The Best Slow Cookers of 2018 - An All You Need to Know Guide

As a mother of 3 young kids, I understand how busy life can be and there are certainly days that you wish you could have a meal prepared within a snap of a finger. Too bad, meal time is never as simple as that, but slow cooker has proven to be a lifesaver that saves preparation time and cut down on cleanup. It is a kitchen appliance that I know you will come to appreciate in the days to come, and you can thank me later! 

Now let me show you some of the best slow cookers in 2018. For ease of comparison, I specifically curated a list of criterias that can help you to decide on the one that suit your need.

But before that, here is a summary of the items, for more information about each item please continue to scroll down.

Slow Cooker Review Summary

Item Image	Item Description	Price	Rating
	Elite Gourmet 1.5-qt Slow Cooker	Check Price	9
	Proctor Silex 3 Quart Slow Cooker  (Model 33275Y)	Check Price	9
	Crock-Pot 4-Quart Smart-Pot Slow  Cooker (Model SCCPVP400-B)	Check Price	9.4
	Black and Decker Best Programmable  Crock Pot 6-Quart Slow Cooker with  WiFi-Enabled	Check Price	7.8
	Hamilton Beach 6 Quart Portable Set  'n Forget Probe Slow Cooker  (Model: 33967)	Check Price	8.4
	Crock-Pot SCV700SS Stainless Steel  7-Quart Oval Manual Slow Cooker	Check Price	8.4

Now that you have seen a summary of our top picks, below are the detailed review of the items, you can find out more about why these items are so great that they top our best seller list!

Elite Gourmet 1.5-qt Slow Cooker

This mini crocks is just the right size for preparing a meal for one or two. It doesn't take up much countertop space, and is perfect for small living space, office, or even for students to use in their hostel or dorm. It is portable, small enough for easy transport, and I even know of someone who had brought it with her while travelling to prepare home cook meal on the go.

Frankly, even for a big family, this mini slow cooker will still prove to be useful for preparing small portion of food such as oatmeal, warm dipping sauce or simply cheese or chocolate fondue, great for any party or gathering! 

I have a small tip for your chocolate fondue here, do prepare your chocolate at least 4 hours beforehand and use low setting throughout for a smooth textured cheese / chocolate. High temperature cause the chocolate to seize and separate, which is the last thing you want.

(Tips: More about how to melt your chocolate using slow cooker here, and once you are comfortable with it, you can make the Japanese style original nama chocolate or the matcha nama chocolate using slow cooker with great ease.)

Typically when cooking with this slow cooker, food can be done on 'high' within 4 hours, or low for around double the time, which means that you can start cooking an oatmeal breakfast at night by setting it on low. Simple as that, and you can wake up to the pleasant aroma of your hot breakfast in the morning.

Specifications:
Size: 1.5 Quart (1-2pax)
Temperature Settings: Keep Warm, Low, High
Control: Knob control
Lid: tempered glass, dishwasher safe
Inner pot: Removable ceramic pot, dishwasher safe
Shape: round
Locking lid: Not available
Automatic switch to keep warm function: not available
Red light indicator that cooker is on: available
Item Dimensions 8.8 x 8.8 x 6 in

If these features appeal to you, then follow the link to have a closer look!

Proctor Silex 3 Quart Slow Cooker (Model 33275Y)

If you are looking for a slow cooker to cook a decent family meal for 2-4 pax, then this might be just right for you. The pot is not very big but partially due to its oval design, you can easily fit a medium size whole chicken into the pot. 

As highlighted by the company, the removable inner stoneware pot is safe to be used in refrigerator, which means that you can marinate your chicken (or whatever meat that you want to cook) straight in the pot and keep it in the fridge. Before cooking, simply remove it from the fridge slightly earlier to let the pot come to the room temperature before putting it into the cooker, thus saving you from washing one additional bowl!

However, there is one little drawback. I am not sure if you notice a little red light indicator that often comes with many slow cooker. That little red light, when lit up, tells you that power is turned on. Well, I hate to break it to you that this slow cooker doesn't come with that light indicator. Is that important? Well that really up to individual, if you have never even noticed it before, you probably don't need it either.

However, I know that you will surely appreciate this little feature on the lid of the pot. It has this little hole, which function as steam escape valve. This hole allow the steam to escape, preventing the lid from rattling around and keep the food from bubbling over. That being said, some may not like this feature as it can be argued that the moisture escaped during the cooking process resulting in drier food.

If you are interested to find out more about this slow cooker, follow this link here.

Specifications:
Size: 3 Quart (2-4pax)
Temperature Settings: Keep Warm, Low, High
Control: Knob control
Lid: glass (with steam escape valve), dishwasher safe
Inner pot: Removable stoneware pot (stain proof, and safe to be used in refrigerator), dishwasher safe
Shape: Oval
Locking lid: Not available
Automatic switch to keep warm function: not available
Red light indicator that cooker is on: not available
Item Dimensions 8.9 x 11.5 x 11.5 inches

Crock-Pot 4-Quart Smart-Pot Slow Cooker (Model SCCPVP400-B)

Now this is a standard digital crockpot, the digital options are amazing! This crockpot allow you to set timer for cooking, which means that after you turn on the cooker, you can decide on a cooking duration (4, 6, 8 or 10 hours), after which the cooker will automatically stop the cooking process by entering a 'keep warm' mode (note that it doesn't turn off completely). This keeps your food at ideal temperature for serving, and you have no worries about overcooking or undercooking your food, which is exactly what you want.

There is something worth to note if you have never tried the smart digital cooker before. In the case of power outage, electricity goes off and your slow cooker will lose its power, manual or not. However, when the electricity comes back on, unlike your manual slow cooker, the digital one will not turn back on automatically, even if the outage was merely happened for a few seconds. If you come back home to this digital cooker with all the lights on control panel flashing nonstop, it will means that at some point of time the power was gone and your food may not be done yet.

Specifications:
Size: 4 Quart (3-5pax)
Temperature Settings: Keep Warm, Low, High
Control: flat digital panel
Lid: glass, dishwasher safe
Inner pot: Removable stoneware pot, dishwasher safe
Shape: Oval
Locking lid: Not available
Automatic switch to keep warm function: available on timer
Red light indicator that cooker is on: available
Item Dimensions 8.8 x 11.7 x 11.9 in

To find out more, click here. 

Black and Decker Best Programmable Crock Pot 6-Quart Slow Cooker with WiFi-Enabled

Most of the slow cooker, smart one included, does not come with a delay turn on function. However, with this Black and Decker slow cooker, you can actually pre-prepare all the ingredients, dump them ino the pot without turning it on, and then start the cooker remotely through the apps at desired time. It is not as convenient as a delay turn on function but well, it does serve that purpose.

Not only that, the wireless capabilities allow you to change the setting anytime, anywhere. You can even program it to cook on high at the beginning for, say, 1 hour and then turn to low for 2 hours before going to keep warm function. If you need to be away longer than expected, you can easily turn it off with a press of a key which is absolutely amazing.

Power outage? No problem at all, because you can check the status of cooking from your apps and turn it back on remotely.

Not that you are short of recipes, as you can always get it from Pinterest, Yummly, Foodgawker etc., but the apps does make it easier for you to find recipe ideas specifically to slow cooker, and you can upload your instagram perfect food picture to your social media account immediately with the apps.

Specifications:
Size: 6 Quart (4-8pax)
Temperature Settings: Keep Warm, Low, High
Control: flat digital panel
Lid: glass, dishwasher safe
Inner pot: Removable stoneware pot, dishwasher safe
Shape: Oval
Locking lid: Available
Automatic switch to keep warm function: Available
Red light indicator that cooker is on: Not applicable
Item Dimensions: 9 x 17. x 13 in
Others: wifi enabled

To you think this is an amazing products, click here to find out more!

Hamilton Beach 6 Quart Portable Set 'n Forget Probe Slow Cooker (Model: 33967)

Now this is something cool, this is not your mom's slow cooker (no offend intended). It is packed with bunch of cool smart features that make other slow cookers look pale in comparison. If you like smart gadget, this is something that you must check out!

Equipped with a temperature probe, this slow cooker allows you to check the inner temperature of your food as it cooks, so that you can be sure that your food is cooked through and safe for consumption without cutting open the meat to check visually. 

Not only that, you can also preset a desired temperature, and the slow cooker will stop the cooking process and switch to warm mode once desired temperature is reached. This is basically the most precise and professional way of cooking, and you can rest assured that your food is done perfectly. No more dried up and tough meat or undercooked meat. Be prepared to impress your guest with this cool feature!

Else, you can also cook on timer setting. You can set your timer for up to 24 hours, enough to satisfy almost any type of household cooking need. Once the timer is up, the cooker automatically switch to warm mode, preventing the food from being cooked further while keeping it warm until ready to be consumed.

Remember the power outage problem that I mentioned earlier? This model makes sure that as long as power interruption lasted within 5 seconds, the smart cooker will be able to continue cooking with programmed heat and time setting. Isn't this cooker just amazing?

If you are still not convinced yet, try looking at thousands of customer reviews here.

Specifications:
Size: 6 Quart (4-8pax)
Temperature Settings: Keep Warm, Low, High
Control: smart panel
Lid: glass, dishwasher safe
Inner pot: Removable stoneware pot, dishwasher safe
Shape: Oval
Locking lid: Available
Automatic switch to keep warm function: Available
Red light indicator that cooker is on: Not available
Item Dimensions: 10.25 x 16 x 16.13 in
Other: temperature probe available

Crock-Pot SCV700SS Stainless Steel 7-Quart Oval Manual Slow Cooker

Now if you are in serious business of feeding more than 8 people frequently, or if you have the habit of cook once a week and freeze your meal for the rest of the week , then this pot will work just right for you. It is a reliable piece, and furthermore, it won't cost you an arm and leg.

This is again a simple manual slow cooker, straight forward to use and perfect for anyone that easily get confused with complex setting and hated dealing with a bunch of buttons and LED display. The last thing you want is coming back from work expecting your dinner ready but instead finding your food being kept warm all the time.

Simple turn knob control make it easy to cook your meal the good old way. Just throw in all the ingredients, set on low and forget about it until the sweet aroma fills the air reminding you that your food is ready.

There is nothing fancy about this, just a functional piece with great capacity, and well loved by many who love its simplicity. Find out more about this item here.

Specifications:
Size: 7 Quart (8+pax)
Temperature Settings: Keep Warm, Low, High
Control: knob control
Lid: glass, dishwasher safe
Inner pot: Removable stoneware pot, dishwasher safe, oven safe (not in broiler), microwave safe
Shape: Oval
Locking lid: Not available
Automatic switch to keep warm function: Not available
Red light indicator that cooker is on: Not available
Item Dimensions: 10.3 x 16.8 x 11.8 in

Slow cooker is rapidly gaining popularity among cooking enthusiast, be it amateur or well seasoned one. Here I have listed out 6 of the best selling slow cookers, ranging from the simple manual type for those who love simplicity to smart digital type for those technologically incline. I hope you find something suitable for you here. If there is anything else you would like to see me review, leave me a comment at the comment section below!

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