Do you want to cook a tasty meal with a slow cooker when you are not at home? Are you tired of monitoring the food?
If your answers are yes, I think you should buy the best slow cookers and crock pots for your family.
Out of the options below, my #1 choice is Crock-pot SCCPVL610-R-S 6-Quart because it features digital countdown control, switches to the warm mode automatically, large handle, and locking lid.
Before you choose the slow cooker, I recommend you read the “How To Choose The Best Slow Cookers And Crock Pots” first. It will give you many ideas for choosing the slow cooker suitable for your family.
Table Of Content
- Ninja Auto-iQ Multi/Slow Cooker 6-Quart CS960 – [THE MOST EXPENSIVE]
- Crock-pot SCCPVL610-R-S 6-Quart – [TOP PICK]
- Crock-Pot SCCPVL600S Cook’ N Carry 6-Quart – [EDITOR CHOICE]
- Hamilton Beach 33443 Slow Cooker 4-Quart – [EDITOR CHOICE]
- Elite Gourmet MST-250XS Slow Cooker 1.5 Quart – [BUDGET PRODUCT]
- Crock-Pot SCV700SS Stainless Steel 7-Quart Oval Manual Slow Cooker
- Hamilton Beach 33454 Shimmer Finish Slow Cooker 5 quart
- Hamilton Beach 33866 Temp Tracker Slow Cooker 6 Quart
- BLACK+DECKER 7-Quart Digital Slow Cooker SCD4007
- KitchenAid KSC6222SS Slow Cooker with Easy Serve Glass Lid 6 quart
- Crock-pot SCCPVC600AS-B 6-Quart Black Oval Programmable Digital Slow Cooker
- Crock-Pot 3.5-Quart Casserole Crock Manual Slow Cooker
- Crock-Pot SCR151 1-1/2-Quart Round Manual Slow Cooker
- Proctor-Silex 33043 4-Quart Slow Cooker
- Crock-Pot Wemo Smart Wifi-Enabled Slow Cooker 6-Quart
- Hamilton Beach 33462 Stay or Go Portable Slow Cooker 6-Quart
- Hamilton Beach Programmable Slow Cooker with Lid Latch Strap & Chalkboard Panels 5-Quart 33551
- Chefman Slow Cooker, the Only Nonstick Paleo Certified XL 5 Qt Slow Cooker
- Nesco SC-150B Oval Slow Cooker 1.5-Quart
- Cuisinart PSC-400 Stainless Steel 4-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker
- How To Choose The Best Slow Cookers And Crock Pots
- Conclusion
20 Best Slow Cookers And Crock Pots
Ninja Auto-iQ Multi/Slow Cooker 6-Quart CS960
[THE MOST EXPENSIVE] With Ninja Auto-iQ Multi/Slow Cooker, I believe you can cook a different kind of food because it has 4 manual cooking functions include a low cook, stovetop sear/Sautee, steam, and bake in just one appliance. It makes cooking techniques become easier and more convenient.
It weighs 11 pounds and measures 12.5 x 10.2 x 17 inches. 6-quart capacity is enough for a family of 7. Actually, it’s enough to serve more people.
Over 80 recipe cookbooks provide you a variety of food that lets you fulfill different people with different tastes. Its recipes are divided into 4 programs include quick meals, layered bowls, grains, and poached infusions.
If you don’t have much time, quick meals are the best solution for you. I believe you can cook different food for at least 2 months. Your family will love to eat at home and never eat outside.
AccuTemp technology allows you to specify an accurate temperature so the food you cook will not overcook or underdone.
With the Auto-IQ technology, you just need to select a recipe and add the required ingredients, and then Auto-iQ will cook for you. You no need to worry about anything. Just wait for the food done.
There are 3 different fusion heat include bottom heat, side heat, and steam heat. 3 different heats work together to make a one-pot meal easier.
When the food is done, the unit will switch to warm mode automatically so you never need to worry your food will overcook.
Order than the preset recipe, you can choose the temperature and the time according to the recipes from the cookbook. If you want to be a professional chef, this slow cooker can make it real.
One issue may occur. You need more space to store it because the size of this slow cooker is quite big.
Crock-pot SCCPVL610-S-A 6-Quart
[TOP PICK] Crock-pot SCCPVL610-R-A 6-Quart Programmable Cook & Carry Oval Slow Cooker. It weighs 8 pounds and measures 9.4 x 15.1 x 14.8 inches that has a 6-quart capacity that is enough to provide 7 people serving.
Digital countdown control allows you to set the cooking time from 30 minutes to 20 hours. You can adjust the time according to different foods from different recipes, and you can also extend the cooking time according to different tastes. Someone maybe likes soft.
When the time is up, it will switch to the warm mode automatically. This is a good feature because it prevents you from overcooking the food, especially for some busy Mummy and Daddy. Have you ever tried to forget that you are cooking food because of other housework?
I believe no one would like to cook the same food again, and it would be a waste of food. Overcooking food would make the taste strange. I think you don’t want your family to dislike your food.
If you always need to carry the slow cooker from one place to another place, the locking lid featuring the lid gasket is a great helper for you. The easy-to-use lock design provides an extra seal to prevent the mess.
You don’t have to worry about food spilling from the delivery. Think about what happens when you put the slow cooker at the rear of the car if there is no lock. With this feature, at least you don’t need to worried about your car will make dirty next time.
The large handle makes it easy to carry the slow cooker to another place. Removable oval stoneware makes you clean easier.
Crock-Pot SCCPVL600S Cook’ N Carry 6-Quart
[EDITOR CHOICE] This is Crock-Pot slow cooker. It weighs 12.1 pounds and measures 9.9 x 15.2 x 15.2 inches. The 6-Quart capacity can serve more than a family of 7.
There are 3 different manual high/low/warm settings. You can choose different foods according to different recipes. The rotary knob allows you to adjust the different settings in the front.
An intuitive design lets you know how to use it with just a glance. The operation is really simple if compared to other slow cookers. There is only one control.
This hinged locking lid allows you to keep food safe during transport. There is no need to repackage the food on other containers, making travel easier and more convenient.
Whenever you prepare food at home, you can easily put the cooked food in the car and deliver it to other places. It’s convenient for travel, potlucks, family gatherings, tailgating, and parties without any mess.
A gasket lid allows you to keep the slow cooker sealed so the food stays inside and not in your car. Have you ever tried to make your car dirty because of food spilling out while transporting the food?
The extra-large handle makes it easy to carry. Glass lid and stoneware are dishwasher safe. When you finish cooking, make sure unplug, and make sure the stoneware is cool down before cleaning
There is something I don’t like is the slow cooker doesn’t have any indicator light. Generally, there are power and heating indicators. You never have any idea whether your slow cooker is cooking the food and connected to the power supply or not.
The other thing I don’t like is that there is no countdown timer so you need to buy the timer yourself. Otherwise, you never know how long you need to cook and how long you have cooked.
Hamilton Beach 33443 Slow Cooker 4-Quart
[EDITOR CHOICE] This is Hamilton Beach slow cooker. It weighs 8.3 pounds and measures 9.8 x 9.1 x 15.2 inches. It’s programmable with 4-quart capacity and an oval shape design is ideal for cooking a 4 lb food. You can cook a lot of delicious food. Just simply put all the ingredients in the pot and turn it on. It’s good to prepare, cooking and serving food for your family, even at the party.
You don’t need to monitor the whole process, the slow cooker provides even heat without the need for stirring. With a few program options, this slow cooker gives you different temperatures and cooking time combinations.
It’s simple to use, just plug in, press the ON/OFF button, and then the slow cooker will start. The preset temperature and time are HIGH and 4 hours. You can press the TEMP button to select the temperature you need.
Next, press the HOURS button to adjust the cooking time. There are 2, 4, 6, 8, or 10 hours to choose from. After you have selected the time, then the cooking time will count down every 2 hours. When the cooking time is up, it will switch to warm mode automatically.
There is one thing that needs to be cautious about, do not use the WARM setting to cook food and reheat food.
Both the lid and crock are designed to be easily removed and is dishwasher safe. The dirty inside the vent holes on the lid may be a little hard to clean after use.
The power cord is short to prevent children from it being grabbed by children, becoming entangled in, or tripping over a longer cord.
2 hours of increment design makes it impossible for you to choose the time in the middle. You need to use your own timer to count the time.
Without an accurate digital display, it’s hard to know how much time you have cooked. You need your own time again.
Elite Gourmet MST-250XS Slow Cooker 1.5 Quart
[BUDGET PRODUCT] This is an Elite Gourmet slow cooker. It weighs 5.29 pounds and measures 10.4 x 8.1 x 7.9 inches. I love this slow cooker because it’s small in size and suitable for 1-2 people. It’s suitable for a college dorm, a small living space, or a small house. The operation is simple. Only one control dial in the front with 3 options: low, high, keep warm.
Because the slow cooker is very small, the cooking speed is faster than the other models. In the morning, you can use this slow cooker to cook some oatmeal to eat. Then you can use this to prepare dinner.
When you come back from work at night, a nice dinner is ready. You can eat immediately without waiting.
You can cook different foods ranging from entrees, sauces, soups, and even desserts.
The lid made of tempered glass that has a cool touch knob to keep the food moist and tender. Cool-touch handles make it easy for you to carry the slow cooker from one place to another place.
Both the glass lid and 1.6-quart stoneware pot are dishwasher safe, making clean a breeze.
The power indicator will light up. This is very convenient because you can always know when your slow cooker has successfully connected to the power supply because there are some slow cookers without any indicator light. You never have any idea whether the slow cooker is working or not.
One thing to note is that because the volume of this slow cooker is really small, please carefully evaluate how much you need to cook normally, otherwise you will find it’s too small for your whole family after the purchase. I believe no one likes to return to good.
No matter it’s a full refund or not, return the good is always a hassle.
Crock-Pot SCV700SS Stainless Steel 7-Quart Oval Manual Slow Cooker
7-Quart capacity can serve more than eight people. The easy-to-use rotary button allows you to have 3 temperature Low/High/Warm so you can cook different foods according to different recipes.
The warm setting can keep your food always at an ideal serving temperature so you can eat it anytime, but remember that the warm setting can’t be used to cook the food, it just uses to warm the food after done cooking.
The whole stoneware can be removed. When you finish cooking, you can put the whole stoneware on the countertop. You don’t need to pour the food on other dishes. It’s convenient and easy to use.
When you finish cooking, make sure you have removed the power and allow your slow cooker to cool down before cleaning.
Both the stoneware and safe glass lid is dishwasher safe. You can also wash in hot, soapy water.
The operation is simple, first put stoneware into the heating base, and add some ingredients and food you want, then cover the lid, then connect the slow cooker to the power supply, next select the temperature you want.
Finally, just wait for the cooking time is complete to enjoy a delicious meal.
There are 3 things I don’t like. The first, slow cooker doesn’t have any indicator lights. You never know have any idea if your slow cooker is connected to the power supply or if it’s cooking. I think heating and power indicator are the most basic things in slow cooking.
Second, there is no timer, so you need to buy another timer to count the time, otherwise, you don’t know how long the cooking time left.
Third, the cover can not lock. When you need to move the slow cooker, the food inside is very easy to spill out. Try to think when you place it in your car, what will happen if your slow cooker does not lock?
Hamilton Beach 33454 Shimmer Finish Slow Cooker 5 Quart
This is Hamilton Beach slow cooker. It weighs 8.95 pounds and measures 10.8 x 15.2 x 8.9 inches. Its 5-quart capacity is a perfect size to cook a 5 lb chicken or a 3 lb roast. It’s also enough for a normal meal for a family of 4. The Clip-tight sealed lid allows you to transport it without spilling the food that helps prevent the mess. Full-grip handles make it easy and comfortable to carry.
Removable stoneware and glass lid can be easily removed and dropped into the dishwasher.
The color is beautiful because most of the slow cookers are silver that looks boring. The purple color looks special. I believe many people will like it.
It uses a rotary button, there are 3 different temperature options include Low / High / Temp. These options can let you cook different flavors according to different food recipes. When the cooking time is up, you can rotate the button to the warm mode.
But, one thing that needs to keep in mind is that the warm mode cannot be used to cook the food. It can only be used to keep the food warm after cooking.
There are 2 things I don’t like. The first is that this slow cooker doesn’t have any indicator lights. I personally think that a slow cooker basically should have two indicators of power and heating because you can know your slow cooker has been successfully connected to the power or cooking food.
The second thing is that this slow cooker doesn’t have a timer. If it doesn’t have a timer, you don’t know how long your food has been cooked so you have to buy an extra timer to let yourself know how long it takes for your food to finish cooking.
The function of the lock is very convenient. I especially like the slow cooker that can lock because it’s convenient to move the slow cooker from one place to another without worrying that the food inside will spill out.
Try to imagine it. If the slow cooker in your car can’t be locked, what will your car end up with when your car is moving?
Hamilton Beach 33866 Temp Tracker Slow Cooker 6 Quart
This is Hamilton Beach slow cooker. It weighs 13.05 pounds and measures 12 x 17 x 11.9 inches. It comes with one excellent feature that I like most. I believe everyone should like it also.
6-quart capacity is suitable for cooking up to 6 lb. chicken or 4 lb. roast.
The integrated temperature probe design allows you to track your food temperature with this probe, minimizes the chance of overcooking, and also guarantees food safety when you cooking pork, beef, or poultry.
The lid has 4 probe positions so you can insert it according to your situation. It’s convenient. You can always know the temperature of different parts of the food.
I personally liked this design because you can know the food status all the time.
This slow cooker has several cooking modes, low, medium, or high. You can choose to use the probes in these modes or not. When the cooking is finished, the slow cooker will automatically shift to keep warm or maintain the temperature you choose.
This temperature-maintaining function allows you to slow cook, braise, sous vide, simmer, make fondue, poach, prepare yogurt, and more.
The digital display allows you to see the remaining cooking time. You can switch between food temperature and a current internal temperature when you use the probe.
This clip-tight lid can be locked so you can move the slow cooker to other places. As you can imagine, if you have a slow cooker that cannot lock, when you take the slow cooker to go from one place to another. What will happen in the end? I believe that the juice from the food will spill everywhere.
The integrated probe can wrap around the lid’s handle. It makes the store convenient and safe.
One thing to note is that the 4 probe holes on the lid may be difficult to clean if there are stains.
BLACK+DECKER 7-Quart Digital Slow Cooker SCD4007
This is BLACK+DECKER slow cooker. It weighs 14.65 pounds and measures 14.1 x 17.3 x 9.7 inches. The exterior is very special because it’s a chalkboard. Whenever you have any idea, you can draw or write anything you want on the chalkboard anytime.
You can write down the cooking information so that you can avoid some ingredients when you cook. You can also write some recipes and simple food you need, even the allergy information. This is a good feature because your children can participate in cooking in this process
You can get 2 sticks of chalk, and the surface can also be used with traditional chalk sticks.
The 7-Quart capacity allows you to cook a lot of food at once, even food all day. When you can’t finish the food in the afternoon, you can use warm mode to keep the temperature of the food until the evening and leave it for dinner at night.
It’s convenient and fast. Then you can save a lot of cooking time at night.
The built-in lid holder is a good design so that you can prop the cover. Keep the table clean and no need to hold the lid when stirring the food.
Both the stoneware and the lid are dishwasher safe. Cleanup is a breeze.
Digital control allows you to choose time and temperature according to the different recipes to cook different food. When the cooking time is completed, it will shift to warm mode automatically.
A locking system lets you take your favorite food to potlucks and tailgates without spill out. A large handle ensures you can transfer easier.
I like the lid is lockable. If your slow cooker can be locked, you can keep your food inside while you are in transport.
Have you ever tried to put the unlocked slow cooker in the car and then transport it to another place? Finally, what is the result?
I believe you have spent a lot of time to clean your car.
KitchenAid KSC6222SS Slow Cooker with Easy Serve Glass Lid 6 quart
This is a KitchenAid slow cooker. It weighs 14.77 pounds and measures 10.6 x 17.5 x 11.6 inches. This model is very special. As you can see in the image above, the lid has two sides. It’s easy to lifts on either side for simple serving.
One thing to mention because when I first see the lid of this slow cooker, I think that the stoneware is also had 2 sides which means this slow cooker can cook 2 different foods at the same time. But it turned out to be no, so pay attention to it.
Although the cover can be opened on both sides, there is 1 stoneware pot only. You can only cook 1 food at one time. Don’t let his appearance make you think that you can cook two different foods at the same time.
The 6-Quart large-capacity stoneware is suitable for you to serve up to 6 people.
There are 4 different temperature settings: low, medium, high, and keep warm. High, medium and low settings allow you to choose different temperature settings for different recipes. When cooking is completed, it will automatically switch to keep warm mode for up to 4 hours.
Please be aware that the keep warm mode can only keep the food warm after cooking. Do not use keep warm mode to cook the food.
You can set the cooking time. The time will add 30 minutes each time you press the button, up to 24 hours. The digital display makes it clear to you that you can see how much cooking time is left.
The power cord can be kept at the bottom neatly when you are no longer using it.
Basically, I like the design. It’s easy to use. The lid can be opened on one side or completely take away. This design is good so you have several choices to stir or look at your food.
But there is something that can be improved. If the lid can be locked will be much better because many people use the slow cooker to cook the food, and will take the slow cooker to other places. If there is a lock, it’s convenient for them to take the food to other places without the food spill out.
If you deliver the slow cooker to other places by car, then you probably no need to wash your car in the end.
Crock-pot SCCPVC600AS-B 6-Quart Black Oval Programmable Digital Slow Cooker
This time, the most special part is the iStir Automatic stirring system that connects two removable paddles, a general-purpose paddle, and a stew paddle.
The commonly used general-purpose paddle is suitable for use in dips, and thinner recipes. Stew paddle is suitable for use in thicker, denser recipes such as stews.
This slow cooker can help you to stir your food so you can step out of your kitchen and continue to enjoy your day. Stirring can make your cooking distribute heat more evenly.
There are 2 modes of mixing, power mode, and pulse mode. Power mode will automatically stir for 5 minutes every half hour. Pulse mode for a one-minute stir at any time.
The digital pre-set controls have two settings, high mode, and low mode. In high mode, you can set 4 or 6 hours. In low mode, you can set 8 or 10 hours. The stirring system can work with all the time settings, even while in a warm setting.
The programmable control panel has a digital countdown timer so you can set the cooking time from 30 minutes to 20 hours.
6-Quart capacity is enough for a family of 6. You can even cook whole day food at one time and keep the slow cooker in warm mode if you can not finish the food at lunch and continue at night.
As the food is constantly stirred so there will be less burnt happening, so it’s easy to scrub. The removable stoneware, glass lid, and stirring paddles can be washed by hand or in a dishwasher. Cleanup a breeze.
When you don’t need the stir, you can remove it and change it back to the traditional lid handle.
Crock-Pot 3.5-Quart Casserole Crock Manual Slow Cooker
This is a Crock-pot slow cooker. It weighs 12.85 pounds and measures 9 x 13 x 1 inch. The oven-safe rectangular removable stoneware of this slow cooker is a perfect size and shape to cook and serve lasagnas, casserole dishes, desserts, one-pot meals, and other favorites.
There are three temperatures including low, high, and warm. Select low or high can let you cook different foods with different recipes for different people’s tastes.
You just need to drop the different ingredients and food into the stoneware, then adjust the temperature and cover the lid. Finally, you can wait for your food to finish.
The last warm mode is used to warm the food after done cooking, but pay attention to the warm mode because that is not able to cook food. It used to keep the food warm only.
It has a two-sided clamp that allows you to hook the lid and base and clamp to lock the lid in place.
Have you ever imagined that if your slow cooker has no lock, what will happens to your slow cooker when you are driving? I believe that the juice will definitely stain your car, and you will spend a lot of time to clean your car.
The large handle allows you to transfer cooked food safely and easily from the kitchen to the car, to the buffet, or everywhere you want.
This stoneware can be safely used in the oven. You can use a traditional oven for the turkey or potato.
It’s good and convenient to cook different foods, but there are still some points I don’t like.
The first thing, it doesn’t have a heating and power indicator. If your slow cooker doesn’t have these two indicators, you have no way to know if your slow cooker is working and connected to the power supply. Unfortunately, in the end, you may find the food inside a slow cooker still not cook.
The second thing is the timer. You need to buy a timer so you can know how long your food will be finished. This is indeed an inconvenient design.
The last thing is if you like or use the slow cooker with the preset program before, this may not a good choice for you because all are manual. You can’t adjust the temperature accurately, and you can’t adjust the time because this slow cooker doesn’t have a timer.
Crock-Pot SCR151 1-1/2-Quart Round Manual Slow Cooker
This is a Crock-pot slow cooker. It weighs 4.5 pounds and measures 6.7 x 8.9 x 8.9 inches. It’s a round shape and small, just 1.5-Quart that suitable for 1-2 people. It’s a perfect size for hot dips
You only need to plug in the power, and then you can use it immediately. This slow cooker does not have any buttons or settings.
Stoneware insert can be removed and dishwasher safe. The glass lid is dishwasher also.
It’s easy to use, doesn’t need to be learned, and can be used with just connect to power. But some people may think there is at least one high/low switch. If you don’t like it without any button, this slow cooker is not suitable for you.
If you really think this is very inconvenient, you should spend a few more bucks for a model with a high/low switch.
If you don’t need temperature control, this is not a bad choice because the price is also reasonable.
If you don’t like it and don’t want to wash a big slow cooker, this is also suitable for you because the size is really small. You can put it in the refrigerator if the stoneware has food left. When you want to use it, you can take it out and cook again.
Finally, I remind you again that this slow cooker does not have any buttons. When you use it, you only need to connect the power supply. It’s only suitable for 1-2 people.
Proctor-Silex 33043 4-Quart Slow Cooker
This is a Proctor-Silex slow cooker. It weighs 6 pounds and measures 11.8 x 11.8 x 9.5 inches. The 4-quart capacity is suitable for a family of 4. Stoneware is removable. Both the stoneware and the glass lid is dishwasher safe.
There is a rotary button that can adjust the 3 different temperatures. You can use the low or high temperature to cook the food you want according to different recipes.
When the food is finished, remember to switch to warm mode, otherwise, your food will overcook. But you can not use the warm mode to cook the food. It can keep the cooked food warm only. Otherwise, you will find the food is still raw inside your month.
Although it’s tiny, it still can cook a 4-pound chicken.
You can take the whole stoneware from the kitchen to the table. After dinner, you can leave the leftovers in the pot and put it in the refrigerator. When you want to eat it next time, you can reheat it and you will have food very soon.
It doesn’t have any indicator lights, so when you plug in the power or cooking, you will not have any idea whether your slow cooker is working properly or not. You may need to wait for a long time to discover that you can’t eat anything because the slow cooker does not work.
If you care about the indicator light, this slow cooker is not suitable for you.
The cover can’t be locked. When you want to move it from one place to another, you should pay special attention, especially when you want to put it in the car because it’s easy to stain your car. In the end, the time you spend on cleaning the car may be more than cooking.
Crock-Pot Wemo Smart Wifi-Enabled Slow Cooker 6-Quart
This is a Crock-Pot slow cooker. It weighs 15 pounds and measures 9.6 x 17.4 x 13.9 inches. This model allows you to connect the slow cooker to your phone via 3G / 4G / Wi-Fi from anywhere by the WeMo application. If you like high-tech thing, I think you will love them.
With this WeMo application, you can adjust the cooking time and temperature on your phone and shift to warm mode or turn off the slow cooker so you can control the temperature and timer remotely at any time depending on the recipe.
You can choose to control it with the WeMo Application or directly on the unit. I personally will choose to control my slow cooker directly on the unit.
The oval shape is designed for roasts and large cuts of meat. The glass lid helps trap live heat and moisture
Both the stoneware and glass lid is dishwasher safe.
The lid can’t be locked. If you need to transport the food, you need to pay special attention to this because if you often need to use the car to transport the slow cooker food, it will easily stain your car.
Do you see that the handle of this slow cooker is very small?
When you want to transport it, it should be a little bit difficult and uncomfortable. As you can see, this slow cooker is not small. Moreover, if the handle is small, your hand will easily touch the exterior, then your hand may feel the heat from the food.
Actually, I personally don’t like this kind of design that can control the slow cooker with a mobile phone. The reason is very simple, the operation is relatively troublesome.
In the past, it just needed to press a few buttons and adjust the rotary dial. You can use it at a glance, but I believe that everyone needs a period to study the WeMo application.
If you are a busy Mummy and busy Daddy, do you willing to spend extra time learning how to use the WeMo application?
With this technology, the price is relatively expensive than the other slow cookers. For some technology enthusiasts, it may be a good attempt.
If I can choose, I would rather buy a slow cooker with simple operation and cheaper prices but have the same cooking functions.
Hamilton Beach 33462 Stay or Go Portable Slow Cooker 6-Quart
This is Hamilton Beach slow cooker. It weighs 12.25 pounds and measures 9.6 x 14.5 x 14.4 inches. Do you see the image above? I believe everyone will think the lid can lock very tight with the slow cooker. I like this lock. It’s the best lock compare to other slow cookers.
It seems to be very tight. The single clip can quickly seal the lid to the base to prevent a messy spill.
When you open the lid, you just need to stay up the hinged lid so you don’t need to occupy any space on the countertop, even serving on the table. It can save you space, and you can use this without your hand.
The hinged lid is detachable for you to easily cleanup. Both the stoneware and the lid can also be placed in the dishwasher to wash.
The large handle is convenient. When you need it, just snap up the folding handles that make it easy for you to go anywhere. You can fold it down when you don’t need the handle to save storage space.
There are three temperature modes high/low/warm that allow you to cook different flavors according to different recipes. But be aware that the warm mode is not able to cook food. It can use to keep the food warm after cooking finishes.
Do not use it to cook food, otherwise, you will find you have nothing to eat at the end.
If the slow cooker can have more functions, this will be better, such as heating and power indicator. You can know your slow cooker is successfully connected to the power supply and cooking.
Another function is the shift to warm mode automatically. You don’t need to do it yourself, it can save you time.
The timer is also very important. You need to buy a timer yourself because there is no timer system, otherwise, you don’t know how long your food will be finished.
But, nothing is perfect, right?
Hamilton Beach Programmable Slow Cooker with Lid Latch Strap & Chalkboard Panels 5-Quart 33551
This is Hamilton Beach slow cooker. It weighs 9.7 pounds and measures 10.8 x 15.8 x 9.4 inches. This model is interesting because there are two clip-on chalkboard panels. You can create a fun and interesting label anytime. This is a perfect cooker to entertain your family. You can write down the time to let your family know when they will have a great dinner.
With this lid latch strap design, you can tighten the lid and slow cooker. If you always need to transport the slow cooker, this is a good design for you to prevent your car from stain.
Thanks to the gasket lid and lid latch strap technology. You can tighten the lid with the slow cooker very well so you can take hot food to other places without the messy spill.
The red design is also eye-catching and special. If the appliances in your kitchen are mostly black and silver, this red color will be very special.
Both the lid and stoneware can also be easily removed and dishwasher safe.
You can adjust different temperatures and times according to your own needs. The temperature is only high low and warm. I need to repeat this again. The warm mode can’t be used for cooking. It can only keep the cooked food warm.
There are only five choices in time 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10. You can adjust different time and temperature according to different recipes of different foods.
If you use this slow cooker for the buffet, this chalkboard is very useful because you can write down what food is.
5-Quart is suitable to cook up to 5 lb. chicken or 3 lb. roast.
You don’t have to watch your food at all times because when the cooking time is completed, it will automatically switch to the keep warm mode. You don’t have to manually adjust the temperature and time. It’s convenient.
Big handles let you take the slow cooker to other places easily and more comfortably.
Chefman Slow Cooker, the Only Nonstick Paleo Certified XL 5 Qt Slow Cooker
This is a Chefman slow cooker. It weighs 10.75 pounds and measures 15 x 10.5 x 7 inches. This is the first time I see a 100% all-natural paleo-certified stoneware insert. This revolutionary material is 100% all-natural non-stick, PTOA, PTFE, and coating-free for a naturally healthy paleo-friendly meal.
I really like this because this stoneware is made of all-natural materials. I personally don’t like to use anything with coating because if there is a little scratch in the coating, you can’t use it again so I buy all made of stainless steel.
I believe that no one will continue to use it if the coating has a lot of scratches.
If you are very health-conscious, this slow cooker is perfect for you because stoneware does not contain any chemicals. It has 70% less lead than regular slow cook.
Easy-clean stoneware can be placed on an open flame stovetop to cook different foods. It can cook in the oven to roast or bake, or use as a traditional slow cooker which can create the same kind of delicious food.
This stoneware is dishwasher safe so you can finish cleaning quickly after you finish cooking.
Although this stoneware material is very good, if the slow cooker has a little more functions, it will be better.
The first one I want is the timer. The second is the switch to warm function.
If you have these two functions, when your food is finished cooking, the slow cooker will automatically switch the temperature to warm mode so you never need to worry your food will overcook. You will be able to enjoy delicious food when you go home.
If you don’t mind the slow cooker has no indicator and no two features I just talked about, this is a good choice because the stoneware is all-natural. No coating means you can use it for a lifetime.
You no need to worry when the coating will peel off and keep buying new ones. In the long term, it saves a lot of money.
Nesco SC-150B Oval Slow Cooker 1.5-Quart
This is a Nesco slow cooker. It weighs 10.75 pounds and measures 15 x 10.5 x 7 inches. The color is very. It’s a stylish chic metallic blue body so your kitchen can add a lot of colors. Look so not boring.
The oval size is suitable for 1-2 people. It’s easy to clean because of a small size. You will feel relaxed after using it every time.
There is 3 temperature of this slow cooker: high low and auto. You can use high/low to cook different flavors according to the different recipes. After the food is finished cooking, you have to change it to auto manually.
Remember, the auto function cannot use to cook the food. It can only be used after the food is cooked. Otherwise, you will find the food in the slow cooker cannot eat when you go home at night.
The speed of cooking is also fast because of the small capacity. You can put the whole slow cooker into your refrigerator.
Cook the food is very simple, just open a lid, put the food and seasonings in, and then adjust the appropriate temperature. Finally, you only need to wait until the end to enjoy these foods.
In the process of cooking, there are no complicated operations in it, just simply rotate the dial.
Both lid and crock are dishwasher safe. This is a small slow cooker. I believe you will not take it to other places, so this slow cooker can not lock is not a big problem for you.
Since there is no timer, you won’t know how long you need to cook. If you want to buy this slow cooker, you need to buy another timer yourself. Let you know how much time is left to finish cooking.
Cuisinart PSC-400 Stainless Steel 4-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker
This is a Cuisinart slow cooker. It weighs 15.4 pounds and measures 16.6 x 14.7 x 11.6 inches. It looks very special. As you can see, the outer shell is a square made of stainless steel. It looks like can be dent easily. I don’t like it. The handle is chrome-plated.
Normally, the usual slow cooker handle is made of plastic. But I think inside the chrome-plated is also plastic. If it’s made of stainless steel, it’s meaningless to have a chrome-plated, right?
Stoneware is removable. The lid is made of tempered glass and rimmed with stainless steel. Both stoneware and the lid are dishwasher safe.
You can adjust the temperature to high, low, simmer, or keep warm to cook different foods according to different recipes. When you finish cooking, the slow cooker will automatically switch to keep warm mode.
I personally think the switch to keep warm automatically is very important. Try to imagine, how can you keep HIGH mode and then go out to work? Your food must be overcooked. If you are busy Mummy and busy Daddy, I think this function is a must for you.
The shape of this slow cooker is a bit big. If you need to take it to other places often, this is not convenient. The lid cannot be locked which will easily stain your car.
I believe you don’t want to wash your car because of the slow cooker.
If your kitchen is small, it may hard to find a place to store it. I think many of you already have a different appliance in the kitchen. Just like me. The size always is a problem.
If you live in a university dormitory and don’t have a kitchen, it’s harder to clean the stoneware with the sink of the dormitory because it’s relatively big. So, I suggest you buy a small size if you live in a university dormitory.
How To Choose The Best Slow Cooker And Crock Pot
Size
2-Quart is only enough for 2-3 people. It’s easy to store.
6-Quart is large enough to make food to feed like 6-8 people. It may take a lot of storage space.
Pre-programmed Recipes
Some expensive slow cook like “Ninja Auto-iQ Multi/Slow Cooker 6-Quart” have many pre-programmed recipes. You just need to follow the manual to put the food inside and press the right button. It’s really useful for busy Mummy.
Lid
Before you buy the slow cooker, check carefully whether the lid can seal perfectly or not. This is one of the problems that most people complain about.
Locking Lid
If your slow cooker can lock the lid, it should have a locking lid featuring a rubber gasket for the extra seal so you can carry your slow cooker with ease and won’t leak easily.
Recipes
Some slow cookers will have free recipes. Some will not.
Stoneware
If you can choose, you should choose some slow cooker to claim the stoneware is 100% natural and chemical-free. It’s much more healthy for your family.
Material Of The Cooking Pot
It will be either stoneware, stainless steel, or ceramic.
Digital Timer
The digital countdown is clear to see, it can let you see how long will the slow cooker finish the food. You no need to use your own timer to count.
Indicator Light
If your slow cooker has no indicator light, you never know the pot is on or off.
Dishwasher Safe
Read the instruction carefully whether the stoneware is dishwasher safe or not.
The Exterior Shell
If your slower cooker is made from an aluminum exterior shell, it will dent easily.
Automatic Stirring
Some slow cooker like “Crock-pot SCCPVC600AS-B 6-Quart Black Oval Programmable Digital Slow Cooker” has automatic stir function. It especially works great with the soup recipes.
Removable Stoneware
Beware the stoneware is removable or not. If it’s removable, it will be easy to clean or put in the dishwasher.
Keep Warm Function
If your slow cooker can automatically switch to keep warm after the timer you set is expired, it will be the convenient when you are outside to work, especially useful for busy Mummy.
Small Slow Cooker
Normally the cooking speed of the small slow cooker with 1-2 Quart will cook much faster than others.
It’s perfect for making a meal for 2 people.
App Support
Some slow cookers can be controlled by the app.
Handles
If the handles are big and sturdy, it will be easier to carry.
Rotary Knob
Sometimes a simple switch is more durable.
Cooking Time
How many options do you slow cookers have? Some slow cookers may have one rotary knob that let you set the temperature only. Some slow cookers can let you set the time with 2, 4, 6, 8, or 10 hours of cooking time.
Length Of The Power Cord
Make sure the power cord is long enough for you.
Conclusion
Before you make a decision of buying a slow cooker, please make sure you have read “How To Choose The Best Slow Cookers” first.
In my personal opinion, if you are busy Mummy or busy Daddy does not have enough time to cook, then you should buy a slow cooker.
In the long-term, the slow cooker can help you save money because the electricity consumed is really very low. An electricity usage monitor can measure the electricity usage of your slow cooker. It should be very low.
If you want more different cooking functions, I suggest you read the post below.
I hope my article can help everyone to choose the best slow cooker and cook the best food for your family.
If you have any questions or opinion, please leave them below, I’d love to hear that.
8 Comments
Mary Allen · May 28, 2019 at 7:09 pm
Buying slow cooker for housewarming, unsure which one to buy for them. Which ones would you say are the top 3 best for being programmable.
CT · May 28, 2019 at 9:49 pm
According to my post, the 1, 2, 4 slow cooker are also programmable. They are as follow.
Crock-pot SCCPVL610-S-A 6-Quart
Hamilton Beach 33443 Slow Cooker 4-Quart
Ninja Auto-iQ Multi/Slow Cooker 6-Quart CS960
Why I list the slow cooker in this order?
Actually, I do the research on every product. All the product are arranged by the popularity and the number of people buys.
Therefore, the first one is the most popular in the market. It has five more thousand people bought.
If you want a slow cooker that has more different functions, I think Ninja that one can fulfill your needs. But it’s one of the most expensive models in the market because it has 80+ Auto-iQ pre-programmed recipes.
If you have more questions, please feel free to ask me. I’d love to hear that.
Jodi · December 11, 2019 at 2:21 pm
This is awesome! I was just thinking the other day that I needed a new crockpot and this has some amazing information. This will be helpful when choosing a new one. I am going to bookmark this page. Thanks 🙂
CT · December 11, 2019 at 3:18 pm
Hello Jodi, I’m grateful my article is helpful for you. If you have any questions in the future, please feel free to ask me at any time.
David Mercer · December 11, 2019 at 5:29 pm
I have to say the Ninja is my favorite even though it’s a bit on the pricey side.
CT · December 11, 2019 at 6:30 pm
Hello David, thanks for your comment. I’m happy my article is helpful for you. Ninja Auto-iQ Multi/Slow Cooker 6-Quart CS960 is pricey because it features AccuTemp technology and Auto-iQ technology. If you are an experienced user, you will know it will help you a lot.
If you have any questions in the future, please feel free to ask me at any time.
l.waa · December 11, 2019 at 6:31 pm
Wow, I didn’t realize there are so many different slow cookers so many different functions. I like one of the more simple ones you have described, the Hamilton Beach 33454 Shimmer Finish Slow Cooker 5 Quart, it doesn’t have any indicator lights or a timer but the fact that it’s purple won me over.
Thank you for taking the time to give such detailed info on each one on your list.
Best Wishes
Lisa Waa
CT · December 11, 2019 at 7:59 pm
Hello l.waa, I’m glad my article is helpful to you. If you want simple, Hamilton Beach 33454 Shimmer Finish Slow Cooker 5 Quart is really a good choice because it only comes with one control knob. It doesn’t have any complicated control panel so you don’t have to learn anything before starting to cook.
If you have any questions in the future, please feel free to ask me at any time.