The 8 Best Slow Cookers of 2023 | by The Spruce Eats

It might seem contradictory that an appliance that cooks your food slowly over the course of several hours can actually help save you time, but busy cooks know slow cookers are the secret to getting easy meals on the table without much, if any, hands-on cooking time. Whether you want a slow cooker that can function as a multi-cooker or are looking for one that is programmable, portable, or budget-friendly, there’s a model out there to meet your demands.

The Hamilton Beach Programmable Set & Forget 6-Quart Slow Cooker takes our top spot. It’s the perfect size, is programmable, cooks evenly, and switches over to a warming setting when time or temperature is reached. A good alternative if you’re looking for a less-expensive option is the Crock-Pot Cook & Carry Manual Slow Cooker .

Best Overall

Hamilton Beach Programmable Set & Forget 6-Quart Slow Cooker

4.8

Amazon.

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What We Like

• Even cooking

• Patented temperature probe setting

• Portable

• Affordable price

What We Don’t Like

• Thin casing

• Control panel is difficult to read

We Tried Hamilton Beach’s 6-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker

This slow cooker checks all the boxes on your wish list. It can be programmed or operated manually, there’s a temperature probe to check the temperature of your food as you cook it, and at 6 quarts, it’s the perfect size for most uses. When the cooking time or temperature is reached, the cooker even automatically switches to a warming setting for up to two hours. Cooking time maxes out at 12 hours, not including the additional two hours on warm mode.

There are three settings total: program (which allows you to set a cooking time), probe (which uses the temperature probe to determine doneness), and manual (which lets you set high, low, or warm temperatures without setting a cooking time). We were really impressed by the ease of use; as the name implies, you really can set it and forget it. Not a single dish had any hot spots: Everything came out evenly cooked and delicious.

For anyone needing to travel with their slow cooker, this model has sturdy handles and a gasket on the lid, which clips on tightly so you can take it to a potluck or family dinner. We successfully transported honey-glazed ham to a Friendsgiving with zero spills. For serving, there’s a spoon that clips onto the unit to keep it from getting lost in transit.

Another feature we really liked is that if you live in an area with frequent power glitches, this model will return to it on during brief outages (up to five seconds) and keep cooking or keep your food warm until you get home. Just note that the casing is thin, making it more prone to dents, and the control panel can be difficult to read because it lacks brightness and contrast with the gray background. That said, we did not find either of these to be dealbreakers.

Price at time of publish: $80

The Spruce Eats / Gayle L. Squires

Capacity: 6 quarts | Pot Material: Stoneware | Weight: 12.8 pounds | Dimensions: 11.25 x 17.5 x 11.75 inches

Testing Takeaway

“The temperature probe mode allowed us to cook poultry and meat to an exact internal temperature before the appliance switched over to the warm setting.” — Gayle L. Squires, Product Tester

Runner-Up, Best Overall

KitchenAid Slow Cooker

4.6

Courtesy of Amazon.com.

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What We Like

• Large cooking vessel

• Dishwasher-safe

• Keep warm mode

• 24-hour programmability

What We Don’t Like

• Temperature doesn’t get as hot

• Stainless steel shows fingerprints

KitchenAid Slow Cooker Review

If you’re looking for something that can be programmed for more extensive times than our best overall pick, this KitchenAid slow cooker is a great alternative option that performed well in testing. It’s designed for perfect cooking and easy serving, with a glass lid that can be opened on either side—great for buffet serving while keeping food warm and covered. Plus, it can be programmed for up to 24 hours at a time in 30-minute increments for unattended cooking.

The 6-quart cooking insert, which fits enough food to feed seven, according to the manufacturer, is oval-shaped to fit foods like whole chickens or roasts, and it’s removable for serving and for easy cleanup. This slow cooker has high, medium, and low settings as well as a keep-warm setting. If you’re not available when cooking time is up, it automatically switches to keep-warm for four hours.

The easy-to-read digital display shows how much cooking time is left, as well as the temperature setting. We found it to be a very intuitive appliance. For storage, the cord stores on the bottom of the cooker. If you don’t need to use your slow cooker on a buffet, there is a similar model with a solid glass lid.

Price at time of publish: $130

The Spruce Eats / Joline Buscemi

Capacity: 6 quarts | Pot Material: Ceramic | Weight: 17 pounds | Dimensions: 10.5 x 10.75 x 17.5 inches

Testing Takeaway

“Once the timer finishes, the slow cooker automatically goes into “keep warm” mode, where it will stay for up to four hours before turning off.” — Joline Buscemi, Product Tester

Best Budget

Crock-Pot Cook and Carry Slow Cooker, 6-Quart

4.2

Amazon

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What We Like

• Lock-on lid

• Affordable

• Dishwasher-safe

What We Don’t Like

• Manual version lacks timer

• Lacks extra features

Crock-Pot Cook & Carry Slow Cooker Review

Slow cookers don’t need lots of fancy settings to turn out excellent meals, and this 6-quart oval unit proves it. We tested the manual version, but this Crock-Pot model is also available with digital controls. The manual version has a simple dial to choose between high, low, and warm settings. The digital version has the same heat settings as well as preset cooking times from 30 minutes to 20 hours. Both come with a dishwasher-safe stoneware cooking insert and a glass lid.

While the operation of the manual controls remains as simple as using the first slow cookers, this has some updated features, like the locking lid and handles that make this slow cooker easy to transport from the kitchen to the dining room or across town for a dinner party. The polished stainless steel exterior and black accents look attractive and are easy to wipe clean when you’re done cooking.

We cooked a creamy rosemary white bean soup, filling the maker with vegetables and stock before turning the cook setting to high. After about two and a half hours, we switched it to low for another four hours to finish. Just remember that this model is manual through and through, so if you want to stop cooking and switch over to the keep-warm setting, you have to do it yourself.

Price at time of publish: $67

The Spruce Eats / Joline Buscemi 

Capacity: 6 quarts | Pot Material: Stoneware | Weight: 12.3 pounds | Dimensions: 14 x 9 x 13.9 inches

Testing Takeaway

“The locking lid felt secure without being complicated to use and we felt confident traveling with it.” — Joline Buscemi, Product Tester

Best High-End

Greenpan Ceramic Nonstick 6-quart Slow Cooker

Greenpan

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What We Like

• 8 functions including brown and steam

• Nonstick ceramic

• Interior bowl and exterior both have handles

What We Don’t Like

• Expensive

• Settings are hard to read

Greenpan’s claim to fame is creating high-quality nonstick cookware that’s free of PFAS, PFOA, lead, and cadmium. This slow cooker has a durable stainless steel exterior, and the 6-quart Thermolon ceramic interior is both dishwasher-safe and very nonstick. This slow cooker looks modern and stylish with its LCD screen, but some users note that the buttons are labeled with small print and can be hard to see. Regardless, the eight functions are the star of the show; the one-touch preset functions include slow cook, brown/sauté, and steam, and the five slow-cook modes include hi, lo, reheat, simmer/buffet, and keep warm. It’s programmable to cook for up to 24 hours and can stay on the keep-warm setting for up to eight hours. Like most slow cookers, this one switches automatically to keep-warm mode after cooking time is up.

It’s incredibly convenient to be able to sear ingredients in the same pan before slow cooking, and the steam function is helpful for veggies, seafood, dumplings or tamales. There are handles on both the exterior and the ceramic bowl, which makes it easy to travel with the whole machine to keep food warm on a buffet or just the lighter interior. If you can afford a more expensive slow cooker, this is a fantastic choice that’ll last a long time.

Price at time of publish: $250

Capacity: 6 quarts | Pot Material: Thermolon volt ceramic | Weight: 13.5 pounds | Dimensions: 19 x 13.5 x 11 inches

The 7 Best Slow Cookers and Pressure Cookers of 2023

Best High-Tech

Instant Pot 6-Quart Max 9-in-1 Pressure Cooker

4.2

Amazon

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What We Like

• Versatile

• Intuitive controls

• Precise temperature control

What We Don’t Like

• Pricey

Slow cookers are a great kitchen tool, but speeding up the cooking process by pressure cooking can also be a huge benefit. This Instant Pot can do both and much, much more. The customizable temperature can cook at just the right heat for any recipe, the warm function can keep food ready for serving, and the temperature accuracy stays within +/- 1.8 degrees, so it can even be used for sous vide cooking.

When it comes to pressure cooking, it can hold a sustained 15 psi like a stovetop pressure cooker, so it cooks faster than other electric pressure cookers and can also be used for home canning. This has a large, intuitive touch screen for easy control of all of the functions, along with a simple dial to select the options. From sautéing and making rice or yogurt to slow-cooking stews, this Instant Pot can do it all. The inner cooking pot is stainless steel and dishwasher-safe for easy cleaning when cooking is done.

Price at time of publish: $149

Capacity: 6 quarts | Pot Material: Stainless steel | Weight: 13.25 pounds | Dimensions: 13.8 x 13.8 x 13 inches

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Best Large Capacity

Hamilton Beach Extra-Large Stay or Go Portable 10-Quart Slow Cooker

Amazon

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What We Like

• Large 10-quart capacity

• Lid clips in place for travel

• Roomy handles

• Dishwasher-safe

What We Don’t Like

• Basic design

• Gives off electrical odor at first

• Less durable than other models

This is the perfect slow cooker for large families or anyone who likes to cook freezer meals. The 10-quart capacity is even large enough to handle a 10-pound turkey or 12-pound roast, saving oven space for pies and dinner rolls. This cooker can be set for low or high heat, and it has a warm setting to keep food at serving temperature when cooking is done.

The lid seals well and has clips to hold it in place, so the cooker can travel to parties and potlucks without risking messy spills. The large side handles offer a secure grip, so it’s easy to carry to the table or on the go. When cooking is done, the removable crock and glass lid are dishwasher-safe.

Price at time of publish: $90

Capacity: 10 quarts | Pot Material: Stoneware | Weight: 15.66 pounds | Dimensions: 12.5 x 15.75 x 11.5 inches

The 8 Best Multi-Cookers of 2023

Best for Roasting

Cuisinart MSC-400 Cook Central 4-Quart Multi-Cooker

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What We Like

• Steaming/roasting rack included

• Digital controls

• Versatile

• Retractable power cord

What We Don’t Like

• Nonstick coating wears over time

• Can’t use metal utensils

Many slow cookers require lots of liquid, so they can’t be used for true roasting. This multi-cooker is designed to make roasting easy, along with slow cooking, steaming, and browning. It includes a convenient steaming/roasting rack, so it’s ready to roast without buying extra accessories. 

The slow-cook function can be set to high, low, simmer, or warm for optimal cooking control up to 24 hours. Roasting can be set for 250 to 450 degrees for up to six hours, steaming can be set for up to 90 minutes, and sauté can be set for up to 500 degrees.

The inner cooking pot is removable and has a nonstick coating, so food doesn’t stick and cleaning is easy. The pot and lid are dishwasher-safe, and when it’s time to put the cooker away, the retractable cord gets out of the way for neat storage.

Price at time of publish: $130

Capacity: 7 quarts | Pot Material: Aluminum | Weight: 21.2 pounds | Dimensions: 15.5 x 19 x 11 inches

The 7 Best Roasting Pans of 2023, Tested and Reviewed

Best for Buffets

Sunvivi Triple Slow Cooker Buffet Server

Sunvivi

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What We Like

• Each pot has its own temperature control

• Clear lids allow you to see inside

• Dishwasher-safe pots and lids

What We Don’t Like

• Heavy

• Short power cord (3 feet)

Whether you’re having a backyard barbecue, holiday get-together, or block party, this triple cooker from Sunvivi will come in handy. Featuring three separate pots, the slow cooker doubles as a warmer to keep your food nice and hot. Each pot holds 1.5 quarts, which is wonderful for holding warm dips for game day, taco fillings for a birthday party, or soups for a family reunion.

It’s an incredibly versatile cooker that can help you craft easy meals. Each pot has its own temperature setting: low, warm, and high. This Sunvivi cooker also comes with three spoons, non-slip feet, and glass lids that allow you to see what’s cooking. Each crock is removable when it comes time to clean—just be sure to let them cool before handling. 

Price at time of publish: $130

Capacity: 1.5 quarts each, 4.5 total | Pot Material: Ceramic | Weight: 16.3  pounds | Dimensions: 25 x 7.3 x 12.3 inches

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