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Pop all your ingredients into a slow cooker and let them simmer to make a delicious dish. We test these, making soups and stews with them.
1) TAKAHI 3.5L ELECTRIC CROCKERY POT 2404 [Editor's Rave]
$69, from major electrical stores
USING IT
The glass lid fitted the stoneware inner pot snugly, keeping in steam to stop excessive loss of liquid during cooking. Also, the silicone knob meant I could lift the hot lid easily and safely.
The heat-resistant inner pot with comfy grip handles allowed me to brown the chicken in it over my gas stove for a flavour boost before slow-cooking it with the rest of my ingredients. This meant one less pot to clean.
THE FOOD
It took a little over two hours to reach a steady, moderate boil. At the end of four hours, the soup had a milder flavour than that made in the Booney and Iona models.
But the pork and lotus root were both tender, and not much liquid was lost, thanks to the lid.
This cooker also made a delicious stew. The chicken thighs and breast meat were tender, and the gentle boil gave it body and depth of flavour.
VERDICT
9.5 A reliable, well-rounded cooker that gave me a good soup and stew.
2) TAKADA 3.5L SLOW COOKER SC-3500A
$73, from www.mytakada.com and major electrical stores
USING IT
Stovetop-safe and good for browning meats for extra flavour, the stoneware inner pot had side handles, so lifting it off the stove was easy. But the glass knob on the lid was too hot to handle without a pot holder.
THE FOOD
The soup heated up fast, and boiled consistently and moderately for 90 minutes into the cooking. The bubbling looked promising through the glass lid, but it didn’t coax enough oomph from the ingredients.
The result was tender pork and lotus root in a mild-tasting instead of flavourful soup. The chicken and potatoes for the stew turned out succulent and tasty, but the gravy had almost dried up. It needed more water at the start.
VERDICT
7. Good for stews, but could do better for soups.
3) BOONEY 3.5L MULTIPURPOSE ELECTRIC SLOW COOKER BSC36R SILVER [Great Find]
$48, from major electrical stores
USING IT
The metal-rimmed glass lid had a vent to release steam, while the contents bubbled away.
THE FOOD
The Booney heated up quickly, resulting in a rolling boil 90 minutes into cooking.
The soup developed good flavour and depth, and the pork was falling-off-the-rib tender. But over a quarter of the liquid evaporated because of the vent and loose-fitting lid.
The stew had just a third of the gravy it should have had. The meat and potatoes were tender, but with most of the liquid boiled off, the gravy was salty and oily.
VERDICT
8. Worked reasonably well. However, I would add more liquid the next time.
4) IONA 3.5L PURPLE CLAY AUTO SLOW COOKER GLSC350
$55.90, from iona.com.sg and major electrical stores
USING IT
The inner pot is made of purple clay, known in Chinese as zisha, and said to be rich in minerals that help make a complex, flavourful soup. However, it would have been easier to lift if it had handles.
The glass lid didn’t fit securely and wobbled as my dishes boiled, and steam spurted through the rim. The glass knob was also too hot to handle without a pot holder.
THE FOOD
I had mixed results. The soup started to boil evenly and strongly after two hours. It made the most flavourful soup of the lot, and the meat was moist and juicy.
But it failed to perform for the stew. It was the first of the three to begin simmering after 30 minutes and maintained a strong, bubbling boil, but that proved to be too hot for the stew. The gravy was cooked away and the meat was dry.
VERDICT
7. Great for a satisfying pot of soup with great flavour. For stews, you will need to add more liquid from the start.
5) CORNELL 3L SLOW COOKER CSC350
$76.90, from major electrical stores
USING IT
Weighing about 2kg, the ceramic inner pot was the heaviest to lift when fi lled.
Steam escaped from the vent and rim of the glass lid, but little liquid was lost as it cooked on a gentle simmer. The cool-to-the-touch plastic loop instead of a knob made lifting the lid a cinch.
THE FOOD
The soup began to show a few popping bubbles only after three hours and the extra-gentle cooking failed to extract the flavour from the pork ribs, making it the blandest of the lot. Also, while the lotus root was tender with a bit of a bite, the pork was still a little tough after 4 hours.
The stew fared better. The chicken was tender and the gravy was flavourful, although the gravy was saltier than the one cooked in the Takahi.
VERDICT
7.5. My main gripe was that the Cornell never got to a good, bubbling boil.
Written by Low Jat Leng for Simply Her.