As the colder weather creeps in and energy bills continue to rise, you may look to invest in a slow cooker for more cost-effective, hearty meals to keep you warm inside and your costs low this autumn.
READ: 7 cheap kitchen appliances from £20 that will save you money on meals
Slow cookers use far less energy than an electric cooker, costing just 16p per day to run according to Utilita. Compared to an electric oven, which costs around £316 a year to power, the energy-saving appliance is doing far more than just saving you time in the kitchen.
Crock-Pot Slow Cooker, £20, Amazon
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If you're unsure on how the popular kitchen tool works, you simply add your ingredients, set it, and forget it. From wholesome casseroles to fiery curries, warming pasta bakes and more, a slow cooker is the easiest way to ensure you come home to a comforting home-cooked meal with minimal prep.
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Need some warming autumnal recipes to try out? Scroll on for some celebrity-favourite slow cooker recipes below…
Reese Witherspoon's slow cooker lentil soup
Reese is a huge fan of her slow cooker. She said: "Hold on to your onions, folks! Call me old fashioned but I REALLY love my slow cooker. Sharing an easy, delicious Lentil Soup recipe."
WATCH: Reese Witherspoon shares her slow cooker lentil soup recipe
Sharing her favourite soup recipe on Instagram, we see the actress frying up some carrots, onion, celery and garlic. She then adds tomato paste, cumin, coriander, paprika, two cups of green lentils and some vegetable broth. Then into the slow cooker it all goes.
"I also decided to add a little bit of sausage, so who knows man?" said Reese. "I'm just going 'off recipe', so we'll see how it turns out."
Jamie Oliver's slow cooker beef brisket with red wine & shallots
If anyone knows how to concoct the ultimate winter-warmer recipe, it's Jamie Oliver. The celebrity chef's wholesome slow cooker beef brisket dish is going straight on our must-try list.
This simple recipe packs an impressive punch. "Brisket is one of the cheapest cuts you can buy, but this recipe transforms it into something very special!" says Jamie.
Chrissy Teigen's slow cooker Thai-style short ribs
Aside from being a Sports Illustrated model, mother-of-two and television personality, Chrissy Teigen has authored two cookbooks. Impressive, right?
Proud of her hearty, wholesome recipes, the wife of John Legend previously told Architectural Digest: "I'm notorious for and love things that take four and five hours." Chrissy's mouthwatering Thai-style short ribs pack a serious punch with curry paste, sweet chilli sauce, and plenty of garlic and ginger.
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Her secret to extra flavour? Searing the short ribs before dropping them into the slow cooker with all those seasonings. Then she lets them cook for anywhere from six to eight hours or until it falls off the bone, she tells The Fab Life. "The best part is that it only gets better as it sits," she says.
The star recommends serving the recipe with creamy peanut sauce and fresh mango-jalapeño salsa.
Nigella Lawson's slow cooker Moroccan chicken stew
Celebrity chef Nigella Lawson is the queen of comfort meals - and her Moroccan chicken stew is mind-blowingly simple.
"My chook-from-the-souk is a lightly fragranced golden stew that gains more succulence from having the bones of the chicken thighs in as well," she says.
If you're not convinced a slow cooker is as simple it seems, let Nigella's recipe convince you otherwise. "Put everything into the slow cooker and cook on low for 4 hours," is her only instruction for this delicious fiery dish. Tempted yet?
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