We all want to make meal prep quick and simple. Even those who love to spend time developing rich and complex flavors in their dishes don’t necessarily want to stand over the stove all day long. Freezer cooking can help free up some time. So can a long list of appliances, gadgets, and kitchen tools. But the slow cooker (a.k.a. the Crockpot) has long been hailed as the humble favorite among the glittering masses of cooking instruments.
Learn how to buy a slow cooker that will meet your individual needs and provide many flavorful meals without many hours of labor.
Choose Your Size
First, consider how many servings you typically prepare. Slow cookers come in all shapes – round, oval, and square – and sizes – anything from a portable 1.5 quarts to a professional 9 quarts. You can even find slow cookers with multiple pots! Next, consider your storage space. While extremely useful, slow cookers can take up a decent piece of real estate on your counter or in your cabinets. So plan ahead before you buy the biggest model.
When I was in college, I had a small Crockpot (like this one) that I used to make oatmeal and other simple dishes in my dorm room, and it stored easily under the sink. Now, I have a family and find that my Hamilton Beach 6-quart model fits most of my needs. Anything from 5-7 quarts is pretty standard, but if you normally cook for only one or two, you may want to downsize. Sometimes the smaller versions come in handy for traveling, potluck dishes, or serving party foods like hot soups or hot dips.
Bonus tip: No one said you are limited to one! If you have space, go ahead and invest in slow cookers for your different purposes. A common “water cooler conversation” at OAMM is, “How many slow cookers does a freezer cook really need?” Most of us have at least 2!
Choose Your Special Features
After that, your choices mainly come down to what special features you want. Do you just want a very basic model with low, medium, and high-temperature settings? Or are you looking for more precision? Here are a few helpful features to consider.
- Programmable Temperature – Manually set the temperature at which you would like your dish to cook, for example, 350 degrees instead of just “medium” which can vary greatly from model to model.
- Programmable Cook Time – Choose how long you want your dish to cook. Some models have a function that will delay start time. And most will switch to “keep warm” mode once the time has expired.
- Meat Thermometer – This feature allows a probe to be inserted into the slow cooker that will read the internal temperature of your meat. Some models will even switch to warm automatically when you reach the pre-programmed temperature. Never over cook your roast again!
- Saute/Simmer – You can create some amazing flavor by searing meats and aromatics before you slow cook them (stew meat, roasts, onions, carrots, garlic, etc.). Some slow cookers let you reduce your number of dishes by allowing you to complete this step right in the slow cooker pot and then switching over to your low heat for slow cooking.
- Multi-function Appliance – Basically any appliance that does more than just slow cook such as a fancy, combo rice cooker or an Instant Pot (see below). This simplifies your life, especially in a small kitchen.
- Programmable by Mobile Phone – Yes, you can now put your food into the slow cooker (or have someone else do it) and program it from your office on your mobile phone. Wonders never cease.
- Travel-Friendly – Slow cookers are perfect for party and potluck favorites, and so many brands have developed travel-friendly features such as locks to keep the lid on in the car. You may be looking for something smaller when you travel. Did you know you can even find a 20-ounce lunch crock for warming small portions on the go?
Choose Your Price
Last, you want your new appliance to fit into your budget, of course. The models with all of the fancy features typically cost more, but as kitchen appliances go, slow cookers are typically modestly priced. We would like to share with you some of our favorite slow cookers, and you will notice that there are price points for any budget.
Our Favorites
All around best
Hamilton Beach Set ‘n Forget Programmable 6-quart – This appliance has great features, is reliable, and has a reasonable price. The lid locks in place for easy traveling.
For the foodie
Cuisinart 3-in-1 Cook Central 6-quart – Brown and slow cook your meat in the same pot. You can even cook your veggies on the steamer rack! This model is fully programmable.
Bargain buy!
Hamilton Beach 3-quart – Basic slow cooker for a simple, small kitchen. It will get the job done, and it comes in pretty colors.
All in One
Aroma Professional 20-cup Rice Cooker, Steamer, Slow Cooker Perfect for the dorm room or apartment dweller as it is space-efficient. Extremely useful on a freezer cooking day as you can use it for prepping rice, slow cooking, or even as an extra cooking surface
On the Go
Crockpot 20-ounce Lunch Crock Food Warmer – Perfect for your lunches from the freezer!
High Tech
Crock-Pot Smart Wifi-Enabled WeMo 6-Quart Slow Cooker – For the serious cook who is seriously busy. Or for the cook who loves all things techie. Make adjustments to dinner from an app on your mobile phone!
New Kid on the Block
Instant Pot 6-in-1 Programmable Pressure Cooker, 6 quart – We have all jumped on the bandwagon so fast that you may think it is a fad, but I think that pressure cooking is here to stay! So it isn’t technically a slow cooker, but it is a multi-function appliance – six or seven functions depending on your model – that includes slow cooking. Or save yourself some time by using pressure!
Additional Resources for the Slow Cooker
- Dump and Go Slow Cooker Mini February 2015
- Winter Slow Cooker Mini Menu Vol. 3
- Dump and Go Slow Cooker Mini February 2014
- Slow Cooker Mini November 2013
- Spring Instant Pot Mini Menu Vol. 1
- Paleo Slow Cooker Mini February 2013
- 101 Freezable Slow Cooker Recipes
- Do It Yourself Rotisserie Chicken in the Slow Cooker
- OAMC Trick: Browning Ground Beef in the Slow Cooker