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Best slow cooker – tested by our team for effortless one-pot dinners

From CrockPot to Instant: with appliances this good, the food is worth the wait

One of the best slow cookers, the Crock-Pot MyTime slow cooker on a countertop
(Image credit: Amazon)

The best slow cookers aren't just for cozy season. They're a year-round staple. They'll be able to steam, sauté, and air fry on top of making warming soups and stews. Whether you're looking for a family feast or a pint-sized model, we've found the best slow cooker for you.

The market is packed with big-name brands, such as Crock-Pot, Instant, and Cuisinart. Whilst this can seem overwhelming, it also means that there's a slow cooker to suit every style of cooking and size of budget. You can find the perfect match for your kitchen, but you just might need a helping hand.

That's where I come in. As a product reviewer and keen cook, I'm part of a kitchen testing team here at H&G. Together, we've tried dozens of the best slow cookers, including all the best Instant Pots. We've narrowed them down to just six of the best out there – our favorite is the Crock-Pot MyTime – but any of the options on this list will bring ease and joy to your home ooking.

The quick list

Here's a quick guide to finding the best slow cooker for you. We go into more detail further down the guide.

The best slow cookers

You can trust Homes & Gardens. Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing the latest products, helping you choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

The best slow cooker overall

1. Crock-Pot MyTime Slow Cooker

Best slow cooker overall

Specifications

Dimensions: 14.4" x 14.3" x 9.7"
Capacity: 6-quart
Settings: Meal type, quantity, temperature, schedule, manual
Dishwasher Safe Parts: Yes

Reasons to buy

+
Choose manual or smart modes
+
Schedule meals in advance
+
Automatic adjustment

Reasons to avoid

-
No lock-down lid
-
No overnight cooking

The very clever Crock-Pot MyTime Slow Cooker can select the type of food you're cooking (meat, poultry, soup, veggies) and the volume (under or over 2 pounds, for example) for automatically adjusted timings and temperatures. You can set the clock and use this to schedule your cooking ahead of time, which is perfect for those four-hour meals that you want to arrive home to without having to be in the house to set the slow cooker into motion in the afternoon. It's worth noting that there's no setting for overnight slow cooks, which is a safety feature, but means that you'll always have to be slow cooking, on the countertop in the daytime.

If you're new to slow cooking, this really removes the guesswork, but for experienced slow cooker users, there's also the option to tap into manual mode for following recipes of your own.

Size-wise, the six-quart capacity is the perfect middle-ground for making family meals or cooking ahead. Its shape is also well-suited to ribs, pulled pork, and even a whole chicken. It, however, doesn't have a lock-down lid for taking on the go, so if you're planning on taking it to potluck you'll need steady hands. Its dishwasher-safe stoneware and glass lid makes for easy cleaning.

Before you leap into the Crock-Pot, there are a few quirks you'll want to know about. The useful lid doesn't lock down, so if you'll take this round to a neighbor's or through lots of rooms in the house, you'll need steady hands. Some reviewers also said that this cooked food a little too hot, but I think that's down to the automatic functions generalizing. You can learn to adjust it to suit your personal preferences.

The best slow cooker for versatility

2. Instant Pot Duo Crisp with Ultimate Lid

The best multicooker on the market

Specifications

Power: 1,500 Watts
Dimensions: 13.4 x 15.4 x 15.5 inches
Capacity: 6.5 Quart
Modes: Pressure Cook, Sauté, Steam, Slow Cook, Sous Vide, Yogurt, Warm, Air Fry, Roast, Broil, Bake, Dehydrate, Proofing
Accessories: stainless-steel cooking pot, steaming/ air frying rack

Reasons to buy

+
Incredibly versatile
+
Simple to use
+
One pot cooking

Reasons to avoid

-
Pot isn't non stick
-
Have to change inner lid

We don't often give five-star reviews at Homes & Gardens, because that means there's no room for bettering and innovation. However, after hours of testing, it wasn't even a tough decision to award this full points. It cooks great food and we love it.

The Instant Pot offers 13 different cooking functions, all under one lid, making it the most advanced Instant Pot model we've seen. Whilst it might look very similar to older iterations, and it's even cheaper than some, it's certainly the best Instant Pot to date.

Our experts thought this was easy to use and they loved the versatile options, which all delivered top-notch results. If we're being really picky, the pot isn't nonstick, which can make cleaning up a little bit more time-consuming. The inner lids also do need swapping between functions, so even though it has 'one lid' there are a few fiddly bits to navigate before you don't have to lift a finger between settings.

There's more detail in our Instant Pot Duo Crisp with Ultimate Lid review.

The best luxury slow cooker

3. Wolf Gourmet Programmable 6-in-1 Multi Cooker

Best premium slow cooker

Specifications

Dimensions: 14.5 x 19.75 x 17.88 inches
Capacity: 7-quart
Settings: Manual, meal timer, rice, sous vide, sear

Reasons to buy

+
Iconic, premium look
+
Five-year warranty
+
Six cooking modes

Reasons to avoid

-
The most expensive choice

If you're a serious slow cooker and you're looking for a little luxury, this is one of the smartest, most premium slow cookers on the market. It's fitted out with the latest and greatest technology and remains incredibly easy to use.

You can cook rice, sear and sauté meat, and even sous vide with the Wolf Gourmet slow cooker. In fact, the deep insert, meaning you could sous vide a wide range of items at any one time.

The classic red dial will allow you to select from manual settings as well as digital pre-set programs, too.

The stainless steel insert can be used on induction hobs, in the oven, and can go in the dishwasher. That's a win because it's not non-stick. On the plus side, the stainless steel material will make searing easy and pack in heaps of flavor. However, this is incredibly expensive.

There's more detail in our Wolf Gourmet Multi-Functional Cooker review

The best slow cooker for large households

4. Ninja MC1001 Foodi PossibleCooker PRO

Best multicooker with bells and whistles

Specifications

Dimensions: 18" x 12.64" x 10.59"
Capacity: 8.5qt
Settings: slow cooker, steam oven, food warmer, nonstick pot, sauté pan, cast iron skillet, saucier, steamer, saucepan, stock pot, Dutch oven, roasting pan, bread maker, and utensil.
Dishwasher Safe Parts: Yes

Reasons to buy

+
14 functions in 1 device
+
Evenly heats on bottoms, side, and steam heat
+
Oven-safe non-stick cooking pot

Reasons to avoid

-
Takes up a lot of space
-
Side handles get hot

If you're making the effort to slow cook, you'll want to do it in big batches. The generous 8.5 quart capacity ensures that you can feed the whole family and still have some leftovers too.

Our experts used this for a range of functions: making risotto, steaming vegetables, and slow-cooking rice pudding. They were impressed across the board. The large 8.5 quart capacity is non-stick too, making for easy cleaning. If you want to see some really delicious food, we couldn't stop watching the recipe videos on QVC (the braised, fall-apart chuck roast looks incredible and perfect for a Sunday lunch).

Compared to Ninja's 14-in-1 older model, which is further down in this guide, this has fewer cooking functions and less capacity, but it's much more attractive, so it's better for serving straight onto the table with. It's also oven-safe and still reasonably priced; most oven-safe models come with a premium price tag.

The whole time that it is cooking, this will be looking beautiful on the countertop. It's my favorite for aesthetics. It is quite bulky however, so if you need to economize on space, there are better options.

There's more detail in our Ninja Foodi PossibleCooker Pro review.

The best non-toxic slow cooker

5. GreenPan Omni Cooker

The best slow cooker for cleaner, healthier meals

Specifications

Dimensions: 16.42 x 12.4 x 9.8"
Capacity: 4 quarts
Settings: Low heat, high heat, delay timer, simmer, reheat, keep warm
Dishwasher-safe parts: Yes

Reasons to buy

+
Non-stick coating
+
Scratch-resistant
+
Easy grip handles
+
Versatile

Reasons to avoid

-
Less suitable for larger households

This little pot is non-toxic for cleaner cooking and non-stick for quick and easy food release.

The Omni Cooker boasts a 6-qt. capacity. Which is just enough room to cater for a family of five and braise bigger joints of meat. Even though it's big, it's still the right size to make hearty, healthy meals for your family, and still have some leftovers for tomorrow's lunch.

The non-stick coating is free from PFAS, PFOA, lead, and cadmium to protect and preserve the natural flavors and aromas of your food. While the Omni lacks a few of the bells and whistles of some of the more premium machines, it can simmer, reheat, keep warm, and cook on low, high, and delay. That might not be everything you want in a slow cooker, but it's probably everything you need.

The Omni is easy to use and quick to clean. Both the inner pot and the tempered glass lid are dishwasher-safe, though you might prefer to hand-wash to scrub at spills and stains. As for the outside, all you need to do is wipe it down with a damp sponge cloth, and it should look as good as new.

There's more detail in the GreenPan Omni Cooker review.

The best value slow cooker

6. Instant Pot RIO Multi Cooker

The easiest pot to use, and the best value too

Specifications

Dimensions: 13.38" x 12.2" x 12.48"
Capacity: 6qt.
Settings: Soup, Meat/Stew, Bean/Chili, Poultry, Saute, Steam, Rice, Porridge, Multigrain, Slow Cook, Keep-Warm, Yogurt, Pasturize
Dishwasher Safe Parts: Yes

Reasons to buy

+
7 functions for extra versatility
+
Dishwasher-safe lid and pot
+
24-hour timer

Reasons to avoid

-
Bulky to store
-
Can be intimidating to use

There's a lot to love about this updated Instant Pot (known as the RIO, in the United States). It's a lot like the classic Duo model, but with more user-friendly features.

Our tester, Lydia, loved the preset recipes – you can literally cook a meal at the touch of a button. With 7-in-1 functionality, you've got tonnes of options, including sauté, pressure cook, steam, and slow cook. You can also prepare ahead with the 24-hour timer and come home to a hot dinner.

In the test kitchen, Lydia made everything from lentil soup to slow-cooked lamb tagine. She said, 'I made a risotto and couldn't believe the rice was perfectly cooked after just 8 minutes. I didn't have to stir or do anything. Using this pot was so easy and I think it will stop me from ordering takeout when I'm feeling lazy or sick. With that in mind, it really does pay for itself.'

The new design also includes an 'anti-spin' inner pot, which did make sautéeing onions easier – and a downloadable app, which is packed with recipe inspiration.

A full review of this updated model is coming soon, but you can read our thoughts on the original model in the Instant Pot Duo review.