Top 10 crock pot slow cookers of 2024 reviews
The crock pot slow cookers have been around since 1936 and were invented by Irving Naxon. These were created to cook cholent, a Jewish dish that is served on the Sabbath. When the crock pot slow cooker didn’t gain much attention for people to purchase it, the patented rights were sold to Rival Manufacturing in 1970.
In 1971 the Rival Manufacturing Company took the, now named crock pot, to the national housewares show in Chicago. The crock pot was marketed toward working woman who still needed to get dinner on the table even after working a full day at a job.
The convenience of throwing a complete meal into a kitchen appliance and having a wholesome dinner at the end of the day for their families was a success for the Rival Corporation.
The crock pot slow cookers are a staple in almost every kitchen around the world and they offer so many conveniences for peoples busy lifestyles. They have come a long way since 1936 and I have no doubt they will continue to change and evolve to meet the needs of the consumers.
Here Is A Little More Information About The Crock Pot Slow Cookers.
For those of you that have the question, what is the difference between slow cookers and crock pots here are a some of the differences between them.
- The slow cookers use to have a metal insert where as the crock pots would come with a ceramic or stoneware insert. This is not the case anymore, the inserts for both the crock pots and slow cookers come with either a ceramic or stoneware insert now.
- Crock pots typically have a heating element that both sits on the bottom of the unit and the sides of the unit allowing for even cooking distribution and less chances of burning. The slow cookers also have the same feature as the crock pots however some do only have a heating element on the bottom so you need to make sure that you’re getting the right heating feature before buying your crock pot slow cooker.
- Crock pots and slow cooker models can also vary with the heating options. Make sure that you look at all the available options for cooking such as, high, low, warm and off options. There are many, actually majority of crock pot slow cookers that will also have options such as, delay cooking timers and automatic switch to warm after cooking has stopped so that your food stays warm without overcooking or burning.
- All in all the crock pot slow cookers are essentially the same thing just with different features for consumers. The crock pot is a patent named brand product where as a slow cooker comes from numerous companies.
What You Can Expect In Each Product Review
- What size the unit is, which is important if you’re cooking for a larger family you’ll want a large crock pot slow cooker but if you’re only cooking for a couple of people a small one will probably be just the right size for you.
- What shape the unit is typically they are round or oval.
- What type of cooking the unit allows it will be either program or mechanical. Program timers allow you to choose a temperature and cooking time while the mechanical choice only allows you to manually turn a knob to choose high, low and off settings. The manual timers in some units also have a warming feature that you can turn to as well.
- Does it have an auto off feature making sure that food doesn’t become burnt if you aren’t there to turn it off.
- Whether the crock pot slow cooker offers a warming feature which is really great if you are using it when you’re away from home, you won’t need to worry about your food possibly being overcooked or burnt.
- What type of insert material that is offered with each unit, typically a ceramic or stoneware insert.
- Whether it offers a locking lid for travel making it easy to take along without spilling out the contents of the crock pot slow cooker.
Here Are My Top 10 Crock Pot Slow Cooker Picks For 2024
This crock pot slow cooker is my overall pick because of its size and basic fundamental features. The 6 qt size gives you the ability to cook roasts of medium size, soups, stews and even desserts large enough for a family of 4 most likely with leftovers.
You have the ability to choose between 30 minutes and 20 hours of cooking time on either high or low settings. This is a great feature because you are given the ability to choose how fast or slow you want your food cooked. After your food is done the crock pot will automatically turn to the warm setting, ensuring that your food doesn’t burn and at the same time it will be warm when your ready to eat.
The crock pots stone insert can be put into your microwave to heat leftovers and even the oven up to 400* Fahrenheit. The insert can be used alone without the base to cook things as well if you would like to do that.
The locking lid feature is one of my favorites because it offers you the ability to cook something in it to travel to a potluck or friends and families homes for get togethers. The lid does lock pretty tight keeping foods from spilling during transport.
Both the stone insert and the lid is dishwasher safe as well, making cleanup a breeze.
What Does This Crock Pot Slow Cooker Offer You?
- Size: 6 Qt
- Shape: Oval
- Program/Mechanical: Program
- Auto Off: No
- Warming Feature: Yes
- Insert Material: Stone
- Locking Lid For Travel: Yes
This crockpot offers you a 6 qt cooking stone insert which you can program for the perfect amount of time you need to cook your food. Your food will stay at the perfect temperature with the warming feature and if you want to bring something you cooked with you just put the top on and lock the lid so it doesn’t spill.
- Has heating warming unit to keep food warm until you are ready to serve your food
- Programmable from 30 minutes up to 20 hours
- Locking lid allows for easy travel after cooking
- Stone insert is both microwavable and oven safe up to 400*
- The 6 qt size doesn’t allow for larger cuts of meats without layering which could affect cooking time
- It does not have an auto shut off option you will need to manually turn it off
The hamilton beach 8 qt programmable slow cooker is large enough for you to fit a 6 lb roast or 8 lb chicken easily to cook. It is long enough to fit your roasts flat without having to layer it allowing for more even heat distribution and thorough cooking.
You will have the ability to cook large batches of soups and stews with the 8 qt capacity, enough to feed a group of 8 with ease.
You will find 3 available heat settings on this slow cooker, high, low and warm. This will make cooking super stress free not having to worry about your food overcooking because it will switch to the warm setting when your cooking time ends. There is also a timer on this model allowing you to see how much time is left for your food to cook.
The oval stone insert and the lid are dishwasher safe making cleanup easy.
What Does This Crock Pot Slow Cooker Offer You?
- Size: 8 qt
- Shape: Oval
- Program/Mechanical: Program
- Warming Feature: Yes
- Insert Material: Stone
- Locking Lid For Travel: No
In Closing:
The hamilton beach 8qt slow cooker makes it easy to cook without having to watch the stove top. You can set the timer from as low as 30 minutes up to 18 hours to cook your foods and when they’ve reached the desired time that you have set it will turn to the warm setting automatically so your food won’t burn and will stay warmed until you’re ready to eat.
Both the stone insert to this slow cooker and the top are dishwasher safe making clean up very easy. The 8 qt capacity can handle an 8 lb chicken or roasts up to 6 lbs not to mention the oval shape makes it easy and convenient to make layered foods such as lasagna.
This 8 qt slow cooker is great for people who like to cook larger meals at one time.
- Has heating warming unit to keep food warm until you are ready to serve your food
- Programmable from 30 minutes up to 18 hours
- Holds large cuts of meats such as an 8 lb chicken or 6 lb roast
- The lid does not lock into place making it harder to travel with after cooking
- It does not have an auto shut off option you will need to manually turn it off
The hamilton beach sear & cook stock pot slow cooker has a capacity of 10 qt’s and has the internal capacity to cook a 10 lb turkey or a 12 lb roast of your choice.
The ability to use the aluminium non stick insert on stovetops, gas, electric or ceramic, to sear your meats to get that good golden color and to hold in the juices is awesome. If you are a soup and stew lover like me, you can saute’ your veggies right on the stove top to blend all the flavors together before adding in your broths and putting in the insert to finish cooking.
You have the option of setting your timer for 2 to 10 hour settings and you can choose to cook on high, low or to keep warm. When your food is finished it will switch to the warm setting keeping your food at the perfect temperature until your ready to eat.
Both your aluminum non stick insert and the top are dishwasher safe making cleanup quick and easy.
What Does This Crock Pot Slow Cooker Offer You?
- Size: 10 qt
- Shape: Cylinder
- Program/Mechanical: Program
- Warming Feature: Yes
- Insert Material: Non Stick Aluminum
- Locking Lid For Travel: No
In Closing:
The hamilton beach sear and cook stock pot slow cooker has a large 10 qt capacity allowing you to cook turkeys up to 10 lbs along with extra large batches of soups, sauces or stews with ease.
The searing capability is great if you like to saute’ your veggies for soups, stew and sauces like me because it all still just uses the one pan to do it. Knowing that the insert is safe for all cooktops is truly great and makes using it that much more enjoyable.
After programming your slow cooker for 2 to 10 hours you can just walk away and let it slowly cook your foods knowing that it will switch to the warming setting after it has finished, keeping your food at the perfect temperature until you’re ready to eat.
Clean up is a breeze as well, both the non stick aluminum insert and lid are dishwasher safe.
- Has heating warming unit to keep food warm until you are ready to serve your food
- Programmable from 2 hours up to 10 hours
- Sear your meats for that golden color and to lock in the juices right in the insert
- Saute’ your veggies for soups and stews right in the insert before putting in the slow cooker
- The cylinder shape doesn’t make it practical for things like lasagna to be cooked in it
- It does not have an auto shut off option you will need to manually turn it off
The greenpan elite 8 in 1 programmable 6 qt slow cooker offers you so much more than just slow cooking your foods. You can saute’ your veggies or sear your meats to hold in there juiced, right in the unit with a touch of a button on the front of the display.
This comes with a steamer basket to steam your veggies, dumplings or meats if you’d like. You also have the options to leave it at a simmer to serve foods buffet style along with a proofing option, baking and reheat button options. This machine is a mini oven that is incredible in the warm days of summer when you want some good food but don’t want to heat up your kitchen.
The oval ceramic diamond infused nonstick insert can hold 6 lb roasts, 8-10 pieces of chicken and so much more without any worries. Make large batches of soups, stews and sauces and keep them on the simmer option when they’re done cooking to keep them at the perfect temperature.
After you’re done cooking and eating, just pop the top on and put away in your refrigerator if you have left overs. When you’re ready to eat the rest just pop it back into your slow cooker and set it for reheat. Your food will reheat with you not having to worry about it just like when you first cooked it.
Clean up is a breeze when you’re done, just pop the insert and the lid into your dishwasher making it super easy and convenient.
What Does This Slow Cooker Offer You?
- Size: 6 Qt
- Shape: Oval
- Program/Mechanical: Program
- Warming Feature: Yes
- Insert Material: Non-Stick Diamond Infused Ceramic
- Locking Lid For Travel: No
In Closing:
The Greenpan elite 8 in 1 programmable slow cooker offers you so much more than your ordinary slow cooker. You will find 8 set programs that you can run at a touch of the button to do all of the following:
- Slow Cook
- Saute’
- Steam
- Simmer/Buffet
- Proof
- Bake
- Reheat
- Low
- High
- Warm
With all of these options you have a an oven and stove top in one unit that you can set and walk away from. No need to turn your oven on when it’s hot out just cook your foods in this.
The 6 qt capacity in an oval insert allows you to cook everything from 6 lb roasts, soups, stews or sauces to layered meals like lasagna or casseroles.
Sear your meats right in the slow cooker to get them nice and brown and to hold in the juices along with sauteing your veggies before adding in your broths or sauces for soups and stews.
If you love a simple home cooked meal without the mess of a few dirty pots and pans then you will love the Greenpan Elite 8 in 1 slow cooker.
- You can do more than just slow cook you can choose from 8 preset options, high, low and warm settings, reheat, bake, proof, simmer/buffet, saute’, steam and slow cook options
- Programmable up to 10 hours
- Diamond infused oval ceramic non stick insert
- Brown, saute’, bake, steam and serve all in one product
- Switches to warming when the timer is done
- This doesn’t have a locking lid for traveling
- There isn’t an auto off, you will have to manually shut the unit off when you are done.
The Ninja foodi possible cooker pro has so many functions but right off the bat let me tell you the main cooking abilities that it has.
- It is a slow cooker allowing you to set your food to cook and walk away
- The steam feature allows you to steam your veggies or meats just like a steam oven
- You can make breads just like a bread oven
- This is a sous vide machine allowing you to cook your proteins to the perfect temperature and then searing them for that beautiful grilled look
- The sear and saute’ functions allows you to both sear your meats to lock in all the juices and saute’ your veggies before adding in your broths or sauces for soups and stews
- The food warming feature allows you to put your foods in it and keep them warm until your ready to eat
The Ninja foodi pro has a triple fusion heat technology meaning there are heating units on the bottom, sides along with steam heat. This feature will cook your foods 30% faster than your typical oven.
The removable cooking insert is made of non stick aluminum and is oven safe up to 500* Fahrenheit. If you want to slow cook your foods and then pop them in your oven for a browning effect on top you won’t need to worry, it’s safe.
With the 8.5 Qt capacity you can cook larger roasts and cuts of meats in this unit. Make large batches of soups, stews and sauces easily with enough to feed 10+ people.
What Does This Slow Cooker Offer You?
- Size: 8.5 Qt
- Shape: Oval
- Program/Mechanical: Program
- Warming Feature: Yes
- Insert Material: Non Stick Aluminum
- Locking Lid For Travel: No
In Closing:
The Ninja Foodi Possible Cooker Pro offers a large 8.5 qt capacity allowing you to cook large cuts of meats, soups, stews and sauces easily. The all in one features of being able to braise, saute’ and sear in the cooker with the press of a button makes it just that much better as far as not having to dirty multiple dishes before putting your foods in the slow cooker.
The triple fusion heat technology allows your foods to cook more evenly along with faster than many slow cookers. When your food is done it will automatically switch over to the warming feature as well, making sure that your foods don’t get overcooked or burned.
You will have 8 cooking features with this unit allowing you to do multiple tasks without all the clutter of bulky machines in your kitchen. Here’s a list of some of the kitchen products it can replace in your kitchen:
- Steaming oven
- Bread Maker
- Sous Vide Machine
- Searing Pans
Having the ability to do multiple things with the one unit will save you time and cleanup when preparing walk away meals in your kitchen. Brown your meats, saute’ your veggies, add your broths or sauces and walk away without any other dishes to clean.
- Has heating warming unit to keep food warm until you are ready to eat
- 8 in 1 features allowing you to use it for multiple purposes from slow cooking your foods to steaming or baking
- 3 heating features, a bottom heating unit, a side heating unit and steam heat to cook foods faster
- Insert is oven safe up to 500*
- The insert is not recommended to clean in your dishwasher
- This does not have an auto shut off mode
This slow cooker offers you so many great features without the size of the larger slow cooker crock pots and is great for families of 4. You will find the digital display offers you the options of high and low heat settings along with a warming feature.
You can set your timer to cook your foods or to just keep them warm from 30 minutes to 20 hours after your desired cooking time is done it will automatically switch to the warming feature. If you would like to cook your foods in the oven and transfer to the slow cooker, it can withstand an oven temperature up to 500* F.
You will have the ability to cook small chickens and smaller cuts of roasts. The oblong design is perfect for dishes such as lasagna and other casseroles or layered dips. If you desire a browned top on your foods, like the melted cheese on top of a lasagna, just pop it in the oven under your broiler to brown and pop it back into the base until ready to serve.
Both the ceramic insert and tempered glass lid are dishwasher safe allowing for easy clean up after you’re finished.
What Does This Crock Pot Slow Cooker Offer You?
- Size: 4 Qt
- Shape: Rectangular
- Program/Mechanical: Program
- Warming Feature: Yes
- Insert Material: Ceramic
- Locking Lid For Travel: No
In Closing:
The Magnifique small 4 qt slow cooker is the perfect size for the average family of 4. You will find many of enjoyable features from the larger crockpot slow cookers in a more convenient size.
You will be able to set your desired cooking time from 30 minutes up to 10 hours and walk away, the slow cooker will automatically switch over to the warming feature to keep your foods nice and warm until you’re ready to eat.
You will love that the ceramic insert is oven safe up to 500* F so you can also cook your favorite meals in your oven and throw it back into the insert, set to warm and have it ready when your ready to eat at the perfect temperature.
The rectangular design of the ceramic insert is ideal for dishes like lasagna, layered dips, cobbler desserts and so much more. The cooking possibilities are endless with this slow cooker.
- Has heating warming unit to keep food warm until you are ready to serve your food
- Programmable from 30 minutes up to 10 hours
- Ceramic insert oven safe up to 500* F
- The 4 qt size doesn’t allow for larger cuts of meats without layering which could affect cooking time
- It does not have an auto shut off option you will need to manually turn it off
The GreenPan Bistro 4 qt slow cooker has a large range of options compared to many other smaller crock pot slow cookers. You will find your basic settings of high, low and keep warm features along with a reheat, simmer and delay cooking option.
The diamond infused inner ceramic non stick insert can be used on any stove top, allowing you the ability to sear and braise your meats or saute’ your veggies before popping back into the unit to continue cooking.
A really nice feature with this crock pot slow cooker is the reheat button. When you’re done eating what you have cooked and have leftovers, just put the lid on and put it in the fridge. When you are ready to have it again you can pop it back into the crock base set it for reheat and walk away. Your foods will reheat evenly on their own without you having to watch it, just like when you first cooked it.
The delay start button allows you to set a timer up to 24 hours to start cooking your food. This is a great option because if you’re not home and your food will only take 4 hours to cook but you’ll be gone for longer, you can set the delay timer to start cooking at the perfect time even if you’re not there to start it yourself.
The auto warm feature will kick in when your set time is reached for cooking your foods as well. This feature is awesome for a lot of us who are gone working all day and don’t want our foods to overcook but still get a hot meal when you get home and are ready to eat.
Cleanup with this slow cooker is super easy with the dishwasher safe diamond infused ceramic non stick insert and glass lid.
What Does This Slow Cooker Offer You?
- Size: 4 Qt
- Shape: Round
- Program/Mechanical: Program
- Warming Feature: Yes
- Insert Material: Diamond Infused Non Stick Ceramic
- Locking Lid For Travel: No
In Conclusion:
The GreenPan Bistro Noir 4 Qt slow cooker is perfect for a couple who don’t need a large cooker. It is perfect for smaller cuts of meats small batches of soups, stews and casseroles. The convenience of braising and sauteing your foods right in the insert on your stove top is great, you won’t have other dirty pans.
This small 4 Qt slow cooker has almost all of the same larger programmable units without the bulky size. Here are the features you will have:
- Low and High Settings
- Automatic Keep Warm Setting
- Reheat
- Simmer
- Delay Start Timer
- Start and Stop
If you are looking for a crockpot slow cooker that has all the features of the larger models but want a smaller size, this is the perfect one for you.
- Has automatic heating warming unit to keep food warm until you are ready to serve your food
- Programmable from 30 minutes up to 10 hours
- Ceramic insert is safe to use on all cooktops to braise foods and saute’
- Stone insert is oven safe up to 400*
- Delay cooking timer allows you to start cooking at the perfect time even when you’re not home
- Reheat your foods with a touch of a button
- The 4 qt size doesn’t allow for larger cuts of meats without layering which could affect cooking time
The Hamilton Beach 10 Qt slow cooker is one of the largest at home crock pot slow cookers available for home use. You are able to fit 10 lb chicken and turkeys or 12 lb roasts without layering.
Whether you have a large family or like to cook large batches of soup, stews and sauces for later use, this will be a game changer for you. The super large oval insert is 9×12″ at the top, that will hold a huge chunk of meat!
The insert is made of ceramic and is dishwasher safe along with the tempered glass lid. You can lock the lid in place as well, making for easy travel without worrying about the food spilling all over the place.
This slow cooker has the basic manual settings, high, low, warm and off. If you aren’t a fan of the programmable models and prefer simplicity then you’ll enjoy the ease of using this unit.
What Does This Slow Cooker Offer You?
- Size: 10 Qt
- Shape: Oval
- Program/Mechanical: Mechanical
- Warming Feature: Yes
- Insert Material: Stone
- Locking Lid For Travel: Yes
In Conclusion:
The Hamilton Beach 10 Qt slow cooker is an excellent choice if you are looking to cook large roasts or large batches of soups, stews or sauces. If you have a large family this will be a game changer for you.
This is a basic design that doesn’t have all the bells and whistles that the programmable crock pot slow cookers offer. If you prefer the simplicity of the manual settings and don’t need to worry about not being home in time to shut it off or turn to warm when finished cooking then this is perfect for you.
When your food is finished to your desired likings but aren’t ready to eat, no worries, just turn the unit to warm and it will remain at the perfect temperature until your ready to eat without the worry of it overcooking.
- Has a manual warming setting to keep food warm until you are ready to serve your food
- Locking lid allows for easy travel after cooking
- The oval shape allows for even easy cooking of layered dips and pasta dishes
- Oven safe insert
- The 2.5 Qt size is to small for large cuts of meats
- It does not have an auto shut off option you will need to manually turn it off
The Crock Pot 2.5 Qt casserole slow cooker is small and great for homes with 1-2 people still wanting a warm home cooked meal without the hassle of slaving over a stove. This crock pot will cook everything that the larger units do just in a smaller scale.
The stoneware insert is oven safe as well giving you the option to use the insert as a casserole dish separate from the cooking unit. If you enjoy layered dips, pasta dishes like lasagna, you won’t be disappointed this little crock can cook all of those.
You will find that there is a locking lid making it portable without worrying about the ingredients spilling out.
This is a manual crock pot slow cooker, meaning that you have to use the knob on the unit to turn it on, it doesn’t have programmable settings like delay start, automatic switch to warm after it’s done cooking or auto shut off. You have the options of low, high, warm and off settings with this unit.
Both the stone insert and the glass lid are dishwasher safe, making cleanup easy and simple.
What Does This Crock Pot Slow Cooker Offer You?
- Size: 2.5 Qt
- Shape: Oval
- Program/Mechanical: Mechanical
- Warming Feature: Yes
- Insert Material: Stone
- Locking Lid For Easy Travel: Yes
In Conclusion:
The Crock Pot 2.5 Qt casserole slow cooker is perfect for those of us that are cooking for 1-2 people. The oval design gives a lot of versatility with the varieties of foods you can cook easily without the hassle of the larger bulky units.
Although it doesn’t have the programmable fancy functions this unit will cook your foods beautifully. Just remember to check it after your desired cooking time has been reached. When your food is cooked the way you like it, just switch it the warming feature until you’re ready to sit down and eat.
The easy cleanup of this product is great as well, just put the insert and lid into the dishwasher and use a damp sponge to cleanup the main unit.
- Has a manual warming setting to keep food warm until you are ready to serve your food
- Locking lid allows for easy travel after cooking
- The oval shape allows for even easy cooking of layered dips and pasta dishes
- Oven safe insert
- The 2.5 Qt size is to small for large cuts of meats
- It does not have an auto shut off option you will need to manually turn it off
The Sunvivi 3 section slow cooker is a great addition to any kitchen. Each stone insert dish is 1.5 Qt’s and are oven safe up to 400* F. This slow cooker allows you the ability to cook a 3 course meal for 2 or use it for warm party dips.
The base of this slow cooker has 3 separate heating units with the ability to cook each dish on low, high or warm settings. This is great if you’re cooking 3 different things so that they can cook at the right temperature to come out perfectly.
This slow cooker has glass lids so you can see what is in each one and they also come with a spoon for each. The spoons fit beautifully inside the crocks due to a small wedge insert in the glass lids so they can fit snug with the spoon for serving.
If you enjoy entertaining or like to cook a few different things for your meals at one time but don’t want the oven heating up the kitchen, this crock pot slow cooker is perfect for you.
What Does This Crock Pot Offer You?
- Size: 3 – 1.5 Qt
- Shape: Oval
- Program/Mechanical: Mechanical
- Warming Feature: Yes
- Insert Material: Stone
- Locking Lid For Travel: No
In Conclusion:
The Sunvivi 3 section slow cooker is a great option for those who like to have a variety of foods cooking at the same time at different temperatures. You can cook your main protein dish, potato or pasta side and a veggie all at the same time.
The convenient design of the stone inserts allowing for your serving spoon to set right inside with the lids down to hold the heat in is great. This will keep the mess inside the crock pot and not all over your counter.
When you’re all done with your foods, the clean up is easy, just put the stone inserts, spoons and tempered glass tops in the dishwasher. You can wipe the base of the crock pot with a damp cloth or sponge or use a mild soap for bigger messes.
- Has 3 heating warming units to keep food warm until you are ready to serve
- 3 seperate stone inserts to prepare different dishes in each one
- The stone inserts are oven safe up to 400*
- The stone inserts and glass lids are dishwasher safe
- Does not switch to automatic warming when desired cooking time is reached
- It does not have an auto shut off option you will need to manually turn it off
- The lids don’t lock for easy transport
What You Should Know Before Investing In A New Crock Pot Slow Cooker
I hope that you were able to find the perfect crock pot slow cooker for your needs and if not please read on for more information to help you make a comfortable decision before investing in a new crock pot slow cooker.
What is The Difference Between a crockpot and a slow cooker?
There is no difference between a crockpot and slow cooker except for the name. The crock pot is a patented name for the actual brand, it is the same as a slow cooker. If you type in your search bar for “crock pots” it should return results for the actual crock pot brand. Now if you search for slow cookers, you should have results returned for both the crockpot brand and a variety of slow cooker brands. They are all the same products except for the name.
What Should You Consider Before Buying Your Crock Pot Slow Cooker?
Before you spend your hard earned money on a new crock pot slow cooker there are a few things you should consider.
- The size that best suits you and your family
- Deciding on a programmable unit or a mechanical unit
- The shape of the insert to suit your cooking needs
- Extra settings that may be useful for your cooking needs
Choosing The Right Size Crock Pot Slow Cooker
When choosing the right size crockpot slow cooker you need to consider how many people you’re cooking for and whether or not you’re going to want leftovers to enjoy later. Sizes run from a 1.5 Qt all the way up to a 10 qt. Let’s look at a breakdown of how many people you can feed with the different sizes.
| Size | Serves |
| Under 4qt | 1-4 |
| 4-6 qt | 4-6 |
| 6-8 qt | 6-8 |
| 8-10 qt | 8-10+ |
How To Choose Between Programmable & Mechanical Crock Pot Slow Cookers
There are a few things to consider when picking between a programmable or mechanical crock pot slow cooker. Remember that the mechanical units will have a knob that you have to manually switch on, off, high, low and warm settings.
The programmable units are a digital touch screen that you set. With the programmable units, you will set the temperature you want to cook at and the amount of time you want it to cook. When your food has reached it’s cooking time it will switch the unit to the warm setting so that your foods stay at the right temperature when your ready to eat. Some of the programmable units offer a delay cooking option, this allows you to program a start time when you want the unit to turn on and start cooking.
When considering a programmable unit or a mechanical unit just consider a few things:
- Will you be home to check the foods that are cooking so that you can shut it off or switch to warm preventing foods from overcooking or burning
- Do you want the ability to preset your start time if you aren’t going to be home to start it up
- Do you want your crockpot slow cooker to automatically switch to the warm setting when the cooking time is over
Choosing a programmable or mechanical unit is a choice of preference. Whatever one you choose in this day and age are both very safe to use when you’re not home. The main difference is that the mechanical unit can overcook your foods if you won’t be home to switch it to a different setting.
The Shape of Your Crock Pot Slow Cooker Insert: Why is it Important?
The shape of the insert that you choose is important when deciding what types of foods you want to make with your crock pot slow cooker. Below are the shapes of the inserts and the types of foods you can cook in them depending on the qt size that you choose.
- Circle: The circle shaped insert is great for soups, stew, sauces and dips. You could also cook meats with the circle insert but the amount you can cook will vary greatly with the size of the unit. Typically the circle units have heating elements on both the bottoms and middle of the unit ensuring even heat distribution.
- Oval: The oval shaped inserts are great for soups, stews, sauces and dips. They are also great for roasts and layered dishes such as lasagna and casserole dishes because it’s wider instead of just deeper. Depending on the size of the oval crock pot slow cooker you purchase will depend on whether the heating elements are only on the bottom or on the sides also. The deeper oval inserts will typically have 2 heating elements so that foods cook evenly.
- Rectangular: The rectangular inserts are just like a casserole dish. These insert shapes are ideal for your layered casserole dishes and meat dishes that you want to add all your veggies and potatoes into. These are also great for your soups, stews, soups and dips. The longer shape allows you to add more ingredients in a layered style compared to the circle and oval insert shapes. Depending on the depth of the rectangular shaped insert there could be one heating element on the bottom for the more shallow unit or 2 heating elements, one on the bottom and one in the middle for the deeper inserts.
As you can see the shape of the crock pot slow cooker should depend on what you plan on using it for. Although they can all cook everything from roasts, poultry, soups, stews, sauces and dips, the different shapes of the inserts can cook some things better than others.
Do You Need The Extra Settings Some Crock Pot Slow Cookers Offer?
All crock pot slow cookers have basic options, on/off, high/low and warm settings. Some of the higher end units also offer you more options making it more of a cooking staple in your kitchen. Many of us love to use our crock pot slow cookers in the warmer months so our homes don’t get hot from the ovens. Having more options to cook homemade fresh foods using our crock pot slow cookers is a game changer for some.
Let’s take a look at some of the extra options you can look for when purchasing a new crock pot slow cooker for your home.
- Sear & Cook Feature: The sear and cook feature on some models is great when you don’t want to dirty anymore dishes than you have to, that is the point of using a crock pot slow cooker right, just throw it all in one pan and walk away. The sear and cook feature allows you to either push a button on the unit or put your insert directly on your stove top to sear and braise meats and veggies before adding the rest of your ingredients to cook. This brings more flavor out in your dishes and your meats lock in their juices.
- Steaming Feature: A lot of us are trying to eat foods in a healthier way to better ourselves from the inside out. Steaming foods is a great way to accomplish this because they aren’t being cooked in things loaded with sodium and fats like butter. The steaming features are offered with crock pot slow cookers with a simple push of a button.
- Bread Maker Feature: Personally there is nothing better than the smell of homemade bread filling a home. If you love to make homemade breads but don’t want to use the oven or if you want to come home after a long day to a loaf waiting for you, this is an option you will probably really enjoy. Look for a model that has the bread maker option preset into the unit.
- Reheat Button Feature: The reheat button on some models allows you to take your leftovers right out of the fridge whether you put the whole insert into the fridge or emptying leftovers into the crock pot, press the reheat button and walk away. Your foods will reheat slowly allowing you to enjoy a meal as if you had cooked it all day.
- Delay Start Feature: In our busy lifestyles these days the delay start feature is a nice option to have. Yes, most crock pot slow cookers will have a warming feature to keep foods at great temperature until you’re ready to eat but if you are going to be gone for 10-12 hours or more you may want this feature. This will allow you to set your food to start cooking at a certain time and also all the other features of cooking on high/low and for how long making sure that your foods don’t overcook. This is especially handy when cooking pastas and rice dishes than when kept warm to long can turn mushy.
- Locking Lid Feature: The locking lid feature is great for those who like to take food to parties and get togethers. This feature locks your lid on tightly and keeps your foods from spilling all over the place.
As you can see there are many more options available with your new crock pot slow cooker that weren’t available just 10 years ago. They have come a long way from just cooking our soups and stews with ease.
In Conclusion:
We all have our own preferences when it comes to what we like to eat but we can all agree that crock pot slow cookers are a godsend to out kitchen appliances. I hope that I was able to help you make an informed decision before purchasing a new one and that you can feel at ease with the new one you decide on.
If you have any questions or would like to add your own opinions about any of the crock pot slow cooker models that I have featured, I would love it. Just leave what you would like to say in the comments section! Have a Great Day 🙂