But that's all you do to a non-frozen one

Good point.

It's always mystified me why people are willing to pay more for 'easy cook' rice - as if it's otherwise a difficult process to slap rice into a saucepan and simmer it for a while.

I agree. What could be easier than boiling some rice? In fact you don't even need to simmer for a while. Just put the rice into double the quantity of cold water, bring to the boil, put a lid on the pan, switch the heat off and leave it for 20-25mins.

Although you can oven cook like them they're primarily for microwaves which just takes a few mins.

Never tried switching the heat OFF after boiling (you sure that doesn't just apply to electric hobs?) but I hope that works - it could enhance my 'green' credentials no end...

Well my hob is electric but I think it works for any hob. I believe it is about absorbing water. Seemingly we cook rice not just to make it hot but to allow it to absorb water and it will do this quite happily just in hot water.

I use brown basmati mostly. I rinse the rice a couple of times and put it in a pan with two scoops, of whatever I measured the rice in, of cold tap water. Bring it to a boil. Pop a snug lid on and turn it off. Then just leave the rice to suck up the water. When you come back all the water should be gone and the rice ready to eat. Very occasionally I have to add a bit more heat to reheat the water, but this might be because I haven't waited long enough or measured my water accurately (I am a bit of a chuck it in style cook).

You can do something similar with porridge too. I put boiling water on it the night before and cover it. In the morning the oats have absorbed the water and I just add a little more (or milk) and give it a wazz in the microwave. Although this only saves a minute or two from making it from scratch in the morning in the microwave to be honest. But Like you I like to think I am saving energy.

I rarely use supermarkets, but when I must enter one, I can honestly say I've never seen Jacket potatoes being sold in there.

I've seen them on those delightful little old fashioned street vender carts, but never in a supermarket.

Anathema and heresy!

Is this what it's come to? People can't even be bothered to stick a spud in the oven, everything has to be pre-cooked, pre-packaged and pumped full of chemicals?

You can easily ruin a jacket potato if you put too many beans on, it totally overpowers the cheese. Capisce!

It certainly seems that way! Gas mark 9, top of your oven, pricked with a fork, no foil, no baking tray, straight on the wire oven rack for around an hour or a little over, usually makes for perfect, crispy skinned jacket potatoes.

I've just been called anal over on another thread for stating how disgusting, and bad for you that Mcdonalds is.

Their bodies, let them eat rubbish if they wish.

Can't abide laziness though when it comes to food!

To add, for you BIB - we don't even own a microwave, and manage perfectly well.

I don't know where the OP is living but it has been a bumper year for the deliciously huge jacket. I've seen some almost as big as my head. I'm fancying one right now tbh!

Got to have garlic butter though

European quotas. The large ones get chucked back.

Genuinely surprised that frozen "jacket potatoes" are a thing, and unsure why they ought to be...

Nothing wrong with the taters I got at Waitrose the other day though - monsters!

You do realise that not everyone has the money to use the gas for that length of time, which is why people prefer microwaves as they are cheaper to cook things. Its nothing to do with laziness, otherwise you would still be using an open fire in the middle of the room to cook your food.

Very true

10 min nuke in the microwave Vs 1+ hours in a gas/electric oven, it's a no brainer which would be cheaper

Ovened jackets are much nicer than microwaved ones but it's not always viable for people to cook them in the oven

It's not lazy it's money saving

Indeed You can get a big back of budget/cheap (difficult ) rice which is, at the end of the day, rice!

I do buy the basmati & wild myself though as it's harder to digest and therefore fills you up longer and, of course, has that wonderful nuttiness to it. For Jr it's brown rice.

If people need to have frozen/easy food, when you cook your rice cook the whole pack - what you aren't going to eat run under some cold water to cool quickly, put it into freezer bags in single portions (lie flat so you can stand them up like books once frozen) and it's easily re-heated/microwaved when you need it. Just make sure it's very hot when you do so. Freezing rice is a lot safer than keeping it in the fridge for a day or two.

Do the same with pasta next time you cook it, make triple the sauce to freeze too.

Home-made, healthier ready meals.

It's cheaper energy wise to get the microwave stuff and all your flavour/seasoning is in already

Prick the potatoes with a fork several times, then rub potatoes with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and wrap tightly in foil. Place the potatoes into a slow cooker, cover, and cook on High for 4 1/2 to 5 hours, or on Low for 7 1/2 to 8 hours until tender.

Potato does go yellowish on cooling (apparently it's the 'maillard reaction') but there's nothing wrong with it and they are great.

No need to use much (or any) water in a slow cooker for lots of recipes, as the heat creates steam with the glass lid. I do a turkey thigh joint in it with no water added, comes out great.

I cook most things in my slow cooker. I've always hated cooking, been no good at it, but tried to be healthier since diabetes diagnosis last year which had me re-thinking how I do thinks for Jr too. When we had a kitchen re-fit earlier this year I didn't want to spend 2 weeks eating rubbish, so I pre-cooked lots of pasta and rice portions, pasta sauce, etc. and bought a cheap slow cooker at Asda. I learned to make fantastic healthy lasagne, lovely casseroles, great soups and I have to do the bare minimum (as somebody who can't really cook). It's changed my life Plus, of course, it's cheaper than using an oven and I can go and look after Mum whilst food's cooking away merrily.

You can even make cheesecake and other great puddings in the slow cooker.

Google is definitely your friend when it comes to recipes

Today it will be beef and tomato casserole, which is delish

I do my baked potatos in the slowcooker and it costs a fraction what it costs to do them in the oven. They're very nice. You just wrap them in tin foil , plop them in and leave!. I usually do them on high for about 5 hours. The only thing is, they don't get the crispy skins, but you can take them out and finish them off in the main oven for half an hour or so to crisp up, if desired.

Muggins, I only just saw your post. Yeah, baked potatos in the slowcooker is just so easy!

It's just great being able to go off and do whatever it is whilst you know that you're coming home to cooked food (and a lovely smelling house), isn't it

Yeah, I love it. I use my slowcooker all the time . The family favourite is curry. I sometimes prepare the evening before, slap it in in the morning and there you go. Beautiful tender curry come tea time!

I saw the biggest pototoes I have ever seen in my entire life at the outdoor market in the Bullring Birmingham last Saturday.
I am not likely to be going there again for a good while, unless someone organises another coach trip there, but for anyone within reach of this market I can recommend their spuds.

I admit I'm rubbish with herbs and occasionally enlist the help of a Schwartz Slow Cooker sachet, but I'm getting there, which I'd never have done without the slow cooker (and the kitchen re-fit , plus the diabetes reality check).

Oh, and the internet!

ETA: there are some great youtubes of women who prepare slow cooker meals a month in advance, bag all the fresh food/meat up into bags, freeze them and then just bung them in the slow cooker on a daily basis (sometimes even frozen!). Really worth a watch for tips.

What do they stink of exactly?

Thanks Muggs (Disnea and Kiviratt too)

I love the slow cooker. In fact it is my main cooking pot in the winter months, but only for wet recipes such as casseroles and the like.. To use it without liquid in it feels like switching on an empty kettle and I fear burning it out. But maybe I need to be brave and give other things a go.