I'm looking for a reliable slow cooker that delivers great results for everything from soups and stews to roasts and meal prep.
Thanks for the recommendation. I decided to pick the Instant Pot at https://amazon.com
Which models do you recommend based on performance, durability, and ease of use? such as programmable settings and easy cleaning. Let me know your top picks! Thanks.
by Shahz1892
19 Comments
They all work about the same!
I like to get one with a digital readout, so that I can set mine to specific cook times, and it will go and stay at the Warm setting after it’s done instead of staying on Lo or Hi. Good for chicken, when I need it to cook for 6 hours, but I work for 9.
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Reliable=a cheap manual one with one knob to adjust the temperature.
The first one I bought was a couple hundred dollar Cuisinart with lots of fancy buttons. 3 months later, it was dead.
Bonus points if you thrift one that was built in the 70s like a tank instead of new crap designed to break.
Drew & Cole 14-in-1. Slow cooker with multiple settings but also does a range of other functions
Bah! I used to have the old digital crock pot slow cooker for years…until I accidentally broke it :/
My husband recently bought me the new Ninja Foodi. UGH! I’m still trying to figure it out. There is no ‘low’. I’ve had to cook all meat on ‘braise’ :/
Check thrift stores and garage sales! The old ones with knobs instead of digital readouts were built to last.
Really, you just need Warm, Low, High.
Ive got the ‘Breville The Searing Slow Cooker’.
I have had it roughly 5 years and it has done a fair amount of work.
Super easy to clean as the inside part is pretty lightweight and non stick. I find it cleans better in the sink than the dishwasher though.
It has goid settings (e.g. Sear low/med/high, slow cook med/high and a steam setting which i use for vegetables. It also has a yoghurt setting but ive never used it) that are easy to use and change between. It also has a timer that automatically changes to keep warm when the time is up. Itll stay on keep warm for about 2 hours before turning off.
The sear setting is great for cooking off onions and meat then adding sauce and then you can just flick to to slow cook. All one pot kind of cooking.
Its a bit pricey but so worth it in my opinion 10/10
Don’t let anyone convince you that the Instant Pot can do slow cooking. It’s not true.
I picked up the all-clad slow cooker at a thrift shop and I love it. You can sear stuff in the same pan on the stove and then move it to the regular base.
I got a newer 6 quart “carrying” Crockpot brand at Target for like $45. It’s working great. I bought a Drew Barrymore one and it smelled weird when I was cooking my first thing and the sides were cheap, so I returned it. I have a crockpot 2 quart and a 1980’s avocado green 3 quart or so from my dad. All are amazing. I just hate that the vintage one doesn’t have a removable crock but it’s neat anyway. Unless it will start a fire, a la This is Us style LOL
If I worked and wanted to set a timer to have my dinner ready when I got home, one of the digital timer models would be a temptation.
As it is, my 30 year old Hamilton Beach with off, warm, low and high settings is exactly what I need, and all I need.
I would recommend getting the biggest Crockpot. I’ve used several. But, I am always doing stew or English style corned beef, both full of onions, potatoes, carrots, etc. So, I need a lot of room in addition to the hunk of meat.
The original style Crockpots with the dial and only three settings are what I’ve always used. They work like a charm.
I just bought this one based on recommendations from Wirecutter: https://hamiltonbeach.com/set-and-forget-6-qt-programmable-slow-cooker-33969ag
It’s cheaper off the HB website than Amazon, and rn they have a deal where you get a free air fryer lid. Shipping is free and fast. I ordered it Wednesday and it was delivered today.
I bought to replace my Rival 5-quart that I’ve had for years. Still works but I want more features. I’ll probably keep it just to be able to have more than one pot going at a time.
If it has buttons instead of a dial then it might as well go in the dumpster.
Simplest one with a locking lid.
Mine is big and old and oval, programmable and switches to warm when done. What I truly love about it is that it has a metal – rather than ceramic – insert. So I brown or sear the meat on the stovetop, throw in the rest of the stuff and slow cook. I prefer the meat to be browned before slow cooking, it’s a matter of flavour, appearance and texture to me.
I have a hamilton beach with 2/4/6 qt crocks from 2008 and a 5qt mickey mouse, plain and simple. I do not recommend using and instant pot slow cooker function, tried it twice then bought mickey in 2022.
I am cooking pork ribs in mine right now. I just got a basic one with a knob. I didn’t want digital controls. I just wish it had a led power indicator. I got the Walmart 4qt for $20. I had digital crockpot before but I had so many problems with it.
I have the Instant Pot “superior Cooker” slow cooker thing and I really like it. I hand wash the inner pot and never use metal utensils on it. Have no issues with the coating peeling off so far. If I have to really sear something prior to cooking, I still use a skillet on the stove. The Superior will sear, but it takes a long time to get hot enough. Stove burners are much faster. Not searing in that ceramic coated pot should extend its life, too. [https://www.reddit.com/r/slowcooking/comments/1bqutom/instant_pot_superior_cooker_75l_accidentally/](https://www.reddit.com/r/slowcooking/comments/1bqutom/instant_pot_superior_cooker_75l_accidentally/)
I also have the IP Precision Dutch Oven, but didn’t use it much. The Superior is lighter and easier to grab. But the Dutch has a slow cool 204F and you can run it on manual for lower temperatures. I have mine slow cooking some pork chops and saurkraut just to try the slow cook.
For regular crockery slow cookers, I think the Hamilton Beach line is far better than the CrockPots of 2014-2017 that boiled and scorched everything. I started using Instant Pots and never really did slow cooking until recently. I buy my IPs secondhand and from liquidators. That’s why I have so much “expensive” stuff. lol