There’s nothing better after a hard day’s work than coming home to a comforting stew, casserole or soup bubbling away with that delicious home cooked aroma.

Ready meals never live up to expectations, with meagre portions, an imbalance of ingredients and an artificial taste. But if you find that you struggle for time to create home prepared food or you’re just too tired at the end of the day investing in a slow cooker could be the best thing you’ve ever done.

I recently purchased a stainless steel appliance with a ceramic bowl from my local superstore for less than $30 (£20) and I’m amazed at just how easy it is to use and the variety of tasty dinner time treats that can be rustled up.

The slow cooking process works magic on cheap or tough cuts of meat, and flavours from herbs and spices will infuse into potatoes and vegetables beautifully by the time your dish is served, as long as you use enough of them.

You can also experiment with pulses such as pui lentils and pearl barley to create delicious rustic style broths that will warm the heart and remain kind to the waistline. It’s even easy to prepare a tasty tomato based pasta sauce in your slow cooker and all you’ll have to do at dinner time is boil up some spaghetti and grate some Parmesan cheese.

You’ll find that home cooked food is not only tastier and better for you but you’ll also save money by buying fresh ingredients as opposed to ready meals – a great bonus in this financial climate.