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The Best Slow Cookers is a great cooking tool that has been used for years. This independent cooking device lets you cook food at a low, steady temperature, like braising in a Dutch oven. You can set it and forget it, so you can do other things or use your stovetop or oven for something else. The foods that come out of a good slow cooker are so flavorful that our test kitchen loves to use them to make recipes for lunch, dinner, and everything in between, like slow cooker chicken recipes, pot roasts, and BBQ jackfruit.
The Good Housekeeping Institute’s Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab made chicken soup and beef stew to figure out which slow cookers were the best. We looked at how well the cookers kept temperatures at both high and low settings, how done and tasty the recipes were, how much liquid evaporated over time, and whether or not you can brown food right in the pot of the slow cooker. We also looked at any apps or probes that came with the machine.
Best Slow Cookers Comparison Table
Product | Capacity | Cooking Modes | Timer | Temperature Settings | Warranty |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
All-Clad Deluxe Slow Cooker with Cast-Aluminum Insert | 7 qt. | High/Low/Warm | Yes | 4 | 2 years |
BLACK+DECKER 7-Quart Digital Slow Cooker | 7 qt. | High/Low/Warm | Yes | 3 | 2 years |
Hamilton Beach Programmable Slow Cooker | 6 qt. | Program/Manual | Yes | 3 | 1 year |
KitchenAid Slow Cooker | 6 qt. | High/Low/Warm | Yes | 4 | 1 year |
Cuisinart 3-in-1 Cook Central Multicooker | 6 qt. | Brown/Sauté/Slow | Yes | 3 | 3 years |
Instant Pot Duo Nova Pressure Cooker, 6 Qt. | 6 qt. | Pressure Cooker | Yes | 13 | 1 year |
Crock-Pot Cook and Carry Slow Cooker, 6-Quart | 6 qt. | High/Low/Warm | Yes | 3 | 1 year |
All-Clad Deluxe Slow Cooker with Cast-Aluminum Insert
Specifications | Details |
---|---|
Capacity | 7 quarts |
Material | Stainless steel and cast-aluminum |
Cooking modes | High, low, and keep warm |
Programmable timer | Up to 26 hours |
Dishwasher safe | Insert and lid are dishwasher safe |
In our tests, this 7-quart slow cooker with a removable aluminum base made a rich and tender beef stew and cooked chicken soup and pot roast to safe temperatures. But, unlike the other models we tested, it boiled the chicken soup broth, which made the meat and veggies a little too done.
With the digital controls, you can slow cook on low, high/low, or high, and you can also set a 20-hour timer. The “keep warm” setting will keep your dish at the right temperature for five hours after cooking is done. Both the insert and the unit have handles that are riveted on, so they are easy to carry together or individually. Plus, this model can also be used to brown, steam, and cook rice. Keep in mind that you can’t put the insert in the machine.
The Good
- Cast-aluminum insert helps heat spread evenly
- Large size is great for feeding a lot of people
- A programmable timer lets you cook at different times.
The Bad
- Compared to other slow cookers on the market, this one is pricey.
- Some people have said that the digital display stopped working after a few uses.
BLACK+DECKER 7-Quart Digital Slow Cooker
Specifications | Details |
---|---|
Capacity | 7 quarts |
Material | Stoneware |
Cooking modes | High, low, and keep warm |
Programmable timer | Up to 8 hours |
Dishwasher safe | Stoneware pot and tempered glass lid |
This updated model has the same great features as its predecessors, like an easy-to-use control panel, big side handles, and a lid that locks. The brand has also added sous vide and a temperature probe to help keep food from getting too hot. If you haven’t tried slow cooking or even sous vide before, this is a good way to do so.
The Black + Decker 7-Quart Digital Slow Cooker did a Best Slow Cookers of slow cooking a beef roast on low and high, as well as chicken soup on low, when we tested it. Beef stew had a thick, even broth, but the meat was drier than in other versions.
The Good
- The large size is great for families and parties
- Affordable price point
- Easy to use digital controls
The Bad
- Compared to other models, the timer is short and hard to set.
- Some users have said that the lid doesn’t fit well, which causes spills and messes.
Hamilton Beach Programmable Slow Cooker
Specifications | Details |
---|---|
Capacity | 6 quarts |
Material | Stoneware |
Cooking modes | High, low, and keep warm |
Programmable timer | Up to 10 hours |
Dishwasher safe | Stoneware pot and tempered glass lid |
This slow cooker has a variety of settings that allow you to mix and match them, giving you the ability to adjust the preferences according to the needs of the meal. It has a capacity of seven quarts, which makes it easy to accommodate a chicken weighing seven pounds or a roast weighing five pounds.
It has an auto-shift function that, once the cooking is finished, automatically adjusts the setting to warm so that it stays at that temperature. In addition to that, the touchpad can be cleaned quite quickly.
The Good
- Simple to set up and use
- Big enough to cook for a family or a group of people
- Budget-friendly price
The Bad
- Some users have said that the pot cracks after being used more than once.
- In some kitchens, the short power cord may make it hard to find a good spot.
KitchenAid Slow Cooker
Specifications | Details |
---|---|
Capacity | 6 quarts |
Material | Ceramic |
Cooking modes | High, low, and keep warm |
Programmable timer | Up to 24 hours |
Dishwasher safe | Ceramic pot and glass lid |
It is time to bring this slow cooker into your kitchen so that you may enjoy slow cooking like you’ve never experienced it before. It has a capacity of six quarts and can be programmed for a full twenty-four hours.
It comes with four various temperature settings, each of which may be adjusted according to the needs of the situation. This cooker has a function that can keep food warm for up to four hours, and it is called the keep warm function.
The Good
- Design that is sleek and stylish
- Large enough to cook for a family or a group of people.
- A programmable timer lets you cook at different times.
The Bad
- Even heat distribution may not be as good in a ceramic pot as it is in some other materials.
- Costs more than some of the other slow cookers on the market.
Cuisinart 3-in-1 Cook Central Multicooker
Specifications | Details |
---|---|
Capacity | 6 quarts |
Material | Aluminum |
Cooking modes | Slow cook, brown/saute, and steam |
Programmable timer | Up to 24 hours |
Dishwasher safe | Nonstick cooking pot and glass lid |
The Cuisinart 3-in-1 Cook Central Multicooker provided us with meals that were cooked to perfection, and despite the fact that it is relatively simple to operate, it provides the widest range of useful tasks, including browning, sautéing, and steaming, out of all of the slow cookers that we evaluated. and we can say that this is the Best Slow Cookers.
The Good
- Cooking options with more than one mode
- A programmable timer lets you cook at different times.
- Simple to use and keep clean
The Bad
- A pot made of aluminum might not last as long as one made of another material.
- Some users have said that the nonstick coating comes off after a few uses.
Instant Pot Duo Nova Pressure Cooker, 6 Qt.
Specifications | Details |
---|---|
Capacity | 6 quarts |
Material | Stainless steel |
Cooking modes | Pressure cook, slow cook, steam, saute, and more |
Programmable timer | Up to 24 hours |
Dishwasher safe | Stainless steel cooking pot and steam rack |
The extra seal on the lid of a pressure cooker helps keep the temperature very stable and consistent. This cooker got to 185°F in 30 minutes and stayed there for 6 hours without changing. When it switched on its own to the warm setting, the temperature dropped to 160° in 30 minutes. During cooking, I also noticed that the heat was spread out very evenly.
The beans were smooth and whole, and each one was cooked to the same degree. The strata was also cooked evenly all the way through and didn’t have any brown spots. The Instant Pot is more than you need if all you want is a slow cooker, but it’s a good choice in terms of cost and room if you can also use it as a pressure cooker and rice cooker.
The Good
- This is a versatile appliance because it has different ways to cook.
- Large size can feed a family or entertain a lot of people
- A programmable timer lets you cook at different times.
- Pressure cooking can cut cooking time by a lot.
The Bad
- Can be scary for people who have never done pressure cooking before
- Slow cookers that are more expensive than traditional ones
Crock-Pot Cook and Carry Slow Cooker, 6-Quart
Specifications | Details |
---|---|
Capacity | 6 quarts |
Material | Stoneware |
Cooking modes | High, low, and keep warm |
Programmable timer | N/A |
Dishwasher safe | Stoneware pot and lid |
This 6-quart oval slow cooker shows that you don’t need a lot of fancy settings to make great food in a slow cooker. We tried the version with manual controls, but you can also get this Crock-Pot with digital controls. The manual model has a simple switch that lets you choose between three settings: high, low, and warm. The digital version has the same heat levels and can cook for 30 minutes to 20 hours at a time.
Even though the manual settings are the same as the first slow cookers, this one has some new features, like a lid that locks and handles that make it easy to move from the kitchen to the dining room or across town for a dinner party. The polished stainless steel and black details on the outside look nice and are easy to clean after you’re done cooking.
The Good
- Affordable price point
- The lid locks in place so it’s easy to carry.
- Easy to understand and use
The Bad
- Some users may find it inconvenient that the timer can’t be set.
- Stoneware may not last as long as some other materials.
FAQs
A slow cooker, also called a crock-pot, is a kitchen appliance that sits on the table and is used to cook food at low temperatures for a long time. It is especially helpful for making meals that need to be cooked slowly and for a long time.
Slow cookers have many perks, such as:
Convenience: It lets you cook without having to hold anything.
Saves time: You can prepare the items for your meal ahead of time and let them cook while you do other things.
Tenderizes meat: Slow cooking can make even tough cuts of meat more flavorful and easier to eat by softening them.
They use less energy than regular ovens and stovetops.
When getting a slow cooker, you should think about the following:
Size: Choose a size that works for your family and your needs.
levels: Look for models with heat levels that can be changed and timers that can be set.
Shape: You can pick between round and oval. Larger pieces of meat cook better in ovens that are oval-shaped.
Durability: Look for models that are made of strong, long-lasting materials that can handle a lot of use.
Easy to clean: Look for types with inserts that can be taken out and cleaned in the dishwasher.