The best slow cookers and how to use them

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Slow cooker recipes are phenomenally popular on bbcgoodfood.com. We don't know whether it's the time-saving element, economical credentials or the fact that they require minimal labour that makes you love them quite so much, but we're with you all the way – slow cookers are a winner all round. They vary wildly in price, and you can pick up a slow cooker for as little as a tenner (or as much as a few hundred pounds), but different models meet different criteria. So what should you look for in a slow cooker, and which model is best for you? We spent two days in our Test Kitchen to find out... 

Top five slow cookers

Lakeland 3.5-litre slow cooker 

*Best buy*
Pros: tender meat, smooth sauce, even cooking
Cons: not hob or grill safe

The heating element of the Lakeland cooker encircles the whole pot for even cooking. This certainly proved to be the case in the Good Food kitchen where the cooker scored highest in our test.

The wine in the beef bourguignon recipe reduced well and the flavours in the sauce softened and melded together. Similarly the chicken korma was tender and the sauce well rounded.

This is a straightforward slow cooker with the classic ceramic pot and glass lid. There are high, low and auto settings – the auto also doubles as a keep warm setting if you want to delay serving the meal.

This 3.5-litre model is ideal for three to four people and its oval bowl is large enough to fit a whole medium chicken. This cooker is also available in 1.5 and 6-litre models, and helpfully Lakeland sell spare lids in case of breakages.

The manual gives tips on how to adapt hob-top stew recipes for the cooker so you can still cook your favourite recipes. The pot cannot be used on the hob or under the grill but it is oven safe up to 150C. Both the ceramic pot and lid are dishwasher safe.

Buy from Lakeland (£29.99)

Specifications:
Settings: low, high and auto
Indicator light: yes
Capacity: 3.5-litre (working capacity 2.5-litre)
Dimensions: L34cm x W24cm x H17cm
Pot: removable ceramic pot
Lid: glass
Hob safe: no
Oven safe: ceramic pot oven safe to 150C
Multicooker functions: no
Dishwasher safe: yes pot and lid

Judge 1.5-litre slow cooker 

Best for two
Pros: keep warm setting, even cooking, compact
Cons: no indicator light

This mini cooker is the perfect size for one or two people, producing smooth sauces and tender meat on both the high and low settings. The quality of flavour and texture really stood out among the 1.5-litre cookers we tested.

The one drawback is the lack of a power indicator light. This means that when you turn the knob you either have to trust the machine is on or return after 15 minutes to double check that the sides are heating up.

Other than that the machine is easy to assemble and use with low, high and keep warm settings. It’s compact size means it requires minimal worktop and cupboard space. The ceramic pot is hand wash only but the lid is dishwasher safe.

Specifications
Settings: low, high, keep warm
Indicator light: no
Capacity: 1.5-litre
Dimensions: D 23cm x H20cm 
Pot: ceramic
Lid: glass
Hob safe: no
Oven safe: no
Multicooker functions: no 
Dishwasher safe: lid is dishwasher safe

Sage Fast Slow Pro 6-litre

Best multi cooker
Pros: sauté, sear and reduce functions, tender meat, additional pressure cooker functions
Cons: large size, cost

The Fast Slow Pro works either as a slow or pressure cooker. If you opt for slow, you can put your meal on first thing in the morning so it cooks gently throughout the day. Alternatively, when time is limited in the evening, standard cooking times can be halved with the pressure function.

Stews made in slow cookers often need to be reduced on the hob after cooking, but this machine has a ‘reduce’ function which saves decanting into a saucepan.

The cooker also has searing and sautéing settings for browning meat and softening vegetables. This means the dish can be cooked from start to finish in the same pot. The pot does have a relatively small diameter though, so browning has to be done in several batches. 

The dual function of this cooker does mean it is more expensive and a little trickier to clean with the pressure valves and rubber seal. It is larger than the single function slow cookers but takes up less room than having separate slow and pressure cookers.

The digital interface was easy to use and the manual is detailed on each function. Flavour, texture and sauce consistency were excellent on both the slow and pressure settings.

Specifications
Settings: high, low, keep warm
Indicator light: yes
Capacity: 6-litre
Dimensions: D37cm x W30cm x H32cm 
Pot: removable metal
Lid: not see-through
Hob safe: no
Oven safe: no
Multicooker functions: Yes - pressure cook, sear, sauté, reduce, steam
Dishwasher safe: Not recommended

Morphy Richards 3-5 litre Sear and Stew digital slow cooker 

Best digital slow cooker
Pros: hob safe (electric and gas), well reduced sauce
Cons: doesn’t work on induction

The main pro of the Sear and Stew is that the inner bowl is hob safe on gas and electric (it doesn’t work on induction). This means that the meat can be seared, vegetables softened and sauce reduced all in the same pot.

The digital controls let you set the time in 30 minute intervals up to a maximum of 10 hours. After cooking the slow cooker automatically switches to a ‘keep warm’ setting for a further two hours.

The inner bowl is made of metal which is much lighter than the classic ceramic bowl. We found sauces thickened and amalgamated well during cooking meaning there was no need to reduce them further before serving. The manual includes 12 recipes and the lid and pot are dishwasher safe.

Specifications
Settings: high, low, auto/keep warm
Indicator light: yes
Capacity: 3.5-litre
Dimensions: L30cm x W25cm x H20cm
Pot: non-stick
Lid: glass lid
Hob safe: yes but not on induction
Oven safe: no
Multicooker functions: no
Dishwasher safe: yes, lid and pot

Swan 3.5-litre retro slow cooker 

Best design
Pros: stylish, good texture and consistency
Cons: not hob safe

Swan offers an alternative aesthetic to the brushed steel and glossy black ceramic pots that dominate the slow cooker market. The inner removable pot comes in matt ivory and the outer shell in a range of colours including cream, black, blue, red, grey, green, pink and orange so you can match it to your kitchen decor.  

But it’s not just about looks. Unlike most ceramic pots, Swan’s can be refrigerated. This means you can prep the dish, chill it inside the pot in the fridge overnight and then simply transfer the pot to the cooker in the morning.

The cooker performed well in taste tests – the korma came together nicely, reducing until thick but remaining saucy. The chicken was tender and absorbed the flavour of the spices.The included recipe book was the best of the brands we tested. Both lid and pot are dishwasher safe.

Specifications
Settings: high, low, auto
Indicator light: yes
Capacity: 3.5-litre
Dimensions: L38cm x W28cm x H24cm
Pot: ceramic
Lid: glass
Hob safe: no
Oven safe: no
Multicooker functions: no
Dishwasher safe: yes, lid and pot

Slow cooker recipes... 

Our best ever slow cooker recipes
Healthy slow cooker recipes
Slow cooker chicken recipes
Summer slow cooker recipes
Slow cooker curry recipes
Slow cooker beef recipes

Buyer’s advice

Why buy a slow cooker?

The main advantages of slow cookers are ease and convenience. You can put a stew on in the morning, let it cook gently for 8-10 hours and then simply serve in the evening. Slow cookers, preserve nutrients are energy efficient and largely keep the smells of cooking contained in the pot. 

Slow cooker review – our criteria

There is a big variation between slow cookers in flavour, texture and sauce consistency. We looked for cookers that produced flavourful dishes, tasting as good as oven or hob-cooked alternatives. Below are the criteria we considered.

Sauce consistency: We looked for slow cookers that melded flavours in a dish and reduced liquids to a good consistency – neither too wet nor too dry. We rejected sauces that were undercooked, that tasted ‘winey’ due to under-reduced alcohol, that split or were excessively watery.

Texture: We looked for slow cookers that produced tender, moist meat and vegetables. We rejected those that cooked too quickly causing meat to dry out and disintegrate and vegetables to turn to mush. Tough, undercooked meat was also rejected.

Heat distribution: Even with lower priced models, small and medium-sized slow cookers tend to have the most reliable heat distribution. Once you start dealing with larger pots, it can get a bit patchy. We rejected cookers that produced uneven results.

Transparent lids: For monitoring purposes, it's useful for a slow cooker to have a transparent glass lid.

Size: If you're cooking for a family, be aware of the fact the size of bowl doesn't necessarily denote the amount of food you'll get at the end – especially as you can't fill slow cookers right to the rim. A five-litre model will probably produce around four litres of food. 

Hob-safe: If you're going to be making recipes with meat, look out for an inner pot that can be used on the hob for browning purposes. 

How we tested slow cookers

We tested 12 slow cookers using the same BBC Good Food beef bourguignon and chicken korma recipes in each. We tested on both the high and low settings. We also tested extra functions such as sauté, sear, and pressure cook.

How to get the best results when cooking

• No liquid escapes from a slow cooker, so when adapting a recipe not specifically written for a slow cooker, reduce any added liquid by one third to compensate.
• Don't remove the lid too often to avoid heat loss.
• The inner pot needs to be at room temperature before you start cooking. If you've kept a slow cooker dish in the fridge, you must wait for it to warm up before turning on.
• Slow cookers vary considerably so follow your manufacturer's manual for guidelines on temperatures and cooking times.
• Rice and pasta dishes work best cooked on High for the shortest time possible. Always use easy-cook rice, rinsed well first – the more starch you rinse from the rice, the better the finished result. 

How to use a slow cooker: video

Slow cooker storecupboard essentials

• If you're cooking rice in your slow cooker, buy the easy cook varieties and rinse until the water runs clear, otherwise you'll be left with a sticky mess.
• Gravy browning will add colour to stews, as food cooked in a slow cooker is usually pale. Marmite will do the same job. Season at the same time.
• Use arrowroot or cornflour to thicken sauces by removing a spoonful of sauce from the pot, and whisking in 1-2 tbsp before returning to the pot.
• A dash of cream or crème fraîche at the last minute will enrich sauces and soups.

Test kitchen top tip

Take time to brown your meat really well. Slow cookers tend to leach meat of its colour, so it’s important for both the appearance and flavour that the mince, chunks or joints are well browned to start with. Because the liquid in the food doesn’t reduce, flavours won’t become more concentrated with this cooking style, so you need to pack in as much flavour as you can.

This review was last updated in April 2019. If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews or spot anything that has changed in price or availability, please get in touch at goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk. 

Do you swear by your slow cooker? We'd love to hear your recipe ideas. Plus, if you're a fan of kitchen kit, we have a guide to pressure cookers too...