If you’re a little sick of devoting your evening to prepping the family dinner, you probably will find our pick of the best slow cookers helpful. Though some view this as an outdated appliance – since a multi-cooker can do this and more – slow cookers are not to be trifled with. we love a slow cooker because it’s an appliance that saves on bills, requires little to no effort to prepare and is ideal for busy families that thrive on reheating leftovers and batch cooking.
After all, we’re a little worse for wear when it comes to money right now. Instead of using your outdated gas hob, which adds a meaty chunk to your bills, this electric appliance tends to use very little power – due to the low heat over a long period of time. Lower energy bills and healthier meals? Sign us up. It's one of those cheeky hacks that can help your kitchen thrive, just like a food steamer for the best-tasting and most nutritious veg or a smoothie maker for fruity treats.
Closer's pick of the best slow cookers at a glance:
The magic of a slow cooker is that you can 'set it and forget it' while still achieving delicious results. Whilst a slow cooker cooks your masterpiece throughout the day, you can spend more time on yourself and cut down that pesky to-do list. Plus it promises a little flavour enhancement with low and slow cooking allows flavours to develop deeply. Whether it's meat for a Sunday dinner or a mid-week stew, you’re all set for delicious meals.
'Tis the season for warming meals (when's spring arriving again?), so we’ve found the best slow cookers around to help you achieve trendy one-pot and family-friendly meals on a budget.
SHOP: Best slow cookers for a low-effort dinner
Tried and tested by Closer editor, Ellie Weaver
Best slow cooker on a budget
Ellie weaver/ CloserServing up to four people, we love this Morphy Richards 3.5L Sear & Stew Slow Cooker - as it's perfect for smaller households. With three heat settings (low, medium and high), you're safe in the knowledge that your one-pot creations are well-looked-after. Other standouts of this model are its construction (lightweight aluminium and toughened glass lid) and the fact it's stove compatible, too. Whether sleeping or at work, this slow cooker will be working away - without any supervision - locking in nutrients and crafting tasty, meaty meals. Simply switch it on and let it cook for you.
Ellie's go-to slow cooker, she says, "I've been wheeling this slow cooker out for years now and it's never done me wrong. Perfect for batch cooking chicken, making soups and stews and even pulled pork (I was feeling adventurous that weekend), this cheap yet cheerful slow cooker has proven itself to be incredibly great value. It is a smaller capacity, so best suited to smaller households, but its more compact size makes it a much easier appliance to store away when not in use. And even better, you can pop the inner pot in the dishwasher - result."
Pros
- Medium size - great for single occupancy or small families
- Lightweight aluminium build and tough glass lid
- Dishwasher safe pot for easy cleaning
- Choose from three heat settings for a range of one-pot meals
Cons
- Consider a slow cooker with a larger capacity if you're going to use it for batch cooking
| Size | 25 x 33 x 20 cm |
| Weight | 2 kg |
| Capacity | 3.5 L |
| Power | 163 W |
| Settings | Low, medium and high |
Best slow cooker for style points
Salter / AmazonSalter's Retro 3.5L Slow Cooker can help you craft hearty stews, soups and casseroles in style. With three settings, including a handy Keep Warm function, your kitchen masterpieces will stay warm, tender and tasty. Salter is one of our fave brands, and we love their new retro-inspired collection. Thanks to the tempered glass lid, you don't have to worry about how your new piece of kit is getting on. Let's not forget the cool touch handles for safety and a dishwasher-safe pot. What's not to love?
With a respectable 4.5/5 stars, this Salter Slow Cooker is said to have a nice look (and feel) in any kitchen. Not to mention, many customers love the quality and perfect size. One customer is delighted with their sturdy, well-made and functional new kitchen addition. They add that it is easy to clean as the ceramic inner bowl can be taken out. Another person says it's gorgeous, works amazing and is much better than a previous retro model from Swan. However, some customers had problems setting it up.
Pros
- Cool touch handles keep your hands safe without need for gloves
- Easy cleaning - thanks to the inner-pot being dishwasher-friendly
- Glass lid helps you check your dinner without letting cold air in (!)
- 3.5L capacity makes it perfect for small to medium households
Cons
- Some customers had a few issues with setting it up
| Size | 23 x 35.8 x 25.5 cm |
| Weight | 5 kg |
| Capacity | 3.5 L |
| Power | 200 W |
| Settings | Low, High and Warm |
Perfect for large families
Morphy Richardswww.morphyrichards.co.uk
Wow - what a fantastic pick. Not only is it perfect for large families and batch cooking, but it's also a supersize model from world-renowned brand Morphy Richards. 6.5 L is a lot of space for your various kitchen masterpieces and culinary delights - from stews to soups. It's a heavy-duty, ceramic piece of kit - with a dishwasher-friendly inner pot and tempered glass if you like to keep an eye on your meal. Plus, this pick is guaranteed to help you save a little money since it runs on quite low power.
By far, this is the most recommended pick on the list - with an average 4.9/5 star rating. Customers praise the Morphy Richards Stainless Steel 6.5L Slow Cooker for its excellent performance - namely, its heat control for tender and juicy dishes. Another highlight is the durability and reliability of this product - some customers have mentioned that their previous models lasted 10 years - fabulous! Some reviews agree that the capacity is super large (perfect for families and larger households) and can be cleaned easily in the dishwasher. Sturdy, spacious and perfect for busy schedules. However, some find it a little heavy - so make sure to limber up before moving it around.
Pros
- Perfect size for large families, batch cooking or dinner parties
- We love that the ceramic cooking pot is dishwasher-friendly
- Offers plenty of space to preapre and serve your fave dishes
- Includes three heat settings and glass lid to check your tea
Cons
- Some find it a little heavy
| Size | 32.7 x 37.3 x 24.8 cm |
| Weight | 5.1 kg |
| Capacity | 6.5 L |
| Power | 163 W |
| Settings | Three heat settings |
Best slow cookers for pre-sets
Crockpot / AmazonWe love this Crockpot, which is a mid-range option for medium to large families. Smart and convenient, it's equipped with an automatic cooking function, which programs based on food type and quantity. You can manually control everything, too, with high and low settings for flexibility. Automatically switching to warm mode after cooking, this appliance will keep your grub toasty in time for serving your family. Thanks to its large capacity, it can suit families, entertain people, and do batch cooking. The removable ceramic bowl helps with serving, is oven-safe, and can be popped in the dishwasher for easy cleaning. This smart appliance can be pre-set up to 12 hours (!) in advance for hassle-free convenience. Expect to make a variety of dishes - from soups to stews to meat joints.
From over 950 reviews on Amazon, this slow cooker is well-liked for its ease of use and reliability. With a respectable 4.5/5 average star rating, Crockpot's offering has received lots of praise. Many customers agree that its standout features are its performance, high-quality and user-friendly timer function, which take the fuss out of cooking. It's said to be straightforward to use. One customer says it does the job "perfectly," and though it takes a while to heat up, it adjusts to the optimum time and temperature for the best results. However, there are mixed opinions on heat retention.
Pros
- Smart cookig automation adjusts heat and time based on food type and quantity
- Large capacity and versatility is perfect for families, batch cooking or parties
- Removable bowl and lid are easy to clean - dishwasher and oven-safe up to 250°C
- Flexible control options - automatic and manula control and programmable timer
Cons
- Mixed opinions on heat retention and heat-up times
| Size | 29.3 x 41.2 x 25.4 cm |
| Weight | Greater than 3.5kg |
| Capacity | 5.6 L |
| Power | 240 W |
| Settings | Three heat settings - scheduling and ingredient pre-set |
Best slow cooker for quality
Ninja / Curryswww.currys.co.uk
The Ninja Foodi PossibleCooker MC1001UKWH 8-in-1 Slow Cooker is a super duper pick. It's our premium buy for those with a little more budget, hoping to find something that will last. We love Ninja for their inventive, innovative and high-quality kitchen appliances - from their blenders to their air fryers. Top-notch, indeed. This multi-purpose slow cooker is no exception. Thanks to its super large capacity, it's perfect for bigger households and those who like to batch-cook their meals. It boasts eight functions and an oven-safe inner for ultimate flexibility in the kitchen. Thanks to the integrated spoon storage and dishwasher-friendly pot, it's easy to integrate into any home.
Another fantastically rated option, this Ninja Slow Cooker is used by reviewers for curries, chillies and steamed veggies - a wide range of meals for all families. Many agree it's an easy appliance to operate, complete with so many cool features (from multiple programs to the oven-safe inner pot for broiling or roasting). Like all of our picks, this slow cooker is great for busy lifestyles - to help those with long work hours to enjoy home-cooked meals with little effort. Not only is it perfect for households of up to eight, but it looks amazing on the table for serving. However, one customer was concerned about it being a little expensive to run - but it should be energy-saving.
Pros
- Non-stick cooking pot is oven-safe up to 260°C and dishwasher-friendly
- Eight pre-set functions, including slow cook, sauté, simmer, and steam
- Triple fusion heat helps cook food at the bottom and sides for an even cook
- Other fave features include integrated spoon storage and easy-clean design
Cons
- One customer was concerned about it being a little expensive to run
| Size | 42 x 28 x 29 cm |
| Weight | 6 kg |
| Capacity | 8 L |
| Power | 1200 W |
| Settings | Eight including - slow cook, sear and sauté, Steam, braise, simmer, bake, prove, keep warm |
Tried and tested by Closer writer, Piper Huxley
Not only do multicookers relieve our kitchen cupboards and sideboards of multiple appliances, but they also offer an accessible, hands-off approach to mealtimes, perfect for busy lifestyles. Closer writer, Piper tested the ProCook Electric Pressure Cooker and Air Fryer, putting it through its paces and utilising the appliance’s multiple functions. Soup function? Yes, please.
Whether you get up at the crack of dawn to prep a rich slow cooker meal in the morning or come home exhausted with a hankering for a risotto, ProCook’s new electrical appliance lends a helping hand. For Piper, cooking is an escape, a ritual, a place to drift away from the worries of life – and focus on a homemade meal. Lately, she’s needed support with her mealtimes.
Quickly, she found that the ProCook appliance became integral to her meals. Not only is it fairly easy to program and clean, but it saves some space on the hob. She found that results have been consistent and once you get the hang of timings, you're set. It's perfect for main meals (such as paella or risottos) and provides great sides (e.g. quinoa, buckwheat and steamed rice).
If you’re not hot on cooking, or if you’re not able to stand prepping meals for long periods, a pressure cooker means you have less time in the kitchen (gasp!) and more time for yourself. It does take a little while to heat up, but once it's ready, you are safe in the knowledge that it’s hard at work, helping your meal taste delicious. Piper did, initially, find the number of programmes a little daunting (not helped by how loud the buttons are when you press them) but is floored by the possibilities this little appliance brings. Overall, a great pressure and slow cooker – however, the air fryer is a little lacklustre.
Pros
- 8 cooking settings including air fry, slow cook, pressure cooking...
- Keep warm and delay timer for easy cooking around busy schedules
- Adjustable time and temperature controls for precise cooking
Cons
- The air fryer function takes some time to get the hang of!
| Size | 35.5cm/14in x 30cm/12in x 36cm/14in |
| Weight | 4.3kg, Air fryer lid – 2.5kg, Pressure cooker lid – 1.5kg, Glass lid - 900g |
| Capacity | 4.5L |
| Power | 1200W - pressure cooker function, 1500W - air fryer function |
| Settings | Air fry, slow cook, pressure cook, sous vide, steam, sauté, canning and yoghurt making. |
How we chose the best slow cookers
All of these slow cookers have been hand-selected by our team of Closer shopping experts who have spent hours hunting and researching the best slow cookers to make your life that little bit easier. We only share the products we trust ourselves, and in this instance, we carefully considered the slow cookers' capacity, price-point and added features in our pick of the best. Stand-out features for us included keep warm functions, so you can leave your slow cooker to do its thing without rushing back, it's ease of use with pre-set programmes and dishwasher-safe cleaning - you’ll spot these in our favourites.
We also love to get hands-on with products so where possible, we’ll bring you our tried and tested experience – sharing the good, the bad and the ugly. These are often the exact products that we’re using and loving in our own homes across the Closer team. That being said, we’re all suckers for trends so if there’s a new product we’re obsessed with that we think you should know about, you’ll see it on our list.
Slow cooker FAQs
Does using a slow cooker save me money?
Yes - they totally can. After all, slow cookers have lower wattage than other kitchen appliances, due to their low and slow method.
Slow cookers use the same energy as that of a light bulb, according to the penny-pinching experts at NetVoucherCodes. They add: "Over 15 hours of slow-cooking equates to just 1 hour in an electric oven" - so, they're an appliance that can save you money.
Not only that but using just one pot saves the faff of using multiple pans and the resulting washing up. Plus, batch-cooked portions make for easy, budget-friendly and quick lunches.
What do I need to look for in a slow cooker?
In case you're having a little trouble deciding, we have a small guide on how to choose the best slow cooker for your household and kitchen. You can peruse these factors below...
The capacity of a slow cooker should vary from family to family. Bigger households and fans of batch cooking will benefit from a larger capacity, a model that feeds three to five people.
Settings tend to be limited in a slow cooker - but these can give you control over your meal.
Timers are usually easy to use - so, you can pre-set a cook and then know something is ready.
What shouldn’t I cook in a slow cooker?
Odd as it may seem, there are things that you shouldn't pop in your slow cooker. These include lean meats, raw meat – brown your meat first, too much liquid, delicate vegetables, too much spice, dairy, too much alcohol, meat that has its skin on, soft fresh herbs, some seafood, pasta and rice. A long list - but it will improve your slow cooker masterpieces.
Piper Huxley is a Homes & Lifestyle Product Writer for Closer, specialising in interior design, alternative fashion and beauty. When she’s not writing about homeware trends or her skincare routine, she’s snuggled up reading a witchy novel or binging (yet another) reality TV show…