When searching for the ideal slow cooker, keep your cooking style and family needs in mind. If you plan to prepare food for more than a few people at once, larger models such as Crock-Pot 8-Quart Programmable are likely the way to go.
Some slow cookers provide only three settings (low, high and warm). If you want to saute food or sear meat in the slow cooker, select one with additional features such as sauteing.
Size
Choose a slow cooker based on how many people and types of meals you plan on cooking for, as well as any specific tasks or events you wish to complete in it.
All sizes can be used to prepare dishes for large groups; large capacity models are better suited for entertaining purposes or batch cooking.
Small 2- and 3-quart slow cookers are best used for making dips, small servings, and side dishes; suitable for single- or two-person households.
Medium-size slow cookers like the 4- to 6-quart models provide sufficient capacity to feed three to four members in your household at one time; 8-quart models may even help accommodate large dinner parties!
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Discover the Best Cooker Size for Your Recipes |
As part of our testing, this model impressed us with its ability to keep cheese dips creamy and warm thanks to its low/high cook settings and automatic warm setting that turns on once the recipe is complete.
Furthermore, its full-grip handles allowed easy transport between your counter and table; its removable stoneware crock was dishwasher safe while the base unit cleaned easily after use.
In addition to being versatile and offering competitive pricing, the Hamilton Beach Set & Forget also comes equipped with an ingenious lid lock feature that keeps food warm even during travel - an added feature!
Cooking Functions
Some slow cookers provide only basic settings--typically low, high and warm. With these basic settings available to you, you should have no trouble making chili, soups, stews and roasts without any complications.
However, for any recipes requiring searing or browning that require searing/browning first (ie: seared/browneding of ingredients on stovetop before moving them into your slow cooker).
Many of our best slow cookers feature multiple cooking functions, such as simmering, steaming and reheating.
This allows you to prepare all the stages of a dish in one pot - reducing the number of pots and pans you need to wash when finished!
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Explore the Versatility of Cooking Functions in Your Kitchen |
One of our favorite models, the Hamilton Beach, features a temperature probe which monitors your meat's internal temperature to ensure it reaches its target at the end of cooking cycle.
This helps prevent under- or overcooking meals and is especially helpful when creating pot roasts and other long-cook items like this.
Cuisinart multicookers are another popular option, providing users with sauteing, browning and steaming capabilities as well as slow cooking capabilities.
While not as feature-packed as Instant Pot, they still make for great hands-on control of cooking with preset intervals to switch functions automatically for crowd catering purposes.
Temperature Control
Slow cookers allow for precise temperature control, which can significantly alter the texture of meals.
It is wise to select a model which allows for personalized temperature settings so as to prevent overcooking, which leaves stringy or soggy food behind.
Slow cooker pots typically consist of aluminum, stainless steel or ceramic (also referred to as stoneware).
Aluminum and stainless models heat more quickly while ceramic models take longer. Ceramic models may also crack or shatter if dropped accidentally.
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Consistent Results Every Time: The Power of Temperature Control |
Some models come equipped with additional functions, like sear mode that enables users to brown or saute food directly in the pot.
While these features may come in handy when dealing with larger batches of meat or more acidic liquids, they usually add both cost and complexity to a cooker's operation.
If you don't need extra bells and whistles, simpler solutions tend to be best.
For instance, this affordable Crock-Pot features three settings and an LCD screen that's easy to navigate; our tests showed it took some time before reaching its optimal temperature but once it did it kept consistent low/high temps for creamy beans and tender pull-apart pork dishes.
Safety
Slow cookers make life easy: simply throw ingredients in, press the button, and come home to dinner ready!
Perfect for soups, stews and other one-pot meals like soups, stews and chili.
However, keep in mind that slow cookers operate at relatively low temperatures; therefore they should not be used for dishes like cocktail meatballs that require higher heat output; additionally prolonged heating could curdle dairy products that were once warm in your slow cooker.
Hester recommends selecting a model with a temperature probe that can read both internal and external temperatures to accurately gauge when food is ready to eat, and which includes an alert system displaying when your dish has finished cooking.
Crock-Pot Cook & Carry Slow Cooker is our top choice for safety. Featuring two locks to prevent accidental lid removal and an ergonomic built-in handle for convenient transporting even while still hot, this slow cooker also boasts low and high cook settings as well as a warm setting to ensure dishes reach ideal serving temperatures.
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Your Safety is Our Priority: Explore Our Safety Cooker |
The Hamilton Beach Omni Slow Cooker is another top pick when it comes to safety, being free from toxic nonstick chemicals such as PFAS, PFOA, lead and cadmium.
However, unlike our more premium models it does not include rice cooking functions or sauteing and browning options.
FAQ
- Programmable settings: Look for models with customizable time and temperature controls.
- Digital display: Easier to monitor cooking progress.
- Warm function: Automatically switches to "keep warm" after cooking is done.
- Removable stoneware insert: For easy cleaning and serving.
- Tempered glass lid: Allows you to check your food without releasing heat.
