A slow cooker can totally transform the way you think about preparing everything from soup and stew to chili and other braised dishes, dramatically improving the way that you prepare home-cooked meals and helping you spend a lot less time in the kitchen but still enjoying restaurant quality food at the same time. The question now is, what is the best slow cooker for you? Read our guide and let us recommend the best options on the market right now.
Choosing a Slow Cooker
Slow cookers are more popular today than ever before which means there are more options out there than ever before as well. Here are a couple of tips and tricks to help you narrow down your choices.
Heating Method – A lot of slow cookers today take advantage of a metallic base unit that fits snugly around an insert usually made of ceramic, with a heating element directly on the bottom and all along the sides of the base as well. Some units will only include a heating element on the bottom of the system, but these are usually a lot less reliable in a lot less consistent.
Crock Construction – Ceramic and porcelain materials are the most popular when it comes to the construction of the crock that gets inserted into the heating element and base unit, but there are metal units out there available as well. Metal does a great job at conducting heat pretty evenly but it also has the potential to heat up in a hurry – and ceramic/porcelain materials are a lot more traditional and offer a consistent heat you can rely on.
It’s a good idea to avoid any slow cooker that fuses the crock and the heating elements into a single material as they are almost always a nightmare to clean and maintain.
Pay Attention to the Lid – Not only should the lid of your slow cooker be made out of high quality construction materials (especially high density and thermal protected glass) but it should also fit your slow cooker like a glove and have a seal that locks in temperature and flavor.
Shape Really Matters – The best slow cookers on the market today come in round or oval shape configurations, and you’ll want to consider the specific shape of the slow cooker you choose to move forward with.
You want to be sure that the shape is going to work well with the types of dishes you expect to prepare. Folks that want to prepare whole chickens, brisket, or ribs will usually want a more oval-shaped configuration while those cooking soups and stews can usually get away with a perfectly round set up.
Best Slow Cooker – Our Top Picks
There are lots of slow cookers available on the market, so you can choose the one you like. On the other side, some are better than the others. Today, we’re going to list some options which really hit the target with consumers. Each one is affordable and comes from a trusted manufacturer.
• Crock-Pot SCCPRC507B-060
• Crock-Pot Multi Size Digital
• Sage by Heston Blumenthal
• Lakeland 3.5L
• Morphy Richards 48702