Know the difference between a slow cooker and a pressure cooker

When it comes to hibernation and cooking, there are few things better than putting a few simple ingredients together, letting them do their thing and coming back to a hot meal. Now for the method. If you’ve been wondering about the difference between a slow cooker and a pressure cooker, and of course the Wonderbag, we’re here to help.

Beef-stew-in-the-wonderbag

Slow cookers

These appliances take low and slow to a whole new level. You can cook a stew on the stove for an hour or two, or a casserole in the oven for an hour or three, but with the slow cooker, you can leave it to cook for anywhere up to about 10 hours.

How a slow cooker works

  • The ceramic crock inside a slow cooker sits over a very gentle element
  • You do all the prep you’d usually do for a stew and toss the lot in the slow cooker
  • Depending on the meat used and the setting (low or high) you can leave your food to cook overnight or during the day while at work.

Key point: It’s this lengthy hands off cooking time that makes the slow cooker so awesome, allowing you to get on with the business of living.

Pressure cookers

The pressure cooker is almost the opposite to a slow cooker. Meals that can take several hours in the oven, or even more in the slow cooker, can be whipped up on a week night in less than an hour.

How a pressure cooker works

  • Pressure cookers use super heated steam, creating a high pressure environment, which mimics the action of slow cooking, but in a fraction of the time.
  • Bear in mind that if you open it up to check on the contents, you’ll have to bring it back up to full pressure again which can take some time.
  • Most pressure cookers are stove top versions, so you need to keep an eye on them (the appliances need less monitoring).

pressure-cooker

Key point: The pressure cooker helps to create slow cooked dishes in a fraction of the time, but do require monitoring and trial and error.

The Wonderbag

We may have mentioned this once or twice, but the Wonderbag truly is a wonder.

  • Do all the prep you’d do for a stew or a slow cooker, then once your pot has reached a sufficiently heated temperature, pop the lidded pot into the Wonderbag, and let it work its magic.
  • The insulation of the Wonderbag retains the heat within the pot mimicking the continual low heat of a slow cooker.
  • Without power or any other interference, the Wonderbag will cook the contents over time, creating beautiful, tasty food.

Wonderbag

Key point: The Wonderbag will help you create tasty stewed dishes, and can safely be left alone to cook without interference. Just remember that if you open it to check progress, you’ll need to bring it back up to the boil before you put the lid on again.

Which is your favourite way to create those home cooked classics? Share your tips, tricks and experiences on our forum.