Best Slow Cooker (2024 UK Review)

There are so many counter top kitchen appliances on sale nowadays that it can be confusing which to buy. If you’re looking for a convenient way to cook hearty, healthy meals that will be ready to eat as soon as you finish a long day’s work, a slow cooker could very well be the answer. Keep reading for all you need to know to decide whether a slow cooker is the right kitchen appliance for you.

This Months Popular Slow Cookers

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How Does A Slow Cooker Work?

The slow cooker, often called a crock pot, is an electrical kitchen appliance that uses a slow boiling method to cook healthy, nutritious meals. Slow cookers use low heat over a long time period to extract more of the flavours from meats and vegetables. 

Slow cookers use heat to slowly rise from the base and into the food. As the food cooks slowly any steam that’s trapped inside the pot vacuum seals the lid and cooking at low heat over a long period makes the ingredients moist and mouthwateringly tasty.

What Are The Benefits Of A Slow Cooker?

The advantages of the slow cooker include;

• Brings Out The Full Flavour Of The Food
  As the slow cooker cooks foods slowly using a low heat, the full flavours from the ingredients are released and trapped within the pot. As these flavours have no way of escape, the food is infused with all of those gorgeous flavours and aromas
• Tenderises Meat
  Due to the way the slow cooker cooks, it is possible to use cheaper, tougher cuts of meat in your recipes. The meat will become so tender, that you’ll never know it was a cheaper cut
• Frees Up Your Time
  Once the initial preparation work is completed, all you need to do is place all of the ingredients into the slow cooker, set the desired settings, and walk away. The slow cooker does all of the cooking for you. There’s no need to micromanage the cooking. This allows you anywhere between 2 to 8 hours of time to be doing other things
• Easy To Master
  To successfully cook a great tasting, nutritious meal in a slow cooker takes no culinary skills or technological skills either. Learning to cook in a slow cooker will take no time at all.
• Cooks Healthier Foods
  It’s well known that high heat and fast cooking destroys nutrients which can turn healthy ingredients into meals with a low nutrition content. As the slow cooker uses low heat, more of the nutrients are saved. Also cooking foods at high temperatures can cause serious health conditions like diabetes, cancer and renal conditions. Slow cooking prevents all of these kinds of concerns.
•  Saves You Money
  As you can use cheaper cuts of meat when cooking in a slow cooker you will notice a decrease in your grocery bill. Also a slow cooker uses less energy than a standard oven. Plus it is possible to bulk cook meals using a slow cooker which will save even more in the long run.
• No Need To Reheat Food
  As the slow cooker is a sealed unit, the food cools down far slower than a regular saucepan. This means the food will stay warm for longer so you can serve the food straight from the slow cooker without having to reheat it first. Plus many slow cookers have a keep warm setting.
• Easy To Clean
  As the slow cooker uses low temperatures to cook foods, there is less chance of any food sticking to the bottom of the pot. Plus you will not need to use many utensils when cooking in a slow cooker as it is not hands on cooking. Many slow cookers have dishwasher safe components too.
• A Wide Range Of Functions
  Slow cookers are extremely versatile cooking appliances, many of the more expensive models have a wide range of settings which can be used to cook more meals in the style you like best.
• Saves You Time
  As the slow cooker does all of the cooking for you over a long time period, that’s time you can devote to something else.

What Are The Disadvantages Of A Slow Cooker?

The disadvantages of the slow cooker include;

• Can’t Be Used For Every Recipe
  Slow cookers can be used to create a number of great meals. But, they are not versatile enough to cook everything. For instance any ingredients that require browning before cooking cannot be browned in a slow cooker.
• Does Not Cook Food Quickly
  This might seem obvious, but it’s worth pointing out. There is no fast cook option and the least amount of time required to cook a meal in a slow cooker is between 2 to 4 hours.
• Some Flavours Can Become Overpowering
  If you use lots of herbs and spices in your recipes, you might find you need to cut back on the quantities a bit. This is because slow cooking can intensify the flavours of certain herbs and spices.
• Foods Can Become Too Moist
  Even if you weren’t cooking a soup recipe, it is often the case that the food will become soup-like. This is because there is nowhere for moisture to go but into the food. To counteract this use less liquids than you would usually use. We have found using ¼ to ½ a cup less liquid usually does the trick.
• There’s No Margin For Error
  If you leave anything out of the recipe by mistake during the preparation stage, you have no opportunity to add it during the cooking process. This means you’ll need to be meticulous in your preparation for each meal cooked in the slow cooker.

Slow Cooker Buyers Guide

If you’re sold on the idea of a slow cooker here are a few points to consider before you buy.

Shape

Slow cookers are made in two shapes which are;

1. Round
   The round models tend to be the smaller of the two, with a smaller cooking capacity and a cheaper price tag
2. Oval
   Oval models tend to be larger and are able to hold more ingredients and larger foods like a whole chicken etc The oval model is more versatile and enables you to cook bigger cuts of meats and batch cook chillies, soups etc

Keep Warm Function

This is a handy setting to have especially if you’re out at work for long parts of the day. Many models need to be manually switched onto the keep warm setting but some of the more expensive models automatically switch onto keep warm after cooking is completed.

Light Indicator

Basic models don’t all have an indicator light that lets you know the slow cooker is in operation. A light indicating the slow cooker is cooking is handy as it shows at a glance what’s happening.

Timer

Having a built-in timer is handy, and can be used if you are going to be out for longer than the recipe takes to cook. Once the cooking time has been reached that you set on the timer the slow cooker will automatically switch to keep warm. Timers tend to be found on the more expensive models.

Auto Function

The auto function starts the cooking process on high and then lowers the power for the duration of the cooking time. Many will even automatically switch to keep warm at the end of the cooking cycle.

Oven Proof Pots

Some models have cooking dishes that are able to be used in the oven or even the microwave. These can be used for reheating food or even to cook casseroles in the oven.

Hob Proof Pots

Some models have an inner pot which can be used on the hob to brown meats or caramelising vegetables before slow cooking. This feature helps to save on washing up as well.

The Pot Material

Aluminium pots will be far lighter than ceramic or stoneware pots especially when full of casserole or soup. If you find it difficult to move heavy pots and pans around safely, opt for an aluminium slow cooker. In many cases the aluminium pots have non-stick coatings as well to help with washing up.

How Much Do Slow Cookers Cost?

Slow cooker prices range from around £20 to around £60 depending on the capacity, make, model and brand.

Frequently Asked Questions

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