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.

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. 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.

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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 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.