Slow Cooker Recommendations

[LTS3]

I've been thinking of getting a slow cooker. Does anyone have a recommendation for a good brand? I guess a 6 qt size is what most recipies call for. I'm just cooking for myself but I like reusing leftovers in other dishes. I'm not sure about the Instant Pot. I already have a rice cooker so I don't need that feature and I don't really see myself using any of the other features either.

 

[FreedomKitty17]

This is a cat site... well to each their own haha

 

[MoochNNoodles]

I just made a big pot of soup in my crock pot today! Both of mine are at least 15 years old now I think. I have a larger one and a smaller one for different size dishes. I don't really know which I use the most; but I am cooking for 4 people. Most recipes can be pretty easily adjusted for different dishes. If you like cooking say roasts with a lot of carrots and potatoes; bigger is better. I always make 2 pounds of meat for my chili and add extra veggies an sauce to account for that; so the bigger is better. Plus I mix in pasta at the end. When it was just DH and I; the smaller was fine.

My larger crock pot is a West Bend brand and the smaller is Rival. Both were given to me so I didn't pick them out or compare brands. They aren't fancy but one has a "keep warm" setting.

I would like a smaller one for hot dips and the rectangular baking dish shaped one looks really nice too. I'm pretty sure it was Winchester that got one of those some time ago.

This is a cat site... well to each their own haha

Oh stick around my friend. Food is probably our most talked about, non-cat topic!

 

[neely]

I am on my second "Crock Pot" slow cooker. I've had the first one for many years and it still works but bought the 2nd 6 qt. because it has a removable stoneware liner for easy clean up. It has never failed and cooks everything perfectly - I love it!

 

[jcat]

I love my slow cooker (UK brand), but could kick myself for not getting one with a timer. That would be a lot more useful.

 

[Winchester]

This might help you, even though it's from December 2016: Slow cooker information (Cook's Illustrated)

One thing I will add is that the newer slow cookers cook much quicker than the old ones did. Keep that in mind when you're using a new one; an older recipe that says "Cook on Low for 8 hours" might get done in 6 hours in a newer appliance. Just a little tip.

And while I do love my oblong Crock Pot, it gets foods done quicker. I wouldn't keep that one plugged in while I'm at work, like I would some of my older crock pots. The food would be way too done. I use it when I'm home though and busy doing chores throughout the house and don't really have time for cooking at the end of the day.

 

[LTS3]

I don't plan on leaving the slow cooker unattended (Leroy ). I'm only going to use it when I'm home all day. Does an oval slow cooker take up a lot of space on the counter? I'm trying to figure out where to store it. My few kitchen cabinets are full and I don't want to store it on top of the cabinets because that means pulling out the ladder.

The Kitchen Aid one looks good. Not too fancy or technologically advanced. I'll have to look at more reviews on it later.

Does meat come out mushy or anything weird? I saw a slow cooker vs Instant Pot article and it favored the Instant Pot, saying meat in a slow cooker turns mealy and mushy after hours of cooking whereas in the Instant Pot it's cooked to perfection.

 

[Winchester]

I don't think so. But a lot of people seem to think that, with a crock pot, you can just start dumping stuff into it, turn it on, and it's supposed to make a wonderful dinner in 6-8 hours. It doesn't really work that way and I don't care what the recipe may tell you. Then again, I'm pretty finicky.

I always brown my meat, whether it's a chuck roast, a pork roast, chops, chicken pieces, whatever. I always take the time to brown it first. I think it adds flavor. Ground beef, ground turkey, ground anything, yeah it's a given that you brown it first, chunk it up, etc. But a lot of people don't brown roasts if they're going to put them in the crock pot. I do. But again, that's just me. (And I know that that takes away the "set it and forget it" mentality of crock pots. But, once it's done and it's in the crock pot, you still set it and then go about your business.)

I do use our crock pot when I'm not home. But I set it in the basement to cook, usually on the washer; that way, the cats can't get to it. I don't trust them one bit!

I don't have an Instant Pot, so I can't say anything about them. Some people really like them; other people don't.

When we decided to get rid of our entertainment center in the living room, our original intention was to set it out for a yard sale. Then we got to thinking that it would make an ideal place to store kitchen stuff. We dismantled the thing, took it down to the basement, and put it back together. It works beautifully for storage!

 

[LTS3]

I wish I had a basement or even a balcony. The only options I have are to put the slow cooker in the bedroom which would mean all my clothes would end up smelling like whatever was cooked or the bathroom but I'd have to leave the bathroom fan on all day.

I can see how browning meats and stuff can help with flavor. Can this be done like the night before? I don't like to do "heavy duty cooking" first thing in the morning.

The Instant Pot has mixed reviews but I guess that's true for many gadgets. The downside of the Instant Pot seems to be all the parts that need to be cleaned afterwards and the fancy features aren't that intuitive to use.

 

[Mother Dragon]

I've been thinking of getting a slow cooker. Does anyone have a recommendation for a good brand? I guess a 6 qt size is what most recipies call for. I'm just cooking for myself but I like reusing leftovers in other dishes. I'm not sure about the Instant Pot. I already have a rice cooker so I don't need that feature and I don't really see myself using any of the other features either.[/QUOTEFrom Cook's Illustrated.


Published January 2017
HOW WE TESTED

Set and Forget?
We much preferred digital programmable cookers, which automatically switched to “warm” when the cooking time was up. But setting the programmable cookers wasn’t always easy. We wanted intuitive controls, but several models had so many buttons with such confusing layouts that our testers couldn’t tell if they’d set them correctly. Then there was the “smart” slow cooker that ran via a phone app with such a pared-down control panel that it left most testers puzzled and frustrated. Yet another cooker’s controls let you set only even-numbered cooking times (2, 4, 6, 8, or 10 hours) and indicated cooking progress with a cryptic series of lights. But one model in particular was a pleasure to use: Its controls were unambiguous, each button clicked satisfyingly and lit up when pressed, and within a few seconds the clock began counting down so you knew that it was running.

Handling the slow cookers presented new challenges. Some handles became red-hot during cooking or were set too close to the hot rim of the housing. While we liked that the three products in our lineup that had metal inserts were featherlight and that we didn’t have to worry about cracking them, two of them became too hot to touch. Surprisingly, the heaviest crock in the lineup, a ceramic model, was also the easiest to use. It had protruding handles that were easy to grip and stayed cool. We found that this cooker was the only model that held close to the advertised capacity of 6 to 7 quarts and was also the only one with clear minimum and maximum fill lines.

Cookin’ Good
It was time to start cooking. First up: braising chuck roast into pot roast. Two models produced mixed results, slightly overcooking some pieces and leaving others a bit underdone and chewy. A third model never rendered the meat fully fork-tender, even after extended cooking.

Next we made delicate boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Our recipe calls for laying four breasts in a row across the bottom of the crock. In three models (two of which were guilty of unevenly cooking the chuck roast), the breasts nearest the shorter, curved ends of the cookers cooked too fast. They climbed as high as 185 degrees, becoming dry and rubbery, before the pair in the center reached the target doneness temperature of 160 degrees. While cooking speed varied, all fell within the range indicated in our recipe.

Next up: turkey breast. In previous testings, we found that some slow cookers had a hot spot along the back wall of the cooker, which risked overcooking larger cuts that pressed up against it. This time around we were pleased to find that this hot spot wasn’t an issue, although one cooker that unevenly cooked chicken breasts overcooked the turkey where it touched the narrow ends of the crock. Again, cooking times varied, but all models finished within our time range of 5 to 6 hours on low.

Aside from the unevenly cooked chicken and turkey, all of the food was passable. But our front-runner produced evenly cooked food every time.

Under the Hood
Why did some cookers run fast and others slow? Why could some cook food evenly and others not? Here’s what we found: Most of our models are “traditional” slow cookers, where food goes into a ceramic stoneware crock that absorbs and transmits heat slowly. These models had heating element strips made of nickel and chrome (“nichrome”) wire that wrapped around a fiberglass strip that belted the crock. When the cooker is on, this wire heats up more or less powerfully depending on the wattage and the setting. This construction tends to create hot spots near the element—particularly at the curved ends of the cookers, where the element surrounds the food more closely.

But two models with this belt-style construction actually did manage to cook food evenly, even at the ends. Opening up their housing revealed thick, heat-resistant padding and foil heat shields packed inside (the other models had been empty except for the heating element). The insulation buffered the pot from contact with the heating elements, preventing hot spots; it also explained why these two models—one of them our front-runner, from KitchenAid—tended to run a bit slower.

Two other models were designed very differently, with lightweight, nonstick-coated aluminum pots that sat directly on a hot plate with stove-style electric coils embedded inside that also heat more or less powerfully depending on the setting. This design encourages even cooking from end to end, though the thin metal pots of these slow cookers (by Cuisinart and Ninja) cooked hotter and faster than ceramic-crock models.

The remaining cooker was a hybrid style made by Crock-Pot, with a metal crock and a traditional belt-style heater. Like the other two models with metal pots, it cooked a little fast. The KitchenAid model we liked so much has a useful feature: a sensor that automatically monitors and adjusts the cooking temperature so that it levels off and stays below boiling (ideally, food should stay at a simmer), helping further guard against overcooking food. Without such a sensor, the temperature of the crock pot’s contents will just keep climbing until it boils, whether set to low or high, simply because the heat is on (when set to low, it just takes longer to get there).

This was made clear in our next test: We tracked the temperature as each model heated 4 quarts of water over a period of 6 hours on high and then 12 hours on low.

A Clear Winner
The KitchenAid 6-Quart Slow Cooker With Solid Glass Lid ($99.99), our former winner, handled every recipe with perfect results, albeit a bit slowly. Its thick stoneware crock, insulated housing, built-in thermal sensor, and crystal-clear controls put a well-thought-out design at your service—and at a moderate price. The Cuisinart 6-Quart 3-in-1 Cook Central ($148.71) is also a solid choice. It offers the advantages of a light, unbreakable metal crock with stay-cool plastic handles, as well as a brown-and-sear function that lets you skip using a separate skillet before slow-cooking in recipes that call for it.

METHODOLOGY
We tested eight 6- to 7-quart slow cookers, preparing a variety of recipes using both low and high temperature settings and varied cooking times. We used temperature probes to map heating patterns, and a panel of testers evaluated how easy the cookers were to use and clean. We also dismantled a set of the cookers to understand the placement and type of heating elements they contained. All slow cookers were purchased online and appear in order of preference.

Cooking
We prepared boneless, skinless chicken breasts; whole bone-in turkey breast; and pot roast. We evaluated the texture and flavor of the food and rated the cookers on the uniformity of cooking. We did a final round to test the built-in browning function, when available. We gave highest marks to cookers that produced evenly cooked, juicy, and tender foods every time.

Ease of Use
We evaluated how easy the cookers were to fill, set, and maneuver, including the intuitiveness of controls, displays to monitor cooking, weight of the crock, size and shape of handles, and whether the handles became hot.

Cleanup
We washed each model six times by hand and 10 times in the dishwasher (unless the manual instructed not to do so). We gave high marks to models that were easy to clean, with few nooks and crannies to trap food or water. We also gave preference to pots and lids that were dishwasher-safe and emerged from 10 dishwasher cycles good as new.

Heating Patterns
To map heating patterns, we used temperature probes to track the temperature of each cooker’s contents as it heated 4 quarts of room-temperature water over a period of 6 hours on high and 12 hours on low.

THE RESULTS
WINNER
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
KitchenAid 6-Quart Slow Cooker With Solid Glass Lid
Our former champion won again for its well-designed, straightforward control panel with a countdown timer that was simple and unambiguous to set and allowed us to monitor progress at a glance. The roomy, heavy stoneware crock cooked gently and evenly and never boiled, so food emerged tender and juicy. We loved that its broad, protruding handles with grippy textured undersides usually stayed cool enough that we could pick up the crock without potholders. Thick insulation kept heat directed toward the crock, and a built-in internal temperature sensor gave this slow cooker extra “brains” to keep the temperature below boiling, which helped guarantee better results.
$99.99*

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Cuisinart 6-Quart 3-in-1 Cook Central
We loved the lightweight, nonstick metal crock and stay-cool plastic handles that made this model so easy to maneuver and clean. The pot cooks directly over a built-in hot plate, and the long, rectangular crock provides abundant surface area that’s in contact with that heat source, so this model tends to run a little hotter and finish faster than our winner but cooks evenly (built-in temperature control was evident when we monitored using a thermocouple). We suggest checking recipes early for doneness. Its brown/sauté function eliminates the need for a separate skillet, but it’s slower than a skillet and food steamed a little due to the crock’s high sides. Our testers disagreed on whether setting the cooker was easy or a little confusing. A solid performer, it’s a great choice if you hate to lift heavy crocks or worry about breakage.
$148.71*

RECOMMENDED
Ninja 3-in-1 Cooking System
Like the Cuisinart, this model has a thin, long, rectangular metal crock and cooks fast but evenly. It has both a built-in hot plate and a belt-like heating element for different cooking functions. While the cooker was easy to set, its controls are a little complicated because of its multiple functions (steam, roast, slow-cook, etc.). We disliked that its slick, bare metal handles get very hot, and while its brown/sauté function works, it’s noticeably slower at browning food than the Cuisinart, probably due to its lower wattage. (Note: We did not test the “steam-baking” or “steam-infused roasting” functions.)
$99.99*

RECOMMENDED WITH RESERVATIONS
Crock-Pot 6-Quart Slow Cooker 
with Stovetop-Safe Cooking Pot
The metal crock on this cooker gets very hot, so cooking runs slightly fast, though it cooked evenly. The crock can be used on the stovetop for browning and searing before placing it in the cooker to slow-cook. However, we had quibbles with the design: Its metal handles became quite hot; the slick ceramic coating still felt greasy after repeated hand washing, but the dishwasher is not recommended; and the thin lip of the crock meant that its lid sometimes slipped into the pot when jostled. Some testers found the controls confusing.
$56.80*
NOT RECOMMENDED
Hamilton Beach Stay or Go 6-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker
We loved the lid latch and rubber gasket that prevent spills if you take this pot to a party, and we loved the simple controls and low price. Its food was cooked acceptably, although its temperature climbed to boiling (or barely below) on both high and low settings. But this model lost major points because we couldn’t set odd-numbered cooking times as called for in many recipes. Our only choices were 2, 4, 6, 8, or 10 hours, and there was no countdown timer (instead, lights next to the numbers extinguish as the cooking time decreased, giving a rough approximation of progress).
$39.99*

Crock-Pot Smart Wifi-Enabled WeMo 6-Quart Slow Cooker
This cooker is very slow. Its wattage is comparatively weak (250 watts), and its housing contains insulation, which is an advantage for helping prevent hot spots but made this slow cooker downright poky. Food was generally good, with the exception of pot roast—it didn’t become fully tender within the recipe time frame. The wifi-enabled functioning was more annoying than awesome. We had to fire up an app to do anything beyond simply turning on the cooker and selecting a temperature setting. With no countdown display, we couldn’t check progress at a glance. The app itself was jumpy and often left us guessing whether we’d inadvertently turned the pot off from afar. We’d strongly prefer to have full controls on the cooker and not just via the app.
$127.49*

Gourmia SlowSmart Express 7 Qt Digital Programmable Slow Cooker
This cooker was very simple: On high, it simply got hotter until it hit boiling; on low, it climbed steadily. While its food was not inedible, it emerged unevenly cooked in each of our cooking tests: The outermost chicken breasts were overdone before the center ones were ready, and the pot roast was a little dry in spots and not yet tender in others. Small handles on the heavy stoneware crock were set too close to the hot collar of the metal casing.
$49.99*

Black + Decker 7-Quart Slow Cooker—Teal
Large and inexpensive with a big, heavy pot, this uninsulated manual cooker cooked unevenly, which was especially noticeable with chicken breasts but also with pot roast and turkey. While it’s easy to set, it’s not that convenient to use: It has no countdown display, so you can’t monitor progress unless you set a separate timer, and it can’t automatically switch to warming mode after cooking is done—you have to return to turn it down or switch it off.
$39.99*

 

[rubysmama]

I have 2 slow cookers. Both are Crockpot. One is 6 quart. The 2nd is smaller - 4 quart, I think.

I mostly cook soups and baked beans in mine. I'm vegetarian, so I don't cook meat in my slow cooker, so can't advise on that. I did cook a veggie lasagna once, and it turned out pretty good - the noodles were a bit too soft, so probably cooked a bit too long. Rice doesn't cook well in a slow cooker. I made apple sauce in the 4 quart one last year, and probably will again this fall, but most recipes use the 6 quart one.

There are a few really neat recipes online for using a slow cooker. One I tried was dinner rolls and they actually turned out pretty good. Slow Cooker Dinner Rolls - i heart eating

One thing I made a point of was getting slow cookers with digital timers. That way you can set them in increments of 30 minutes instead of set times like 2, 4 and 6 hours. And a warming setting comes in handy too.

I find they are too big to leave on the counter, so I keep mine in an upper cupboard. It's a bit of a pain to climb up to get it, but I don't use them every day and don't want my counter space cluttered.

 

[Winchester]

I have browned meat at night and then stuck it in the fridge for the next day. I have browned ground beef and sausages, too. It's not a problem.

Keep in mind, again, that newer slow cookers cook faster than old ones. If you put a roast in the the crock pot for 8-10 hours, even on low, you might get mushy meat, especially depending on the cut of meat you use.

I used my oblong crock pot today for my pot roast. I used about 1-1/2 pound browned chuck roast, one large onion (caramelized), five nice-sized potatoes and probably a pound of baby carrots that I sliced in half length-wise. I poured a cup of beef stock and a cup of red wine over all. It was done in 5-1/2 hours. Had I used one of my older crock pots, I could have probably let it cook for the eight hours.

This is just my opinion only!

 

[LTS3]

I have browned meat at night and then stuck it in the fridge for the next day. I have browned ground beef and sausages, too. It's not a problem.

Good to know

Keep in mind, again, that newer slow cookers cook faster than old ones. If you put a roast in the the crock pot for 8-10 hours, even on low, you might get mushy meat, especially depending on the cut of meat you use.

Does it matter which heat setting is used? Or does both high and low still results in the meat cooking faster than an older slow cooker? If I use a low setting, should I check at 4 hours and determine ow much longer the dish needs to cook for?

 

[Winchester]

Even on low, a new slow cooker will cook faster. There was a show about them on America's Test Kitchen.

 

[neely]

I always use the low heat setting. I saw this week's Target ad and they have a 4.5 qt. crock pot slow cooker on sale for $17. I know you were thinking of the 6 qt. size but just thought I'd mention it since it's a great price.
Regarding the oval shape, my newer crock pot is an oval and, yes, it does take up a bit more room on the counter top but maybe the 4.5 qt. size would work for you. Good luck, please let us know what you decide.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

Both of my crock pots are oval. Meat comes out very tender if you cook in sauces especially.

I make pulled pork in my large one and everyone raves over it. Its very easy to shred the pork after slow cooking. I have a Tuscan chicken sandwich recipe that comes out amazing and tender too. I do not like chewy meat. My kids are difficult enough with getting them to eat meat; so anything that keeps it tender and full of flavor is good for me!

One of my other favorites is making homemade tomato sauce! I always add chunks of beef and I get fresh sausage links from a local place. Those I do brown and I pre-cook the ground turkey or beef for chili; but other things I don't.

 

[LTS3]

I'm going to go with the Kitchen Aid 6qt one. Any pros / cons to buying directly from the Kitchen Aid website or other place online (Amazon) vs an actual store like Bed Bath Beyond apart from the fact that it's easier to return a defective product to a store than to pack it up and ship it?

 

[foxxycat]

I don't like new appliances-I have a crock pot that was my moms-it's over 30 years old and oval shaped=but I think I gave that one to my sister-it's too big for us.

I see them in thrift stores all the time. If you want to try one-it's cheaper this way. And most people take good care of their dishes anyways. Just wash and use is my motto. I have a small one and a large one-although I think I gave away the big one-it's too big for us . I haven't used the little one in months...this winter keep saying I will use it but we don't like mushy veggies-so I will use it to make gravy/meat and cook the veggies in a steamer.

I got my little one at a yard sale 10 years ago for $3. best $3 I spent.

 

[Winchester]

I'm going to go with the Kitchen Aid 6qt one. Any pros / cons to buying directly from the Kitchen Aid website or other place online (Amazon) vs an actual store like Bed Bath Beyond apart from the fact that it's easier to return a defective product to a store than to pack it up and ship it?

That's my big thing.....a defective product. When I bought my air fryer, I could have gone through Amazon, but I did buy it from BB & B simply in case something happened to it. But other than that, it's fine (and might be a bit cheaper -- check on shipping, of course -- to go through either KA or Amazon.

Good luck! You'll have to tell us how you're going with it!

 

[LTS3]

Did some price checking on various web sites and WayFair definitely has the best price and I get it this Friday if I order tonight None of the local Bed Bath and Beyond stores have the slow cooker available to buy in store. Neither does Macy's. Oddly the Kitchen Aid web site doesn't have it for sale.