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Top 10 slow cooker tips

If it's convenience you're after, a slow cooker might be the answer. With a little bit of forward planning, you can leave it unattended and return to a freshly cooked meal, hours later. Use these tips to get the most from your slow cooker

• Slow cookers come in a variety of sizes, but many people prefer the 5 litre one. Although it's not necessary to own more than two sizes, you might consider having a smaller model for chutneys, sauces and recipes that will feed about four people and a larger machine for entertaining


• Once you've placed the ingredients in the slow cooker and turned it on, it is neither necessary nor advisable to lift the lid to stir the mixture. The steam generated in the cooking creates a vacuum that seals the lid. Every time you open the lid some steam and heat dissipate, which can prolong the cooking time. Some recipes do instruct you to stir halfway through the cooking time or toward the end, but otherwise it's best to leave the lid in place


• Take care not to fill the insert so much that the lid doesn't fit tightly. Without a tight fit a vacuum will not form, and that can dramatically affect cooking time


• It's very important to clean the insert completely between uses. Built-up food stains are impossible to remove. I often put the inserts in the dishwasher (check your slow cooker's instructions to be sure it's dishwasher-safe)

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