slow cookers

[mandimoo]

there are so many questions asked on slow cookers regarding recipes, but what i want to know is... is a slow cooker any better than using a very heavy cast iron casserole dish with lid, on low in the oven for many hours? because i have one of these and dont want to dish out for a slow cooker unecessarily, tia.

[BBWCHATT]

Mandi - It probably is NOT a bit better - but it may be way less expensive to have a small appliance in use for the same number of hours as an oven. Also, I might not leave the house to go to work with my oven on all day, but I have done it with a slow cooker many times with no problem. I guess it just comes down to a matter of preference and lifestyle - but both are good.

[shaneystar2]

You will use far less electricity using a slow cooker .Plus you can look at it from time to time ..easier than dragging a great dish out the oven every now and then to give it a stir . As BB says I would never go and out and leave an oven all day but had no qualms (when I was at work ) at going out and leaving my slow cooker on.
Slow cookers are not all that expensive ..you can get them fairly cheaply in Argos .
I have just discovered a crack in my old faithful and have had to get a new one ...The third in over thirty years of using one .It was twenty five quid with free postage from Amazon And it's the big 6.5 litre one .They are really worth the money and have repaid me time and time again in the amount of time saved in the kitchen and for the variety of stuff you can cook in them.