6 Best Slow Cookers, Tested by Food Network Kitchen

This Hamilton Beach slow cooker solves ones of the biggest painpoints when it comes to slow cooking: you can’t cook from frozen. With this Hamilton Beach slow cooker, the “set it and forget it” ease is maximized, as you can cook your protein directly from the freezer; no need to plan in advance or wait overnight for things to defrost. The Hamilton Beach defrost model follows USDA food safety guidelines to defrost your meat at a food-safe temperature before switching to slow cook mode to finish the job. This model also comes with a probe thermometer, so you can be sure your meats are cooked to the correct temperature. It has all other features you can expect with a slow cooker as well: low and high settings, warm setting, as well as manual time and temperature options.

When using this machine, it’s important to carefully follow the manufacturer’s instructions, especially when using the defrost function. We do not recommend cooking from frozen in any other slow cooker model on the market due to food safety risks.