach 6-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker
Edit I just saw the uk part of your post, this product is currently not available on amazon.co.uk :( sorry about that.
I went to Amazon and ordered the cooker with the best reviews. It is awesome. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001AO2PXK/ref=wms_ohs_product
Here is the one I have:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001AO2PXK/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1374773312&amp;sr=8-1&amp;pi=AC_SX110_SY190
It's kind of expensive but you could get a cheaper version without a timer and meat probe.
I like it because it has a timer that will cut the pot over to "warm" after however many hours you set it for. I am at work or commuting 11 hours a day so I need that, but you may not if you're not gone longer than 5-6 hours.
I also like that it has a meat probe. Sometimes I cook a whole chicken in it and set it to cut to "warm" once the chicken is at 165 degrees. Hope that helps!
NOTE: I posted the winning model before but am posting a more in-depth review here with photos instead of amazon links. ~OP
From America's Test Kitchen Season 4: Road Food at Home
**
WINNER
Rated as HIGHLY RECOMMENDED:
Crock-Pot Countdown Touchscreen Digital Slow Cooker - $129.99
> The control panel on this 6.5-quart slow cooker is extremely easy to use, and the timer counted up to 20 hours, even on high. Sunday gravy thickened to the correct consistency, pot roast was tender and sliceable, and onions caramelized perfectly.
**
Rated as RECOMMENDED:
> Pot roast and gravy cooked to the correct consistency, and temperatures fell into the right ranges. But we got equally good results from our top-ranked model at a much lower price. The button controls are easy to use, but the timer could not be set for more than six hours on high.
**
Two were rated as RECOMMENDED WITH RESERVATIONS:
**
Three others were NOT RECOMMENDED:
--
> This timer-less machine ran the hottest on high, meaning onions burned, and Sunday gravy was dry. On low, it took almost eight hours to reach its high temperature and failed to reach the food-safe temperature of 140 degrees within two hours.
No, it's a slow cooker liner. ex: https://www.amazon.com/Reynolds-Slow-Cooker-Liners-4-Count/dp/B002U0KKK8
They're normally great to help with clean up and the like.
Also, you can get these amazing disposable liners from the grocery store in the baggie/foil aisle and makes it so much nicer to clean up at the end of the day!
An alternative to easier clean up would be using a liner, I haven't used them but know a few people that do and they love them.
Something like this.
https://www.amazon.com/Reynolds-Slow-Cooker-Liners-4-Count/dp/B002U0KKK8
you can even get crockpot liners
I justify it by saying I would waste more on soap and water trying to clean the crockpot manually after, but between you and me that's not the reason.
Cleaning them is kind of a pain but they do have liners you can buy. Also for some recipes that seem to chemically bond themselves with the inside of the slow cooker, you can usually give a quick spray with nonstick cooking spray before adding the ingredients and it makes cleaning a lot easier.
Slow cooker liners!
http://www.amazon.com/Reynolds-Slow-Cooker-Liners-4-Count/dp/B002U0KKK8
They are a bit costly, but oh the time saved!
A while ago, another redditor in this sub recommended slow cooker bags when I was getting started with my crock pot.
Now I never ever worry about clean up, or about lifting out the food after cooking.
Assuming you aren't drinking alcohol frequently, good job.
Use MyFitnessPal to start tracking EVERY piece of food that you eat. Fast food nutrition isn't going to be super accurate (Which is another reason why you shouldn't eat it) but definitely track it.
Consider buying a cooler box so that your lunch stays fresh in the car.
Use the cafeterias! I don't have any idea what they serve or the quality so you need to use your own judgement. Do they have healthy options? If so, load up there instead of at ChikFilA.
Grilling chicken is easy and delicious. I like to get a pack of chicken, soak them in worcester sauce with some salt, pepper, lemon, and garlic. Grill em and store the leftovers. Serve with rice or veggies. For the week throw em on a couple slices of whole wheat bread with some olive oil and salt or a little mustard/ketchup/mayo.
Check Amazon for crockpots (They are cheap). Here is the extremely simple chili recipe. I reccomend putting 2.5lbs of meat instead of 1.25lbs
I wish you the absolute best of luck on your fitness journey. If you have a long way to go, you didn't post your numbers, you definitely should take pictures of yourself now. You will not recognize yourself in a few months if you don't!
No soup for you!
we dont eat a lot of steak in our house. were more chicken people. so my favorite dish is chicken casserole with broccoli and rice.
/u/stillneverwrong ill have dinner with you since youre on the front page right now
a slow cooker is kitchen related
http://www.amazon.com/Crock-Pot-SCCPVL600S-6-Quart-Portable-Stainless/dp/B003HF6PUO/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1398362259&amp;sr=8-9&amp;keywords=slow+cooker
This is the one I have. I have no complaints about it, and the price is right.
Thank you both for the contest, you are awesome! As always, looking like beautiful human beings. :)
Thanks again for the contest! :D
Like a lot of people, I've been trying to eat healthier. There's a Crockpot on my apartment list that would be great for meal prepping. Right now I've been packing lunches to take to work, but being able to cook a big batch on weekends would be easier. Mostly, I see it being used for work day meals, so there's a home cooked meal waiting when I get back. It can be hard to find the energy to cook after a long day.
I've seen /u/mynthe around, and she is always so encouraging to everyone. Thanks!
Consider a 7 or 8 quart - because: I often get brisket or pork shoulder (pork butt) from Costco. I have a 6 quart and trying to stuff a 6-7 pound piece of meat into the 6 quart is difficult. With a 7 or 8 quart it would be easier.
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The above crock pots are manual. I've had my manual crockpot for 10+years. I'm sure the programmatic's are nice and have some cool features. With manual I think less moving parts, less chance of breakage, easily fixed if it broke. The other benefit to the manual is if you get into the latest cooking fashion: 'sous-vide', you can use your manual crock pot for it, you can't use a programmatic.
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For sous-vide you would adapt your crock pot with something like this:
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What's Sous-Vide?
You can get one for about $20-30 off Amazon. This is the one I own
worth the investment. This should be good for you. It's 20 bucks. Tons of recipes for it. but for now I'll still hook you up.
Whole wheat pasta
can of diced tomatoes
fresh (little cannister) minced garlic
olive oil
red pepper flakes
italian seasoning.
parmesan.
Cook pasta until your desired tenderness I like mine chewy. Add a small amount of olive oil and garlic(1 tablespoon maybe) in a skillet. Let it start popping and then add diced tomatoes(draining is optional but that's what I do). Cook the tomatoes and add the pasta. I use red pepper flakes to taste because I like my things with a kick. Same with the italian seasoning.
Cheap meal and takes less than 20 minutes to make. Add chicken breast if you want some meat.
Calories:
under 300 if you measure your pasta correctly.
It's electric, no oven required.
It basically cooks food for a long time at a low temperature. Great for stews and soups, also rice pudding is pretty great. It required a lot of moisture, so you're limited to a certain type of dish, but it's awesome in that you dump in ingredients in the morning, and by the evening you have dinner. Also, they're cheap.
Ex: http://www.amazon.com/Crock-Pot-SCR300SS-3-Quart-Manual-Stainless/dp/B003UCG8II/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1426818483&amp;sr=8-2&amp;keywords=slow+cooker
Recipies: http://allrecipes.com/recipes/everyday-cooking/slow-cooker/
if you're trying to buy a brand new one instead of used, this one's served me well.
Yay! I'm so excited that you're getting your own place! That's such a good feeling!
/u/Pinalope4Real and /u/dnd1980
Startup an excel spreadsheet and make a budget for yourself. I find that once I have a budget setup I pay even more attention to my money and figure out new ways to save. I have helped my roommate and my boyfriend setup a budget. :o)
The meat market can save you sooo much money and make you more conscious about the items you are buying and motivate you to cook more.
Crockpots are awesome and help you save time during the week. I know you work from home, but ready-made food throughout the week is awesome!
The Magic Bullet or Nutribullet are both great to have in the home for smoothies! Of course you can blend other items in the cups as well.
I have this Himalayan Salt Lamp and I love it. I also have this Himalayan Salt Candle Holder....actually everything I'm linking you is something that I own and love, something I have experience with, or a similar model (the crock pot was a random model) lol
Oh and this tea because it's delicious.
I have this one and it works just fine. I like the fact that it comes with a temperature probe - it's really great for when I cook chicken and don't want to overcook it - but the downside is that the programming only goes up to 180F. So for tough pork and beef cuts, which typically reach maximum tenderness at 190F, it doesn't really work at all and the one time I tried to use it for pork shoulder I almost wrecked my meal.
Crockpot has a model with temperature reading as well though it looks like it's not a probe, so I'm not sure how well it works. There's also this one but it doesn't have a temperature reading at all so I'm not sure why it's more expensive...
It's PRIME DAY TODAY TOO! Here's some of the deals I have found for keto stuff, get them while they last
Spiralizer - https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00AW3B5MM
Scale - https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00M8FXDIQ
Indoor Electric Grill - https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00H4O1L9Y
Mandoline - https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00ZDVUWK4
Running Belt - https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00F01E3PC
Pressure Cooker - https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00FLYWNYQ
Crockpot - https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B004P2NG0K
Headlamp - For running at night (also great for working under the sink) https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B019G650A8/
Do you have an ALDIs store where you live? If so, you can quite easily eat decently on a budget. If not, then try and look around online for the cheapest store which sells items I am about to mention. I wouldn't go with the Dollar Store/Dollar General as they have higher prices usually. If you have a dented food store, commonly ran by Mennonites, you can save some decent money on food. Make sure to check the dates. I ran across an item before where it was 2 years past expiry.
Do you have a rice cooker by chance? You can pick up an awesome one on Amazon for $30 and it will more than pay for itself. You can also find a decent slow cooker for $50. Once you have these two items, you will never go back to Ramen and Mac.
The trick is to cook once for several days. If you are like me and work 10 hour days, you are pooped out and just want to crash, so having time to cook is rare. You can cook in bulk ahead of time and save time, money, and eat healthier. That $1.50 box of Mac and Cheese can be replaced by a bag of rice and some I currently only have to feed myself and I do it for between $100 and $150 per month on average. This includes things I don't mention here. I don't coupon, but I do watch for sales. I don't know what your budget is or what your dollar store carries, but here are some of the items I eat and what I do.
Chicken is a very healthy and affordable protein you can buy to use in many items. I normally buy boneless, skinless breasts or thighs when they are around $1.29 to $1.99 a pound at whatever nearby store. I will buy about 4 packages of them and break them down into meal-sized servings and freeze for later use. The reason I don't go with bone-in chicken because the price difference of boneless makes up for the loss of meat from the weight of the bone and the time spent picking it off when using a slow cooker. However, it is more of your own preference. You can find drumsticks and thighs with the bone for as little as $0.59 per pound.
Once you have chicken, you can do lots of things. I like to bake it and then slap on some Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce for a few minutes towards the end. You can always saute it with vegetables and make a stir-fry. You can throw it in the slow cooker and make some amazing dumplings while you sleep or at work. You can throw it in a bowl with some rice and a vegetable and cook plenty of meals in advanced. Example.
Lentils and rice are a very good and cheap option as well. A one pound bag is like a dollar and easily covers four meals for a single person. You can make lentils into soup, make and mix with some other protein, or eat with a little bit of salt. Rice can be used in many things. I like making this recipe (with half of the cilantro) and eat it with baked chicken.
You can often find pork butt roast on sale for as low as $1.19 per pound. I buy a 5/10 pound roast and split it into 2.5 pound portions to later slow cook. I normally throw some vegetables (carrots, celery, mushrooms, onions, etc) at the bottom of the slow cooker, then throw the slab of meat on top, throw a can of root beer or Dr. Pepper in, and then leave it on to cook when I go to bed/work. Here is what it would look like before I throw it on, but I don't have any after pictures. You can either slice it up, make into stew, or pull it apart and make BBQ sandwiches. This will feed me for several days.
I work night shift, so I don't have a normal breakfast. Even days I wake up in the morning, I still don't. What I do eat is protein bars which I found a recipe for off of Reddit. I think they were about $0.40 a piece after factoring in all of the ingredients. I eat one for breakfast each night on the way to work and have one spare just in case I end up working through lunch.
I came across this Reddit post awhile back. It is really simple to do and cheap. You can mix it up and switch out the vegetable or replace the chicken with beef, and add rice to make each meal more filling. Here is the aftermath of my last round of making these.
I would write more, but I have been called into work to deal with an emergency. I hope these helped you or at least gave you an idea of items you can do.
Cooking patience is easy, get a slow cooker. Slow cooking is the easiest and most delicious type of cooking.
6oz6qt, like this, not necessarily this one, just that size.Might invest in a slow cooker with the "Keep warm" feature. After the cook time expires, such as 8 hrs, it will then automatically lower the temp to 140°, which is low enough to stop cooking but high enough to avoid bacterial growth and will still be hot at dinnertime. Basically acts like a steam tray you'd see at a buffet. Here is the one I have: https://smile.amazon.com/Crock-Pot-6-Quart-Programmable-Stainless-SCCPVL610-S/dp/B004P2NG0K/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1536105258&amp;sr=8-4&amp;keywords=crock+pot
I have this one and I really really like it! The only feature I wish I could add would be a delay-start but even then it's not a big deal, because it switches to warm once your timer is done so it's not going to overcook the food!
If you aren't going to use the programmable features you can get something way cheaper (like a basic Crockpot) for about 30 bucks at a comparable size. The cheaper options don't have an auto shut off function and will keep cooking until they're turned off BUT if you're only planning to be gone for less than 10 hours when you use it it'll be fine.
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Actually just checking Amazon, Crockpot has a programmable one (https://www.amazon.com/Crock-Pot-6-Quart-Programmable-Stainless-SCCPVL610-S/dp/B004P2NG0K/ref=sr_1_4_acs_ac_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1543427473&sr=1-4-acs&keywords=crockpot) for less than 40 bucks and the basic one is around 30 (https://www.amazon.com/Crock-Pot-SCV800-B-8-Quart-Manual-Cooker/dp/B0196B3P1E/ref=sr_1_6?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1543427473&sr=1-6&keywords=crockpot)
Est-ce qu'il y a une culture de "slow cooker" en France? J'habite maintenant aux États-Unis et les américains adooooore ce truc. Ou parfois ils utilisent aussi un pressure cooker, ce qui fait la même chose que le slow cooker mais encore plus vite. Ils y jettent tous les ingrédients -- la viande, les épices, les sauces, tous -- ils mélangent tout, et un repas est préparé huit heures plus tard. &nbsp;
Bon, je ne sais pas pourquoi j'ai tant parlé du slow cooker et du pressure cooker, mais ils pourraient être une ressource ou un matériel utile pour les gens qui n'ont pas trop de temps pour cuisiner.
:(. Well, thanks for letting me know! For those curious, it was this crockpot: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004P2NG0K/ref=oh_details_o03_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1
This is awesome. My old/current one is the exact same as your old one. And the new one I ordered last night is very similar to your new one.
Slow Cooker
This one is fantastic and you can find a used one with free shipping (for college students or prime users) for $37.
For $56 you may as well buy a crock pot.
I was torn between that one and the crockpot one. I went with crockpot only because the reviews were slightly better.
I saw the reviews about the Hamilton Beach, but someone answered in the "Questions" that they had called the manufacturer and who stated that the issue has been resolved and all new appliances no longer have that problem. I would probably trust them. I mean, you can always return it.
Sorry for the late reply, but the stay or go one is quite nice. Works nicely, big enough to do an enormous batch of stew or chili, a whole chicken, pot roast, batch of rolls, whatever.
EVERYONE NEEDS ONE OF THEEEESE
Former chef here.
Here's a super basic list of things a budding chef should own.
The Instant Pot 6 Qt Duo just dropped to $67.99.
No idea on what's cheapish for you but there's this neat cooker that not only does rice but it is also an pressure cooker and a slow cooker. It's ridiculously useful.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00FLYWNYQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_9?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1492146032&amp;sr=8-9&amp;pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&amp;keywords=rice+cooker
why would you buy something you have no need for, or no thought about how you would use it. Having said this, here is what is called an Instant Pot I would like to buy, combination pressure cooker and crock pot, one appliance save space.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FLYWNYQ?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creativeASIN=B00FLYWNYQ&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;tag=f05f-20
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Ingredients (makes 6 servings)
Note: Every 10 oz (283 g) can of clams contains 5 oz (142 g) clams and clam juice.
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Instructions
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Nutritional values (per serving, 1 1/4 cup/ 300 ml)
Total Carbs 9.8 grams, Fiber 1.8 grams, Net Carbs 8 grams, Protein 15 grams, Fat 36.1 grams, Calories 429 kcal
Pressure cooker are usually sold by volume capacity (quarts) with the largest commercially available cookers being 8qts.
Instant Pot is usually the first to be recommended. I have used a Power Cooker from Walmart just as successfully. Both should have a pot height that meets your needs.
I've seen 10qt options on Amazon but am not familiar with the brands.
Direct link without referral:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06Y1MP2PY/
HomeSense has good stuff sometimes.
The one out in Langley is currently well stocked with Le Crueset seconds (enameled cast iron), several KitchenAid professional stand mixers (at $300, no less), a few 3 quart Instant Pots, plus an assortment of Cuisanart appliances.
Ah! Well, here you go!
I just got this bad boy to replace the one that broke. Had the same exact one, older model before and had no problems with it until I dropped and cracked the crock. Cost more to replace and ship the old one than a whole new one.
This is the best!
This is the one I use and like.
i bought this guy after reading reviews online
http://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach-33967A-Programmable-6-Quart/dp/B00EZI26DW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1454209920&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=hamilton+slow+cooker
I have this crockpot and I love it.
It locks the lid down tight.
You can program it. So, if you need to cook something on high for 4 hours, just program it as such. Once the 4 hours is up, if you have not kicked it off, it will switch over to warm. This feature I really enjoy, because I can cook while sleeping or at work. Other crockpots you just say High or Low, and you have to watch the clock on it. I've burned quite a few things like this before.
I've never had any problems with it.
As far as recipes, I really like the Betty Crocker website. It gives you a tidy category at the top so you can easily scroll through whatever you're in the mood to try.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EZI26DW is what I have.
You'd have trouble finding one above $100. They really don't get too expensive.
Hamilton Beach slow cookers have always served me well. This particular model has a probe you can use for stuff like roasts or whole chickens to get them perfect, as well as your standard Low/High and time settings. One thing to note, even though the picture on amazon shows the clamps locked down, never lock them while cooking! It can cause a dangerous buildup of pressure that could result in shattering the glass. The clamps are only meant to secure the lid after cooking for transportation.
This is the one I have and I love it! It's super light weight (except for what you put in it of course) and the lid locks so it's easier to transport for pot lucks and things. It takes up quite a bit of room but I usually store it when I'm not using it. I'm a huge fan of crockpots because I usually run out of energy in the evenings but I do love to cook.
I have the same one. It has a program mode that switches to warm after your food is done cooking.
Amazon has a newer version of the same thing for $50 with free shipping (currently out of stock, but if you can wait)...
A rice cooker generally avoids browning because you don't need or want to brown when making rice.
Instead, you're looking for something like an instant pot
I have the Instant Pot Duo 7in1 & I love it!! I make big batches of both chicken & veggie stock weekly to freeze; I have a 6qt size & it is PLENTY big. I bought mine as a "New, Damaged Box" from Amazon Warehouse Deals & saved quite a bit. I use it a lot more than I thought I was going to so it has been well worth the investment :D
It's an electric pressure cooker.
It gets tons of good reviews on Amazon.ca - https://www.amazon.ca/Instant-Pot-Multi-Use-Programmable-Pressure/dp/B00FLYWNYQ/ref=sr_1_2?s=kitchen-substore&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1511367383&amp;sr=1-2&amp;keywords=instant+pot
And Amazon.com https://www.amazon.com/product-reviews/B00FLYWNYQ/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_cmps_btm?ie=UTF8&amp;reviewerType=all_reviews
There is also a ton of info in this group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/InstantPotCommunity/
As long as you're asking for stuff, skip the crock pot and get an Instant Pot instead. Reassure your fiancé that it still does the "crock pot/slow cooker" thing, but it also can knock out this pork but recipe in an hour as a pressure cooker.
I recently bought an electric pressure cooker and my new favorite thing to make is bbq ribs. Throw in a slab or two of ribs, pour in apple juice/cider to the top of the ribs, hit the 'beef/stew' button. When the timer goes off, the ribs are unbelievably tender. Just take them out, lather on the bbq sauce and broil for 10-15 minutes. So damn delicious.
Electric pressure cooker. For me atleast, makes meal prepping much easier. Wish I knew about it during college!
This is the one I used: https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-IP-DUO60-Multi-Functional-Pressure/dp/B00FLYWNYQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1487124933&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=instant+pot+duo
I got the Instant Pot IP-DUO60 7-in-1 Programmable Pressure Cooker for $95 CAD during a Cyber Monday sale. Easily worth every penny!
Wait for cyber monday - https://smile.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-Multi-Use-Programmable-Pressure/dp/B00FLYWNYQ - if you have more than four people in your family you may want to go 8 quart though.
Here.
currently this $70 highly rated pressure cooker is being sold by kohl's for $56 and you get a $10 giftcard slickdeals link
instant pot is considered the 'coke' of soft drinks, they've been making their product for a long time with a lot of success.
fyi slickdeals is basically a reddit reskin, people post deals from all over and user votes get things to the front page. i dont have an association with them, i just push them because i have saved thousands since starting college. everything from toilet paper, tooth paste, tires, video games, clothes.
There are a couple of variations of the Duo, though in your case, the 6 qt. model should suit your needs just fine.
[This is the 6 quart version of the one I have.] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FLYWNYQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_7To1CbA2C75XM)
Instant Pot came highly recommended in an AskReddit thread a few weeks ago. It does more than cook rice!
I think this thing is absolutely fantastic. It's probably more of a basic rice cooker as per RKS1157 post, but it does so many other things so well, that its versatility makes up for any deficiencies.
For brown rice, it can probably do it in about 8-12 min, plus five cooling time.
I've been coveting this pressure cooker/slow cooker combo. My sister has one and has been extolling its glories. It's got a stainless steel insert so you can sear your meat before switching it over to slow-cooking so you don't have to dirty a pan beforehand. It also steams & cooks rice so it would consolidate a couple appliances I already have (slowcooker & ricemaker) as well as pressure cooking. Sis tells me it's made pressure cooking ridiculously easy as well.
http://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-IP-DUO60-Programmable-Generation/dp/B00FLYWNYQ
Not just a slow-cooker, but this has replaced all my other appliances. Instapot
Instant Pot is the brand name.
Most crockpot recipes can be converted for the pressure cooker pretty easily. If you're on the fence, I'd advocate for the pressure cooker instead, since it can do multiple things (slow cooker, pressure cooker, yogurt maker, sauté function, etc.) whereas the slow cooker can only slow cook.
There are subreddits you can reference for both these pieces of equipment: /r/slowcooking and /r/pressurecooking
One quick and easy thing you can make in the PC (I'd recommend this one: http://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-IP-DUO60-Programmable-Stainless/dp/B00FLYWNYQ) is salsa chicken. Put frozen chicken in the PC, about 2 breast pieces, add a half jar of salsa, 2 T of taco seasoning, seal and pressure cook for 15 minutes. Shred, mix, stuff into tortillas and add your extras. Boom, shredded chicken tacos.
I have heard good things about Instant Pot.
Rice cooker, electric skillet/hot plate, and slow cooker are all great answers so far.
However, an Instant Pot does all three and several other things.
Unfortunately this doesn't really get you over the dish washing hurdle, so you might just have to be that guy and scrape off as much as you can into the trash and wash your dishes in the common area, leaving as little mess as possible.
If that makes you feel any better, it won't be the weirdest thing that people see in a military dorm, I guarantee some dumb stuff will go on there.
there are a few on amazon but they are much higher than usual pricing.
I recommend the instant-pot.
Instant Pot
It generates 12.8 PSI at high pressure(verify?) but whatever i cook in it comes out great as i use timing from
America's Test Kitchen pressure cooker
or
Lorna Sass Pressure Perfect
or
Bob Something From HSN Fast cookbook(built for electric units).
I also use a meat thermometer in case to verify safety in case the meat was somewhat frozen or not.
PM me for any questions?
Get a new crockpot https://www.smile.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach-Programmable-Temperature-6-Quart/dp/B00EZI26DW
No, that actually seems like you had a bad crock-pot. I use mine in a more or less unventilated room, and it doesn't give off much heat at all.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EZI26DW/ref=asc_df_B00EZI26DW4995795/
Not sure if you consider ceramic to be the same as what's called "stonewear", but I've used this one in the past and I'm totally satisfied.
http://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach-33967A-Programmable-6-Quart/dp/B00EZI26DW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1420016823&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=hamilton+beach+slow+cooker
You really cannot do any better than the Hamilton beach set n forget slow cooker. But a good slow cooker should be programable and heat through evenly and this one does the job really well. And it is around 40 bucks. You might be able to spend a little more for a better one but this one has served me well for 3 years.
Link
No, sorry. I don't know what people know or don't know, so I err on don't know. So I just went up on Amazon and figure I'm gonna get one. It is programmable!!!
https://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach-33969A-Programmable-Temperature/dp/B00EZI26GO/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=14EQ3DGGT030R&amp;keywords=hamilton+beach+set+and+forget+slow+cooker&amp;qid=1563885397&amp;s=gateway&amp;sprefix=hamilton+beach+set+and%2Caps%2C129&amp;sr=8-1-spons&amp;psc=1
I haven't gotten one yet but it seems most people are crazy about the Instant Pot. If/when I decide to get one it will probably be something like this
I would definitely add cartilage into it. I would also recommend cooking it for a lot longer than 50 minutes. I'm talking hours here. Also remember to add apple cider vinegar. It helps break things down easier.
However, if you don't have the time....like me....then I recommend getting an Instant Pot or the Power Pressure Cooker. I have the instant pot and it works wonderfully. I turned the Thanksgiving Turkey carcass into 10 cups of yummy broth. Wife hated it but the dog and I loved it. I've had wonderful success with Chicken both cooked and uncooked.
Here are a couple of websites that have good Bone Broth recipes you can use as a guideline for you.
Mommypotamus
and
Stupid Easy Paleo
No, that's not really how you use the term straw man, it's now clear you don't understand it. A straw man is arguing against a conjured argument, not simply (as you claim at least) mistaking what you said.
And I did not. You said rice cookers were no big deal, I said pressure cookers were a big deal, you then ADMITTED that they look the same.
Here's the best fucking selling electric pressure cooker on the market It looks almost exactly like a similarly sized rice cooker, (in fact all a rice cooker is is a pressure cooker without locking sealed cap) the same size as the picture in the article you posted. It may as well have been the same damn device for all anyone on the sidewalk knew. It's entirely obvious at this point that you didn't know what a pressure cooker was before this thread and now you're backpedaling. And again, you already admitted long ago they look the same.
tap dancing christ you are desperate.
The product description on Amazon says: "Slow Cooker: 0.5 - 20 hours at 3 Temperatures". I'm behind this answer; the Instant Pot is amazing. I love my LUX-60, but if you're less concerned about budget, you can just request the DUO-60 instead and have a couple extra functions.
If you want to get a rice cooker, slow cooker, and pressure cooker in one thing, get an instapot or isntantpot, can't remember. It's awesome. Link: https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-IP-DUO60-Multi-Functional-Pressure/dp/B00FLYWNYQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1466445153&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=instapot
Def not as cheap as just a rice cooker but since it cooks over half my meals, soups, stews, beans hella fast, huge pieces of meat in an hour, etc, it's my go to. If I moved and had no appliances, I would get that and a good nonstick pan and that's it.
You can sautee on the thing, even.
It is a programmable crock pot/pressure cooker. It can even delay the start.
https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-IP-DUO60-Multi-Functional-Pressure/dp/B00FLYWNYQ
Here you go!
Instant Pot! OMG Instant Pot!
It sautes! It pressure cooks! It slow cooks! It makes cheesecake and boiled eggs! It makes yogurt! It steams! It is a rice cooker!
I love my Instant Pot. Like so much. Once you go pressure cooking its so hard to go back. There is a timer with delayed start so you can put food in before you leave for work and when you come back its done! It even sautes so that you can make a crispy edge after you're done pressure cooking. I literally will make a roast in 40 - 80 minutes, depending on the size of the roast, with all stages happening in the Instant Pot (browning the meat, cooking the roast with vegetables, making gravy).
Canadian innovations that cements my Canadian Pride: the Instant Pot and the International Space Station Arm.
Ah I see. You have the LUX60 v2. I have the DUO60: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FLYWNYQ
Note that yes, there is now a LUX60 "v3" on Amazon, so your model may have been discontinued.
i got an all-in-one pressure cooker this one on sale for $80 on cyber monday and use it to sautee onions/add spices before pressure cooking lentils in the same pot with whatever veggies or tomatoes i have. for spices i use tumeric/cumin/cayenne. after its done stir in spinach and butter while it's still hot and you've got Dal Palak.
If money isn't an issue, then I would go with an Instant Pot. It does everything a slow cooker does, plus also operates as a pressure cooker and a myriad of other things. It also doesn't let as much smell out while the food is cooking (at least in my experience) if that's an issue for you.
It's like a crockpot and pressure cooker had a baby who learned how to make yogurt and rice, steam things (best hard boiled eggs), and sauté things.
Edit: https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-IP-DUO60-Multi-Functional-Pressure/dp/B00FLYWNYQ They're pricy but usually go on sale around Thanksgiving/Christmas. I paid $75 for ours.
> Wednesday: Yellow curry with potatoes, carrots, and spiced chicken.
> Other common dishes are "one pot" type for weekdays, such as curried lentils and sweet potatoes over coconut rice
You might want to look into a good modern pressure cooker like an Instapot or a stovetop one like a Fagor Futuro or Kuhn Rikon models.
Great for making quick curries and other "one pot" meals. We use ours all the time to make various dishes, from Spanish rice, to Moroccan Chicken, to poached chicken breasts, steamed vegetables. Also good for breaking down vegetables into pasta sauce.
Also great for making chicken stock: throw the bones, skin, and cartilage from 2 rotisserie style chickens in, cover with water, maybe a bay leaf or other herbs (no salt, there is already enough on the chicken). Pressure cook for an hour and you have the BEST gelatinous stock.
Personally http://smile.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-IP-DUO60-Programmable-Generation/dp/B00FLYWNYQ is the best rice cooker. I own the previous gen and love it. Waaaaay cheaper than a Zojirushi too.
You can find one for under $100 often
https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-Multi-Use-Programmable-Pressure/dp/B00FLYWNYQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1523563370&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=Instant+Pot+DUO60+6+Qt+7-in-1+Multi-Use
Buy an Insta-pot from Amazon. It will make cooking easier for you and motivate you to keep up healthy eating. You basically chop up whatever veggies you like, add beans/legumes and whole grains like quinoa or farro, and add stock, set it for 30 minutes and go about your day. What's really useful is that you don't have to cook the grains beforehand, the pot will do that. I cook all of the time and I have great original insta-pot recipes. If you get one message me and I'll give you some meals to start with.
Instant Pot DUO60 6 Qt 7-in-1 Multi-Use Programmable Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Steamer, Sauté, Yogurt Maker and Warmer https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FLYWNYQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_3irIDbF4QYKWS
PLEASE don't spend near $100 on something that only cooks rice when you can get an Instant Pot instead. It's a hugely versatile multipurpose appliance--rice cooker, steamer, pressure cooker, slow cooker, you can even saute or make yogurt in it. It's been a total game-changer for me and they've gotten really popular.
what are you comparing?
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I checked a random Presto cooker: $69 on Amazon.
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IP DUO $79
https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-Multi-Use-Programmable-Pressure/dp/B00FLYWNYQ/
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are you comparing "apples to apples"
here's an IP ULTRA for $140.
https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-Ultra-Programmable-Sterilizer/dp/B06Y1MP2PY/
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both are 6Qt,
the ULTRA has " a steam release reset button."
my DUO doesn't, but I don't think I'm missing out on anything significant.
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the ULTRA has a lot of "extra programs".. but on my DUO i use ONE 95% of the time. PRESSURE COOK (but I have simple needs)
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read this article... just to see the things you should consider as you shop.
https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-electric-pressure-cooker/
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https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/17/business/instant-pot.html
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The great thing about prep after surgery is the small amount of food. More fits into the fridge. You cook once a week or every 2 weeks and just heat it up.
Get some containers you can microwave. I bought some cheap containers on amazon with compartments so the stuff does not mix (in case of souce/gravy) or invest in some that last longer. These
The first time I prepped I made some meat plus sides of cauliflower and broccoli. It started to smell badly after day 4 in the fridge so I had to throw it away. I should have frozen the food and not just used the fridge. I think if you don't eat it in 3 days you should freeze it.
Perfect for prep is shredded chicken (or beef or pork) or meatloaf or steak (cut in very small pieces). The shredded chicken you can mix with all kinds of tastes like teriyaki or curry... whatever you prefer. It all heats up nicely in the microwave.
Stews or soups are good too. Instantpot is your friend. I use mine for all the meat or vegetables. Especially in the beginning you need as moist food as possible. Dry chicken will not sit well and if it is in a stew or with some liquid it works.
Some stuff is just too much work to prep. I make them fresh like eggs for breakfast.
This is how I started but I got lazy. It is a lot of work to prep for 2 weeks. That whole day is gone.
So... What I do now... And that is just me. I have small 5 oz plastic cups with lids. I put the meat in there and freeze those. Or I make little meatloafs (8 loaf sheet pan) with turkey and freeze those. Vegetables I buy now in a steamer bag (I got too lazy to prep vegetables) but one steamer lasts for 2 meals. And when it's time for dinner or lunch I just grab one meat item and a steamer and am good. The meat container I have already calculated and added to MyFitnessPal App. One click and the diary is done.
Variety is important or it gets boring. And... All this is for the stage when you can have all foods. :-)
I hope you did not want to prep for the whole family... That would be soooo much work. I am single so it is easier but really... Instantpot.
(sorry for the unstructured answer but I just wrote what was in my mind and that was not in any sequence.)
Ovaj 7 in 1 ima super ocjene.
If we are going to be talking food prep, then Instant Pot. Seriously, this thing changed my life.
The classic model is https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-Multi-Use-Programmable-Pressure/dp/B00FLYWNYQ and costs $70 (a few years ago, they were like $100). They cost even less around Black Friday. There are more expensive models, of course, but if you're not sure you want to spend the extra dollars (if you're in the US that is).
Instant Pots use stainless.
The biggest question is whether you want and electric or stovetop. Many people advocate for stovetop, but I love my electric and it doubles as a slow cooker as well as a rice cooker. It also has a "brown" setting so you can sear your meat all in one pot. Personally I've had this one on my Amazon wish list for a while. It's hard to justify though unless/until mine dies.
Insta Pot
Currently on sale, get it while it’s hot.
I recommend an Instant Pot - I use an 8 qt. I cook a big batch every Sunday (usually double the recipe) that lasts me a week. Some of my favorite recipes:
Crack Chicken
Salsa Chicken
Butter Chicken
Chuck Roast
I pre-ordered the Bluetooth IP model when it was first announced. I used the iOS version of the app & never had any problems with it. I was pretty excited about it & even started a sub on it (/r/instantpotsmart) a couple years ago.
However, IRL, I have not found it to be useful. Having pre-programmed scripts is a great idea & can be quite powerful, but like 99% of the recipes I use all simply rely on Manual mode. Other than that, I use Saute for browning stuff sometimes (although I prefer my cast-iron skillet & Nuwave induction portable burner) & use the Yogurt function a couple times a week to make batches of yogurt (yogurt, sweet yogurt for parfaits, plus using it various dishes like chicken salad or Indian food recipes). But that's pretty much it...mostly everything is just done on Manual (high pressure for a set period of time).
OP, my advice: buy the $99 Instant Pot DUO60 7-in-1 model:
https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-1Multi-Use-Programmable-Pressure/dp/B00FLYWNYQ/
The Ultra is $150 and the Smart is $160. Personally, I don't feel like the extra cost is justified. Currently I have 3 EPC's in my stable:
I had the Smart model, but I accidentally dropped it awhile back & it broke :( As far as using multiple cookers go, I split up a lot of my cooking into meat, veggie, and starch (potatoes, sweet potatoes, or various types of rice). It's not for everyone, but it makes cooking a lot more convenient for me. I recommend the 6qt DUO60 for a couple reasons: first, it's not too big, not too small. I've tried to double certain recipes (like crack chicken) & they didn't come out quite as good in the 8qt (at least, not without tweaking). Second, most recipe sites out there use the 6qt size, so it's easier to follow along with food blogs, Youtube videos, and Pinterest recipes because you'll be using the same setup everyone else has.
I use my 6qt model the most. The 8qt model is larger & can fit more stuff, although you have to try recipes out first to make sure they scale appropriately. The 14qt is a ridiculous monster. 10 pounds of chili, no problem. Awesome for potlucks, family reunions, bulk meal prep, etc. I've used various brands (GeekChef, GoWise, etc.) and definitely like Instant Pot for quality & usability. There's nothing wrong with cheaper ones (Home Depot sells a couple models for like $50 - $60), but again, with the DUO60, you're getting a standard size with a standard interface for the majority of the recipes out there on the Internet, primarily due to the popularity of the Instant Pot brand.
I use to have over three dozen kitchen appliances. I've cut out a lot of them thanks to the IP...no more fuzzy-logic Japanese rice cooker, electric steamer, hardboiled egg cooker, crockpot, etc. I do everything in my Instant Pots now. I've been using EPC's for about 3 years now & am constantly finding new recipes to try. Here are a few good recipe sites to check out:
https://www.dadcooksdinner.com/pressure-cooker-recipe-index/
https://www.pressurecookrecipes.com/
https://thisoldgal.com/
Anyway, there's nothing wrong with the Smart or Ultra models, both are great, but you'll find that most recipes use the very simple Manual mode & you can just jot down recipes in your favorite note-taking app, such as EverNote or OneNote, and just download the phone app to reference the cook times, ingredients, and cooking procedures.
I got this electric one-
http://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-IP-DUO60-Programmable-Generation/dp/B00FLYWNYQ
People are crazy about this.
(I don't have one b/c I have a small appliance addiction and already have 2 slow cookers, a pressure cooker, and a yogurt maker, donated the rice cooker after low carb)
https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-IP-DUO60-Multi-Functional-Pressure/dp/B00FLYWNYQ
Anyone know the difference between these two models:
Instant Pot IP-DUO60 7-in-1 Multi-Functional Pressure Cooker, 6Qt/1000W https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FLYWNYQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_DKgoyb57947N1
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Instant-Pot-IP-LUX60-ENW-MM-Stainless-Steel-6-in-1-Multi-Functional-Pressure-Cooker-with-Mini-Mitts/46700672
The price is about the same. The walmart model comes with the mini mitts thought. The model #s are different so can anyone see what's what here?
A pressure cooker is your best friend. I hate cooking and I bought an Instant Pot. Saves me a ton of time from cooking during prep.
https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-Multi-Use-Programmable-Pressure/dp/B00FLYWNYQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1502382986&amp;sr=8-2&amp;keywords=instant-pot
Don't get just ANY slow cooker though... Get an Instant Pot.
https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-Multi-Use-Programmable-Packaging/dp/B00FLYWNYQ/ref=sr_1_3?s=kitchen&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1521279398&amp;sr=1-3&amp;keywords=instant+pot
This thing is BY FAR the single most valuable cooking appliance you can get for 100 bucks. It replaces SO MUCH other shit. It's a game changer.
Get this: the Insta Pot way better than the crock pot.
I have been crock cooking my whole life, but this is the best darn kitchen utensil you can buy.
Since I've been asked, I'll go ahead and link it. It's the instant pot
https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-IP-DUO60-Multi-Functional-Pressure/dp/B00FLYWNYQ/
My concern is that a good cook would not use a pressure cooker, but I don't even cook, so I don't know if there is any logic towards that reasoning.
We survived a brutal bout of norovirus unscathed save for an enormous amount of laundry (bedding, towels, etc) and lingering lack of appetites. Could've been worse.
The kids are mostly fine.
Had to cancel the 2yo's therapy today for fear of lingering projectile vomiting germs but I made sure to do extra therapy work with him. He's pointing on a much more regular & appropriate basis recently and he made a vague "ch ch ch" noise when we were playing "choo choo" trains today. Still has no idea what the correct answer to "where is mama?" is but it's something.
The 4yo has been a disaster since Christmas - not listening, not giving a fuck about consequences, and really pushing limits. He got sent to bed early tonight because I told him for the 3rd time "no running in the house" and his response to that was to look me in the eye, hop up on the dining room table and stamp his feet all over the surface we eat our meals. What the fuck, kid??
I'm fine. Tired, patience stretched thin, but that's normal. I've been obsessively cooking things in my new Christmas present from my mom and holy shit this is the most amazing appliance ever! I'm so ridiculously excited about it that I must now accept that I'm old & boring.
I've been looking at getting a new slow cooker as the ceramic inlay for mine is chipped and cracked, just waiting to bust. So I am toying with getting a combi slow cooker and pressure cooker, which might be useful in both cases. Here's the one I'm looking at.: Instapot
https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-IP-DUO60-Multi-Functional-Pressure/dp/B00FLYWNYQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=kitchen&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1482732923&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=instant+pot
;)
multi-function cooking thingy
https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-IP-DUO60-Multi-Functional-Pressure/dp/B00FLYWNYQ
https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-IP-DUO60-Multi-Functional-Pressure/dp/B00FLYWNYQ
it is a timed pressure cooker, looks very convenient
Don't skimp on the broth. This will give you PERFECT bone broth if you pack it with pork trotters and neck bones. I also like to add chicken feet. Add some celery and carrots and fill the rest up with water. Set it for 4 hours, strain it and you are done. Trust me :) https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-Multi-Use-Programmable-Pressure/dp/B00FLYWNYQ/
Yeah, beforehand, it meant I'd have to pre-plan a huge block of time for it to boil & simmer, which is non-existent. Then I'd inevitably have to make too much, to justify the time spent, and half of it would go bad and stink up my fridge before I used it.
I got one of these and never looked back. Having it as a slow cooker and pressure cooker means I use it all the time.
Here ya go! I would shop around, the price really ranges
40 slow cooker freezer meals
To use, pull out of the freezer and put into the fridge the night before to allow the meal to defrost. The next morning or afternoon (depending on cooking time), throw it in the slow cooker (to anyone reading that doesn't have one, something like this or this will be perfectly adequate, no need to get a fancy $100 model).
Perhaps you need to get a very small slow cooker? Hopefully that will avoid burning. I just bought myself a weensy little 1.5 quart slow cooker and it's pretty much limited to 1-2 servings (which is perfect for me, as I am on a strict diet and in college--so I really only cook for myself and occasionally the BF)
You can easily do a pot roast in a 5 1/2 qt saucepan such as this one. Rub your meat down with salt/pepper or something like Montreal Steal Seasoning. Put a tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of olive oil into your saucepan and sear the roast.
Once the roast is seared, you can shove some veggies of your choice into the pan pour in about 1/2 of a cup of a hearty red wine and some beef bone broth and allow to simmer until it is cooked through. I use the following spices: thyme, bay leaf, oregano, rosemary, and occasionally sage, or a combination thereof depending on what is in my garden. I always cook meats by temperature. I have also been known to throw in a couple of pieces of bacon or sausage to impart their fat and flavor. The veggies that I use are: onions, carrots, parsnips, turnips, and celery root (celeriac).
You can use the same ingredients in the slowcooker. Put the veggies into the slow cooker before the meat. After the meat is seared place it on top of the veggies, put the spices on the meat, and pour in your liquids. If you are using onions, keep in mind that they impart A LOT of water to a slow cooked meal and you may want to reduce the red wine and bone broth. The liquid should only come up an inch of the meat.
Searing your meats does nothing for keeping moisture in the meat, it is for flavor. And it is a lovely flavor.
The roast that you didn't sear was tough and dry either because there was too little liquid in the slow cooker, or it cooked for too long. The roast that wouldn't shred wasn't done cooking in the slow cooker, or didn't have enough liquid to cook in. The slow cooker was designed to trap the moisture of whatever is being cooked and use that moisture to continually baste the meat. I always try to go for the low setting with mine, and to use the appropriate bowl (I have this one. It has three bowl sizes. To optimize the functioning of the slow cooker the bowl should be 3/4 of the way full.
With a roast, I will also turn the liquid into a gravy by reduction. Strain the liquid with a fine mesh strainer or cheese cloth, put the liquid into a large pan with a big opening at the top, such as the 5 1/2 qt pan that I linked at the top, and boil the hell out of it. The larger surface area of the pan allows for more water to evaporate more quickly. You can also thicken with arrowroot powder, but the gravy will break down quickly and turn runny.
Let me know if you have any other questions or need more information!
edit: I forgot that I also make a gravy with the liquids from the slow cooker and the veggies. I use this to turn the veggies into a thick, flavorful liquid and then bled it with the juices. While I'm doing all of the veggie squishing and blending, I'm roasting veggies in the oven, sauteing, or making a gargantuan salad.
You could try a portable slow cooker with a car adaptor. Here's an example car slow cooker
Or I would ask my employer if they had any issues with bringing my own slow cooker in to work and letting it cook while on my shift ( have done this before myself with great results). Good luck.
Look into camping cuisine. And get one of these: http://www.amazon.com/RoadPro-RPSL-350-Quart-Slow-Cooker/dp/B0013IR88A
Also, be sure to buy fresh vegetables, fruits and salad stuff on the road. Bread plus cured or dried meats plus vegetables = sandwiches. Easy to make, affordable and readily available. Plus hard to spoil.
I know Crockpot make a warmer which you can take to work, but I'm not sure if you power it in your car, however I found an alternative on Amazon which might be good! The first one needs the food to be cooked first, so do some research on the second one too, personally I'd cook in advance just to make sure regardless though.
How about this?
http://www.amazon.com/RoadPro-RPSL-350-Quart-Slow-Cooker/dp/B0013IR88A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1422191657&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=B0013IR88A
Already designed to run on 12v power. Truckers use all sorts of appliances in big rigs.
So, I've been doing some research on this topic to sort of plan out my options, take note that I have not used any of these products yet. There are a few different routes to go as far as cooking in a vehicle. Assuming you have no AC power inverter, you can run 12v appliances. Such as a lunch box cooker or a 12v slow cooker. The problem with this seems to be that these products are more expensive, and are prone to crap wiring and breaking(something to do with the circuits heating and cooling too often).
What seems to be a better option, is to install an AC inverter. You absolutely need to add the correct size fuse, as close to the battery as you can, on the power cable(and perhaps more fuses near outlets). This is to prevent fires, that could potentially kill you. Use the biggest gauge wire you can to power your inverter, this will let you pull the most amps. Bigger inverter = more crap running at once, or bigger appliances.
The most basic option would be to install 400 watt inverter and buy a $10 crock-pot from Walmart, or one of those simple rice cookers. If you install a 1000/1500 watt inverter, you should be able to run something like a 700 watt microwave. You really need to be careful, and do some research and check the power levels on everything. Many consumer products are advertised according to their power output, not input. A 900-watt microwave oven might actually use 1400 watts (on its highest setting). So plan accordingly. Something like this 1500 watt cobra inverter should be able to run a 700 watt microwave without incident.
I would suggest getting a Crock-Pot if you are up for it. I currently have http://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach-Forget-6-Quart-Programmable/dp/B001AO2PXK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1312332306&amp;sr=8-1 and it is definitely one of my best kitchen investments. There are tons of cheap and healthy meals that you can cook in a large batch. I tend to freeze half and eat the rest over the course of a week and it's perfect.
This could be your problem. I had the same problem when I bought a Crock Pot branded slow cooker from a pretty well named store. Took it back and spend 30 bucks more for a nice Hamilton Beach Slow Cooker/pressure cooker with latches. Everything comes out perfect now!
I have heard that some of the newer ones do tend to run "hot," but I haven't had that problem. I also always cook my food on low for 7-9 hours instead of on high.
I recently bought a new one that I absolutely love, off Amazon.
Mine is $49, with the lid that clamps down so you can travel with it: http://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach-33967-6-Quart-Programmable/dp/B001AO2PXK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1345472575&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=Hamilton+Beach+33967+Set+%27n+Forget+6-Quart+Programmable+Slow+Cooker
But they also make one that isn't for travel that's only $40:
http://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach-33966-6-Quart-Programmable/dp/B000GHGKXS/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1345472575&amp;sr=8-3&amp;keywords=Hamilton+Beach+33967+Set+%27n+Forget+6-Quart+Programmable+Slow+Cooker
It's programmable and super easy to use. I love mine.
Just a word of caution...
I have this one, but it sometimes turns off without my approval. I've ruined stuff with it, so I only use it when I am home. More recently, I have been experimenting with my sous vide for my slow cooking fix.
edit: after d12anoel's reply, I checked with amazon. visit amazon and select the negative reviews.
I absolutely can post a grocery list… because I need one or I forget things/buy too much/buy too little. I made this list awhile back to keep track of what (and how much of it) gets used in an average week.
Making a list is a very good habit to get into (IMO), especially if you’re buying a lot of perishable foods. Some items are sold in quantities that will easily carry over and last into the following week, so I adjust as needed.
A few things to keep in mind:
My focus is high volume (ultradistance) endurance training, not strength training, so my diet is heavy in the carbs department (oats, bread, pasta, potatoes).
I have myself, two kids (one teen w/adult appetite) and my husband to feed. I’ve struck out the few items that are strictly for my kids/husband. Half of the soup & bread plus some of the eggs is for them, too.
My kids are picky eaters and I don’t like making two meals (one for adults, one for kids). I can usually only get vegetables into them in the form of soup, chili and pasta sauce, so those get heavy rotation.
The list is not tight-budget-friendly and because I have the time for prepping everyting in advance, I do so. You can save a lot of time by buying frozen veggies or even pre-cooked frozen meat (chicken/beef strips), but it’s more expensive that way.
To give you an idea of where all of that food goes… mostly into me. My husband is content to have the same damned thing for breakfast every morning and he buys his lunch Mon-Fri. He is currently dieting to lose weight, so I have a somewhat different list now (and my kids hate me because I make them eat green things).
Breakfast: Some combination of oatmeal, cream of wheat, French toast or egg omelet w/bagel + yogurt + fruit (which I also snack on through the day or blend into smoothies).
Lunch: Sandwich (w/shredded chicken, lots of veggies, pressed cottage cheese or cheddar) + salad (topped with yogurt or cottage cheese, non-junky trail mix and berries/pomegranate). Alternatively soup + salad... sometimes all 3.
Dinner: 2x Chili (once with Tortilla chips topped with cheese, onion, green pepper; broiled to melt), 2x pasta (with salad on the side), 1-2x stir fry (sometimes vegetarian, usually with chicken) and rice, 1-2x chicken with baked, broiled or mashed potatoes + veggies.
How I make my chili (slow cooker):
Brown 2lbs lean ground beef, slice/dice 3 stalks celery, 1 green pepper, 1 white onion, add 2 tins Alymer’s tomatoes (do not drain water), 1 can red kidney beans (do not drain water), 2 tins mushrooms (fresh mushrooms fall apart; DO drain water), garlic, salt, pepper, 2 packages chili seasoning (Old El Paso/Clubhouse), stir. High to prepare in 4 hours, low to set and forget (8-10hrs). Takes about 20 min to prepare to cook. I store leftovers in the removable cooking pot.
How I make spaghetti sauce (slow cooker):
2lbs lean ground beef, 3 stalks celery, 2 tins Alymer’s tomatoes (drain about 3 quarters of the water), 1 sm can tomato paste, 2 tins canned pasta sauce, 1 diced green pepper, 1 diced onion, 4-5 lg fresh mushrooms, 5 cloves garlic, salt, pepper, basil, oregano, 1 tsp sugar, stir. Same cooking/storage instructions as above. Yeah… I have 2 slow cookers (one was a gift when we already had one).
Handy/helpful appliances: Kitchen grill with removable/reversible plates, rice cooker, BIG slow cooker.
Prep work:
Veggies:
This is the most time consuming prep (1-2hrs). It also requires a fair amount of tupperware. I make sure I have plenty of counter space, I wash my sinks/counter and rinse/wash everything thoroughly. I chop everything up to the appropriate size and use a lettuce spinner to dry off anything that doesn't last long when wet (mushrooms, lettuce, fruit). I add a fair amount of lemon juice (I transfer it to a spray bottle) to any sliced fruit to keep it from turning brown (also works on cucumber; added before spinning).
I store it all by meal/dish with lettuce kept separate to keep it dry. If lettuce is kept dry, it will last through the week. If it’s moist, three days, tops. You can mix most veggies together by meal with the exception of sliced tomatoes.
Same with fruit, which I usually sort by berries, grapes and "other" – other requiring lemon juice to keep.
I didn't include it under breakfast groceries, but I also tend to mix some finely chopped green pepper, green onion, tomato and mushrooms for omelets. I don't use the whole tomato, though. I just use the solid pieces, mixing the wet part with more green onion, chives and some olive oil to use as a topping on souvlaki (stored in its own small container).
Meat/poultry:
I rarely stray from chicken/turkey. I sort of suck at cooking anything else.
I tend not to cook most of it in advance these days as I have more time than I used to, but I was much more pressed for time a few years back. It can be a little dry after a few days in the fridge, so it's best to put any pre-cooked chicken into a dish that moistens it up. As a standalone, it takes less than 10 minutes to grill (because the kitchen grill cooks from the top and bottom) and a whole chicken can be put in a slow cooker if you feel for it or roasted if you've got the time.
I use the serrated plate of the kitchen grill or barbecue to cook it and keep it in two separate tupperware containers: One is for shredded chicken (sandwiches). The other is for strips/cubes (destined for stir fry or chicken caesar salad). It’s much easier to shred/slice when cold.
I've found for all the things that sit on your counter Amazon is a good resource. For each thing you could want there is typically a fairly decently priced set that is very highly reviewed. Such as these knives and this slow cooker.
I can't help you much with "healthy" food choices, I like meat :)
cheapest would be the happiest little country bumpkin to get this new/used. Thanks for the contest ;-)
This thing is great: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001AO2PXK/ref=wms_ohs_product?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1
I just bought this slow cooker. If you use the timer, it will cook for the time you set, and then switch to "warm."
Really? There are tons of them you can purchase. https://www.amazon.com/Crock-Pot-6-5-Quart-Programmable-Touchscreen-SCVT650-PS/dp/B001KVZTFO
Crock-Pot Programmable Touchscreen Slow Cooker
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001KVZTFO?redirect=true&amp;ref_=s9_simh_gw_g79_i2_r
I'm in a better place to Google now. Here's what we use: https://www.amazon.com/Reynolds-Slow-Cooker-Liners-4-Count/dp/B002U0KKK8
Though we don't usually buy them in bulk like that. You should be able to find them at Target or grocery stores easily enough.
In fairness, I also think you're worried about a non-issue. But it seems easy enough to solve. No point mocking you for it, nu?
Has this sub not heard of crockpot liners?
https://www.amazon.com/Reynolds-Slow-Cooker-Liners-4-Count/dp/B002U0KKK8
Beyond that though, looks good and I agree, not chili.
I agree completely, but my wife's aunt uses them all the time.
Best crockpot ever.
Also if you're lazy like me, buy these: http://www.amazon.com/Reynolds-Slow-Cooker-Liners-4-Count/dp/B002U0KKK8/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1418739945&amp;sr=8-3&amp;keywords=slow+cook+liners&amp;pebp=1418739955166
These are in the same part of the supermarket as the aluminum foil and plastic wrap. They help make clean-up a lot easier. And if you ever decide to cook a turkey, the baking bags are perfect for keeping the bird from drying out. My husband was skeptical about the whole plastic in an oven thing, but they really do work.
Like these... https://www.amazon.com/Reynolds-Slow-Cooker-Liners-4-Count/dp/B002U0KKK8
Just buy a new one. They are so cheap that the cost outweighs the hassle of using a broken one.
https://www.amazon.com/Reynolds-Cooker-Liners-4-Count-Regular/dp/B002U0KKK8
They work well, despite what people here are bitching about.
Basically. They have to be thawed but typically what I do is every other weekend or so, I get the 10lb bag of frozen breasts from BJs along with whatever other stuff I need (like their 4 packs of pints of egg whites), leave it in the sink overnight to thaw out, then the next morning, stick the whole bag in the cooker together because my mom is awesome and gave me her giant crock pot. Oh snap, forgot to mention, for even further laziness, these things are awesome, just put them inside like you were lining a trash bin, put the food on top of/inside the bag and then when everything is done you probably won't have much clean up (sometimes they break/liquids leech into the crockpot anyways, ymmv.)
Almost anything over in /r/slowcooking is minimal cleanup if you use liners.
I use this one. It's simple and not digital. I can't think of many instances where I would've benefited a digital one since slow cooking is fairly forgiving when it comes to cooking time.
http://www.amazon.com/Crock-Pot-SCCPVL600S-6-Quart-Portable-Stainless/dp/B003HF6PUO/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1407697456&amp;sr=8-9&amp;keywords=slow+cooker
The price difference between a 6 quart and a smaller one is negligible, and I find it to be more versatile.
Lots of good suggestions in here, but I'm going to add two things: canned soup for a cheap meal in 3 minutes, and getting a slow cooker for some of the easiest recipes you'll ever make.
In terms of simply making a super-quick, cheap, hot meal, keep some canned soup in the pantry. Not the condensed stuff (the kind that needs to have water added); get Campbell's Chunky or some other such canned soup. They usually run under $3 a can, and you can get them under $2 on sale. I stock up on about a dozen anytime they're on sale, and anytime I need a quick meal, it's ready in 3 minutes (or a little longer on the stovetop). Most soups are going to have meat, vegetables, starches...a good well-rounded meal. If you want something solid to go with it, add a grilled cheese (two slices of bread, slice of cheese, and butter on the outside--to make it a little tastier, spread a little mayo on the inside of the bread; cook over low/medium heat, a couple minutes each side).
Now, if you want some easy home-cooking, buy yourself a slow cooker (aka a Crock Pot). [Here's a perfectly good one for $30] (http://www.amazon.com/Crock-Pot-SCCPVL600S-6-Quart-Portable-Stainless/dp/B003HF6PUO/ref=lp_694666_1_1?s=kitchen&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1407627658&amp;sr=1-1). Crock Pot recipes are the easiest thing you'll ever make -- basically throw some chicken or beef in the pot with some broth, add vegetables and/or potatoes, and then let it simmer all day while you're at work. When you get home, you've got a hot meal ready to go, and you'll have leftovers for a couple days.
Just with some googling, here's [a simple pot roast] (http://allrecipes.com/recipe/maries-easy-slow-cooker-pot-roast/), here's [one for chicken noodle soup] (http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/chicken-pasta-soup-00000000039971/index.html). Best thing about a slow cooker is you really can't screw it up -- it's just putting your ingredients in broth and letting it simmer all day. You can also buy seasoning packets at the market that help with more complicated things like pulled pork by mixing all the spices you need -- all you do is add it to a couple ingredients and put the meat in the pot.
Well, I already have one that I use and one that was given to me as a present that I'm still trying to figure out what I'm going to do with, so please don't gift it to me haha, but you definitely need a crock pot.
There are thousands of recipes all over the internet to suit your needs, along with /r/slowcooking and having a crock pot will seriously change how you eat. You can make soups, dips, meat, veggies, cakes, breakfast... the possibilities are honestly endless. And if you're not a recipe kind of guy, you can just go to the store, get your preferred 2 to 5 pound hunk of meat, get whatever seasonings you like, whatever vegetables you want, some potatoes, and some kind of stock. Season the meat, put it in the pot, pour in about 1/4 cup of stock, cut up the potatoes and vegetables however you want and season them with salt and pepper, throw those in, put the lid on and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Do this in the morning before work or class, and you come home in the evening to a hot, tasty meal every time. You don't have to watch it and it won't burn down your house.
I think yours may be faulty. I just bought a new one at Christmas, with warm, low & high. I also have one that is about 8 yrs old, same temp setting They both work beautifully. I think I saw mine on Amazon for 35 bucks. http://www.amazon.com/Crock-Pot-SCCPVL600S-6-Quart-Portable-Stainless/dp/B003HF6PUO/ref=sr_1_2?s=kitchen&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1463065420&amp;sr=1-2&amp;keywords=crock+pot+slow+cooker&amp;refinements=p_89%3ACrock-Pot
I have the same problem, 2 crazy kittens that destroy my house. This works great.
Crock-Pot SCCPVL600S Cook' N Carry 6-Quart Oval Manual Portable Slow Cooker, Stainless Steel https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003HF6PUO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_AnY6wb88R8EYT
On sale for $30
Recipes will normally suggest a 5 qt cooker, which is a decent size. Choose a size that you need and scale the recipe as best you can. Also, there is no reason to spend over $40 unless you plan on getting something adjustable or a large cooker, neither of which you probably need. Hope that helps.
http://www.amazon.com/Crock-Pot-SCCPVL600S-6-Quart-Portable-Stainless/dp/B003HF6PUO/ref=lp_289940_1_2?s=kitchen&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1453831485&amp;sr=1-2
You can get a really cheap Crock Pot on Amazon for less than $25.
Agree with this. You can also get a new one for $18. If one needs to save up for this, there may need to be other priorities. https://www.amazon.com/Crock-Pot-SCR300-SS-3-Quart-Manual-Cooker/dp/B003UCG8II/ref=sr_1_14?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1540572958&sr=1-14&keywords=crock+pot
Do you have a crock pot? If you don't, that's likely the best way to spend these $15 for long-term easier cheaper food. Amazon Warehouse Deals is the best place to look (imo). The Crock-Pot SCR300-SS 3-Quart Manual Slow Cooker, Silver is $15.67 right now but there are a bunch of other options too. It makes cooking dry beans a lot easier, and is just overall a great kitchen tool for spending less money on food and making cooking simpler.
If food is the thing you need most, here's what I'd buy personally (I don't live anywhere near a whole foods, and Amazon Fresh is not available in my area). I'm focusing on convenience foods for this because the real basics- rice, beans, oats, flour, are at least twice as expensive on Amazon (for me) in comparison to local options. The three items listed below are the same price or cheaper on Amazon as they are locally, and total $14.02 .
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(Those aren't referral links, I don't have that kind of thing set up cause I've got other stuff to do.)
This is super cool! I don't sleep, so this will keep me entertained for a bit!
1.) Something that is grey.
Well, it's more silver-ish, but it'll do! (WL)
2.) Something reminiscent of rain.
Because the sound of the rain is so peaceful :)
3.) Something food related that is unusual.
I know, it is unusual! We will be using it for liquid sugar that we make, to make our homemade Starbucks green tea :) (WL)
4.) Something on your list that is for someone other than yourself. Tell me who it's for and why. (Yes, pets count!)
It's for my boyfriend, and for the aforementioned green teas we make :) I have one, and he's pretty jealous of it. Not to mention he spills so! (WL)
5.) A book I should read! I am an avid reader, so take your best shot and tell me why I need to read it!
It's called Jesus' Son. It is really...interesting to say the least, and I can guarantee not at all what you'd expect! (Unless you're expecting drugs, and the main character to be called Fuckhead!)
6.) An item that is less than a dollar, including shipping... that is not jewelry, nail polish, and or hair related!
Clever? Or wrong. Lol.
7.) Something related to cats. I love cats! (keep this SFW, you know who you are...)
Because who doesn't miss these guys?
8.) Something that is not useful, but so beautiful you must have it.
I mean...he's beautiful, so.... <3
9.) A movie everyone should watch at least once in their life. Why?
My username is a big hint to what this movie is! It's just so happy, and makes me laugh every time I watch it (and I've been watching it multiple times every year since it came out, and I was only 5!). It's just a genuinely happy, feel-good movie, with great music :)
10.) Something that would be useful when the zombies attack. Explain.
You know, for heat/fire when there's no electricity! (WL)
11.) Something that would have a profound impact on your life and help you to achieve your current goals.
It might not be the norm, but it's a gift card. Reason being instead of something specific, is with a gift card I can buy food through Amazon. Times have been a little tough around here, and we barely make it through the month money, and food wise. To know I had a little money to spend on groceries somewhere would be a major relief, and put both my boyfriend and I out of stress. I know it's not a "goal goal", but our happiness is a goal of mine, and it's been a little shakey as of late :/(WL)
12.) One of those pesky Add-On items.
Because ours is torn, oops! (WL)
13.) The most expensive thing on your list. Your dream item. Why?
A nice, damn vacuum. Our current one sucks (bad pun), and I am really picky about a clean carpet. It would just be really nice to have a nice one, and that'll last instead of having to buy a new one every so often. (WL)
14.) Something bigger than a bread box. EDIT A bread box is typically similar in size to a microwave.
Because it never occurred to me you could buy this on Amazon!
15.) Something smaller than a golf ball.
Individually, smaller than a golfball!
16.) Something that smells wonderful.
I love, love, loooooove this perfume. I've had samples, but never the whole bottle! (WL)
17.) A (SFW) toy.
Not a toy per say, but it's definitely fun, and entertaining for hours! (WL)
18.) Something that would be helpful for going back to school.
Pens! Believe it or not, these have always been my favorite, and despite the fact there's a bunch in a box, I always ended up with none! That's why people should have their own!
19.) Something related to your current obsession, whatever that may be.
Because I...I'm...I'm a woman possessed. Normally I'm obsessed with Sherlock but since it's not out yet, I'm catching up on Doctor Who, and I can't. Just can't stop. Been talking in a British accent on accident for days! I also freaking love hoodies so it's the best of both worlds. (WL)
20.) Something that is just so amazing and awe-inspiring that I simply must see it. Explain why it is so grand.
BECAUSE LOOK AT IT! Making tasty foods on it for the belly! (WL)
Hey, this was a lot of fun! Regardless of the outcome, thank you. Thoroughly enjoyed myself :)
EDIT: BONUS: Anything made in Oregon.
It's a whole gift set! It's like it knew! I actually added it to my WL. My favorite jam was taken off the shelves, so I'm always up for trying new ones :)
fear cuts deeper than swords
There are slow cookers that are very rudimentary with analog knobs. This one, for example, could be set but will never cook if not plugged in.
Are you in the US? There's one for $20 on Amazon Prime. Sorry for the ugly link I'm on mobile
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003UCG8II/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1494443847&amp;sr=8-1&amp;pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&amp;keywords=3+qt+slow+cooker&amp;dpPl=1&amp;dpID=51253%2Bqq9AL&amp;ref=plSrch
Yep! Just need an outlet. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003UCG8II/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1426820983&amp;sr=8-2&amp;keywords=slow+cooker&amp;dpPl=1&amp;dpID=51253%2Bqq9AL&amp;ref=plSrch&amp;pi=AC_SY200_QL40
Plants! They're great to have, I have some bamboo right now. I love it. Here's a really pretty bonsai tree!
And you definitely need a crock pot! They're super handy to have, just throw some food in in the morning and come home to a super easy meal, plus leftovers!
An electric kettle is another essential! Especially if you love tea.
Cheap, cute end tables! I turned the top of mine into a chessboard! Fancy-s up my room a lot.
Here and here are some really nice shelves!
You definitely need a set of knives too!
A really awesome bottle opener!
Here are some really cool glasses.
Aaand the cutest sake set ever.
Okay I'll stop linking now. I just really love household-y things! :D
Thank you for the contest and I hope this list helps!
http://www.amazon.com/Proctor-Silex-33043-4-Quart-Slow-Cooker/dp/B004O07LRC
It's cool, I got a link!
I'm definitely getting this next paycheck.
Another useful kitchen equipment is a waffle iron. I got a cheap one for $15, and I use it for quesadillas, paninis, cinnamon rolls, pizza, near anything you can use a skillet for.
/r/EatCheapAndHealthy
/r/7dollardinners/
/r/Cooking/
/r/cookingforbeginners/
/r/cookingvideos/
/r/recipes/
/r/slowcooking/
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I suck at cooking. I'm terrible. I'm worse than terrible.
But I'm gonna tell you a couple of simple tips for feeding yourself on a budget:
After reading a ton of Amazon reviews, I believe Proctor-Silex brand slow cookers seem to be a little more "old school" compared to the other brands, in that they don't get quite as hot.
My 4-quart PS cooker is my go-to slow cooker, the best of about 7 other cookers I've tried, mostly Crockpot brand. It comes closest to my mom's 30 year old cooker in terms of heat levels. (I upgraded from a 3-quart Proctor-Silex, which was also good with heat levels)
EDIT: This is the 4-quart model I have.
To that point you can also get a crock pot pretty cheap at target especially right around now. Smaller ones are usually like $25-$35 bucks..you can get busy with a crock pot.
edit: Here's a smaller one for $15 bucks
https://www.amazon.com/Proctor-Silex-33043-4-Quart-Slow-Cooker/dp/B004O07LRC/ref=sr_1_7?s=kitchen&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1479495604&amp;sr=1-7&amp;keywords=crock+pot
Slow cooker if you can keep it in your room. 45 minutes of prep yields 4 meals. You can set it for low (7+ hours) or high (4 - 5 hours). You can pick up a good one (I use this every week http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004O07LRC) very cheaply. There are tons of recipes in the web. If you want the one I use every week PM me for it.
In addition to a slow cooker/crock pot get an electric skillet. Since it sounds like your lacking basic kitchen stuff get this gadget kit while your at it.
Those are all free shipping with orders over $35, the total order would be $44 ish. You'll thank your self for spending a little more when your not subsisting on junk food.
A crock pot is ALWAYS necessary. I've already got two so I don't need one, but having one is amazing. You can make some pretty awesome stuff in a crock pot.
Try to get in the habit of preparing food, instead of grabbing fast food while you're out. It will be tempting to just buy food while you're out, but it will kill your budget, and it's harder to make healthy choices when you're in a hurry. So try to pick out some easy meals to make ahead and store in the fridge, or things that can be thrown together and taken in a box or bag for lunch on the go. Establish food prep as part of your routine, so you don't feel like you have to find extra time to do it.
I'm sure you're on a budget as far as kitchen tools go. But if you can save up, or finagle a family member to buy you some supplies, it will help you tremendously to have some equipment. If nothing else, put them on your Christmas list and make do until then...
Food Processor - This little guy doesn't have a million and one functions, but it will pulverize rolled oats so you can have easy smoothies, and easy oat flour for muffins. You can also use it to make salsa, guacamole, hummus, bean dip. Shred veggies to make shredded salads. Mix dough for scones and biscuits. Heck, you can even make your own nut butters.
Hand Blender - Make smoothies the easy way. Blend soup bases. Puree fruits to make popsicles.
Slow Cooker - Roast veggies & meats. Make soups & chili. Bake things. Cook beans overnight. Slow cookers are awesome. You can chuck your stuff in there in the morning, and when you're done with class, you have food!
If you're flying solo usually this 2qt one is less than $9 with prime
It's a 6 qt. crock.
Gluttony! :3
I am not sure of what you already have or what you would need, I am listing a few things on top of my head:
My honest opinion: If you can read, you can cook. Literally. Basic cooking is simply reading instructions and following them. Once your comfortable with how things taste together, timing, and what spices taste like, then you can move on to more advanced dishes.
I think a fun part of learning to cook is gearing up. Since most people here will give you a grocery list, I'll give you a list of helpful items that I use daily.
The knife if a bit on the pricey side, but trust me when I tell you it's worth it. You only need 1 and as long as you hand wash and dry regularly, it can last forever. Sharp knives won't cut you as often as a dull knife that sometimes slips.
I assume you have basic dishware and silverware, so I've only included common cooking items.
Hope this helps! I'll update if I can think of anything else you'll need.
Just to make sure, if you are using a pot like this one, do not latch the latches. The latches are for transport, not for using during cooking; this can lead to explosion or other unpleasantness.
My favorites are my slow cooker and my spiral veggie slicer.
[This] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004P2NG0K/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1) is the one I have and I love it. It's 6 qt, but I use it for much smaller portions all the time. It's programmable to only run for a certain amount of time before switching to warm. And the lid can lock down if you need to take it anywhere. My only complaint is that the low setting seems to run kinda hot. But that could be because I usually don't fill it up to 1/2 like is reccomended.
As little as possible. The more crap you have, the more it weighs you down.
That said, every home needs some necessities to get by. For me those generally involve cooking, sleeping, and repairs. I just finished watching Parks & Rec and am in a bit of a Ron Swanson mood.
For the kitchen (all recommended by America's Test Kitchen):
Victorinox 8" Chef's Knife
Victorinox Paring knife
CDN Instant Read Thermometer
Lodge 12" skillet - cheap and will last you forever
Crockpot, 6qt - the one kitchen appliance I'd cheat with. Easy delicious meals. Toss in a cheap cut of meat (chuck roast, etc), salt, pepper, garlic, onions, carrots, whatever. Let it sit for 6-8 hours. Dinner for 3 meals.
Tools:
I'd probably just pick up a cheap set of craftsman stuff (screwdrivers, hammer, sockets, pliers). Splurge on the ratchet and any power tools you need:
Bahco 3/8" ratchet - same as snapon F80 at 1/2 the price
Other misc. tools that are quite handy:
Magnetic stud finder - in a new place you're going to be hanging pictures, installing shelving, and mounting curtain rods. These are dirt cheap and super convenient.
Multimeter - Flukes will last you for life. If you need to do any electrical work, these are great. If you don't want to splurge up front just borrow them or buy a cheap $15 one at home depot.
Bedroom:
Get comfortable pillows and nice sheets. Don't get all caught up in the 1000 thread count crap, it's a hoax. Just get at least 400tc or so, and preferably egyptian or pima cotton. My favorite sheets are actually a super cheapo brand that are 60% cotton 40% polyester. I prefer them because they feel more "smooth and cool" rather than "soft and warm".
Obviously get real furniture: dresser, bed with headboard, etc.
Electronics
I won't go into too much detail here, but consider cutting the cord (/r/cordcutters).
A cheap Roku3 + netflix + an OTA antenna can go a long way.
If you have a lot of pictures/media/etc, don't forget about backups. I'd look into an inexpensive NAS, or at least a USB harddrive. They are dirt cheap and worth the insurance.
Insurance
Lastly, don't forget renters or homeowners insurance. If you are renting, you can get rather good coverage for quite cheap. I just paid around $50 for 12 months of coverage on my apartment ($15k coverage, $1k deductible). I shopped around at 5 different places and Amica came out the cheapest by FAR.
Other than that, you don't need much. Buy less crap. Don't buy some $50 automatic electronic wine opener when a $1 wine key will do the job. Same for a can opener.
When I got my slowcooker, I wasn't looking for anything too fancy (electric timers, etc) so I went with the most basic one I could find. I ended up purchasing This one. I've been perfectly happy with it, and the reviews I've read seem to be generally right on with my experience.
Hopefully that helps.
UGH I JUST REMEMBERED TO FINISH THIS BRB
EDIT: Okay here it izzzz.
These are the items you are looking for... (everything listed is from my wishlists here! )
1.) Something that is grey. – The bike lock on my wishlist (that was already gifted (: ) This one’s grey!
2.) Something reminiscent of rain. These leggings are Doctor Who Cosmic Tardis Leggings are cosmic… as in galaxy… as in the universe… in which there is a water cycle…. Which is reminiscent of rain…. Yup. ;)
3.) Something food related that is unusual. – It’s not every day you get to have jagermeister infused gummy bears....... Freaking nom.
4.) Something on your list that is for someone other than yourself. Tell me who it's for and why. (Yes, pets count!) – A dog bed for my puppy!! He really, really needs a new one.
5.) A book I should read! I am an avid reader, so take your best shot and tell me why I need to read it! – YOU NEED TO READ THE HOUSE OF LEAVES IT’S SO CRAZY AND I LOVE IT AND … AT SOME POINTS… YOU READ IT UPSIDE DOWN AND CRAZY AND INSIDE OUT AND OMFG WHAT ARE YOU STILL DOING READING THIS GO READ THIS NOW
6.) An item that is less than a dollar, including shipping... that is not jewelry, nail polish, and or hair related! This with the value of 95 cents ;) hehehe I’m sneaky.
7.) Something related to cats. I love cats! (Keep this SFW; you know who you are...) -- This cat bed, even though I don’t have a cat, was on my puppy’s list! My puppy (who’s really a 9 year old dog but I call him puppy cause he looks/acts/is one) is a 6lb pup who’s basically a cat ;)
8.) Something that is not useful, but so beautiful you must have it. – The Chuck Complete Series Collector Blu-ray is not necessarily useful to my life…But the show’s so gorgeous, the cast so beautiful, the plot so delicious…I love it and need it! :P
9.) A movie everyone should watch at least once in their life. Why? – TANGLED!! (OK, one of the only movie related pieces on my list :P) But really, Tangled is PERFECT, SO adorable, a real winner.
10.) Something that would be useful when the zombies attack. Explain. – Okay this may seem crazy but stick with me here. these bones would be super helpful once whittled down. You could use it to double tap those stanky ass zombies
11.) Something that would have a profound impact on your life and help you to achieve your current goals. I have lots of stuff for fitness and school and all my goals likes that, but I thought I'd use something a little different for this one. This skin corrective cream would allow me to cover up my stupid little burn marks on my leg that make me really self conscious in skirts and shorts. This would be a good step in my goal of being happy with myself and gaining self confidence for the first time in my life.
12.) One of those pesky Add-On items.– One of those pesky add-ons… The MSC Joie Simply Slice Strawberry Slicer on my WL is one of them pesky add-ons.
13.) The most expensive thing on your list. Your dream item, why? – A Bike. Why? Mine was stolen and its extremely hindered my mobility as I need it for transportation to school /:
14.) Something bigger than a bread box. – The puppy bed on my puppy’s wishlist within my own wishlist is most definitely bigger than a breadbox.
15.) Something smaller than a golf ball. -- These cable organizers HOLLAH at me, Tiger Woods.
16.) Something that smells wonderful. -- French Vanilla Green Mountain Coffee Portion Packs for Keurig Mmmmmmmmm, delicious.
17.) A (SFW) toy. -- Crock Pot COOKING IS LIFE AND HAVING A CROCK POT WOULD BE THE BEST OF TOYS. For something more traditional, I have hedgehog toys etc on my puppy's list.
18.) Something that would be helpful for going back to school. -- This beautiful backpack! Mine is shot to hell and I'm dreading buying a new one.
19.) Something related to your current obsession, whatever that may be. This Friends Milkshake Poster Print from my wishlist OMFG I AM OBSESSED WITH FRIENDS RIGHT NOW. IDK WHY BUT I AM. Also with the Chuck DVD on my dreams list xD
20.) Something that is just so amazing and awe-inspiring that I simply must see it. Explain why it is so grand.– The New York Window Print Poster on my wishlist is pretty awe-inspiring. Looking into the city "where dreams are made of" in whatever town your in.... In a place that's essentially the culmination of all your dreams and desires.... At least for me.
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BONUS ITEMS
Finally, some people say that fear cuts deeper than swords but does it? Who knows.
You should getA crock pot having one of these is amazing there is so much you can make with it.
Surprise me! Thanks for the contest! And congrats on the place.
Oh you are sooooo pretty!!!!!!
Published on Aug 18, 2017
Recipe for Instant Pot Braised Pork Belly: http://bit.ly/IPporkbelly
If you are interested in buying the Instant Pot, get it here: http://amzn.to/2xgKLLa (affiliate)
Marinated soft boiled egg: http://bit.ly/shoyuramen
Just like the famous red braised pork belly in mainland China, lu rou fan (卤肉饭/滷肉饭, braised pork belly with rice) is one of the most popular comfort foods in Taiwan. There’s another variation that uses ground pork instead of pork belly.
Braised pork belly over rice is an iconic Taiwanese comfort food. The pork is cooked in a sweet and savory sauce until the skin is melt in your mouth soft and unctuous, making the meat even more succulent and flavorful. This is one of our favorite dishes that we hope you'll love as much as we do!
Making lu rou fan in a clay pot or regular saucepan on the stove top can be tricky sometimes. Since it has to be slow cooked for at least 1 hour to make the pork belly tender and juicy, you need to keep an eye on the water level during cooking and stir occasionally so that it doesn’t dry out and the bottom is not burnt. I’ve made these mistakes before. Also if the cooking time is too short, the pork belly will be dry and hard.
Traditionally, you can add cooked eggs to the pot along with the pork and make soy eggs, but I don’t like the overcooked egg yolks. So I make the soy eggs separately using the tare sauce from this shoyu ramen recipe for marinating soft boiled eggs.
Please make sure you read the notes at the end of the recipe for extra tips and substitution suggestions.
If you make this recipe, please share a photo of your creations and use hashtag #iceorrice on Instagram and Facebook! We’d love to see them. Thank you!
I have two general tips for anyone who wants to live a tasty, healthy, and affordable plant-based life:
•Make the investment and get an instapot($99): this just helps save time, money, and can really help you make meals in bulk which is huge for lunches and dinners.
•Start buying your beans, grains, and anything you can in the bulk section of grocery stores. This just saves a lot of money and helps ensure your variety and nutrition is on point.
Other than that I think everything else has been mentioned. Definitely check out YouTube, blog chefs, and what really helped me was watching cooking shows (great British bake off, mijd of a chef, chefs table, Anthony Bourdain, (essentially anything on Netflix lol), etc. Those all really help inspire you since you get shown a lot of brilliant ideas and cooking styles.
Also, good for you! It's great to see. Wish you nothing but the best of luck on this endeavor 🙏
I started when I was around 23 (27now) and haven't looked back 4+ years now.
I got this pressure cooker/slow cooker/rice cooker /yogurt maker for $ 69 : https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00FLYWNYQ
What is your price range? If you can swing it, I would get the Instant Pot. It's an electric combo pressure/cooker. It is extremely energy efficient and does everything. Link.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00FLYWNYQ/ref=aw_wl_ov_dp_1_2?colid=2FGUP108FEFOS&amp;coliid=I3H7MWO5BHGKFE
You may save a lot of money on the Instant Pot Duo60 by waiting for the black friday or prime day sales on Amazon. It was selling for $69.99 on last prime day. Here's a price chart (it doesn't include the prime day sale price though).
Good Morning!
I love my InstaPot that I got for Christmas last year. Not only can I cook a spaghetti squash in 7 minutes, but it makes yogurt and a kick ass roast.. :) http://amzn.com/B00FLYWNYQ
They are a bit pricey, but they are a godsend! Here's a decent deal on them via Amazon.
You should get the biggest toaster oven your budget/apartment will allow, cross referenced with Amazon reviews.
But honestly? If you're looking to meal prep, you're probably better off with an instant-pot.
[Instant Pot](Instant Pot IP-DUO80 7-in-1 Programmable Electric Pressure Cooker https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01B1VC13K/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_1VYJxbZQ399JG)
They make them in 5, 6 and 8 qt, and you can make stew, chilies and rice. Then grab one of those $5 steamer baskets and a big pot and steam vegetables. If you already have a slow cooker or a rice pot, I'd say get a George foreman, and you can "grill" chicken, pork, lean burgers, steaks, vegetables, fish (maybe don't eat these at work, thanks).
Mi-am facut un cadou de craciun.
https://imgur.com/a/eZ1hk
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01B1VC13K/ref=twister_B01DZM2UQ6?_encoding=UTF8&amp;psc=1
In weekend vreau sa incerc : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoAzF8fiA2w sa vad unde gasesc un umar de porc.
Apropo, /u/nustiuboss a venit cu ups in 2 zile diferite (accesorrile/pot-ul) si am fost chiar impresionat de ei. Conform trakingului la 6:30 era in otopeni, la 14 au ajuns la mine in bv. uk -> germania -> romania transport cu avionul, de pe amazon.co.uk
As stated, all your links are the same pot.
[Here] (https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-IP-DUO60-Multi-Functional-Pressure/dp/B01B1VC13K/ref=sr_1_1?s=kitchen&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1486881326&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=instant%2Bpot&amp;th=1) is a link to the DUO pot, and a choice between 5, 6 or 8 qts.
[Here] (https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-IP-LUX60-Programmable-Electric/dp/B0073GIN08/ref=sr_1_2?s=kitchen&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1486881326&amp;sr=1-2&amp;keywords=instant%2Bpot&amp;th=1) is a link to the LUX. The main difference here is there isn't a yogurt function.
How large you want it is really your preference and how much kitchen space you want to use up. Whether or not you would like to spend a little extra for the yogurt function is also your preference. You can fit a chicken in both the 6 or 8 qt, obviously depends on the size of the chicken.
I personally have the 8 qt, with a 4 year protection plan, and couldn't be happier. I'm positive I'd be just as happy with the 6 qt. I'm pretty sure they stand by their product based on the many stories I've read of random issues, even some that seem user caused.
There's not real wrong answer here. I believe you may have a longer wait for the 6qt DUO, I've heard people are waiting 8-10 weeks or so for them.
Same thing without hidden affiliate link:
https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-Programmable-Pressure-Steamer/dp/B01B1VC13K
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01B1VC13K/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_iCxyCbNY07B30
Here’s the one I bought. Spending $100 saved me much more down the line from eating out or buying junk food.
Instant Pot FTW.
Don't follow the directions without testing first though, the manufacturer didn't account for different elevations. In Peking a chicken might cook in 20 minutes but in Florida it would end up a desiccated brick.
It sounds like a Multicooker (such as an Instant Pot) would be perfect for you. I just got one a few months ago as a gift. Before I started using one, it seemed kind of gimmicky and faddish, but it's been a game changer for us and now we use it for probably every other meal. Specifically for you, the versatility would be make it the kind of your options. It cooks rice and keeps it warm as well as a rice cooker, it can be used a slow cooker like a Crock Pot, it can be used just like a pot on a stovetop with the saute mode, and it cooks fast like a traditional pressure cooker. There's a model of IP on sale for Prime Day right now ( https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01NBKTPTS ), and as a student you should already have Prime.
Once you have it, start buying super cheap staples. Rice, beans, lentils, etc. are always ridiculously cheap, and very easy to cook. Buy cheap frozen veggies to mix into what you're cooking for easy nutrition. Pork shoulder, chicken thighs/breasts, and sometimes beef roasts go on great sales. Find the discount areas in your grocery store, all of them. Mine has three: one for baked goods, one for meats, one for shelf stable stuff. Right now they have boneless pork loin for $1.50/lb, pork shoulder for $0.80/lb, and bone-in skin-on chicken thighs for $0.77/lb. Last week they had boneless skinless breasts for $1.25/lb.
After shopping for your cheap staples, start prepping components. You don't have to prep entire meals... just prep staples. Have containers full of rice or beans, and a protein. Last week I made 3.5lbs (prepared) of Mexican style pulled pork with a 4lb pork loin, a can of enchilada sauce, and an onion for something like $6.50. Stuck a third in the fridge, and two thirds in the freezer to pull out at a later date. Cook into scrambled eggs or put on top of rice. Side of homemade "refried" beans.
Get creative. Pick a protein (pork, beef, chicken, etc.), pick a "flavorful cooking liquid" (salsa or enchilada sauce for Latin American, teriyaki for Asian, broth for a soup base, etc.). Once it's cooked and shredded you can toss in a bag of frozen veggies and they'll thaw from the heat of the already cooked food.
Here are a few ideas:
Feel free to message if you have questions or want a guiding hand.
Don't get me wrong the mini is still great, just a bit small for my needs. The 6qt allows me to have more leftovers which with my odd work schedule is a big plus.
If you don't mind used, the Duo 60 Plus $60 (Used - Good), or $63 (Used - Very Good) from Amazon Warehouse Deals.
In the higher end pots, yes. I tend to use the high setting though because I am seering off before a braise. I bought this one because of the better control it has. Haven't tried it yet, but you can also do yogurt and such.
If you do get one, get the newest model the Instant Pot Ultra
It has degree by degree temperature control from 105 degrees on up, which means you can sous vide in it. Cooked a rib-eye for my girlfriend earlier this week and it was amazing.
I just bought the Instant Pot Ultra for my Mom. Is that what is in the picture?
Instant Pot Ultra 6 Qt 10-in-1 Multi- Use Programmable Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Yogurt Maker, Cake Maker, Egg Cooker, Sauté, Steamer, Warmer, and Sterilizer
The 3 qt. is available to purchase, though a month to ship: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B06Y1YD5W7/ref=ya_st_dp_summary?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1
Copying and pasting for you my recommendations to a friend the other day who is starting Keto:
Your friends:
Avocados (very good fats + potassium), eggs, butter (I think you're allowed clarified butter on Whole30), veggies, fish, coconut oil (I get this at Costco), coconut milk (the pure stuff in a box or can), macadamia nuts (in limited quantities), Swerve / erythritol, sparkling water (La croix is fantastic), decaf or herbal tea - (green tea especially is great because it helps with fat-burning, balancing blood sugar, lowering appetite, and has lots of antioxidants), Cauliflower rice - this saves me, Roasted vegetables
Suggestions/links to purchase:
Magnesium supplement I use (should also help a bit with sleep)
Potassium additive - NoSalt or NuSalt - add it to your food if you're not getting enough Potassium in your diet (most people don't) - you can probably find this in the grocery store for less $$, but I don't know for sure
Decaf green tea I drink 3 times a day - it's decaffeinated with CO2, not chemicals, and it's organic.
SWERVE erythritol sweetener - 1 pack or 2 pack
STUR water flavor drops - for keto champagne or just to add to water
Miracle noodles - they are definitely available at Whole Foods, or you can also find them at a few asian grocery stores (shiritaki noodles). These taste bland and almost gross on their own, but if you add sauce and meatballs, they do a pretty good job of passing for spaghetti if you're desperate.
Silicone candy molds for keto fudge and other keto candies - they seem superfluous, but after you try making keto fudge in a regular pan, you'll realize how much easier these are for portioning and for getting out of the pan.
And finally, the INSTANT POT - I recommend this to everyone I know. My partner and I use it multiple times a week, it is amazing, it does everything. Pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, browner, yogurt maker (also makes julienne fries!!). Seriously you cannot go wrong with this thing.
Keto Recipes:
Keto Fudge
Keto champagne
Cauliflower Rice
Maria Emmerich has an impressive collection of recipes and I've been using the sweet ones especially for a craving / fat bomb
edit - formatting
Creamy Lentil recipe. You'll need to stir it well prior to the machine coming to pressure to avoid the burn notice, but it's healthy and full of nutrients. It's fairly low cost too!
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
*Since many people have commented that 1/4 cup water leaves them with scorched lentils, I’ve edited the ingredients. I still have not had a problem with 1/4 of a cup of water and when I try it with more water, my husband thinks the lentils are too mushy. But with so many reviewers saying that they like it with more water, I’ve included a range in the ingredients. Please comment with what works for you.
Thank you for the reply! I was reading some of Amazon reviews and some people included pictures and mentioned that the company said it is known to happen. But not sure if it varies for each product. I was looking into the 3qt duo for 2 people and maybe meal prepping.
Ok, here are my favorites:
When you just have to know how long it is...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002SG7PIE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1
When you just have to see it in the dark...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008GTAPSO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1
When you just have to cook something, anything...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FLYWNYQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1
When nothing else will do...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LUCXB8A/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1
When you need to brighten up your life...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00II1MN5I/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1
...but would prefer to do it remotely...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IRXRD6Q/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1
... but would prefer a 3 dimensional view on things...
http://www.makergear.com/products/m-series-3d-printers
..if only those darn batteries would hold up...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IBDOB5I/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1
... then again there's always that light bulb...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JM72W6C/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1
... or that cool solar pack...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00E3OL5U8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1
and if all else fails...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AX49VBW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1
lots more to choose from, but out of time for tonight!
Here's how I make chicken breast taste good cold. I cut it into 2-3 inch chunks and cook it in a pressure cooker with some liquid smoke. I prefer apple smoke. I just cooked 9 pounds all at once.
Just prior, I made sweet potatoes (not yams) in the pressure cooker. They came out so soft they became mashed just by stirring. Add some broccoli or cauliflower and some fat, like avocado slices or pecans, for a balanced meal that hits your macros and tastes good cold.
SECTION | CONTENT
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Title | How to cook a whole "rotisserie" chicken in the Instant Pot
Description | Here is how to cook a whole "rotisserie" chicken in an Instant Pot. Full recipe is on my blog here: http://www.apinchofhealthy.com/instant-pot-whole-rotisserie-chicken Pin the recipe here: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/162270392803521684/ Instant Pot (Amazon affiliate): http://amzn.to/2duPYX1 Chicken noodle soup recipe: http://www.apinchofhealthy.com/chicken-noodle-soup-scratch/ Chicken bone broth recipe: http://www.apinchofhealthy.com/chicken-bone-broth/ Let’s Connect! Blog: http://www.api...
Length | 0:06:13
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^(I am a bot, this is an auto-generated reply | )^Info ^| ^Feedback ^| ^(Reply STOP to opt out permanently)
I bought one of these a few years back and absolutely love it.
I couldn't figure out how to do rice well at this altitude so I went the pressure cooker route. I highly recommend this thing though!
For reference, I'm using https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FLYWNYQ/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1
while rks ratios are WAY off for a rice cooker, i agree that water:rice water:beans ratios are key. it's also a shame you don't invest in an electric pressure cooker. not only do they cook rice well, but pressure is far superior for doing beans. this 11psi ss model goes on sale under $110 pretty often and 6qt is perfect for single/couple cooking. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FLYWNYQ what you do with the basket is boil the rice below (stupid amazon has it legs up which is upside down), then layer vegetables and a protein above to steam while the rice boils. see /r/pressurecooking for more ideas - but to repeat, if you plan to live on dry beans, do NOT buy a rice cooker as they do an inferior job of softening beans unless it's little nubs like lentils or split peas - those actually can be cooked along with your rice.
http://www.amazon.com/Reynolds-Metals-00504-Cooker-Liners/dp/B00HVG7SYW?ie=UTF8&amp;refRID=ZE72MP2329SREWF9DKKF&amp;ref_=pd_nav_hcs_bia_t_1
If you haven't already, look into crackpot liners too. Makes cleanup a breeze!
Amazon Canada DUO80 $99.99
Amazon is currently listing the 8-quart Instant Pot as in stock.
This one! It's actually cheaper now than when I bought it but I'm positive they'll go on sale for the holidays also. We're a family of 3 but honestly I like the bigger size if you have the counter space. What will kick you over $200 is alllll the accessories! I bought a second pot to make cooking multiple things simpler (wash one, cook with the other), a steamer basket, a glass top for easier slow cooking, a stackable egg rack for hardboiling.... But every piece is 100% worth it. It's been such a game changer appliance. Especially when I was doing after school pick up after a full day of work and then had to find an easy to cook a hot dinner that wasn't "fast food."
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01B1VC13K/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_q4cDDbHPJH8R0
>Limited to one per customer
>
>Link
half of them are made in china for super cheap, sold at a higher price than they're worth for a while, then drop to half price.
see: instant pot
Some good deals on Amazon if anyone is interested:
&#x200B;
Instant pot pressure cooker
Cookware Set
Espresso maker
Monitor 32'
Steelseries Headset
More Deals
I just ordered the Instant Pot DUO80 (8 quart) at Amazon. Normally $130. Today $82. (Real prices, tracked with CamelCamelCamel.) Heckuva deal. This IP gets great reviews.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01B1VC13K/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01B1VC13K/
Bomb digity right there.
Price History
Instant Pot DUO Plus 60, $56
Highly recommend an instant pot (pressure cooker). There are so many simple recipes that yield fantastic results that seem way beyond your skill level. https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-Plus-60-Programmable/dp/B01NBKTPTS/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?keywords=instant+pot&amp;qid=1565970653&amp;s=gateway&amp;sr=8-1-spons&amp;psc=1&amp;spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExOUpVTkdaSkoxS1dMJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMjk1NzQzV1owSFBYMlBRNUFMJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA3NzAxNTIxNzlNWEtRQ0s4VThNJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfcGhvbmVfc2VhcmNoX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=
Question: what is the difference between this 9 in 1 multipot
https://www.amazon.com/Mealthy-MultiPot-Programmable-Pressure-Stainless/dp/B076QJNK8G/ref=sr_1_5?
and this instant pot?
https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-Plus-60-Programmable/dp/B01NBKTPTS/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?keywords=9-1+instant+pot&amp;qid=1565548985&amp;s=gateway&amp;sr=8-2-spons&amp;psc=1&amp;spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzSE4yUjgwRE5LWDlOJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNjk5MDY3NTg1SFZYRE01R0pWJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA3NzAxNTIxNzlNWEtRQ0s4VThNJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==
Sour about the huge link. I can't fine the doggone question mark to shorten it.
Love this recipe http://nomnompaleo.com/post/111934821818/pressure-cooker-kalua-pig
It’s great for chili either with chuck or ground beef
It’s perfect for boiled/steamed eggs
Also check out /r/instantpot for ideas
Currently on sale Instant Pot DUO Plus 6 Qt 9-in-1 Multi- Use Programmable Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Yogurt Maker, Egg Cooker, Sauté, Steamer, Warmer, and Sterilizer https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01NBKTPTS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_y5ehAbKY1YE4M
Stop using your stove and start using a slow cooker or electric pressure cooker.
They both still use electricity, but are much more energy efficient than an electric range.
I'm confused as to buying this or the Instant Pot DUO Plus 60, like whats the difference? I though the ULTRA was the more expensive model
https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-Plus-60-Programmable/dp/B01NBKTPTS/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3ATX4T8WJLGSD&amp;keywords=instant+pot+duo+plus&amp;qid=1568239836&amp;s=gateway&amp;sprefix=instant+pot+duo%2Caps%2C148&amp;sr=8-3
Honestly? Nope. Not happy for you yet. Get one of these and then we'll talk recipes. :P
Uh-oh, I'm in the wrong forum...
Congrats on the purchase. Try this as a baseline recipe:
NOTE: The spices here are intentionally pretty tame. Some people prefer blander food. Please feel free to experiment and increase, decrease, add additional options, etc. This is a baseline recipe. I tend to add much more in terms of herbs and spices (for example, I add 1 Tbl. dried Mexican oregano, increase all the spices by about 3x, and I tend to add fresh and/or dried chilies, too). I highly recommend Penzy's or equivalent for the herbs and spices!
There is nothing authentic about this recipe other than it's being relayed by a Latino gentleman of questionable provenance...
Well, OF COURSE, your comment made me curious so I checked the waaaay back machine. There was only one snapshot of the ULTRA product page and the description did not mention Sous Vide - though many reviews did. It's here:
https://web.archive.org/web/20170814222325/https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-Programmable-Pressure-Sterilizer/dp/B06Y1MP2PY/
Unfortunately, I don't have any details on the internal thermal sensor - they must have used a different one for the ULTRA. Just a guess, but I wonder if it's one that reads in whole degrees celsius?!?!
I feel like they still don't have the marketing part down. It doesn't make any sense to push Sous Vide, and even sell a branded circulator, and then make a model that doesn't support that. Just another "sloppy" to add to the pile on the ULTRA. I really don't understand what happened here - this model just doesn't have the same kind of thorough thinking as their previous efforts. I was sorry to do this so-so review but it is what it is. : /
Ok, This is the one I got:
https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-Ultra-Programmable-Sterilizer/dp/B06Y1MP2PY/ref=sr_1_8?s=kitchen&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1537403962&amp;sr=1-8&amp;keywords=instant+pot
I had never used a pressure cooker before, but when I made the decision to get one, I decided I was getting everything I thought I might need, so I bought the 6 qt ultra, an accessory kit, glass lid and a cookbook.
I've fallen in love with this thing. The first thing I made was hard boiled eggs for deviled eggs. We've also made barbecue chicken wings, rice, chili, and popcorn.
The one step up Ultra 6 Qt is currently $149 on Amazon. Or is this a case of more electronics is not worth the extra $20?
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B06Y1MP2PY/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=AQOA800MGL9G3&amp;psc=1
I’m at a crossroads it appears lol
I can only afford a ricecooker or an instant pot.. I need your help in making a call. I have a big appetite, and I love making rice and soups.
Instant pot I’m looking at: Instant Pot Duo Mini 3 Qt 7-in-1 Multi- Use Programmable Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Steamer, Sauté, Yogurt Maker and Warmer https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06Y1YD5W7/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_XdcwDbE1Z5KH1
Standard instantpot is 6 quart.
However,
There is a 3 quart mini instantpot
If you can afford it, I highly recommend a multicooker (like an Instant Pot or another electric pressure cooker). You can make everything from soups, stews, carnitas, cakes, curries... the possibilities are endless. And it shaves a ton of time off of cooking. I'm not sure about other brands, but Instant Pot makes a small 3-quart size for smaller portions (looks like it's only $60 on amazon right now!). 6-quart is a pretty standard size for most multicookers :)
&#x200B;
Don't get too down on yourself for getting tired of cooking. I get Cooking Burn Out™️ all the time and I used to cook for a living. Just keep going and with a little inspo here and there you'll rediscover the fun. Good luck!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06Y1YD5W7/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_o5uMDb1V19R3B
Something like this?
I like hamilton beach's 6-quart crockpot. it's less than 50 bucks https://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach-Programmable-Temperature-33967A/dp/B00EZI26DW
$90 is craziness. I got a 5qt for $30, albeit not digital, but i don't think digital helps much.
I've seen quite a few folk using these on here. $50 6qt
I think the prices get ran up before thanksgiving/xmas.
> Get one with a timer this way you can place your crock in the cooker in the morning and it can be set to turn on at noon at low and be ready for dinner at 6.
Is that how the timer works on that one? Actually been looking at that model and this Hamilton Beach 33967A and from what I see the timer is only counting down from the time you set it to, not the way you said. Maybe im misunderstanding you, this would be my first slow cooker.
If you want to use that approach, this sub heartily recommends http://www.myfitnesspal.com/. It has a smartphone app and a website you can use to enter all your foods. I've been using it for about 3 weeks so far, and it's great. It will help you set a goal for calories and divide it up by protein/fat/carbs etc.
Once you start tracking that, the calorie differences in things will blow your mind. For example, the other night my wife made this beef stew. I had small bowl of that and it was 286 calories, it felt like a good meal and had 32 grams of protein.
During the meal I drank 2 Coors lights, they were 204 calories (and 1g protein, who knew?) and certainly didn't feel as filling as the hearty bowl of stew.
After dinner I had 4 mini kit kat's b/c we have our damn Halloween candy sitting out, they were 280 calories. They CERTAINLY weren't more filling than the stew, or even the beers.
So out of 688 calories, less than half was that stew, and that stew pretty much offered 10x the nutritional benefit of the other garbage I consumed.
Slightly related, I've been pre-making and freezing this Chicken Chili for months now and quite enjoy it. Not only is it healthy, easy and tasty, it only uses canned ingredients so it's also easy to stock up for and pretty damn cheap. A $50 slow cooker and a $15 digital scale will be invaluable tools for you if you go this route.
Edit: While I'm going over diet highlights, for me a protein shake is another easy/lazy way to get a pretty filling and healthy snack in. Lots of people have their favorite, mine is this. It seems to be marketed mainly to women, but it tastes delicious either way when mixed with low fat milk. The $35 seems a bit pricey, but it works out to about $1 a serving which isn't too bad. If price is an issue there are definitely other cheaper brands that are fine. I tried protein shakes years ago and hated them. I probably wasn't mixing them well. One or two of these $7 mixer cups solves that problem easily. Getting two is nice so you don't have to religiously clean a used one.
Lots of people will say to look at the Instant Pot which is a combination electric pressure cooker/slow cooker/rice cooker ("multi cooker"). I had a bluetooth enabled "IP-SMART" 6qt model of theirs (actually three: first had a safety recall, second was dented on arrival, third still exhibited regulation issues). Lots of people are happy with Instant Pots, but I had a lot of issues with the pressure control being flaky for certain recipes. Additionally, much of what makes slow cookers safe when you are out of the house is their low wattage heaters... typically 250-400W... and low complexity (basically it's a small electric blanket that is wrapped around a very heavy ceramic pot). The Instant Pot has a 1000W heater, and is more complex (microcontroller + a thermocouple), so this negates some of the safety aspects of unattended slow cooking... though it is UL listed and has a thermal fuse in case anything goes wrong.
My recommendation if you are interested in pressure cookers and slow cookers:
$120 for both.. around the ballpark of the cheaper Instant Pots, you gain an additional pot for stove use, pressure cooker is of bigger size, slow cooker is safe unattended and a more conventional shape, and IMO will last longer. You lose automatic rice cooking capabilities but... by a $20-$30 rice cooker and probably get better rice, or just do it on the stovetop.
By the way, no idea what food you like to eat, but these are two of my favorite cookbooks if you are getting started and wanted to build up some experience:
And major shout out to Kenji's (from Seriouseats.com) new book if you want more detailed science information:
This post ended up being much longer than I expected, but those are my recommendations if you are just starting out. ;) The main thing I've learned since beginning to cook is that 90%+ of the recipes online (and even in print) are untested crap, and to look for recipe sources you can trust. The second thing is that a finished recipe is much more dependant on the technique (the steps you use to modify ingredients at specific times, temperatures, and textures) and way less dependent on the ingredients themselves (you can easily sub ingredients for many recipes once the core techniques are understood).
I own [this one I got on amazon for $49] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EZI26DW?psc=1&amp;redirect=true&amp;ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage) and couldn't be happier.
I recently bought this one for my first slow cooker. I'm loving it and have had 0 issues. It's actually cooking away right now so I can have a late dinner and a lot of leftovers.
Liters or quarts? Not that it matters that much.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EZI26GO/ref=pe_385040_30332190_TE_M3T1_ST1_dp_1 This is the one I got, and I'll swear up and down by it. Fantastic device. Thrift stores generally have some, if you want to save some cash.
Mine is sealed pretty tight.
Wow. That seems a lot to spend on a slow cooker. I can't think of any that are unsafe.
The Ninja seems pretty cool.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0093MRWJS?pc_redir=1412516198&amp;robot_redir=1
Personally I'd like a slow cooker that has a latch down top for transport and has some programing features. Something like this.
Hamilton Beach 33969A Set 'n Forget Programmable Slow Cooker, 6-Quart https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EZI26GO/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_JFKoub0NQ90J3
This is the one I have: https://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach-33969A-Programmable-Temperature/dp/B00EZI26GO
It's really nice if you happen to bring food to pot-lucks frequently, since there's a lock that holds everything together. The Timer is nice as well. It cooks for X number of hours and then reduces temperature to "warm" until you are ready.
howdy jeffcagney,
i got this one a few months ago.
Amazon.com: Hamilton Beach 33969 Set and Forget 6-Quart Slow Cooker: Kitchen & Dining
it works fine for me. [grin]
take care,
lee
Here are the recipes...
These are some dishes my friend made for me and froze in aluminum tins. It was so convenient to have some ready-made home-cooked meals to throw in the oven:
https://www.marthastewart.com/326572/tamale-pie
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/baked-ziti/
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/chicken-alfredo-stuffed-shells/
Crock pot stuff. I love slow cookers because there's nothing to learn or do. Just dump in the ingredients, turn it on low, set a timer for 7-8 hours from then, and come back to your food all prepared. You can get a 6 quart normal one for $35 on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach-Programmable-33969A-Temperature/dp/B00EZI26GO
Crock pot pulled pork (my favorite because it's tasty, easy, and involves NO prep):
^ Throw those on some potato rolls for some tasty sandwiches. The cooked meat also freezes really well. I can make lunch for two adults for a whole week out of this (in addition to having it for dinner once or twice).
Slow cooker corned beef and cabbage:
https://www.marthastewart.com/891899/slow-cooker-corned-beef-and-cabbage
Here's some stuff on freezer cooking, including with some recipes. If you have a chance before your twins are born, maybe you can throw some of these together:
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/freezer-cooking/
I like to make casseroles because they reheat well and my entire goal in life is to cook as little as possible. I make one of these and eat the leftovers for lunch for a week.
Cream of Chicken Taco Casserole:
Mix the cooked, cut up chicken with soup, milk, peppers, and onion.
Line a 9 x 11.5 pan with taco shells. Crush them up first if you want.
Pour chicken mixture over taco shells.
Top with cheese.
Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EZI26GO?tag=thesweethome-20&amp;linkCode=as2
This one?
> Polytetrafluoroethylene
Got it. I think you are referring to the Teflon non-stick coating, right? No, the Instant Pot does not use this coating at all. The container in which you cook is good quality stainless steel. You do all your cooking in this container - you can sautee in it and brown vegetables and meats, use it like a sauce pan to boil water or soups or stews, or cook rice and beans and eggs and whatever else, or use it as a slow cooker, or use it as a pressure cooker (it is really safe as it is all electronic controls and it reduces cook times like crazy - like you could do a 5 hour slow cooked braise/roast/stew in 1 hour in the pressure cooker mode). After it finishes cooking, it will also keep your food warm.
You then take out the container when done and just wash it like a regular stainless steel pot. You can read the reviews here.
Thanks for the advice on Instant Pot! I started looking into Instant pot instead with this steamer tray:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FLYWNYQ/ref=twister_B01DZM2UQ6?_encoding=UTF8&amp;th=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06Y4MCKFM/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=A2BYU15NLIVJEN&amp;psc=1
Instant Pot on a Sunday evening can make a week’s worth of way tastier meals for super-cheap. Friend cut his lunch bill by 3/4.
https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-Multi-Use-Programmable-Packaging/dp/B00FLYWNYQ
TLDR; Calculate cost per meal. Eating out: $10-$15 per meal. Cooking at home: $1-$5 per meal
If you're serious about cutting back on food costs, my personal take on that is all about cost per meal. This includes eating out AND cooking at home.
When eating out, I try to make sure I save enough leftover for a proper meal portion to reheat the next day. Sometimes I can stretch it to 3 meals even, but that's not very common. So now instead of $20 for one meal, you're looking at $20 for two/three meals ($10/meal or less). That one step alone would at minimum halve your "eating out" costs. I know that might not be practical for every meal you buy, but you get the gist.
Now contrast that to cost per meal when cooking for yourself. Depending on how "fancy" of a meal I'm looking to do, my cost per meal, cooking for a family of 4, ranges anywhere from <$1 per serving (for a simple salad + protein) to ~$8 per meal for a nice steak dinner (grilled ribeye + fresh corn on the cob or any other veg + creamy mashed potatoes). The steak dinner is a bit of a splurge and definitely on the higher end of the cost scale, but you'd easily spend $25+ on something like that at a restaurant.
You don't have to be a wiz in the kitchen though to start learning some basic techniques/recipes and making tasty food that you'll enjoy. Get yourself an Instant Pot - $50 on Amazon! and make some chili. Here is a perfectly good Instant Pot chili recipe - skip the step about the fancy chicken stock mixture, just use straight up chicken stock.
I won't rehash the whole recipe, but here's what you would need at minimum for a decent chili:
So that comes out to about $12 for all ingredients to make a literal gallon of chili! Let's just assume an 8 oz bowl per serving, and this recipe makes at least 8 servings of chili, coming out to ~ $1.50 per serving! Even if you doubled your portion because you were hungry and ate 2 bowls each meal, that's still only $3 per serving! If the thought of eating a bowl of chili for 8 meals in a row bums you out, there's so many other things you can do with chili - chili dogs, chili burgers, chili over rice, chili mac & cheese. Or simply take a break from chili and eat something else you've prepared.
Point is, obviously eating at home is far cheaper. But the real question is just how much cheaper, and if you're serious about tracking your food costs, this is what I've found to be the most helpful for me. Yes, you should budget for weekly groceries, but it's also important to have a plan for how you're going to stretch that $50 (or w/e). It won't do you any good to focus on groceries and home cooking if you let some of that go to waste by not using it before it expires.
The cost per meal is simply too good to beat - unless you're only eating off the $1 menu at McDonald's, in which case you probably wouldn't be having this problem in the first place.
If you're interested in any more cheap meals or tips w/ Instant Pot etc... just let me know I'd be happy to share.
Programmable light switches are super handly for when you're out of town and want to make it look like you're home, and if you're forgetful about turning off lights.
Keypad deadbolt never worry about getting locked out. If someone is house sitting you can give them the code and then change it when you get home.
Energy saving outlets are great for things like charging cell phones or computers and keeping your power bill lower.
Wifi thermostat. I think Nest is overrated and expensive for what it is.
Electric crockpot-pressure cooker-rice cooker-yogurt maker. This thing does it all, seriously. Pressure cookers are awesome for getting things cooked quickly so you can buy cheaper groceries (dried beans vs. canned). Slow cookers are great for tough pieces of meat, roasts, soups... They're also great in summer as they don't heat up the whole kitchen. It being multi-purpose is a bonus for kitchen space.
With my pressure cooker I can throw in a bunch of ingredients, hit the button for whichever function I'm doing, go about my business for about 20 minutes or so and bang, I've got meals for a week! Also cooks a whole chicken in about 25 minutes too.
This is the one I've got, it's the swiss army knife of cooking applicances!
http://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-IP-DUO60-Programmable-Generation/dp/B00FLYWNYQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1405182548&amp;sr=8-2&amp;keywords=one+pot
I love your attitude. Can I get your opinion on the Instant Pot? I slow cook quite a bit, would like to try pressure cooking, would use the rice cooker and would love to be able to sear stuff in the same pot I'm cooking in. Is it useless garbage?
Not sure what your budget is, could you swing a pressure cooker? This is the best gadget I own, just pop in a roast, chicken thighs, pork butt, ribs, whatever protein you like, set it, and 30min-1hr later it's all done cooking and ready to be sliced/shredded. Add to a salad with some dressing, perfect keto meal. It's electric so just plug it in somewhere (doesn't even have to be the kitchen), contains all the steam so there's very little smell to annoy your hosts, and really all your cooking happens in just the one pot so very little cleanup. It also makes fantastic bone broth.
I highly recommend the instant pot. Pressure cooking is the tits.
Edit for linky: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FLYWNYQ/
Get the one on Amazon prime day right meow! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FLYWNYQ/
(but seriously if you're going to go serious on a pressure cooker get something like a kuhn rikon which is way better and worth the investment)
[I got a pressure/slow cooker.] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FLYWNYQ/ref=gbph_img_m-3_0cb1_2d8ba879?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&amp;pf_rd_p=adad8744-e43c-4841-b69c-13bf25020cb1&amp;pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-3&amp;pf_rd_t=101&amp;pf_rd_i=13887280011&amp;pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&amp;pf_rd_r=H6B9F5C3412JATP4R7QD)
Instant Pot IP-DUO60 7-in-1 Multi-Functional Pressure Cooker, 6Qt/1000W https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FLYWNYQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_59oHxbE2DZ945
If anyone is on the Specific Carb Diet (SCD), this thing is great for making the 24 hour yogurt!
There isn't really a minimum size, I've just got one of the six quart instant pots, but using half pint jars I can only fit four of them in at a time without risking one breaking. The stove top ones are slightly more technical but have a much greater capacity which makes bulk techniques a lot easier.
The 7-in-1 Instant Pot is a good buy - it's a middling pressure cooker, but solid for the other uses (rice cooker, slow cooker, etc.)
It's also on sale right now for $60 instead of $100.
Here's a link.
Is it the same as this one?
Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Multi-Use Programmable Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, 6 Quart | 1000W https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00FLYWNYQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_p.ggAbKZW9GJA
The link is in the sidebar (this one).
Mine has both "Pressure" and "Manual" buttons (just like in the image in the amazon page).
Is this it? https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-Multi-Use-Programmable-Pressure/dp/B00FLYWNYQ
I've been thinking about getting one. I have a rice cooker and I have a slow cooker. Would this replace both of those? AND MORE??
I usually cook on Saturday or Sunday, sometimes both days. The last few weeks have been rough, but this coming weekend I am going to get back into the routine.
I am going to give you some advice, buy a pressure cooker. You can make something that would take 8 hours, in about 2 and a half hours. That means you can have awesome pulled pork sandwiches, with a homemade cole slaw in about three hours total, including prep time.
I mainly love my pressure cooker, because I can make my pulled pork, clean it out, then make barbacoa and if I start all of this at 8 AM, I can be done with it all by 2 PM or so. This includes making side dishes, and almost anything else I need. I'll usually clean my house at the same time, play a video game, or whatever else I might want to do. I sometimes even take a nap, and wake up to the smell of cooked meat.
The Official (TM) Instant Pot, of course! :)
https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-Multi-Use-Programmable-Pressure/dp/B00FLYWNYQ
I've only cooked white rice, and it's a five minute cook with a natural release that takes probably five minutes more. Here's the link:
https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-Multi-Use-Programmable-Pressure/dp/B00FLYWNYQ
I'd encourage you to also just do some web searches and read the many ways people use it. For Easter I cooked 30 eggs (to make deviled eggs) at one time and it took something like a total of 10 minutes. I have a friend who is a professional cook; cooks lots of meals for families. She has SIX pots, and she's the one who turned me on to it about a month ago. I'm pretty impressed with them.
get one of these instead: https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-Multi-Use-Programmable-Pressure/dp/B00FLYWNYQ/
Or... the InstantPot Duo60 is $63 from AmazonWarehouse. These are generally items other users have returned due to minor damage during shipping (or maybe by the buyer to avoid return shipping).
My advise would be to invest in something like an Instant Pot and some dry beans and grains. Between beans, whole grains, potatoes, sweet potatoes, rolled oats, etc you can get a lot of calories and protein for pretty cheap and actually end up eating a really healthy diet in the process.
Instant Pot IP-DUO60 7-in-1 Multi-Functional Pressure Cooker, 6Qt/1000W https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FLYWNYQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_3EIAybG6M90E1
I love it!
It's a specific brand of pressure cooker that is awesome.
Instant Pot DUO60 6 Qt 7-in-1 Multi-Use Programmable Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Steamer, Sauté, Yogurt Maker and Warmer https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FLYWNYQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_oJ6CDbB9AE8MX
/r/instantpot
**
A place for Instant Pot owners to discuss, debate, divulge, digress and digest.
*****
NEW - Instant Pot Mobile App
Instantpot.com
Instant Pot at Amazon
Simple Daily Recipes
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^(Bot created by /u /el_loke - )^Feedback
here is the link:
http://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-IP-DUO60-Multi-Functional-Pressure/dp/B00FLYWNYQ
Just wanted to add another suggestion that some of you may enjoy: put chicken breast (frozen or fresh) in an electric pressure cooker with some low sodium chicken broth and cook for 15-20 minutes, depending on preference. Shreds up very easily when done. Personally, I use an electric hand mixer to shred it up because I'm way fucking lazy. From there, add dat/dem sauce(s).
My pressure cooker
Here what I've been doing: 1 cup steel cut oatmeal, 3 cups water, cinnamon, vanilla, walnut pieces, almond slices, a little salt, set the Instant Pot pressure cooker to 8 minutes. Afterwards throw in frozen fruit, usually blueberries. (If doing banana, I put it in before cooking.) Store in 2 cup pyrex bowls. When eating I add a little milk and microwave.
This make 5 servings in about 20 minutes. Surprisingly easy.
Good luck! Keep us posted. Health and happiness to you and your family. Sorry to hear about the ex, he sounds like a prick.
As for the hassle of cooking, the instant pot or a good crock pot is your best friend.
I use my instant pot to sterilize small supplemented sawdust blocks. Works well, you can find them pretty cheap on Amazon, and they are hella useful to cook lots of delicious stuff.
https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-Multi-Use-Programmable-Pressure/dp/B00FLYWNYQ
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I'm in the US, too. I got mine on Amazon, but I've seen them at Bed Bath and Beyond and Fred Meyer (a big grocery store in the Pacific Northwest). The link below is the one I have, but there's a cheaper version. They almost always go on sale on Amazon on Prime day (sometime in July I think?) and black Friday.
Instant Pot DUO60 7-in-1 Multi-Use Programmable Pressure Cooker, 6 Quart/1000W https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FLYWNYQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_j-ipzbDF67QZ1
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FLYWNYQ
The link
You should briefly check out the “Instant Pot”, which is currently 2nd in Amazon’s “most wished” list of Small Appliances, and 6th in the Best Sellers List.
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Instant Pot has 1900 reviews total between 2 of their models.
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http://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-IP-DUO60-Programmable-Generation/dp/B00FLYWNYQ/ref=cm_rdp_product
Their Bluetooth enabled Instant Pot Smart model was just released on the 24th.
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http://instantpot.com/announcing-worlds-first-bluetooth-smartcooker-instant-pot-smart/
It debuted at CES 2014, and comes with an iOS/Android app.
With that particular model, you can program, store, and activate your own customized recipe scripts on your mobile device.
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>Instant Pot Smart Bluetooth-Enabled Multifunctional Pressure Cooker, Stainless Steel (To be shipped on the 2nd week of Dec.
2014)
>Instant Pot Smart is a multi-functional fully-programmable Smartcooker combining the benefits of a Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Porridge Maker, Steamer, Sauté pan, Yogurt Maker, Food Warmer and more.
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>A free iOS app (Android app to be available soon) lets you program complex cooking steps in recipe scripts on your smartphone/tablet and execute on the cooker wirelessly.
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A good pressure cooker can replace a lot of microwave and stove use.
It’s much faster than the stove, and it's steam and moisture, so it doesn’t dry like in a microwave.
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E.g.
cooking times for beans go from 100 minutes to 10 minutes.
Bean dishes are an inexpensive, healthy protein, so it could also be a good investment.
You don’t have to stir or monitor your food.
Lastly, boiling food can strip away a lot of the nutrients.
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I was subscribed to the newsletter, and they emailed me an earlybird coupon code of "ipot" to get $100 off.
It’s valid till the end of December, or until the first shipment sells out.
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I’m pretty much basing the decision to purchase on the near-unanimous reviews of the previous models on Amazon.
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I think that people are getting over their concerns of using a pressure cooker, as modern pressure cookers have multiple safety mechanisms (as opposed to the older, more dangerous ones that a lot of older Asian generations supposedly used).
E.g.
once pressure is reached, the safety latch locks into place, and you can’t open it until the pressure is released.
As an electric pressure cooker, you can release the pressure slowly and electronically.
You can program it to release and shut off whenever you want, so you don’t have to monitor it like other stove top pressure cookers.
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I think that the interesting thing about the app is that you can apparently control the exact pressure and temperature, and change it at certain times.
E.g.
very high heat for amount of time to get ready for sauté
get notification, and pause script so that you can sauté
sauté, and then resume script high pressure at certain temperature and pressure for certain amount of time
automatically switch to
slow cook at a temperature for an amount of time.
keep warm at a temperature for amount of time.
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You can see the “hold pressure”, “hold temperature”, “pause” app commands on the picture on the right: http://instantpot.com/blog/
Other extra things:
Another notable thing that is mentioned in the reviews is that you can supposedly produce very easily-peelable soft, medium, or hard-boiled eggs, even if they’re completely fresh eggs.
Fresh eggs are notoriously hard to peel because the air pocket is still small.
You can boil the crap out of it for hard-boiled eggs (which is what I do), and make them easy to peel, but then you get the discolored yolk.
Cooking at low pressure creates a pressure difference, which separates the white from the shell.
http://www.hippressurecooking.com/cracked-soft-medium-and-hard-boiled-eggs-in-the-pressure-cooker/
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I actually found out about this model by accident a few weeks back.
I think that this is the first time that the company is selling from their own website.
Previously, they were selling from third-party websites and Amazon.
Since it’s not on Amazon yet, people aren’t getting the usual “there is a newer model available”.
Therefore, I don’t think that a lot of people know about the model yet unless you’ve seen the company’s past blog posts, and they don’t know about the code unless you subscribed to a mailing list.
I think that the previous model sold out fast because it was selling on Amazon first, which meant that it drew a lot of eyes.
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I just checked the reviews of the previous model, and sorted it by date.
You can see up to 10 new Amazon reviews for any given day this November.
Had they known about the “new-smart-model-to-be-released-in-quarter-4-2014” blog posts, they might have put off their purchase for this new one, which is what I was doing.
Oh hey. Sorry I didn't check Reddit for a while. I have this one but I think almost all of them do the core functions of pressure cooking , slow cooking and rice cooking.
https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-Multi-Use-Programmable-Pressure/dp/B00FLYWNYQ?keywords=instant+pot&amp;qid=1537414966&amp;sr=8-3&amp;ref=mp_s_a_1_3
Do you know why (other than being a third of the price) I would choose an 'Instant Pot' over 'The Breville Fast Slow Pro Multicooker'?
I'll be honest, I want something easy to use, that's simple to clean and can reduce daily cooking/cleaning time for a 6-adult household and get hammered every sunday for meal prep.
I want to buy this kitchen product, the Instant Pot.
It's about $100 depending on the model, has an insane 17,958 customer reviews with a 4.5 star average, seems to be quite a hit in the rest of the world. I noticed that the '6 Quart Plus' model can be shipped to Japan, didn't check carefully yet about 'other sellers' that ship internationally for the other models. But anyway, if I'm able to ship it through Amazon, is the 120V (110?) vs 100V thing a problem here?
There are sellers of it on Amazon Japan too, such as here but they're charging ¥26,700.
And one other thing, this Baratza Virtuoso grinder, any issues with using that in Japan, with the motor and all?
Of course, any recommendations for alternatives to the above available normally in Japan would be helpful too.
You are missing the point man. You keep it as sterile as you can and then sterilize after putting the gear in the vial and crimping it. Everything you do before hand is precaution. Once the air touches it the vial needs to be sterilized. The way you are doing it is more labor intensive and costs more and you aren't getting a benefit from it except for not having to presterilze your vials. Your beakers and stirring rods and everything else still need to be presterilized before every brew so this will give you a easier method if you are using small enough beakers and not using boiling flasks to do that as well. You put the rubber tops in the pressure cooker basket at a super low temp.
http://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-IP-DUO60-Programmable-Generation/dp/B00FLYWNYQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1419233519&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=electric+pressure+cooker
I've got two of these and they have been great for the price. The others I bought were 250plus and work the same.
I put it on high for glassware for ten minutes and low for a half hour for finished products. You could go lower temp for longer on a stove top version though.
LOL to that last part. As a child born in the Northeast to parents who thought heat was superfluous, I feel your pain. I grew up and moved away!
Now I use AC most of the year so any appliance that throws heat is counter productive for me. There are many brands of electric pressure cookers on the market. I have an [InstantPot] (http://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-IP-DUO60-Programmable-Generation/dp/B00FLYWNYQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=kitchen&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1419167454&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=instant+pot) and a [Nesco] (http://www.amazon.com/Nesco-PC6-25P-Electric-Programmable-Stainless/dp/B003YETHCQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1419167410&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=nesco+pressure+cooker). The Instant Pot has a teflon non stick interior, and the Nesco is stainless. I still like my baked beans, but nine hours in the oven is a double whammy to my electric bill. The electric pressure cooker gets the same results in less than a half hour.
here it is. They had it for about $100 on Black Friday, but I didn't have room in my budget. I'll definitely keep an eye out next Black Friday/cyber Monday though.
I had a dinky rice cooker ($20), which had served me faithfully and just fine for a few years. Then, I got the Instant Pot (http://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-1000-Watts-Pressure-IP-DUO60/dp/B00FLYWNYQ). Honestly, it saves me a lot of space in my small-ish apartment, even though the pot itself is quite large. It depends on what your needs are. Do you also plan to slow cook, pressure cook or whatever? Is space an issue in your kitchen? How are you on your finances? A $20-$40 pot serves just fine, even if some of the nonstick gets scraped off. It just depends on what you need.
I've never bought a $150 rice cooker with the smart chip inside, but honestly, do you really need to spend that for a single purpose tool? Just wash your rice. I tend to distress it a bit by mashing it up, then washing it again. I kinda followed this technique: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jW3o2kEkCjE
In the end, the rice doesn't stick to each other. If you want to make some porridge/congee, do not wash/distress.
You might find a pressure cooker is a good upgrade for your slow cooker.
I believe a good one is this. Gets recommended a lot in /r/pressurecooking as well.
a Polaroid camera to document your adventures together
maybe she could decorate her room with LED lights
I've heard really good reviews about this blanket
InstaPots are all the cooking rage
Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Multi-Use Programmable Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, 6 Quart | 1000W https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FLYWNYQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_MBlHzb29YYNQM
Instant Pot - You can also use it as a pressure cooker.
Instant Pot
Wait around for it to go on sale. I got mine for around $80 on Black Friday. Then put your rice cooker and your slow cooker in the garage sale pile and enjoy bean soups and stews in 30 minutes instead of 5 hours.
This thing is all over Pinterest. There are tons of recipes for it, check it out.
(Oh, you can make yogurt in it too, but I haven't done that yet.)
Here's the Instant Pot link for Amazon. I would subscribe to /r/PressureCooking and they will let you know the next time they go on sale. They are well worth the money and infinitely more useful than a crock pot.
I have the instant pot !!! It's super great and has many other functions like rice cooking, you can sautee without the lid on and it even brings a little metal tray thing so you can steam veggies on! I pressure cook potatoes this way in under 15 minutes!
I know I'm late to the party but I think I have some meaningful input for you. I purchased an electric pressure cooker on black friday, and it has completely replaced my slow cooker. This is what I purchased, and it is amazing. It has all the settings my old slow cooker had and then much more. You're able to quickly cook food if you want to and you still have all of the slow cooking and program settings you'd expect from a crock pot. Just my two cents, good luck with whatever you get!
Or this... It does rice, slow cook, yogurt., as well as pressure cook. It is hands down my favorite kitchen gadget.
http://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-IP-DUO60-Programmable-Stainless/dp/B00FLYWNYQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1453060313&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=instant+pot+duo
The one pot meal ideas are endless
http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00FLYWNYQ
These electric pressure cookers that do 6 other things are amazing. In a little more than an hour you can make a week's worth of meals. While the possibilities are endless I usually just throw a roast in, spice it, brown it, pressure cook for X minutes, toss in veggies, 10 more min, done. It tastes like I spent all day on it.
> Want a pressure cooker.
Lovin' every minute of it.
This thing is one of the best kitchen gadgets I've ever bought.
Instant pot.
You'll never have this problem again.
Instant Pot. It's an instant Pot now
Also an Anova and vacuum sealer for the full 360.
It's a combo pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker thing. And apparently some versions can also make yogurt :)
I've heard amazing reviews, and I would really love to replace my slow cooker with something a little more multi-functional. Plus, I've always wanted a pressure cooker.
Link here
congrats on your progress!!
if you are looking to spend some money to make life a little easier, grab an instant pot! there are quite a few AIP recipes where you basically just dump everything inside and set it to cook. there is also an older model without the yogurt function that's $90 (i keep telling myself i'm going to make my own coconut yogurt but it has yet to happen, lol).
This recipe is a current favorite of mine. Super easy plus BBQ!!!
I have this one and it's pretty great. Also works as a slow cooker and a rice cooker. It's not huge, but great for home use.
33 year old here who hates cooking checking in. While I can't give you a magic potion that will solve all your problems of eating and diet, I CAN tell you what I've been doing to solve my disdain of cooking. Buy an Instant Pot! What? BUY AN INSTANT POT WHICH CAN BE FOUND HERE ON AMAZON. I'm not kidding. It's like cooking made easy for idiots and the lazy 101. Better yet - search for "Instant Pot Dumping Recipes" on Reddit. They. Are. Everywhere. It's a bunch of shit you just throw into your Instant Pot, go jerk off for a bit, come back and BAM!! You have mostly delicious food ready to scarf down so you don't starve to death. And if you're lazy like me, you'll make sure to dump a lot in there so you have some leftovers for the next day! I'm not saying you're going to transform into that angry chef guy from TV and become a foodie, but you will most definitely take the necessary baby steps to building confidence to cook healthier meals and feel better about yourself. Good luck!
there are some cookbooks on amazon for frugal student cooking
used copies plus shipping is about $5. and some have great reviews.
Obviously there some awesome websites for recipes http://studentrecipes.com/ http://www.budgetbytes.com/
What i found useful were recipes you could make from raw ingredients you could get easily cheaply and store well. this is why pasta, rice and noodles are popular. the base is always handy and all you have to do is add dressings. Cans of beans and nuts are also great ways to add a protein to your meal without having to worry about it going bad before you eat it.
Find about 12 recipes you like and can make easily and then just rotate them. That's enough to keep you from being bored, save MEAT centered recipes for once a week, such as in a crockpot and the rest of the week eat meat free. Because meat is the most expensive ingredient and the easiest to screw up and let it go bad before you remember to cook it. Essentially you buy the meat on the same day you cook it and the leftovers go in the fridge and have to be eaten before the next time you cook meat, so the leftover won't go blue and fuzzy.
Indeed a crockpot is essentia Proctor 1.5 slow cooker $13 but i'd get the biggest one you can afford. ...actually when i moved in this apartment i had no serious money and no stove. I started off with all the inexpensive items from Proctor Silex - usually sold in walgreens, cvs, and other cheap appliance stores... Proctor 1 liter electric kettle $14 Proctor Toaster Oven $22 Proctor Hot Plate $14 which does have a draw back for boiling large pots of anyting, it's really a more egg frying/ grilled cheesy thing. Black and Decker has a 3 cup rice cooker for $12
It is easy for your dorm room to get unkempt if you start cooking in it for real, so a dedicated foot locker perhaps upright with shelves banged in. Put everything away clean when you don't use it. Put a dishpan in the locker, 1st thing you take out put your dirty items in it as you cook and eat, then take it to the bathroom and wash everything and then bring it all back and put it in the footlocker and then put everything in on top.
One of my favorite books was Cooking in a Bedsitter by Whitehorn..an English cookery book, but the ideas worked. A bedsitter is a dorm room with no running water, no fridge and nothing but a gas ring/hot plate to cook on. So basically you have to really think out what you are going to make and plan ahead. My solution was to cook small amounts very often so i didn't have to store a lot of food or leftovers.
I love a good crock pot and you can get a pretty decent one for under $20. It's the perfect remedy to having a busy schedule and dealing with winter blues.
Here's a funny book.
They are a little bit more expensive because they aren't mass manufactured but you can get this in as large of a quantity if you want the smallest footprint available. The next size down is just for warming dips.
If I can cook my food at work in this you can cook your food in something similar in a dorm.
Is it a desk job? Do you hate the microwave like I do? If so, here's my recommendation:
You can either hook up the mini 'slow cooker' at your desk or in the breakroom. But either way, it's easy to throw in some precooked meat and some precooked rice when you get in and let it slowly reheat. By dinner time, it should be nice and hot. I've found myself storing some tortillas at my desk, and then hitting the meat'n'rice with some fajita seasoning. Or dumping some bbq sauce on it. Or some bottled asian sauces (szechuan, General Tso's, etc) to make a stir fry. Or tossing in some curry paste. Lots of different possibilities! Also keep some frozen veggies at work to throw in, as well.
In the end, you're paying about $2.50-3/day for rice and 1lb of meat. That's easily 100g of protein at lunch, and depending upon the meat, can be between 650 (chicken breast + rice) and 1500 calories (75% lean beef + rice).
CROCK POT. My brother and sister both agreed that a crock pot will supply delicious food made from the most random vegetables and such.
Would you like a falafel with that?
Congrats on graduating!
If possible, I'd love some addition to my giftcard funds. I'm currently trying to save enough money so I can purchase costumes that I can wear local 5K's and halfmarathons! My current list of costumes I'll be trying to buy over the next few years is on this wishlist. I'm a highschool cross-country and track runner, so I promise I won't bring dishonor by being slow!
However, I completely understand if you want to gift me an actual item, so this duck tie (like from How I Met Your Mother) would be awesome! (It's on this wishlist)
Thanks for the link! These look great and it's exactly what I was looking for.
PS: This little slow cooker is perfect for small meals and it's pretty inexpensive!
I have had great success with something like this it's a 2 quart AND a 4 quart AND a 6 quart. So you can use the one that suits your needs at the time and you just press a button on it as to which quart size you're using. No timer though just high, low, warm but the different sizes work out great at least for me.
http://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach-33135-6-Quart-Stainless/dp/B000R8A1OK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1410730027&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=3+in+1+crockpot
My husband and I have something very similar to this: http://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach-33135-6-Quart-Stainless/dp/B000R8A1OK/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1458835638&amp;sr=8-4&amp;keywords=slow+cooker+3+inserts
Though the 3-5 lb roasts you ask about would likely be best suited to the 6 quart version, if you don't enjoy leftovers or freezing your leftovers, the 6 quart may be too large for your needs.
Size-wise, I have one of these:
http://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach-33135-6-Quart-Stainless/dp/B000R8A1OK/
Comes with 2, 4, and 6 qt bowls. Crocks work better when full, so it's handy to have a few sizes to choose from. I mainly cook for myself, and use the 4 qt most often.
I'd recommend this one, because it takes care of needing multiple crockpots at once instead of having to spend money on so many, but also is not digital and, well, I've just had good experiences with it.
No, but we have one of the Hamilton Beach ones that comes with three crocks of varying sizes, so if I broke a crock I would probably just use one of the other ones. BTW, I recommend this model.
Have you ever considered using a crock pot? RoadPro for $33
*second.
http://www.amazon.com/RoadPro-RPSL-350-Quart-Slow-Cooker/dp/B0013IR88A
If you have a way to power a crockpot that's the way to go. You can make a weeks worth of meals for under 20 bucks and it'll blow the pants off any fast food taste wise plus much healthier.
Had to buy a new car recently so had to tighten the budget, was blow away with how much I was spending on food. Check this out
You can pick a relatively cheap 2 burner camp stove. Might not be practical for "wild camping" backpacking a distance into the wild (though I've seem people lug these things back into the Boundary Waters of MN - quite a luxury once you've set up camp). Single burner back packing stoves aren't all that expensive either but you give up the flexibility of being able to boil water and fry something at the same time that you have with a two-burner. Obviously you'll need a couple pots and pans and utensils and stuff like that. A wash basin is also a handy item.
Another option for showers is to check into local community pools or city/county parks on lakeshore beaches. They often have showers, sometimes free but usually not that expensive of a fee to enter the pool for access to the showers. Otherwise, wet wipes work.
Bring clothesline type rope for hanging things up to dry. Duct tape has many potential uses. If you plan on really long drives, maybe a 12-volt slow cooker might be handy.
Careful about two person tents if you want to share with a grown adult. They can get quite cozy if you expect to have two adults and gear. Understand the tradeoff though on wanting something light for backpacking. Maybe a slightly larger tent for the car camping areas and a hammock for backpacking if you're heading into areas with trees.
I have solar and cook with 2 types of 12 volt appliances: RoadPro Stove (http://amzn.to/1TRVMWC) and 2 Uniox electric kettles (http://amzn.to/1TRVO0C). I think they both draw about 7 A. You can also use them with your engine while driving. (It'd be a waste to run your engine idle to run them.)
They work great, but both are slow ways of cooking. The kettles take about 15-20 min to boil a full load (0.5 L) of water. The RoadPro stove takes about 2+ hours to cook a pound or two of meat, or a bread pan full of water, rice and fixings. But the results are awesome, and there are a lot of cooking videos online, mostly by truckers.
I was going to do an inductive cooktop. It ended up being a waste because I found I wanted a way to cook with less prep and cleanup than using traditional cookware. That was an EXPENSIVE snafoo for me because to run it I needed a 1500 W pure sine inverter ($750!) and a huge battery bank (400 A). I'm still kicking myself a year later!
With the RoadPro, I either cook in foil or a baking bag, or I use a disposable aluminum bread pan. Personal choice. I can do a lot, but certainly not as much as with pots and pans.
I also got a RoadPro crock pot recently (http://amzn.to/1Oq6RKc), but I've only used it once. So far, I'm not impressed. But I'm going to see if I'm doing something wrong before I make a final judgment.
My advice: If you want to use 12 volt like I'm doing, go for it. If you want to cook more quickly and traditionally, get a fuel-based stove. Don't do inductive unless you're going to invest in the battery capacity and inverter anyway for other uses.
It's probably time to replace your slow cooker. My old one ran way too hot and would boil water on LOW. My Hamilton Beach doesn't do that.
When cooking in my slow cooker, almost nothing except stews and soups need any added liquid. Even without adding water or broth, roasts, chicken, and other meats are nearly swimming when they are done cooking; with or without vegetables.
I have this 6qt cooker, which is a very popular model.
Some folks report having problems with it (unexpected shutoffs, etc) but I've used mine many dozens of times without any problems.
I have had this one for several years and I love it. I have used it to make sausage and kraut, navy beans and ham, pot roast, chili, soup, sloppy joes, and stew.
There are definitely plenty of vegetarian meals out there for slowcookers. You can get a basic one pretty cheaply, and if you wait for Black Friday (or Cyber Monday) you can usually get a really nice one for under $20 too.
I use this one, and have been really happy with it. We've only got 2 adults and one toddler in my family, but this cooker does a good job with smaller meals and still gives me the flexibility to cook massive meals with lots of leftovers or feed 8-10 people when we have company.
As someone else has mentioned, you don't even need a slowcooker for most slowcooker recipes. Just about any of them can be modified for the stove or the oven. You can't really beat the convenience of tossing a few things into the pot in the morning and coming home to a ready meal, though. :)
I got this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach-33967-6-Quart-Programmable/dp/B001AO2PXK/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&amp;s=home-garden&amp;qid=1268415806&amp;sr=1-5
pros about this one:
-There is a timer on it. I use it to make steel cut oats overnight.
-The lid clips on. I can easily bring it to a potluck (yes, I live in Minnesota).
-There is also a temp probe. You can set it to shut off when a particular temperature is reached.
-It's 6 qts. I never ever used my old, smaller one, but I use this one about twice a week.
I've been thinking about getting one as well, and I've seen this one mentioned quite a bit. I have it on my wishlist. It has a timer, good size, not very expensive, and it seems to have a lot of good reviews.
Hamilton Beach Set 'n Forget 6-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker
I prefer the fancier one for $10 more, but Hamilton Beach is definitely the way to go. The ability to secure it for travel alone makes it the Iceberg Slim of slow cookers. I will now go make some beef stew in mine.
Also, this slow cooker is really cool because of the thermometer it has. I feel a little safer about leaving it running while I'm out of the house.
I really like this one http://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach-33967-6-Quart-Programmable/dp/B001AO2PXK because you can put a timer on it and once it is done it switches to keep warm. This way you don't have to rush home to turn it off.
Just found this sub. Loving it already.
I bought this one about a year ago. I love it and have used it often. Never really needed the meat thermometer as of now though. Love the settings and size of it.
10/10 would buy again.
I've been very happy with my touchscreen Crock Pot! I got it because I wanted an upgrade from the simple knob design, and I've liked the programming features and the auto-warm setting.
I just got this one around Christmas and I love it. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001KVZTFO/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_KU5gtb176W94Q
Newer models do not all work as slow cookers. Due to potential legal liability involving food poisoning many modern slow cookers heat up way too fast, even when set to low.
I've heard good things about this model from Crockpot. Personally I still use my grandmothers crockpot from the 70s.
So I found this /r/ATKGear subreddit which has America's Test Kitchen equipment recommendations (the most valuable part of a subscription to them as far as I'm concerned) and they suggest this Crock Pot SCVT650; however, I've found that the lower rated reviews point out some pretty glaring cons to this model -- specifically the fact that people complain about the lid not fitting and the insert cracking... I guess that wouldn't be a huge deal if you could replace them, but according to the Crock Pot website the inserts have been on "backorder" for the better part of a year. Apparently this model is only 8" high as well which seems very low for something that is supposed to cook large volumes of food, especially since most other units I'm looking at are at least 15"... what's up with that?
Also, this model apparently has some issues with getting really hot on the exterior, which isn't as much of a problem for me personally, but probably points out some poor design. People say it's even too hot to carry by the insulated handles.
I know almost every item on amazon is going to have some crazy bad review due to some person probably using the unit improperly, however it's been nearly impossible to even find a reliable brand of slow cooker that doesn't seem to be plagued by unresolvable issues, other than buying a new unit.
No like these things. https://www.amazon.com/Reynolds-Slow-Cooker-Liners-4-Count/dp/B002U0KKK8
Yes! I have two tips. 1st, buy the extra-strong foil. 2nd, I have also tried (with decent luck) Slow Cooker Liners around the outside, with foil over that to hold it on.
But I would still have problems with it leaking and I think that is because it is condensation gathering down in from above rather than it actually leaking.
So now I make sure that my foil is extra long enough and I will fold it over the top just a little bit (like this) and make sure there is a tight seal at the top so that liquid can not condense inside the foil easily. That has seemed to work pretty well for me.
These are awesome, I plan on buying one when I get out. You can get these plastic disposable liners and it's a no mess cooking operation.
Plus crockpot food is so fucking delicious.
But as far as food goes, I love chicken, it's cheap, and you can do a LOT to it to change it up and be different.
Edit: Also, I know we all come from different walks of life, so it might not be applicable. Whenever I go home, or my mother visits, we have mini-cooking lessons. So you might want to ask your parents (or... whoever) if they can help teach you a few easy meals that they know you like to eat.
https://www.amazon.com/Reynolds-Slow-Cooker-Liners-4-Count/dp/B002U0KKK8
People already put plastic in them
You can find them here on Amazon or in most grocery stores.
Also, if you hate doing dishes like me, these are the best things ever. Just remove the plastic, quick wash on the slow cooker, and you're done.
I'm not much of a cook so I don't have any spices or know which spices to use.
And those are crockpot liners. I get a lot of fat/oil build up when I cook in the crock pot and don't have any empty cans or bottles to pour the oil/fat into. I know pouring it down the sick is a big no-no. It's just easier to throw the entire bag with the oil inside away.
I'm gonna change your life with this.
Crockpot liners
I have not ever seen this, however I do highly recommend Reynolds slow cooker liners. They are these oversized liners that go in the crock pot, requiring no clean up afterwords. Might help! http://www.amazon.com/Reynolds-Slow-Cooker-Liners-4-Count/dp/B002U0KKK8
I have the 6 qt crock pot ($35) and a timer I got from a hardware store ($10).
http://www.instructables.com/id/Sous-vide-cooker-for-less-than-40/
I found some hotspots with the stagnant water, so I added this to keep the water moving, and a palce to tie the temp probe to.
stc-1000
crock pot
would like this for phone fund but if we are talking about actual items then this be safe and come back soon =D
Good one, on sale with free shipping
One of these. Shipping to Japan was quick and cheap, the total price worked out less than one of the tiny ones sold locally.
I also have a three quart one for things like pot roasts.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003HF6PUO/ref=ya_aw_oh_bia_dp?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1
This is a fantastic slow cooker, I've had it since February and it's love.
Something like this would work. I know that $20.00 can be a lot when you're on a tight budget, but it will save you a lot of money in the long run.
If you shop around, the one thing you want for sure is for your crockpot to have a removable inner/stoneware. If it isn't removable, it can be a real struggle to get it clean without getting the whole instrument wet (not advised).
Slow cooker. Absolutely. And you can get a decent slow cooker for a reasonable price. 20 bucks for this nice little Crock-Pot. I use my slow cooker for everything from chili to stews to roasts to soups. Easily one of my favorite appliances!
Ok, first thing you will need is one of these:
https://www.amazon.com/Crock-Pot-3-Quart-Manual-Stainless-SCR300SS/dp/B003UCG8II/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?s=home-garden&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1511104258&amp;sr=1-1-spons&amp;keywords=small+crock+pot+1.5+quart&amp;psc=1
Then, stick a quarter cup of ghee, coconut oil, or some other oil, and stick about 7 grams of hash it in, don't worry about decarboxylation, that will happen while the hash is cooking. Let sit for 3 hours cooking away. When you are done, cook whatever you normally would, using said oil to cook with.
It's almost as if the eBay item had a differently-sized crock from the pot it fits in. Or, perhaps, in your country the crock was metric whilst the pot was Imperial, or vice versa.
Don't blow off the Crock-Pot brand; it's fine and popular. But perhaps find a way to get one new, from someplace.
I've studied different brands recently because I wanted a second, smaller one. I bought THIS one for about USD 50 in the USA. But since you want a manual one, there's THIS which is selling for USD 20 in the States. Larger sizes for manual on/off/warm ones are of course more expensive but not radically so.
If you aren't going to cook large meals (and have leftovers), I don't suggest you get a 6Q. If you only put a little bit in, and cook it, there's a really good chance it will overcook. I used to have this problem, and there are other people who've posted with the same issue.
I suggest you get a 3Q. It's small enough to give you two+ portions, and it's a good size for potluck dishes, if you ever do that sort of thing. I have a 3Q and it's what I use when I'm cooking for 2. It's the size I most often take to potlucks. I have a 1.5Q, 3Q, 5Q and 6Q that I use often, so I've tried different recipes in all of these.
This is the one I have. Whatever you get, make sure it has a warm setting.
I got this Classic 3-quart Round Crock Pot. The one I got is kind of an orange color. New in box, never opened. I already have 3 Crock Pots.
We had a huge crockpot, but it ended up making too much food so the food always went to waste. I got this one instead http://www.amazon.com/Crock-Pot-SCR300SS-3-Quart-Manual-Stainless/dp/B003UCG8II/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1420740570&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=crockpot+scr300 and it's great because it'll make enough food for the two of us then we have leftovers for another meal. Beef stew is so easy to make as well. Just brown some stew meat with garlic and other spices, toss it in the crockpot with carrots, onions, worcestershire and it's good to go the next morning.
You need one of these !
If you can, get yourself a crock pot! I just found this one on amazon for 18$ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003UCG8II/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_9UUYDbJ6XPEA9
Hardly more than the price of one door dash meal! You can make anything in a crock pot! And you can easily use it to reheat soups, sauces, etc. I would be happy to send you recipes I use!
Also, bagged salad and a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store is a great dinner. I like to use the leftovers to make wraps with peanut sauce and rice (amazing even cold from the fridge), and use the carcass in my slow cooker to make stock for soup!
$3 at a thrift store. $20 brand new.http://www.amazon.com/Crock-Pot-SCR300SS-3-Quart-Manual-Stainless/dp/B003UCG8II/ref=sr_1_4?s=kitchen&amp;srs=3270395011&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1377989568&amp;sr=1-4
If it's CrockPot brand it's not burning down your house. Absolutely an absurd excuse.
Electricity? 15-20 cents. You are ridiculous.
Sounds like the heating element is dead, which happens. I'd just replace it. I have this one, and it's served me well for years:
https://www.amazon.com/Crock-Pot-3-Quart-Manual-Stainless-SCR300SS/dp/B003UCG8II/ref=sr_1_11?s=kitchen&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1479859760&amp;sr=1-11&amp;keywords=crock+pot
Non-mobile: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003UCG8II/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1426820983&amp;sr=8-2&amp;keywords=slow+cooker&amp;dpPl=1&amp;dpID=51253%2Bqq9AL&amp;ref=plSrch&amp;pi=AC_SY200_QL40
^That's ^why ^I'm ^here, ^I ^don't ^judge ^you. ^PM ^/u/xl0 ^if ^I'm ^causing ^any ^trouble. ^WUT?
There's an amazon 3-quart 20$ crockpot I've used for five years (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003UCG8II). You can turn it on with some kind of meat and vegetables and sauce and leave it for 4 or 8 hours depending on slow or "fast" cook, and come back to a meal you can eat or divide into portions and freeze for later. They also make these plastic crockpot bags that you can literally put into the crockpot and cook your food in, and you won't have to clean the crock pot afterward.
If you aren't really a cooker yet and need something easy, you may enjoy investing in a crockpot! You can probably find one on your local craigslist for free or next to it, but if not, they are generally pretty inexpensive.
From there, you can just check out a site like pinterest for ideas. Crockpots are great because you can just throw things in before you leave in the morning and have a full, healthy dinner to come home to. If you have leftovers they're usually easy to freeze flat in ziplocks, and at that point you'll have quick lunches to grab on the go as well. There are even plans where you can 'prepare' all of your meals for the week on one day by cutting veggies and portioning your meats, throwing things together in a large freezer bag. This gives you several meal options on hand.
Proctor-Silex 33043 4-Quart Slow Cooker https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004O07LRC/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_62vWub04N0C5D
This is the slow cooker I've used for the years. I warn you that you might want to throw open a window before you cook because after four hours whatever you're cooking is going to permeate the house.
Woods 50006 Indoor 24-Hour Mechanical Outlet Timer, 2-Pack https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006LYHED0/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_I4vWub1FYZVTB
How about getting a small cheap slow cooker like this https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004O07LRC/ref=mp_s_a_1_7?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1502716604&amp;sr=8-7&amp;pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&amp;keywords=slow+cooker&amp;dpPl=1&amp;dpID=41zIBOBEz8L&amp;ref=plSrch
You can go about your day and come back to something delicious without any fear of setting off the hotel smoke alarms 🙂
Plenty of recipes to be found too http://www.countryliving.com/food-drinks/g1903/slow-cooker-recipes/?
Have a great trip!
I would love this crockpot for easy meals!
Thank you for the contest!
Is it a space thing? They're ubiquitous in thrift stores/garage sales, or $12 on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Crock-Pot-SCR200-B-Manual-Cooker-Quart/dp/B004P2LEE0/
I got mine for $5 on black friday, probably my best ROI in history.
http://www.amazon.com/Crock-Pot-SCR200-B-Manual-Cooker-Quart/dp/B004P2LEE0/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1417288927&amp;sr=8-3&amp;keywords=slow+cooker
I suggest you start with the simplest way to cook a complete meal and imo that is a crockpot. Buy a basic version for about $25 and a good crockpot cookbook (links below) for about $15.
Cooking in them amounts to dumping in ingredients, turning it on and walking away. Your one-pot meal or main dish is done in 4-8 hours.
https://www.amazon.com/Crock-Pot-SCR200-B-Manual-Cooker-Quart/dp/B004P2LEE0/ref=sr_1_18?s=kitchen&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1496058705&amp;sr=1-18&amp;keywords=crockpot
https://www.amazon.com/Fix-Forget-Big-Cookbook-Recipes/dp/156148640X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1496059170&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=crockpot+cookbooks
I'd recommend this Crockpot model that includes a locking lid and a timer.
Very easy to use, and the timer is especially handy if you'll be away all day while it's cooking. The pot will automatically switch to the "warm" setting when the timer runs out.
https://www.amazon.com/Crock-Pot-SCCPVL610-S-Programmable-Cooker-6-Quart/dp/B004P2NG0K/
maybe a better word would be slowcooker. here's an example
:D
Yeah, I was worried as well. Been doing it for many months now without a problem. I got a slow cooker that automatically turns to warm after it's done cooking. As long as you keep adding a little water to prevent it from drying out it keeps delicious.
This is the slow cooker I have:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004P2NG0K/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_rsg.zbG217Q8Q
Yep! They automatically go to warm after the time is up
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004P2NG0K/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_ne7XAbQQ1ZXSH
http://www.amazon.com/Crock-Pot-SCCPVL610-S-Programmable-Cooker-6-Quart/dp/B004P2NG0K/ref=sr_1_1?s=kitchen&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1458227326&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=crockpot
My first crockpot, pretty easy to use. I like it because it's simple and big, which helps cook in bulk. Just the right size for me.
Crock-Pot
Rival, get it at Sears or Target, not walmart, the walmart ones are basic models. Target you can get one that has a timer, a setting for warm low and high. Get one with a timer this way you can place your crock in the cooker in the morning and it can be set to turn on at noon at low and be ready for dinner at 6.
https://www.amazon.com/Crock-Pot-6-Quart-Programmable-Stainless-SCCPVL610-S/dp/B004P2NG0K/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1541283304&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=slow+cooker+with+timer&psc=1
&#x200B;
This?
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004P2NG0K/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_qtLPDbYRZ36HQ
Depends on the crockpot, and how much was in it. I've used this one, and with it 1/2-3/4 full it would hold stuff at a very low simmer, which is definitely above 130F. As long as it stays above 130F, you're fine.
The best thing I got when I started cooking was a slow cooker
They are simple and very VERY forgiving.
You can just rinse the chicken off, throw it in with all the other ingredients, and then let it do it's thank for about 8 hours. The chicken will just fall apart and dinner will be ready, and left over are amazing as well.
It will help you get a sense of how much you eat versus how much you make and you can play with spices and additions. It's fun!
These are primarily lunch and dinner, though I may eat an extra one throughout the day. For me, and usually it's personal preference and how risky/not picky you are, these usually keep about 5 or 6 days in the fridge. I've had them on the 7th day and while they don't smell super great right out of the fridge, after they're heated up in a microwave they smell fine.
I've also froze some and then will thaw those out after the 5th day so I have a few more days worth. They aren't nearly as tasty than when they're fresh but this is more about nutrition and fuel over taste.
My advice to you is get a crockpot and a rice cooker and then learn to cook and bake. You can make a lot of bulk meal style items in the oven as well you just need to be prepared to spend around 4ish hours on a Sunday or when ever so you can get this all prepped and sorted for the week. It may seem like a lot of time but it's so much easier to stick to a clean diet when your meals are sitting there ready to heat and eat.
This crockpot ( http://www.amazon.com/Crock-Pot-SCCPVL610-S-Programmable-Carry-Cooker/dp/B004P2NG0K/ref=lp_289940_1_1?s=kitchen&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1451329826&amp;sr=1-1 ) is very similar to the one I have. Having a programmable crockpot that you can just set to forget is the best and makes everything much easier. You can throw in your ingredients set for how ever many hours it requires, then it's done by the time you get home.
For recipes check out /r/slowcooking , the sidebar has some great limited ingredient recipes.
Don't forget to pick up a few different types of spices, don't be afraid to experiment with some smaller portions then just scale up if you like what you've made. I really just like to wing it for the most part and usually everything turns out alright.
As for a rice cooker the one I have now is crap, rice is constantly burnt at the bottom and it spews rice gunk everywhere, so I'm looking at getting a different one. I'm not sure which I'm going to get but probably one of the higher end ones to avoid the mess cheaper ones seem to cause.
Hope this helps answer some of your questions, I recommend browsing and exploring this sub as well as /r/slowcooking /r/EatCheapAndHealthy & /r/fitmeals start getting ideas and get out there and experiment!
If you're looking for more info on general nutrition, fitness and wellness check out the /r/Fitness FAQ in the sidebar and browse around /r/nutrition
I have the Crockpot version that KrisRobb mentions. No complaints - it's been excellent for 18 months now. I dropped the ceramic bowl in my sink while washing it and it broke, so I got a replacement for $25.
Random shutoff on these type of cookers is due to cheap circuitry. I bet they've been improving things. I remember reading issues related to earlier dates-of-manufacture and serial numbers when looking into mine.
One way things fail is just plain heat overloading some component or connection and causing it to fail. Obviously in a cooking unit this is pretty possible :) The other one is heated circuit boards/fixturing expanding at different rates. If they are glued or screwed tightly together, they will warp between these connections and possibly break or short the circuit somewhere. Once it has been heat-cycled a few times, I'd be pretty confident your unit is in the clear. It has "seen" everything that it will experience, and the tolerances dealt with it fine.
A crock pot of some sort is a must have for easy dinners!
you're a big girl now! Thanks for the contest!
Skin on, to retain the seasoning and add fat. This is the slowcooker I use
I've bought a 6-qt crock pot off amazon. If you need recipes I encourage you to take a look at paleopot.com. There are also some recommendations on there for crock pots but it's up to you if you listen to amazon or them ha.
Things you have to ask yourself are
(1) do I want an analog or programmable pot (will you be out of the house while it cooks)?
(2) # of days, # of people, and how much food each serving will provide (ik you answered some of this)?
The general sizes they come in are personal (< 4 qts), 4 qts, 6 qts, and then there are some 7 or 8-qt ones. I would personally recommend 6 qts.
Oh I understand
You think this is a good idea? Beef chuck + only salt, 4 hours, on high in crackpot (in past trimmed chicken thighs mixed with random watery vegetables were turning out okay on high for 4 hours)
I don't really know how that crackpot compares to your ceramic cooker or how chuck would taste with just salt on it
I bought this one. I can't say if its the best or the worst 'properly functioning slow cooker' but I like it just fine. Doing a mesquite pork shoulder in it tomorrow.
I got one similar to http://amzn.com/B004P2NG0K before they added all the extra stuff. But yea a good one will run you 40-50. Totally worth it though IMO.
I recently bought a new crock pot with a timer that switches to keep warm. It also has locks on the sides which makes it easier to transport. I am really happy with it and decided to get it even though my older crock pot was still working just fine.
The model is: Crock-Pot SCCPVL610-S Programmable Cook and Carry Oval Slow Cooker, 6-Quart
It's $50 on Amazon prime.
http://amzn.com/B004P2NG0K
I also recently bought an outlet timer (to use with a fan) on Amazon for around $15. Unless you're planning to use the outlet timer for other reasons, I think it's worth it to get the crock pot with the timer and have an extra crock pot on hand.
It's not so much the brand as the features.
Removable cooker (for easy cleaning).
Oblong shape (for long bone roasts).
Lock down lid (so you can take it to potluck and not spill everything in the car).
I personally prefer an analog "high, low, warm" switch. Many of the digital switches will automatically turn off after a predetermined time. When I make stock I prefer it on high for a hour or so, then switch to warm and go to bed, then work, coming home to the perfect stock cooked for 17 hours +.
My suggestion
Lots of good suggestions here. The meal plans are a huge ripoff compared to cooking for yourself. In addition to the dorm fridge and microwave that everyone seems to have I would recommend getting a small freezer, an electric kettle and a slow cooker/crock pot.The kettle is great for coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and ramen in a hurry. A ten lb bag of chicken leg quarters can often be found for under ten bucks. Throw half a bag in to the crockpot (and the other half in the freezer) and you have a meal for yourself and a few friends.
Would you happen to have a recommended 4qt model by chance? I'm also looking for a slow cooker, but it seems that stores nearby tend to have mostly 6qt models (like this one for example: http://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach-33262-6-Quart-Cooker/dp/B005M8IP0W).
Slow Cooker $29.88 & Corner Shelf $18.99 both from bomb wish list
This is what I have. Cheap and effective.
Crockpot lets you throw in a bunch of food and it does cooking overnight/workday.
The low temperature helps break down connective tissue on cheaper cuts of meat and makes it easy to not overcook your food.
You can get a Hamilton Beach Slow Cooker for $50. Forgot to point out that the programmable means you can set a duration or specific temperature for the food to get to. After the time/temp, it maintains a WARM setting that keeps your food at a safe temp, so you don't have to rush to get to it. Also, get the liners that make clean up a matter of seconds and no dishes to wash.
The size of a slowcooker, normally means that you make meals and have a TON to divvy up into containers to have handy for whenever you want to reheat them. It seems almost all crockpot recipes that I have encountered, also do well being frozen/reheated.
As an owner of every paleo recipe book that is highly rated/popular, let me know if you want some great starter recipes and what you THINK your favorite types of meat/foods are.
Which effectively makes it 45. If I put 5 more I’ll get this
Slow Cooker Liners
For a non-cook, I think a good place to start is a vegetarian or vegan cookbook. Meat's pretty easy to cook. Vegetables take more technique. Just practice! :)
You don't have knives? Buy this knife. There are lots of great, expensive knives that you'll never need (I have a few). This one is the best, if you ignore the blade-heads out there who don't spend less than $150 on a knife.
Do you have a Crockpot? The most inexpensive cuts of meat require long cook times, and a slow cooker will knock that out while you're at work. If there are only two of you, a 2-qt. Crockpot runs $15.
Do some reading on paleo fats. Fat is what will keep you running throughout the day.
Enjoy your kitchen!
I bought one as a gift for a friend I know doesn't have one.
http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B004P2LEE0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1
It was like 12$ with amazon prime at the time
My favorite slow cooked I’ve had so far has been this one: Crock-Pot SCCPVL610-S-A 6-Quart Cook & Carry Programmable Slow Cooker with Digital Timer, Stainless Steel https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004P2NG0K/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_pfvsDb3CAJH1X
Great size and features for most recipes! I will say, however, that I have not touched it since I bought my instantpot. I have the ultra 6qt, and I’m able to do everything I could in the crockpot but also a lot more. It gives me the opportunity to make soups in an hour and a half that taste like my all day slow cooker soups (although it does have a slow cooker function as well! I occasionally use it, and recommend getting the glass top for it if you plan to use it at all). Hope this helps!!
http://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach-33969A-Programmable-6-Quart/dp/B00EZI26GO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1408827714&amp;sr=8-2&amp;keywords=slow+cooker
and there are plenty more...
My wife and I have been cooking rice on the stove for 8 years, comes out perfectly every time. I've never seen the need for a rice cooker.
We do use a pressure cooker (http://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-IP-DUO60-Programmable-Stainless/dp/B00FLYWNYQ) which is pretty awesome that we use for brown rice, because that normally takes so much longer to cook.
lol. well it must not be very popular then.
**checks amazon. #1 best seller in kitchen and dining.
https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-Multi-Use-Programmable-Pressure/dp/B01B1VC13K/ref=lp_3031632011_1_1?srs=3031632011&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1500240780&amp;sr=8-1
loving your anecdotal evidence to the contrary tho. Izzat the scientific method you are using? :D
May also consider an Instant Pot, you can sous vide with models that have the “Ultra” setting (custom time and temp), this is what I use to do my stuff. The added benefit of all the pressure cooking options is a bonus.
Not a referral link:
https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-Ultra-Programmable-Sterilizer/dp/B06Y1MP2PY
Because the Instant Pot is basically a glorified rice cooker with sidewall reinforcement at its design core, if you bother to compare/examine them both in-person, side-by-side, as I have.
The NuWave Induction Pressure Cooker is my personal preference for use with my Ti.
EDIT: Wasn't intended to be a dig or an insult. Simply a firsthand observation.
Maybe instead of down-voting because you're butt hurt someone told you something you didn't know/never noticed before, go look & see for yourselves..?
Doesn't effect the Instant Pot's performance pressure cooking overall, but it doesn't change the facts of its design, either.