Slow Cooker reviews for scrumptious meals

•             It is easy to use and control

•             It is very efficient and durable for a slow cooker

•             Its inner ceramic pot and glass lid are dishwasher friendly

•             It can be programmed to cook for up to 20 hours

•             It comes with a warranty that lasts for a year.

•             It is large and can be used to make meals for more than 10 people

Cons:

•             It is not very versatile

•             It doesn’t have an auto warm mode

•             Its timer display is tiny and not easy to read

•             It has a limited cooking function

7. INSTANT POT SLOW COOKER

This slow cooker is a new generation cooking wonder that doubles as a pressure cooker and is able to perform a series of cooking functions, including fast cook rice, bake, steam, sauté and warm. It has a number of in-built cooking modes as well – what’s more? You don’t have to break the bank.

The instant pot is modern and affordable. It has a lid, inner and outer pot made of stainless steel. It includes a safety lid lock feature that keeps the lid locked in place to prevent cooking hazards and preserve the flavor of your meals.

It has an advanced microchip which is perfectly able to make soft, medium or hard-boiled eggs in minutes – while it can also prepare slow cooked meals for up to 20 hours. It is a multi-purpose pot which you will always find a use for.

Features:

•             Weight: 11.53 pounds

•             Dimensions: 13.2 x 12.2 x 12.5 inches

•             It features a 3-ply stainless steel inner pot

•             Its lid and outer body are also made of stainless steel. With its lid rimmed with plastic round the edges

•             The slow cooker is of 6 quartz size

•             It features a modern control panel with digital display

•             It comes with a cooking rack and cooking spoons

Pros:

•             It has an automatic warming feature which keeps food warm for up to 10 hours

•             It is very durable

•             It is overly valuable and effective kitchen appliance

•             It is large enough to feed a family

•             It is very versatile, affording several cooking modes including baking and steaming

•             It enables Alexa guided cooking with over 300 recipes

•             Its exterior is finger print resistant and easy to clean – with just a wipe

•             It has a safety lid lock that prevents several cooking hazards and optimizes pressure cooking

•             It has automated temperature and pressure regulator that makes it highly efficient and precise

Cons:

•             It doesn’t have a non-stick feature making cleaning more stressful

•             After use for a time, the inner stainless steel becomes disfigured from scratching

•             Its inner pot can’t be used to serve meals directly, greatly increasing the stress of cooking

•             It can be tedious to learn to use

8. HAMILTON BEACH PROGRAMMABLE SLOW COOKER

The manufacturer is notable for several household and kitchen electronics. This particular slow cooker is peculiarly durable and flexible with a dual display screen that can run heat and timing settings independently – switching between different heat intensity allows for greater precision and gives your meals a touch of delicacy.

It also features an auto warm features that keeps your food warm and steamy after cooking is finished. The slow cooker has a lockable lid secured with a go-clip lock. In addition to its flexible heating and timing mode, it also has three manual slow cooking modes which includes: high, low and warm settings.

Features:

•             Weight: 11.21 pounds

•             Dimension: 11.2 x 17.1 x 10.9 inches

•             It features a control panel to switch cooking modes and settings

•             It has dual digital display

•             It has a stoneware inner pot

•             It has multiple cooking settings

•             It has a 6 quartz sized perfect for preparing family meals

•             It features a stay or go clip tight sealed lid

Pros:

•             It is very easy to use and set up

•             It has a very flexible setting

•             It has an automatic warm feature that keeps food warm when cooking finishes

•             It has three manual slow cooking mode for convenience

•             You can choose to lock the lid or leave it open

•             It is affordable and effective as a slow cooker

•             It can slow cook meals for up to 24 hours

•             Its stoneware inner pot and sealed lid eases transport and cleaning

•             Both its cover and insert pot can be cleaned with a dishwasher

Cons:

•             The display panel are not lit while programming which strains the eye

•             It is not very versatile likened to other slow cookers

•             It doesn’t have a non-stick coating which makes cooking more difficult

9. ChefMan SLOW COOKER

The Chefman slow cooker is a large slow-cooking pot with a tempered glass lid which samples a locking latch lid for securing its content during transport. It has a very simple control area with digital display, consistent with slow cookers of high quality.

It is 6 quart in size and is perfect for cooking for a small crowd of 10+ guest or large foodstuffs including a full chicken or pounds of turkey. The manufacturers have excellent customer service features, giving 30 days of free return or replacement. They also guarantee a free lifetime service for the cooker.

•             Weight: 15.43 pounds

•             Dimensions: 16.9 x 12.5 x 11.2 inches

•             It has a stoneware inner pot and a glass lid

•             It has a digital display

•             It has a programmable control panel

•             It has a lockable lid and a removable stoneware pot

•             It has three cooking modes

•             It is packed with  an instruction manual and a gift card

Pros:

•             It is highly durable with a tempered glass lid and stainless steel body

•             It  is very convenient to use, programmable for up to 20 hours of slow cooking

•             It is very efficient as a slow cooker with at least a 2 year guarantee

•             It has a large capacity, able to cook for over 10 people

•             It has a simple to use digital and programmable control area

•             It has a digital display to monitor cooking modes and duration

Cons:

•             It is not very versatile

•             It doesn’t have an auto warm feature

•             Its display characters are small and difficult to read

10. PRESTO NOMAD TRAVELLING SLOW COOKER

This unique slow cooker from presto is specifically designed to be taken on trips. It is shaped like a lunch box with a handle. It comes in a variety of colors, so you can pick one best suited to your personality. If you are constantly on trips and you miss home meals, then the presto slow cooker is for you.

You can prepare your favorite dishes while on the go. It has a rectangular design with a lockable lid that seals the pot tight to avoid spilling your food while moving. With 6 quarts of room, it is large enough to cook for a family, making it ideal for a family trip or picnic.

Features:

•             Weight: 7.9 pounds

•             Dimensions: 12.5 x 15.9 x 7.4

•             It is rectangular in shape

•             It comes with an in built dry erase board and a marker

•             It can slow cook for up to 20 hours

•             It has a removable insert

•             It includes a control knob for cooking settings

Pros:

•             It is portable and designed specifically for travel

•             It is very affordable

•             It is rugged and durable

•             It weighs so little due to the materials it is made of         

•             It is convenient and easy to use

•             It is easy to clean

Cons:

•             Since it is tailored specially for travel it is not optimized for use in the kitchen

•             It doesn’t have an auto warm feature

•             It lacks a non-stick inner surface which makes cleaning a chore

•             It is not particularly dishwasher friendly

•             It has a limited cooking mode

•             It lacks a display panel

BENEFITS OF BUYING SLOW COOKERS

As mentioned earlier, while slow cookers are not suited to cooking every meal or needed by every household, they are a treasure to people who work late hours or are usually occupied in a particular activity for an extended period of time. Examples include factory workers, students, and city workers and so on. It helps to reduce the amount of fast foods consumed daily due to stress from work or timing problems.

Regardless, there are a number of peculiar benefits afforded by slow cookers some of which eases your convenience, others are solely for the flavor and integrity of your meals.

•  It is almost impossible to burn your meals with slow cookers: Slow cookers deliver constant and steady supply of heat to the pot and the food making it almost impossible to burn food.

If you ever need to urgently leave or run an errand and you have a meal stewing, you can easily program the slow cooker to cook within an estimated time without fear of coming back to a burnt meal.

Even when you forget to set the time, the slow cooker will keep your food unburnt, though you might come back to a soggy or overcooked meal.

•  Flexibility: Many manufacturers include a load of secondary features to slow cookers which affords you extra cooking functions. For instance, many slow cookers double as pressure cookers which cook at extremely fast rate under increased pressure. You can steam, roast, brown and even bake with a number of cookers. All these included functions makes your cooker more valuable ¬– even more affordable.

•  Even distribution of flavors: You have probably also experience eating a meal where only one portion is seasoned and the other is flavorless. Or some regions have been overly sweetened at the mercy of others. That never happens with a slow cooker. The extended cooking period ensures that the flavor and seasoning is evenly distributed throughout the pot.

•  Convenience: Slow cookers are the most convenient cooking appliance you can possibly think of with timers and programmable cooking time and temperature, you are solely in charge of your kitchen and you can spare enough time tending to other activities. As they are mostly equipped with auto warm, you can trust that you will always meet a fresh meal in the pot, hot and steamy.

•  Slow cookers are often coated with non-stick materials that ensures that you can easily clean up after your meal. An additional factor is that the inner portion is usually removable and dishwasher friendly.

•  Low power consumption: Slow cookers consume less than 1KW of power, hence they can be run with solar power or general electricity without fear of heavy consumption. This is possible because they only require a small supply of heat to cook, hence, less power consumption. You save more power that would have otherwise be used to warm your food, since the cooker would keep it warm till you need it.

•  Most slow cookers are usually large enough to feed a family at least. It allows you to cook entire meals at one go, reducing the need for  additional pots and extra cleaning that comes with it

•  Tough meat parts that are usually avoided and cheaper can be easily tenderized with slow cookers, hence you get to save more going to the market.

Check out: quality instant pots for fast cooking home meals

BUYING GUIDE FOR SLOW COOKERS

Slow cookers are a peculiar appliance in the kitchen. It doesn’t belong to everyone but it is particularly suited to late workers or busy students. Hence it is not an appliance you should get on an impulse. Other than the pricing for which you can purchase slow cooker on amazon as they offer discount and best slow cooker deals throughout the year, here are a few points that you should consider when buying a slow cooker or while contemplating if you need one:

1. Size of the Pot:

The size of the crock pot is of high importance since they are not usually cheap of easily replaced. You should consider the size of your family or quantity of food you need to make. If you usually have people over or you cook for a large family you might consider getting a more than a 7 quart sized pot. But if you have a small family or you are single, a smaller, 3-4 quarts pot is appropriate for which you can purchase best 4 qt slow cooker.

The major problem with sizes when it comes to slow cookers is that it requires at least a half full pot to give maximum results. Getting a pot that is bigger than you need will leave you with soggy foods that would have lost all flavors by the time it is done cooking. The average size of crock pot is usually about 6 quarts, which is optimal for most recipes

2. Display:

Displays are becoming a regular feature in slow cookers. Usually in digital form, the display allows you to monitor the timer, and for multi-purpose cooker, you can see the mode it is set in. It is best to choose a cooker with a timer that is large so you won’t have to squint you eye or risk being burnt by moving too near the pot.

3. Timer:

The timer is one of the most basic features of slow cookers and allows you to program cooking time. You can easily plan you activities to match the cooking duration so you can add necessary ingredients at appropriate instances.

4. Crock material:

The most popular material the crock pot is usually made of is ceramic, although, stainless or other stoneware materials are usually employed. Depending on what purpose you want your slow cooker to serve, the material is worth consideration.

Ceramic is usually coated with non-stick materials that eases cleaning and ensures that your food is made unburnt. But some non-stick material may be toxic when mixed with other food contents, so care should be taken.

5. Warming function:

A slow cooker with an automatic warming function is what you want. Because you never know when you might be running late. I won’t want to start warming a meal I left to cook for hours especially when auto warm slow cookers have taken over the market. A slow cooker with a warming function keeps your food at a regulated slow cooker temperature without overcooking it. This saves you power that would have been used on a microwave or an oven as well as time and effort.

6. Additional Features:

A series of additional functions and features accompany slow cookers, you often find cookers and crock pots that can sauté, steam, bake and even roast for you. In addition, you will find cookers that double as pressure cookers. These additional functions add value to your money, although it can also add to the cost of the cooker.

7. Lid Material:

The edge and material the slow cooker is made of is important. Slow cookers function effectively using minimum amount of heat, if you keep removing the lid, to check on your food, you allow the trapped heat to dissipate, which tampers with the programmed timing. You want to get a glass lid or other pellucid materials that allows you to see through without removing the lid. You want to check the edges of the lid as well to ensure it is smooth and firm.

8. Means of Heating:

Crock pots work well with a lot of heating means, since it doesn’t need too much heat to function. However, the source needs to be constant. This is peculiar to electricity, hence they are not suitable to use if you can’t guarantee a constant, uninterrupted supply of power. You should also beware of where the heating unit within the cooker is housed to make sure it is in a regions that allows an even distribution of heat to every area.

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FAQs For slow cookers

CAN SLOW COOKERS BE USED ON LONG TRIPS?

Most slow cookers are not designed to be used outside the kitchen, however, there are peculiar pots that are particularly designed to be used while traveling.

DO I NEED A SLOW COOKER?

The need for a slow cooker is based on your scheduling and the want to make special recipes. You should only get one if you are convinced that it is suited for your lifestyle and needs and you can use it frequently for cooking scrumptious meals at home.

CAN I USE A SLOW COOKER AS A PRESSURE COOKER?

While some slow cookers allows the function of a pressure cooker, others do not include that function. Hence, the need to pay more attention to the details before purchasing one.

CAN MY SLOW COOKER MAKE MEALS AT REGULAR RATES?

Absolutely. Most slow cookers can cook at normal cooking speeds some even much faster than the stove. They usually run in three modes of increasing duration, the fastest modes are usually capable of cooking within a regular time frame. If you are not sure, you should check out the specifics of your pot before getting it.

WON’T A SLOW COOKER RUIN THE FLAVOR AND TEXTURE OF MY FOOD?

Certain recipes call for a slow and steady supply of heat or steam. A slow cooker is perfect for those. Other recipes like rice pudding etc. can be adjusted to be made perfectly in a slow cooker crock pot.