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Three of the best slow cookers we tested (Cuisinart, Hamilton Beach, and GreenPan) are displayed on a kitchen counter. Credit: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser

The Best Slow Cookers of 2024

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Three of the best slow cookers we tested (Cuisinart, Hamilton Beach, and GreenPan) are displayed on a kitchen counter. Credit: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser

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Editor's Choice Product image of Cuisinart MSC-600
Best Overall

Cuisinart MSC-600

Check Price at Amazon

This handsome appliance is also multifunctional: In addition to slow cooking, it can brown/sauté, roast, and steam. Read More

Pros

  • Keeps food at optimal temperature
  • Sides and handles stay cool to the touch
  • Dishwasher safe and easy to clean by hand

Cons

  • None that we could find
2
Editor's Choice Product image of GreenPan Ceramic Nonstick 6-Qt Slow Cooker
Best Upgrade

GreenPan Ceramic Nonstick 6-Qt Slow Cooker

Check Price at Williams-Sonoma

This slow cooker has excellent cooking performance, versatility, and good looks. Plus, we love its nonstick surface and lightweight design. Read More

Pros

  • Keeps food warm at optimal temperature
  • Stovetop and oven safe
  • Easy to clean

Cons

  • None we could find
3
Product image of All-Clad SD800D51

All-Clad SD800D51

Check Price at Williams-Sonoma

Think of this stainless-steel model as the Rolls Royce of slow cookers. It gives top-notch cooking performance and includes many bells and whistles. Read More

Pros

  • Keeps food warm at optimal temperature
  • Programmable
  • Nonstick

Cons

  • Can’t be used on stovetop or oven
  • Cooking vessel is not dishwasher safe
4
Product image of Instant Precision 6-quart Dutch Oven

Instant Precision 6-quart Dutch Oven

Check Price at Amazon

This programmable and very versatile model has a heavy covered enameled cast iron pan rather than a ceramic crock or a metal pot. Read More

Pros

  • Keeps food warm at optimal temperature
  • Warm, braise, and sauté settings
  • Stovetop, oven and dishwasher safe

Cons

  • Very heavy
5
Product image of KitchenAid 6-Qt. Slow Cooker with Standard Lid

KitchenAid 6-Qt. Slow Cooker with Standard Lid

Check Price at Amazon

This model is solidly designed with a brushed stainless-steel finish and is completely intuitive to program without checking the manual. Read More

Pros

  • Keeps food at optimal warm temperature
  • Programmable
  • 4 slow cook settings
  • Dishwasher safe

Cons

  • Can undercook some foods
  • Heavy
  • Best Overall Cuisinart 6-Quart 3-in-1 Cook Central Multicooker
  • Best Upgrade GreenPan Slow Cooker
  • Other Slow Cookers We Tested
  • How We Tested Slow Cookers
  • What to Know About Slow Cookers
  • More Articles You Might Enjoy

When you can't spend much time cooking, a slow cooker is ideal. After some prep work, just toss your ingredients in the cooker, set it, and forget it until dinner.

Slow cookers vary in price pretty drastically, and it may not be clear what spending extra gets you. After months testing different models, we found that the best slow cooker is the Cuisinart 6 Quart 3-In-1 Cook Central Multicooker (available at Amazon for $159.95) . It aced our performance and ease of use tests, and we loved its versatility.

If you’re looking to spend less, our best value pick is the Hamilton Beach Set and Forget 6-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker (available at Amazon). If you're willing to splurge, we found that the GreenPan Slow Cooker (available at Willams-Sonoma) is worth the extra dollars.

Cuisinart 3-in-1
Credit: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser

The Cuisinart 3-in-1 is the best slow cooker we tested.

Best Overall
Cuisinart 6-Quart 3-in-1 Cook Central Multicooker
  • Dimensions: 12 x 19 x 9.5 inches
  • Capacity: 6 quarts
  • Weight: 16 lbs.
  • Pot material: Nonstick aluminum
  • Dishwasher safe: Yes

The Cuisinart 6 Quart 3-In-1 is handsome and multifunctional. In addition to slow cooking, it can brown/sauté, roast, and steam. You can even sear food in the insert before simmering it. An ultra-low simmer slow cook mode can either cook food very slowly or keep it piping hot for serving.

The stainless-steel base features a series of buttons for settings. And there's a small LCD panel displaying the cooking program and time. This was one of the few programmable models that was easy to set without referring to the manual. After cooking, it automatically switches over to the warm setting for eight hours.

During testing, pot roast cooked in the Cuisinart came closest to tasting like it was cooked on the stove. Both the meat and the vegetables were moist, tender, and flavorful. And the roast stayed intact so it could be cut into long, attractive slices.

The breasts and thighs in a butter chicken recipe melded with their spicy sauce, but still kept their shape and texture. My chili finished cooking with a rich sauce, chunky with beef and beans. Since the Cuisinart switches to an effective “keep warm” setting after cooking, your dinner won’t overcook if you come home late.

The only exposed part of this slow cooker that became too hot to touch was the rim of the cooking vessel. The front surface and the handles—the parts you’re most likely to touch—stay cool, leaving minimal chance of burning yourself.

The pot has oversized plastic handles that make it easy to lift out of the base. The cooking insert’s aluminum and nonstick finishes are easy to clean compared to the heavy ceramic crocks most models use. Cuisinart also supplies a very thorough manual with attractive slow cooker recipes.

Pros

  • Keeps food at optimal temperature

  • Sides and handles stay cool to the touch

  • Dishwasher safe and easy to clean by hand

Cons

  • None that we could find

$159.95 from Amazon

$159.95 from Best Buy

$159.95 from Abt

$159.95 from Walmart
A black GreenPan Slow Cooker is filled with raw vegetables.
Credit: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser

With functions like reheat, the GreenPan Slow Cooker not only excels at slow cooking but includes several versatile features.

Best Upgrade
GreenPan Slow Cooker
  • Dimensions: 19 x 13.5 x 11 inches
  • Capacity: 6 quarts
  • Weight: 13 lbs.
  • Pot material: Aluminum with ceramic nonstick coating
  • Dishwasher safe: Yes

Yes, it’s expensive, but the GreenPan’s excellent cooking performance, versatility, and good looks are worth the price. Our testing model had a glossy black exterior with beautiful stainless-steel handles, but it comes in several colors. It also comes in a Premiere stainless-steel model.

On the bottom are small buttons for programming the various heat settings and an LCD display. The slow cook mode includes low, high, and warm settings, as well as a simmer for keeping food hot. It also includes a “reheat” setting, which is fairly unique for a slow cooker.

The brown/sauté and steam functions let you brown stew meat or a roast right in the unit before slow cooking, to avoid getting a skillet dirty. After cooking, the GreenPan automatically switches to a keep warm mode for eight hours.

During testing, a slow-cooked pot roast emerged perfectly. The meat was moist and flavorful and could be carved into beautiful thin slices. And the vegetables were fork-tender, but still held their shape.

The butter chicken thighs and breasts were exceptionally tender and didn’t shred. The ground beef and beans in a chili recipe kept their texture, while the sauce stayed a rich red color with a complex flavor. When kept warm for two hours, the chili remained at a serving temperature—not a cooking temperature.

While cooking, the outside of the unit and the outer and inner handles stayed cool to the touch. However, you’ll need a potholder to lift the glass lid. The insert can also be used on the stovetop or in the oven.

While the pot is dishwasher safe, it’s also easy to wash by hand. On top of its durable nonstick coating, its light aluminum construction makes it easy to maneuver in the sink.

Pros

  • Keeps food warm at optimal temperature

  • Stovetop and oven safe

  • Easy to clean

Cons

  • None we could find

Buy now at Williams-Sonoma

Other Slow Cookers We Tested

Product image of All-Clad SD800D51
All-Clad 7-Quart Gourmet Plus Slow Cooker with All-In-One Browning
  • Dimensions: 21.25 x 15.75 x 11 inches
  • Capacity: 7 quarts
  • Weight: 21 lbs.
  • Pot material: Nonstick cast aluminum
  • Dishwasher safe: No

Made completely of gleaming stainless steel, the All-Clad 7-Quart Gourmet Plus Slow Cooker is the Rolls Royce of slow cookers. As you’d expect for its astronomical price, it gives top-notch cooking performance. Food comes out ultra tender but not overcooked. In addition, the All-Clad sports just about every bell and whistle imaginable.

It can slow cook on low, high, or a combination of the two. It also has steam, rice, sear, simmer, reheat, buffet, and warm settings. An LCD screen displays the heat level and time selected. With the exception of the sear mode, the slow cooker automatically goes into keep warm mode after cooking, with the maximum time depending on the setting.

Unfortunately, having so many options can make it confusing to choose one—and to program the cooker. The manual details how to set the controls and includes charts for rice cooking and steaming, but it doesn’t explain the difference between the various programs. Further confounding things is that it’s difficult to read the wording on the small buttons.

The outside of the unit and the outer handles stay cool to the touch, but you will need oven mitts to lift the lid and the insert out of the base. The aluminum cooking vessel can’t be used on top of the stove or in the oven. The lid is safe for dishwasher cleaning, but the pot has to be hand washed. Fortunately, its nonstick coating makes the job easy.

Pros

  • Keeps food warm at optimal temperature

  • Programmable

  • Nonstick

Cons

  • Can’t be used on stovetop or oven

  • Cooking vessel is not dishwasher safe

Buy now at Williams-Sonoma
Product image of Instant Precision 6-quart Dutch Oven
Instant Precision 6-quart Dutch Oven
  • Dimensions: 14 x 10 inches
  • Capacity: 6 quarts
  • Weight: 21 lbs.
  • Pot material: Enameled cast iron
  • Dishwasher safe: Yes

The Instant Precision 6-quart Dutch Oven, from the company that gave us the Instant Pot multi-cooker, is an unusual slow cooker. Rather than a ceramic crock or a metal pot, the insert is a covered enameled cast iron pan. When it's removed from the base, it looks just like a traditional Dutch oven and makes a great serving piece.

The appliance has an LCD screen and a button to control the functions. Rather than high or low slow cook settings, a manual mode lets you choose the precise cooking temperature. There’s also a braise program, which browns food and then lowers the temperature for simmering, and a sear/sauté setting for browning. After slow cooking or braising, the Dutch oven automatically switches to a keep warm mode for three hours.

On slow cook, this model simmers at an ideal temperature so that food comes out fork-tender without being overcooked. The chicken breasts and pot roast weren’t stringy and could be cut into neat slices. The chili's ground beef didn’t become overly soft and tasteless, and the beans didn't turn to mush. The “keep warm” setting keeps food piping hot without further cooking it.

While the exterior of the cooker stays cool to the touch, the cast iron insert and its lid get very hot. While you don’t have to worry about accidentally burning yourself by brushing against the exterior, you do need a pot holder to lift the lid or remove the pot from the base.

The unit includes Silicone handle covers and a trivet. Although the Dutch oven has a 6-quart capacity, its rounder shape means long items like a corned beef or rack of ribs may not fit unless you cut them into pieces.

At over 9 pounds, the pot is extremely heavy to lift and maneuver in the sink while washing it. Fortunately, it’s also dishwasher safe if you have room for it. The entire appliance weighs over 20 pounds, so it will take some strength to lift it in and out of a cabinet. A booklet of appealing recipes is included.

Pros

  • Keeps food warm at optimal temperature

  • Warm, braise, and sauté settings

  • Stovetop, oven and dishwasher safe

Cons

  • Very heavy

$152.69 from Amazon

$229.99 from Best Buy

$229.99 from Target

$229.99 from Home Depot
Product image of KitchenAid 6-Qt. Slow Cooker with Standard Lid
KitchenAid 6-Quart Slow Cooker
  • Dimensions: 10.5 x 17.5 x 10.8 inches
  • Capacity: 6 quarts
  • Weight: 16 lbs.
  • Pot material: Ceramic
  • Dishwasher safe: Yes

With its brushed stainless-steel finish, the KitchenAid 6-Quart Slow Cooker is attractive and solidly designed. It’s strictly a slow cooker, with low, medium, high, and warm settings. You can program it for a specific time, after which it will automatically keep food warm for up to four hours.

The time and setting are displayed on a small LCD screen. It's intuitive to program without experimenting or checking the manual. Of all the slow cookers we tested, the KitchenAid cooks at the lowest temperatures, so it never overcooks.

The test chili and chicken came out perfectly. However, the pot roast meat and vegetables still had some bite and could have benefited from longer cooking times. If you love your meat so tender that it shreds, like pulled pork, this is not the model for you.

As expected, the warm setting keeps food at a serving temperature rather than a cooking temperature. The stainless-steel outside of the cooker and the crock get very hot, but the cooker handles and lid stay cool enough to grip without pot holders. The pot is dishwasher safe.

Pros

  • Keeps food at optimal warm temperature

  • Programmable

  • 4 slow cook settings

  • Dishwasher safe

Cons

  • Can undercook some foods

  • Heavy

$99.99 from Amazon
Product image of West Bend Versatility Slow Cooker, 5 Qt.
West Bend Versatility Slow Cooker, 5 Qt.
  • Dimensions: 9.25"D x 12.5"W x 9.5"H
  • Capacity: 5 quarts
  • Weight: 6.6 lbs
  • Pot material: Nonstick interior
  • Dishwasher safe: Yes

The West Bend 5-quart Slow Cooker makes meal preparation simpler and more efficient. With its generous 5-quart capacity, it's perfectly suited for family dinners or meal prepping for the week.

The cooker features adjustable temperature control, which allows for different heat settings. Its removable, dishwasher-safe pot makes clean-up a breeze, and the sleek stainless steel design looks nice on the countertop. The cooking vessel is oven-safe, allowing for braising and other cooking methods. And the base doubles as a griddle, too.

Most dishes we made in this slow cooker resulted in delicious and evenly-cooked meals. Unfortunately, the pot roast with potatoes, carrots, and other veggies didn’t result in a thoroughly cooked dish, as the vegetables were not soft after 8 hours of cooking.

However, the chili and chicken dish were both well cooked and full of flavor. We also appreciate how easy this slow cooker is to clean, thanks to its dishwasher-safe accessories.

Pros

  • Intuitive

  • Easy clean

  • Comes with griddle

Cons

  • No built-in timer

  • Lacks features

  • Cooking results vary

$53.99 from Amazon

$53.99 from Home Depot

$53.99 from Walmart
Product image of Crock-Pot SCCPVFC800-DS
Crockpot 8-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker
  • Dimensions: 9.5 x 14.4 x 14.4 inches
  • Capacity: 8 quarts
  • Weight: 15 lbs.
  • Pot material: Stainless steel and stoneware
  • Dishwasher safe: Yes

The Crockpot 8-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker is a step up from a completely manual model. Its black stainless-steel finish gives it a contemporary look. It can be set to cook for a specific amount of time and then automatically goes into a warming mode. However, this appliance doesn’t have any extra features.

Unfortunately, this Crockpot overcooks food, even on the low setting. During testing, pot roast could be broken up with a fork and melted into its sauce, and the chili was burnt around the edge. The warm mode keeps food hotter than optimal, but won’t boil it.

During cooking, the stainless-steel housing gets too hot to touch. However, the handles on the base and the lid remain cool. The crock is dishwasher safe for easier cleaning.

Pros

  • Programmable

  • Dishwasher safe

Cons

  • Overcooks on the low setting

  • Heavy

$74.99 from Amazon

$69.90 from Walmart
Product image of Hamilton Beach 33866
Hamilton Beach Temp Tracker Slow Cooker
  • Dimensions: 12 x 17 x 11.87 inches
  • Capacity: 6 quarts
  • Weight: 13 lbs.
  • Pot material: Ceramic
  • Dishwasher safe: Yes

The Hamilton Beach Temp Tracker comes with a probe for cooking to a specific temperature. It can also hold food for a set time at a precise temperature. That means you can use it for sous vide cooking as well as slow cooking.

Using the probe, a pot roast was tender but not overcooked, while the potatoes were a bit underdone. However, when slow cooking the same recipe on “low,” the meat fell apart and shredded as soon as it was lifted out of the pot. Likewise, in the butter chicken test, the breasts and thighs were very overcooked.

Additionally, this model’s “keep warm” setting actually continues to cook at a high temperature.

As the slow cooker operates, the stainless steel base and the ceramic crock both get extremely hot. But the handles and lid stay cool, so you can check on food or move the entire unit without oven mitts.

The crock is dishwasher safe. On either side of the appliance, you’ll find clips that you can latch onto the lid for safer transit to a potluck or family reunion.

Pros

  • Programmable

  • Cook to temp mode (with probe), warm, and hold temp settings

  • Dishwasher safe

  • Lid clips on for transporting

Cons

  • Overcooks on the low setting

  • Continues to cook on the warm setting

  • Heavy

$74.80 from Amazon

$107.62 from Walmart

How We Tested Slow Cookers

Best slow cookers side-by-side
Credit: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser

These are the best slow cookers on the market.

The Tester

Hi, I'm Sharon Franke, and I’ve been testing kitchen equipment for over three decades. Before that, I wielded a knife and rustled pots and pans as a chef in New York City restaurants. When I’m not working, I like nothing better than trying new recipes in my own kitchen.

My experience as both a professional chef and a passionate home cook come into play when I’m evaluating the performance and convenience of pots and pans, appliances, and tools.

Even though I like the intricacies of cooking, there are some days when I crave comfort food without the fuss of preparing it. That’s when I pull out my slow cooker.

The Tests

In each slow cooker, I cooked three different common slow-cooker dishes: a beef chuck pot roast with lots of vegetables, a spicy ground beef chili, and Indian-style butter chicken using breasts and thighs. I looked for flavorful sauces and tender—but not overcooked—meat and vegetables.

If a cooker had a keep warm setting, I kept the chili warm after cooking for two hours, measuring its temperature every half hour. It needed to stay hot enough for food safety and serving, but not so hot that food kept cooking after it was done.

I considered special features, as well as how easy it was to use the controls and program each model. After using them, I washed each one by hand to see how easy it was to clean and how convenient it was to store.

What to Know About Slow Cookers

A closeup of a digital panel on a Crockpot Slow Cooker
Credit: Reviewed / Kyle Looney

Some slow cookers include a digital panel to program the appliance.

How to use a slow cooker

Unlike multi-cookers, slow cookers are relatively simple. A cooking vessel sits in a base that contains a heating element.

A manual slow cooker will have just three settings—high, low, and warm—and operates with a simple switch. Make sure you’re around when the cooking is done to turn it off, or set it to “keep warm.”

Special features

Many slow cookers let you program times and temperatures. When the cooking time is up, they’ll automatically go into a keep-warm mode. Some models have additional features, too, like the ability to brown food, or thermometers that help cook to a specific internal temperature.

Extra features typically come at a higher price, and tend to make the controls less straightforward. However, they can make the cooker more versatile.

Be mindful of the high heat

Slow cookers often take considerable time to heat up, but once they do, many cook at a high or even boiling temperature. Be careful about which parts you touch once it’s going.

Temperature monitoring is key

Food that’s cooked in slow cookers can come out extremely tender—to the point where it can be stringy, dry, or mushy.

We’ve found it’s worth paying extra for a model that lets you choose a specific temperature. These models overcook far less often, even when you aren’t using the temperature settings.

Clean them with care

While most slow cookers have ceramic cooking vessels or “crocks,” some use nonstick metal inserts. Those are typically easier to lift and maneuver in the sink for washing.

Most slow cooker inserts and lids can be cleaned in the dishwasher, but they are large and will take up a lot of rack space. Be sure to check the product's washing instructions before tossing it in your machine.

What's the difference between a Crockpot and a slow cooker?

Crockpot is a specific brand of slow cooker. Crockpot launched in the 1970s, and helped make slow cookers more popular. Because of their popularity, some people use “Crockpot” as another term for “slow cooker,” regardless of brand. But technically speaking, Crockpot is just one brand of the appliance called a slow cooker.

Meet the tester

Sharon Franke

Sharon Franke

Contributor

Sharon has tested and reviewed kitchen equipment for over 30 years. Before becoming a cooking tools maven, she worked as a professional chef in New York City restaurants.

See all of Sharon Franke's reviews

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