Reddit reviews Proctor-Silex 33043 4-Quart Slow Cooker

For most people the best one is the one at a garage sale or Goodwill for $5. Can't beat that, it's what I did and i've had great results. If you really want the best of the best however, that's without a doubt the Instant Pot. It makes just about everything under the sun along with slow cooking. Best part is it has a stainless steel bowl so you can brown meat and get a good sear before you slow cook it, all in one pot. And if you don't have all day to cook something it's a great pressure cooker. Along with rice, yogurt etc.

That being said you definitely don't need to spend $100 on a slow cooker either. Something like This would be great, as long as 4 quarts isn't too small for you (best for 1-2 people, not for a whole family)

if you dont wanna go expensive a 4 quart one is on amazon for $17.

if you're trying to buy a brand new one instead of used, this one's served me well.

Slow cooker if you can keep it in your room. 45 minutes of prep yields 4 meals. You can set it for low (7+ hours) or high (4 - 5 hours). You can pick up a good one (I use this every week http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004O07LRC) very cheaply. There are tons of recipes in the web. If you want the one I use every week PM me for it.

To that point you can also get a crock pot pretty cheap at target especially right around now. Smaller ones are usually like $25-$35 bucks..you can get busy with a crock pot.

edit: Here's a smaller one for $15 bucks
https://www.amazon.com/Proctor-Silex-33043-4-Quart-Slow-Cooker/dp/B004O07LRC/ref=sr_1_7?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1479495604&sr=1-7&keywords=crock+pot

After reading a ton of Amazon reviews, I believe Proctor-Silex brand slow cookers seem to be a little more "old school" compared to the other brands, in that they don't get quite as hot.

My 4-quart PS cooker is my go-to slow cooker, the best of about 7 other cookers I've tried, mostly Crockpot brand. It comes closest to my mom's 30 year old cooker in terms of heat levels. (I upgraded from a 3-quart Proctor-Silex, which was also good with heat levels)

EDIT: This is the 4-quart model I have.

/r/EatCheapAndHealthy

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/r/Cooking/

/r/cookingforbeginners/

/r/cookingvideos/

/r/recipes/

/r/slowcooking/

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I suck at cooking. I'm terrible. I'm worse than terrible.

But I'm gonna tell you a couple of simple tips for feeding yourself on a budget:

1. If you own a Keurig: sell that fucking thing to some other sucker, and buy yourself a standard 10 or 12-cup drip coffee maker.
   

• Example Black & Decker @ $20
  
• Why? Keurig is about $1 per cup. Standard pot is about $1 for 10 cups.
  
• Don't bother with a reusable coffee filter. paper filters are cheap as hell and make decent disposable snack bowls.
  

2. Buy a Slow Cooker or Croc-Pot.
   

• Example: 4-quart @ $25
  
• /r/slowcooking will show you the magic & power of pouring just about any damned thing in there and making food out of it.
  

3. Don't underestimate the value of a small array of spices or seasonings.
   

• Garlic powder. Onion powder. Salt & pepper. Something with some heat like a Cayenne pepper powder.
  
• A healthy shake of seasoning can really help make even boiled potatoes at least kind of interesting to eat.
  

4. ASK QUESTIONS. You probably only have one or two grocery stores close to your apartment. Do some price comparisons and pick one and stick to it.
   

• Ask the meat department manager when the best day of the week AND time of day is to score his best deals.
  
• Remember: you can put damned near anything in a croc-pot and make something edible out of it. So if he throws all of his meats away on Thursday to freshen the cooler for Friday-Sat-Sun shoppers, get in there on Thursday and get you some cheap proteins.
  
• Ask about coupons and extra discount days. Buying a Sunday newspaper for $1.25 from the 7-11 so you can cut $15.00 worth of coupons out of it isn't a terrible deal, so long as you remember to use those coupons.

http://www.amazon.com/Proctor-Silex-33043-4-Quart-Slow-Cooker/dp/B004O07LRC

It's cool, I got a link!

I'm definitely getting this next paycheck.

Another useful kitchen equipment is a waffle iron. I got a cheap one for $15, and I use it for quesadillas, paninis, cinnamon rolls, pizza, near anything you can use a skillet for.

Plants! They're great to have, I have some bamboo right now. I love it. Here's a really pretty bonsai tree!

And you definitely need a crock pot! They're super handy to have, just throw some food in in the morning and come home to a super easy meal, plus leftovers!

An electric kettle is another essential! Especially if you love tea.

Cheap, cute end tables! I turned the top of mine into a chessboard! Fancy-s up my room a lot.

Here and here are some really nice shelves!

You definitely need a set of knives too!

A really awesome bottle opener!

Here are some really cool glasses.

Aaand the cutest sake set ever.

Okay I'll stop linking now. I just really love household-y things! :D

Thank you for the contest and I hope this list helps!

How about getting a small cheap slow cooker like this https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004O07LRC/ref=mp_s_a_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1502716604&sr=8-7&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=slow+cooker&dpPl=1&dpID=41zIBOBEz8L&ref=plSrch

You can go about your day and come back to something delicious without any fear of setting off the hotel smoke alarms 🙂

Plenty of recipes to be found too http://www.countryliving.com/food-drinks/g1903/slow-cooker-recipes/?

Have a great trip!

Proctor-Silex 33043 4-Quart Slow Cooker https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004O07LRC/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_62vWub04N0C5D

This is the slow cooker I've used for the years. I warn you that you might want to throw open a window before you cook because after four hours whatever you're cooking is going to permeate the house.

Woods 50006 Indoor 24-Hour Mechanical Outlet Timer, 2-Pack https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006LYHED0/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_I4vWub1FYZVTB

If you aren't really a cooker yet and need something easy, you may enjoy investing in a crockpot! You can probably find one on your local craigslist for free or next to it, but if not, they are generally pretty inexpensive.

From there, you can just check out a site like pinterest for ideas. Crockpots are great because you can just throw things in before you leave in the morning and have a full, healthy dinner to come home to. If you have leftovers they're usually easy to freeze flat in ziplocks, and at that point you'll have quick lunches to grab on the go as well. There are even plans where you can 'prepare' all of your meals for the week on one day by cutting veggies and portioning your meats, throwing things together in a large freezer bag. This gives you several meal options on hand.