Best Slow Cooker Reviews

A slow cooker brings so much potential to mealtime, adding convenience and versatility to the home chef’s repertoire. Slow cookers have been around in various iterations since the 1950s but didn’t really catch on big in the United States until the introduction of the Crock-Pot in the early 1970s. Since then, cooks everywhere have come to enjoy making one-pot dinners for their families, usually while they work or run errands. Slow cooking can be quite liberating for the home cook, since it’s a simple matter to toss in a few ingredients, set or program the cooker, and then return to a fully cooked meal, ready to eat. See our Ninja Foodi OP305 review.

Hamilton Beach Slow Cooker Reviews

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Slow Cooker Pot Roast Recipes for Tonight

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How About A Small Slow Cooker?

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Using a Slow Cooker

Slow cookers usually have a removable insert, typically made from stoneware or metal. This insert is filled with food that slowly cooks over a period of hours. The main convenience of a crock pot is that because it cooks slowly, it gives you a chance to prepare food without doing much “hands on.” You simply put the ingredients for the dish into the cooker, set it to your desired setting, and return at a specific time to a meal that’s ready to serve. Many people fill and set their slow cookers before heading to work and then come home to dinner prepared and ready to put on the table.

Choosing a Slow Cooker

When selecting a crock pot, you will have a variety of different options, so you should really narrow down what you’re looking for based on a variety of considerations. Think about:

  • Size. How big are the meals that you normally cook? If you’re cooking for one or two people, a 2 quart slow cooker is likely large enough for many dishes, while cooking for the whole family requires a much larger model. What you cook also affects the size of cooker you should buy. If you make a whole chicken regularly, then a slow cooker that’s sized to accommodate a chicken (ham, turkey breast, roast) is recommended. The items you cook should fit neatly inside with at least 3 inches of head space and enough room to fit the lid tightly.
  • Features. If you’re looking to simply slow cook basic meals, a crock pot with minimum features will suffice. However, there are tons of features on new generation slow cookers that offer multiple options not available on older or on basic models. A slow cooker can help you clear up counter space instead of buying a bunch of different small appliances. We recommend checking out our slow cooker buying guide. Other features, such as on-board temperature probes, are good too, since you can easily see if meat is cooked to the right temperature without interrupting the cooking cycle.
  • Programmable. The cheapest, minimum featured slow cookers are mechanical cookers. They have basically an on/off switch and usually high and low temperature settings. The best programmable slow cooker lets you time your meal precisely to begin cooking when you want and finish when you want. Check this KitchenAid slow cooker review.
  • Price Range. Slow cookers on the low end may cost as little as $30 (even cheaper on special days such as Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Boxing Day or when a particular model has been discontinued and is on clearance). They can cost well into the hundreds, though, if you’re looking at a high-tech cooker that provides multi-features and can be monitored with an app on your smartphone.

A Few Slow Cookers We Like

Now that you know the basics of a slow cooker, let’s review some of the most popular crock pots on the market to determine which are winners and deserve a second look. Check out our comprehensive collection of reviews here.

Hamilton Beach 33461 Stay or Go 6-Quart Portable Slow Cooker

If you’re looking for an inexpensive best size slow cooker for family of 4 that offers basic mechanical cooking, you can’t go wrong with the Stay or Go 6-quart model. This crock pot offers a roomy insert that easily holds a small pot roast and veggies, and it has a snug-fitting lid, so it will hold in all the steam and heat to really get the job done with efficiency, and a rubber seal inside the lid ensures that you get an even more dependable seal.

The thing we like best about this Stay or Go cooker is that the lid is hinged, so you can lift it up, serve right from the pot, then close it to retain heat if you have latecomers to the dinner table. The lid removes easily for cleanup. We also love that this model has dual handles for quick transport between surfaces or for carrying into the church social. Multiple temperatures allow for versatile cooking; set this cooker on medium, leave for the day, and return to dinner already prepared.

Hamilton Beach Set ‘n Forget Programmable Slow Cooker with Probe

Also a 6-quart model, the Set ‘n Forget is hard to beat when it comes to features versus price. This Hamilton Beach Set n’ Forget Slow Cooker has three choices for easy operation and lets you control the cooking time, heat setting, desired temperature and more. It also displays the actual temperature, so you can make sure that your food is doing exactly what it’s supposed to be doing and have no surprises when the dinner bell rings.

What really makes this crock pot worth the extra $10 or $15 over a standard mechanical cooker though is the on-board temperature probe. The probe fits nicely through a tiny slow in the lid (which doesn’t affect heat retention at all), so you can monitor the cooking temperature of meatloaf, chicken, or whatever else you choose to cook. The display is bright and easy to read, and the unit comes with a clip-on spoon for serving, which is another nice touch. See our complete Hamilton Beach Stay or Go Slow Cooker Reviews.

Black + Decker SC2007D 7-Quart Dial Control Teal Weave Slow Cooker

For sheer counter prettiness coupled with basic slow cooking, it really is hard to get any better than this Black + Decker model. This cooker is as pretty as it is hard working, with its teal striped pattern that gives the counter a sunny touch.

But this crock pot is not just a pretty face in a sea of stainless of black. It has a built-in lid holder for added convenience when serving (and you’ll want to serve in this; it looks like a pretty piece of tableware, so you’ll garner oohs and aahs with it). The stoneware crock comes out easily for dishwasher cleaning, which is pretty much standard on all slow cookers, but this one holds 7 quarts, so it’s slightly larger in capacity than most cookers in its range. You will love the versatility of this basic cooker for cooking everything from lasagna to soup and stew.

Crock-Pot SCCPVL610-S Review Programmable Cook and Carry Slow Cooker

This low-priced crock pot has a big advantage out of the gate; it’s made by Crock-Pot, which is the original maker of slow cookers – so you can imagine that the company has perfected its product in the course of all these years. But it offers a lot of functionality for around $60. It has a locking lid with gasket seal, so heat stays inside and carrying it with you to potlucks is easy and spill-free. You can program it for up to 20 hours, so it’s ideal for set-it-and-forget-it dinners. Also see this crock pot express crock xl review.

One thing that is really cool about this cooker is that once the programmable time has passed, this cooker doesn’t simply go off. It shifts to its warm setting on its own, so it will cook your meal and keep it warm for you too. You might also want to check this awesome Crock Pot scvt650ps programmable slow cooker.

All Clad SD700450 Programmable Slow Cooker

The All Clad name holds a lot of substance with home cooks and pros alike, which makes it easy to see why this slow cooker gets top billing. Out of the box, this cooker is nothing short of beautiful. If you’ve ever owned All Clad cookware, this has a similar look, right down to the beautiful stainless finish and the signature stamp on its dual handles. This easy-to-program cooker has an attractive crock that is pretty enough to remove and bring to the table for serving.

Working a home-cooked meal into your plans is simple with this All Clad crock pot, since it cycles up to 26 hours. This one is a bit pricey but totally worth it for the quality you get with All Clad. Read our awesome All Clad slow cooker reviews and know more of its features.

Breville BSC560XL Stainless Steel 7-Quart Slow Cooker with Sear Insert

If you want a crock pot that works hard, then this Breville slow cooker is worth a second look. It comes with an EasySear insert, so you do searing of ingredients on board without dirtying up a second pan. This oblong cooker accommodates a lot of food, including large roasts, making it a great option for a larger family.

Use this crock pot to brown, saute, and sear your food without using a separate pan on your stovetop, and then enjoy reliable heat for slow cooking on your schedule. We love the large interior because it is sized for accommodating loaf pans – whether cooking meat loaf and desiring the actual loaf shape or using it for baking bread or other baked goods.

ProChef PCS900 9-Quart Extra Large Slow Cooker/Griddle

If crowd cooking is your thing or you are often playing hostess for holiday dinners, this ProChef slow cooker is a must. We love the deep dish glass lid because it allows the cooker to accommodate larger foods that might not fit in a similarly sized crock pot (think about large hams with the bone in or medium-sized turkeys). But the ProChef doesn’t stop there.

This crock pot also has a griddle function, so you can use it to multitask when you’re getting down to the wire on dinner. Its oven safe, so you can easily make a crowd-sized batch of French onion soup, top it with some gruyere, and then stick I under the broiler for browning. The inside is nonstick, so cleanup is quick and fast. You can’t go wrong with this cooker for under $200.

Magic Mill MSCD850 Double Slow Cooker

Sometimes one cooker is just not enough, so Magic Mill found a solution: two cookers with one base. Dual controls under each cooker makes it easy to set the cookers to their own specific ranges, so you can easily do a pot roast in one while cooking veggies in the other.

Each cooker holds 8.5 quarts, so this is a set you really want to think about for crowd or holiday cooking. The lids are clear, so you can monitor your food inside as it cooks without removing the lids and releasing valuable heat. The base serves as a griddle when not in use, expanding this unit’s functionality and making it an essential for mornings when you want to grill a boat load of sausage, eggs, and pancakes for a family breakfast. We love that the base folds up easily, so you can store it away under the cabinet when not in use or even take it with you on the go if you’re taking two pots of your famous chili with you to the family reunion.

Cuisinart MSC-800 Cook Central Multi Cooker 7-Quart

If you demand that small appliances do more than one thing, then the Cuisinart 3 in 1 cook central 6 quart multi-cooker is for you. This four-in-one multi cooker is one of the best slow cookers on the market for set-it-and-forget-it dinners, but it does much more. Use it to simmer foods for as long as 24 hours, so your crew never misses a meal. Turn to it as a roaster to roast that turkey breast for the holidays, or use it for sautéing and browning your roast; it reaches up to 500 degrees F, so it packs a lot of versatility into one unit.

Cycling between functions with this unit is simple and easy; you don’t have to stop the cooker, just push a button and you’re there. The aluminum insert allows for fast heat up and consistent heating, and as a bonus, it goes right in the dishwasher when you’re done, so there’s nothing to scrub. We like that Cuisinart has included a reversible roasting and steaming rack, so you can keep roasts, veggies, and more out of the cooking liquid while still enjoying the rich infusion of the juices during the slow cooking process. Don’t miss out our Cuisinart Slow Cooker reviews  for model comparisons and ratings.

GoWise USA 4th Generation Slow Cooker & Pressure Cooker

Another crock pot that offers more than just slow cooking, this GoWise cooker also doubles as a pressure cooker – so you can have the best of both worlds – fast and slow – rolled into one. This cooker has it all, including 12 different cooking options: rice, multigrain, steam, soup, beans and chili, porridge, saute, yogurt, eggs, poultry, meat stew, and slow cooking.

Open the lid and you’ll find a stainless steel steaming rack that also works as a basket. Fill it with food for easy loading, and carry it efficiently from your prep station to the cooker. The bright LED display makes it easy to see how many minutes remain when you’re cooking and displays the pressure reading for ease of use with your favorite pressure cooking recipes. A cool-touch handle makes it safe to handle when removing food after cooking, and a condensation reservoir minimizes mess.

We love that this cooker is so much safer than older generation pressure cookers that were sometimes dangerous to use. The regulator knob and pressure safety valve ensure that you’re 100 percent safe when you’re using this unit. So, that’s it! If you want to read more, then check out our crock pot slow cooker reviews.

Ready, Set, Go!

Now that you know more about slow cooking, it’s time to dig in and get started. Choose a slow cooker based on your needs, like what is the best size slow cooker, find some recipes you like, and don’t be afraid to plunge in. You can’t really “mess up” most slow cooker recipes, so it’s a great way for both beginning and seasoned home chefs to add convenience to ordinary cooking chores.

Slow cooking can be very rewarding for the home chef; you can cook nutritious and delicious meals using fresh ingredients and wholesome foods, making it easy to feed your family well. If you prefer comfort foods, slow cookers are the way to go. There’s just something about a homecooked meal that’s waiting on you after a hard day that you can’t get any other way (unless you’ve got someone waiting at home to cook it for you).

Slow cooking tends to see a rise in the fall and winter months, but it is truly a year-round cooking technique that can be helpful in spring and summer too, since time is a commodity that none of us have to spare. In the summer, using your slow cooker can also improve the look of your energy bills, since you don’t need to turn on your cooktop or oven, heating up your home unnecessarily and making your cooling system work harder. It really is a win-win situation year round.

There are a host of benefits to slow cooking, many of which you stand to reap immediately. Since you’re cooking in just one vessel, there are fewer dishes, pots, and pans to clean, so you can get out of the kitchen and back to the important things in life. Always be sure to know what to look for in a slow cooker for a maximum usage of its capabilities. Slow cooking gives you back the time you’re losing in the kitchen, and once you get the hang of it, you’re bound to find yourself turning to your kitchen appliance again and again for hearty meals.

Thanks for stopping by Slow Cooker Success! This is a personal website that is designed to share and promote the use of slow cooking. I first experienced a slow cooked meal at a catering Vancouver social event. It was a marvelous beef short rib from the Just Right Vancouver dinner catering menu. It was so delicious that I got in contact with the chef and asked for the recipe. Thankfully he kindly obliged! Check out their website. They share a few of their own recipes on their blog. Slow cooking has been around since the dawn of time. First man used it to cook tough meat and root vegetables. Today people use crock pots to make affordable and delicious meals. I guess you could say we are pretty excited about crock pots.

We hope you check out some of the great recipes and reviews our website has to offer. You will find everything you need on our website to get started on cooking for your first crock pot meal. Don’t forget to sign up for a monthly e-newsletter and “Like Us” on Facebook. We hope you enjoy your visit and please feel free to comment on our blog posts.

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