4 Best Slow Cookers, According to Experts
This no-fuss appliance never goes out of style.
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A slow cooker is so handy for so many recipes: soups, taco fillings, meatballs, mashed potatoes. You can knock out a family-friendly breakfast, lunch or dinner — even dessert — with a minimum of hands-on cooking. These countertop appliances work by cooking foods at a low and steady temperature, similar to braising in a Dutch oven, and they can keep foods warm after cooking.
To test slow cookers, the pros in the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab test make chicken soup and beef stew. For both, we check the texture and flavor of the meat and vegetables and consider how liquids reduce over time. With the soup, we also monitor the progression of the temperature to ensure food safety. We factor in whether you can brown foods directly in the slow cooker’s pot, and we assess special features like an app, probe or insert.
All-Clad 7-Quart Slow Cooker with Aluminum Insert
Pros
- Allows cooking on high and low or a mix of the two
- Removable aluminum insert can be used for browning on the stovetop
Cons
- Liquid may boil rather than simmer
Our experts like the simplicity and flexibility of this 7-quart model. The digital controls offer a programmable 20-hour timer and settings for slow cooking on high (from 2 to 8 hours) and low (from 4 to 20 hours). It also includes a high/low function, which lets you set the length of time you want each of the settings to run. This function is helpful if you want to bring something to a boil and then simmer it.
In our tests, the All-Clad slow cooker made a rich and tender beef stew and cooked chicken soup and pot roast to safe internal temperatures. However, there is a bit of a learning curve, because it does run hot: It boiled the broth for chicken soup, which made the meat and vegetables a little overcooked. We like that you can use this model's removable aluminum pot on the stovetop if your recipe calls for browning as a step. The automatic “keep warm” setting will hold your dish at a safe serving temperature when cooking is complete.
Both the insert and the base have riveted handles that make it easy to carry them together or separately. The removable insert is dishwasher safe for easy cleanup.
| Capacity | 7 qts |
|---|---|
| Settings | High/Low/Warm |
| Probe | No |
| Weight | 18 lbs |
| Dimensions | 18" x 11.5" x 10.5" |
Black + Decker 7-Quart Digital Slow Cooker
Pros
- Sous vide setting
- Comes with a temperature probe
Cons
- Beef stew meat was drier than that from other models we tested
Black and Decker's 7-quart slow cooker offers a digital upgrade to a previous model. It's an affordable choice that includes some high-end functionality: a sous vide setting for gentle cooking and a temperature probe to help prevent overcooking. It also has an easy-to-program control panel, large side handles and a locking lid for toting (not for cooking).
In our tests, it nicely slow-cooked a beef roast on low and high, as well as a chicken soup on low. The meat in the beef stew was a bit drier than that from other slow cookers in our tests, but this pick yielded a rich, uniform broth.
| Capacity | 7 qts |
|---|---|
| Settings | Time/Temp, Temp Probe, Sous Vide, Slow Cook (which includes high, low and keep warm) |
| Probe | Yes, plus sous vide rack |
| Weight | 17.8 lbs |
| Dimensions | 18" x 15.25" x 11.5" |
Pros
- Easy-to-clean ceramic nonstick pot
- Includes a steam function and steaming rack
Cons
- Not the strongest browning in our tests
GreenPan, the brand behind one of our top picks for best ceramic nonstick pan, offers this slow cooker with the same nonstick coating as its cookware. It was very easy to hand wash — and it's also dishwasher safe (though we recommend hand washing nonstick cookware to prolong its life).
The simple interface offers the standard settings of slow cook and brown/sauté, but it also includes a less-common steam setting and comes with a steaming rack. The browning function was not the strongest in our tests, but we did note that — as with nonstick cookware — only a little oil was required.
It's also easy to maneuver: The base of the cooker has handles, and the insert has handles as well. We appreciate that the insert handles have silicone covers to help keep things cool.
| Capacity | 6 qts |
|---|---|
| Settings | Brown/Sauté, Steam, Slow Cook (which includes high, low, reheat, simmer/buffet and keep warm) |
| Probe | No |
| Weight | 13.75 lbs |
| Dimensions | 19" x 13.5" x 11" |
Pros
- Unique stainless steel insert is compatible with gas, electric and induction cooktops
- Produced tender meat in our tests
Cons
- Pricey
Wolf Gourmet's model has a 7-quart capacity, and it offers six easy-to-use modes including slow cook, sous vide and sauté/sear. The sear function did not deliver the strongest browning in our tests, but the removable stainless steel cookware insert can be used on your gas, electric or induction cooktop, making this pick versatile for recipes that require more significant browning.
It produced very tender meat in our test, and you can keep track of the internal temperature of foods with the convenient temperature probe. Cleanup is easy because the insert and lid are both dishwasher safe.
| Capacity | 7 qts |
|---|---|
| Settings | Rice, Sauté/Sear, Sous Vide, Slow Cook on Manual (which includes low, medium, high and keep warm) or Meal Timer (which is based on hours for cooking) |
| Probe | Yes, plus sous vide rack |
| Weight | 27.56 lbs |
| Dimensions | 14.5" x 19.75" x 17.88" |
Others we tested
- Instant Electric Precision Dutch Oven: The maker of the Instant Pot has rethought the slow cooker with this model, which uses an enamel cast iron Dutch oven as the cooking vessel. The pot is oven and stovetop safe like a regular Dutch oven, so you do get a decent bang for your buck. And were very impressed with the browning capabilities when making beef stew, but the liquid didn't reduce much, so the broth wasn't as concentrated as we would have liked.
- Cuisinart 6-Quart High-Pressure Multicooker: This pick made a more tender beef stew than the other multicookers in our Lab test. It offers 12 preprogrammed settings, and we found the large and well-lit LCD screen kept the menus easy to navigate. We like that you can remove the sealing gasket for deeper cleaning to help remove lingering odors; it's dishwasher safe as well. The lid is attached via a hinge, so you won't have to stash it when you've got the unit open, but it also means you'll need sufficient clearance above the machine to use it.
- Zojirushi Multicooker: Zojirushi, a brand well-known for its rice cooker, makes one of the most versatile slow cookers out there. In addition to slow cooking, it can also be used to sauté, simmer, steam, cook rice or quinoa and make yogurt. The slow cook setting even lets you select from four temperature options from 140˚F to 200˚F. The 6-quart model works well, but it does take a bit of experimentation to figure out which setting is right for your recipe.
- Proctor Silex Double Dish Slow Cooker: This unique slow cooker earned a GH Kitchen Gear Award. It functions like a standard slow cooker with one main, 6-quart stoneware crock, but it also includes two 2.5-quart nonstick inserts that let you cook two dishes at once. We were pleased with the beef stew in our tests, and we loved that we were able to keep black beans and queso warm in the small inserts for four hours without any scorching. It's a useful feature for entertaining, but take note that there's no built-in timer for tracking cook times.
- Hamilton Beach 8-Quart Oval Slow Cooker: If you need to go big, consider this Hamilton Beach model, which has an 8-quart capacity. It can fit an 8-pound whole chicken or a 6-pound roast. It doesn't offer a browning function and lacks a digital interface, but it’s affordable, straightforward to use and easy to clean up. Need to feed an even bigger crowd? The brand also offers a 10-quart model (though we have not yet tested that version).
- Crockpot 3-Quart Round Manual Slow Cooker: If you're after a small unit instead, try Crock-Pot’s 3-quart model. It's got a simple knob rather than a digital interface, but it's perfect for keeping dips warm or making a small beef stew for two. The insert is dishwasher-safe.
How we test slow cookers
To test slow cookers, the pros in the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab made more than 100 servings of stew and cooked up more than 30 whole chickens.
We assessed temperature consistency by measuring the temperature of the food and liquid throughout the cooking process. We inserted thermocouples (sensors that measure temperature) into the breasts and thighs of whole chickens — as well as the cooking liquid — so they could transmit data to temperature-tracking software on a laptop.
If the model was capable of browning, we rated the sear we could achieve on stew meat, noting the cooking surface area (which determines the size of the batch) and the overall time it took.
We also evaluated each slow cooker’s design, safety features and ease of use without the help of an instruction manual. We assessed the “keep warm” function, the tenderness of the meat and the flavor development of dishes. What we found was interesting: Traditional slow cookers performed well and were consistent. Pressure cooker models that have slow cook features did well, too, but they tended to have slightly lower scores.
What to consider when shopping for a slow cooker
✔️ Capacity and size: Slow cooker pots can range from as small as 1.5 quarts to as large as 10 quarts, so consider the needs of your household. Keep in mind that a larger capacity generally means a larger footprint. You'll want to ensure you have the countertop or shelf space for a bigger unit. And check that it can fit under your cabinets if you plan to leave it out.
✔️ Functions: If you frequently make dishes that require browning foods before simmering, you might want to find a model with a function called "brown," "sauté" or "manual." There are also a host of other functions available with modern slow cookers: steam, air fry, pressure cook and/or sous vide. We recommend an automatic “keep warm” setting too; it usually holds your cooked food at 165˚F, which is above the food-safe temperature of 145˚F but won't overcook the food.
✔️ Accessories: A temperature probe allows you to monitor the internal temperature of foods — or the cooking liquid itself, especially for sous vide — without opening the lid. We were also impressed with the accessories of the Proctor Silex Double Dish Slow Cooker: Two small inserts for the crock allow you to cook two items at once.
✔️ Apps and programmable slow cookers: Some slow cookers can be paired with smartphone apps that let you set the time and temperature; some will include recipes with ingredient lists and step-by-step instructions. Others have a “delay start” feature that allows you to start cooking at a set time. This can be handy, but we don’t recommend using this feature for longer than two hours, especially when cooking with meat; according to the FDA, when food sits out at room temperature for more than two hours, bacteria can increase exponentially, putting you at risk for illness.
What’s the difference between a slow cooker and a Crock-Pot?
All Crock-Pots are slow cookers (or multicookers!), but not all slow cookers are Crock-Pots. Crock-Pot is the brand name of a line of slow cookers from Sunbeam Products, Inc. Because the products have been so successful, the term Crock-Pot is often used broadly to refer to slow cookers (similar to the way Kleenex has become shorthand for facial tissue). But there are many manufacturers of slow cookers.
That said, Crock-Pots and crockpot-style cookers generally have a ceramic pot inside a base with a heating element that wraps around the pot. Slow cookers that are not crockpot-style are more likely to have a metal pot and a heating element on the bottom only. These may be able to offer a browning function, whereas Crock-Pots and crockpot-style cookers usually do not.
Can you cook in a slow cooker overnight?
Yes, it's fine to cook your foods overnight, as long as you keep food safety top of mind. Make sure to include enough liquid, and opt for the low setting for long cooks. This will keep your food out of the temperature danger zone, the range between 40˚F and 140˚F in which bacteria can multiply rapidly.
The warm setting is not suitable for long periods (aim for two hours or less), and the high setting might make liquids evaporate too quickly, which can lead to scorching or just an unappealing food texture.
If you're not eating the food right away, be sure to transfer it to a shallow container so it can begin cooling, and then get it into the refrigerator within two hours. Our pros like Rubbermaid Brilliance storage containers.
Why trust Good Housekeeping?
Nicole Papantoniou has run the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab since 2019. She has tested slow cookers as well as air fryers, toaster ovens and stainless steel cookware. She has worked in product development for small kitchen appliances and tools since 2014. She trained in classic culinary arts at the former French Culinary Institute and earned a certificate in culinary nutrition from the former Natural Gourmet Institute, each now known as the Institute of Culinary Education.
Sarah Gregory is a deputy editor at the Good Housekeeping Institute. She has led all of the recent testing for slow cookers — making countless batches of beef stew! — and she has tested many other products, including fish spatulas, immersion blenders and carbon steel pans. She is a graduate of the International Culinary Center (now the Institute of Culinary Education) and has been cooking professionally since 2017.
Nicole (she/her) is the director of the Good Housekeeping Institute's Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, where she has overseen content and testing related to kitchen and cooking appliances, tools and gear since 2019. She’s an experienced product tester and recipe creator, trained in classic culinary arts and culinary nutrition. She has worked in test kitchens for small kitchen appliance brands and national magazines, including Family Circle and Ladies’ Home Journal.
Sarah (she/her) is a deputy editor in the Good Housekeeping Institute, where she tests products and covers the best picks across kitchen, tech, health and food. She has been cooking professionally since 2017 and has tested kitchen appliances and gear for Family Circle as well as developed recipes and food content for Simply Recipes, Martha Stewart Omnimedia, Oxo and Food52. She holds a certificate in professional culinary arts from the International Culinary Center (now the Institute of Culinary Education).
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