GH Institute

All Slow cookers

• 
  Review of Morphy Richards 49724 slow cooker

  Features

  5.0 litre ceramic pot. 3 settings: low, high and warm. Digital display and timer to 10 hours cooking time. Dishwasher safe pot and lid.

  Weight of pot: 2.8kg

  Comments

  Good points: Deep circular pot is ideal for layered dishes and tends to keep dishes more moist than wider pots. Clear digital display counts down the set time. Easy to set time and temp. Press controls make it easy to wipe clean. Lowest energy usage and low moisture loss. Very good beef stew results, beef and veg well cooked and flavoursome. Chicken and veg cooked well in hotpot. Cooks for 10 hours and will keep warm for 2 hours.

  Drawbacks: Celery and lentils still a little firm in soup.

  Rating: 82/100

  Price: £59.99

  Stockist: 0870 060 2614 - http://www.morphyrichards.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - January 2010

  
  

• 
  Review of Cookworks Signature slow cooker

  Features

  6.5 litre ceramic pot. 3 settings: low, high and warm. On indicator.

  Weight of pot: 3.4kg.

  Comments

  Good points: Generous sized pot. Lentils cooked in soup and flavoursome. Beef tender in stew and veg well cooked.

  Drawbacks: On indicator could be brighter. Shallow pot handles are hard to grip with oven mitts. Instructions are poorly laid out and lacking in detail. No timer means it will carry on cooking until you switch it off or on to keep warm - no auto keep warm.

  Rating: 73/100

  Price: £29.39

  Stockist: 0845 640 3030 - http://www.argos.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - January 2010

• 
  Review of Cuisinart Cook & Hold CSC400U slow cooker

  Features

  3.8 litre ceramic pot. 3 settings: low, high and hold. On and cook indicators. Timer to 9 hours. Dishwasher safe pot and lid.

  Weight of pot: 2.4kg.

  Comments

  Good points: A good selection of recipes is included in the instructions. Clear and concise instruction booklet. Low energy. Lentils well cooked in soup. Cooks for a maximum of 8 hours and then switches to keep warm.

  Drawbacks: Boils vigorously even on a low setting and spits from under the lid which rattles during cooking. Beef overcooked in stew and liquid reduced. Chicken dry and chewy in hotpot.

  Rating: 73/100

  Price: £60

  Stockist: 0870 240 6902 - http://www.cuisinart.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - January 2010

• 
  Review of Lakeland 12921 slow cooker

  Features

  5.2 litre ceramic pot. 3 settings: low, high and warm. On indicator.

  Weight of pot: 2.9kg.

  Comments

  Good points:Very good beef stew results, meat and vegetables tender and tasty.

  Drawbacks:The on indicator could be brighter. Shallow lug handles on the pot are hard to grip with oven mitts. Chicken a little dry in hotpot and overcooked. Lentils still firm in soup. No timer means it will carry on cooking until you switch it off or on to keep warm - no auto keep warm.

  Rating: 71/100

  Price: £29.99

  Stockist: 015394 88100 - http://www.lakeland.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - January 2010

• 
  Review of M&S slow cooker

  Features

  5.2 litre ceramic pot. 3 settings: low, high and warm. On indicator.

  Weight of pot: 2.9kg.

  Comments

  Good points:Very good beef stew results, meat and vegetables tender and tasty.

  Drawbacks:The on indicator could be brighter. Shallow lug handles on the pot are hard to grip with oven mitts. Chicken a little dry in hotpot and overcooked. Lentils still firm in soup. No timer means it will carry on cooking until you switch it off or on to keep warm - no auto keep warm.

  Rating: 70/100

  Price: £25

  Stockist: 0845 609 0200 - http://www.marksandspencer.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - January 2010

• 
  Review of James Martin ZX7112X slow cooker

  Features

  5.0 litre ceramic pot. 3 settings: low, high and auto. On indicator. Dishwasher safe pot and lid.

  Weight of pot: 2.9kg

  Comments

  Good points: Large control knob is easy to grip. Tender chicken in hotpot and lentils well cooked in soup.

  Drawbacks: Lug handles on pot are shallow and hard to grip with oven mitts. We would have expected a more comprehensive recipe book. Veg and beef a little overcooked in stew.
  No timer means it will carry on cooking until you switch it off or on to keep warm - no auto keep warm.

  Rating: 67/100

  Price: £34.29

  Stockist: 0845 640 3030 - http://www.argos.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - January 2010

• 
  Review of Breville VTP041 slow cooker

  Features

  4.5 litre ceramic pot. 3 settings: low, high and auto. On indicator. Dishwasher safe lid.

  Weight of pot: 2.5kg

  Comments

  Good points: Beef stew maintained its flavour and tenderness despite moisture loss. Lentils well cooked.

  Drawbacks: The on indicator could be brighter. Surface shows finger-marks easily. Water spits out from under the lid. High moisture loss. Hotpoint slightly burned around the edges. Chicken very dry and veg overcooked in hotpot. No timer means it will carry on cooking until you switch it off or on to keep warm - no auto keep warm.

  Rating: 66/100

  Price: £24.99

  Stockist: 0800 525 089 - http://www.breville.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - January 2010

• 
  Review of Crock-pot Saute SCV1600BS slow cooker

  Features

  5.6 litre stoneware pot. 3 settings: low, high and warm. On indicator and digital display. Timer. Dishwasher safe pot and lid. Can be used on direct heat

  Weight of pot 2.7kg.

  Comments

  Good points: Clear digital display which counts down the set time.  On indicator is bright and clear. Pot can be used on hob and in oven. Good recipe booklet.

  Drawbacks: Ceramic lid means you have to lift it to view the contents. Meat a little overcooked in stew and chicken dry in hotpot. Lentils still firm in soup. No timer means it will carry on cooking until you switch it off or on to keep warm - no auto keep warm.

  Rating: 65/100

  Price: £64.99

  Stockist: 0800 0523615

  GHI Test Report - January 2010

• 
  Review of Prestige 41130 slow cooker

  Features

  4.5 litre ceramic pot. 3 settings: low, high and auto. On indicator. Dishwasher safe pot and lid.

  Weight of pot 3.7kg.

  Comments

  Good points: The loop handles on the lid and pot are textured and easy to grip. Black exterior is easy to clean. Low moisture loss. Chicken moist and tender in hotpot.

  Drawbacks: veg a little hard in beef stew and beef still chewy. Veg still firm in hotpot and lentils still hard in soup. No timer means it will carry on cooking until you switch it off or on to keep warm - no auto keep warm.

  Rating: 65/100

  Price: £55

  Stockist: 0151 482 8282

  GHI Test Report - January 2010

• 
  Review of Team UKI VisiCook SLG 55T slow cooker

  Features

  5.5 litre glass pot. 3 settings: low, high and auto. On indicator. Dishwasher safe pot and lid. Weight of pot: 1.9kg.

  Comments

  Good points: Glass pot means you can easily view contents.

  Drawbacks: the glass bowl has no handles which makes it hard to grip with oven mitts. It tends to steam the meat and maintains too much liquid, leaving recipes watery. Veg overcooked in hotpot and chicken chewy. Lentils still firm in soup.No timer means it will carry on cooking until you switch it off or on to keep warm - no auto keep warm.

  Rating: 57/100

  Price: £49.99

  Stockist: 0121 693 9221 - http://www.teamuki.com

  GHI Test Report - January 2010