Next, I used the slow cooker to make the recipe for vegetable soup. Again, all the ingredients had to be sautéed and boiled before placing in the cook pot. It seems a shame that the cooker doesn’t have a hot enough setting to be able to sauté. The instructions also advise pre-heating the slow cooker for any recipe that hasn’t been initially cooked. Finally, I made a dessert recipe of baked stuffed apple, which didn’t require any pre-cooking. Having stuffed apples with sugar and sultanas, I placed them onto a foil ‘saucer’ in the pot and poured hot water around it. Using low for six hours (of a recommended 4-6), the apples overcooked and disintegrated. On the front, a dial controls the temperature with three settings: low, high and warm (for keeping cooked food at temperature prior to serving). Most of the recipes provided with the slow cooker offer the option of heating at low for a longer period or high for faster results. These allow each recipe to be adapted to your schedule. Note that there’s no timer function. Where it disappoints is the adhesive left on the chalk board and a leaky lid on the high setting – things that could be worked around if you don’t mind occasional wiping up. Otherwise, it cooks well and has the potential to be a handy kitchen appliance. Verdict

One of the issues this recipe highlighted was the loose lid of the cooker. While this resulted in a tempting aroma of soup as it cooked, it also allowed steam and condensation to leak out. When cooled, this left a puddle of water on the worktop. The exterior was very hot on the high setting. Switching it to the keep-warm setting preserved the soup at a hot – but not boiling – temperature.