Slow Cookers

[freeazabird]

Do you use a slow cooker? I'm thinking about getting one.I make a lot of soup and have a gas stove. My gas bill is super high. Will a slow cooker likely save me money?

[rocketpj]

Don't know about saving money, it is running a charge for several hours, but there are definitely some things that are worth cooking in the slow cooker.  It saves a ton of time, and I can throw in the stuff in the morning, put it on low and we have a nice chili or slow cooked ribs for dinner.

[flamingo25]

I have 2 slow cookers and use them both often.

I would say a slow cooker saves me money because I come home to a hot meal and am therefore not tempted to order pizza/takeout. I also use it to make homemade applesauce and yogurt (not sure if that saves money but I consider the homemade versions far healthier and more tasty than store-bought).

[swick]

lots of discussion here: http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/ask-a-mustachian/crock-pot-regret/

[Homey The Clown]

Don't get it to save money. When we installed our gas stove, our gas bill only went up by 1-2 therms per month, a miniscule amount. Even if we turned it off completely, it would save us about $1/month. Your gas is going to heat (mostly), clothes drying (a good bit) and water heating (quite a bit less).

Do you use a slow cooker? I'm thinking about getting one.I make a lot of soup and have a gas stove. My gas bill is super high. Will a slow cooker likely save me money?

[golden1]

I use one about once every 2 weeks, more in the winter.  I think the slow cooker is overused these days for things that other modes of cooking work better for.  However, it is great for preparing a large batch of food with minimal effort, and making tougher cuts of meat taste delicious which saves money. 

[GizmoTX]

I used to use a slow cooker frequently during busy days when I knew there wouldn't be much time at the end of a day for cooking dinner.
Now that we're more home oriented, I use a pressure cooker instead. It cooks much more quickly than stovetop or oven, concentrates flavor, & saves energy to boot. Some electric pressure cookers can double as a slow cooker -- I recommend the Instant Pot.

[RunningWithScissors]

I love my slow cooker!  I've heard that the power they use is less than a 60W light bulb, so it should be a very energy efficient way to cook.

I'm a soup addict and love to make my own stock from stuff that would ordinarily go in the trash.  Every time we roast meat on the bone or have whole chickens, I freeze them until I have enough to fill the pot then I add my stockpile of frozen veggie trimmings such as onion ends, broccoli peelings, soft snap peas, sprouted garlic, and potato peels.  I add bay leaf, a splash of balsamic vinegar to leach all the gelatin and vitamins out of the bones, optional leftover white wine and top with water to the rim.  Turn on high until it simmers, then turn to low and let it sit for 12 hours.  Strain out the liquid (I use a big metal colander), place in a cool place to let the fat separate (save that too!) and keep as plain broth or spice up into a soup by adding the bits of meat and more veggies and a starch such as barley, rice or small pasta back in.

Hambones plus red lentil and chickpeas with curry or garam masala spices makes an awesome thick, rich soup.  Cheap rotisserie chicken carcasses give a great roasted flavor, and beef bones can render a rich base to a winter veggie and barley soup.  I've been known to leave fancy dinner parties and family holiday meals with my stock ingredients wrapped in tin foil to take home.  These 'free' soups keep my weekly work lunch spending on takeout to $0. 

[JuSp02]

I use a wonderbag! It's a non-electric/no-power slowcooker: http://www.amazon.com/Wonderbag-Non-Electric-Portable-Cooker-Cookbook/dp/B00ESI96SW

I use it just like a slowcooker. It retains heat surprisingly well (I have brought pots to a boil, put them in my wonderbag overnight, and woken up the next morning to find the pots still steaming). I was always queasy about leaving a regular slowcooker plugged in for hours while I was out. I never have to worry about burning down my house with my wonderbag.

Also, each time a wonderbag is sold, the company donates a wonderbag to a needy family in a developing country.

[3okirb]

We use ours and it saves us money.  You can make the meals in bulk and freeze them, which saves money.  It also saves us in that if we know dinner is waiting for us, we're a LOT less likely to randomly go out to eat after work because we're tired and hungry and don't want to do the work to prepare a meal.

[HipGnosis]

I use a wonderbag! It's a non-electric/no-power slowcooker: http://www.amazon.com/Wonderbag-Non-Electric-Portable-Cooker-Cookbook/dp/B00ESI96SW

I use it just like a slowcooker.

That's quite a neat idea.  I realized long ago that conventional cooking is very thermally inefficient.
But it seems to be made with 50 year old technology.  Why not adapt pizza delivery bag technology for this??  Actually, now that I've typed it, I think I will.   Yep, you can buy them on-line!  I don't need it to hold 8 quarts anyway.