The downsides are that there is no indicator light, it occasionally spits when you open the lid, and water collected in the rim. The high setting is a little too fierce for some recipes but a few adjustments and you have excellent bargain buy. The multiple functions, safety features and reasonable price of the Tefal 8-in-1 multi-cooker make this a highly desirable piece of kit. Read the full Crock-Pot SCCPRC507B-060 review. At the end of cooking, the meat stayed in large, meltingly tender chunks. Slow cooker season isn't really just one season, it's a year-round celebration. The 10 best slow cookers to buy in the UK. This page was last updated in October 2020. There is much to love about a slow cooker. The sear function means you can prepare meat and veg without having to use pans on the hob. Read our round-up of the top products to meet a range of budgets and requirements. A dash of cream or crème fraîche at the last minute will enrich sauces and soups. Rice and pasta dishes work best cooked on high for the shortest time possible. Slow cookers are plug-in electronic appliances that use a gentle heat over a long period of time (usually four hours or more) to cook liquid-based dishes. Versatility: does the cooker make a range of dishes? It’s a good idea for your slow cooker to have a transparent glass lid, so you can keep a watchful eye on your food. The slow cooking process will allow any meat you use to tenderise and all the ingredients and seasoning to come together perfectly; resulting in great tasting, hearty meals which are sure to … The electronic control panel means cooking progress is easily monitored and the cooking time and temperature can be manually adjusted. Leave your recipe ideas below…, Subscription offer: Get 5 issues for only £5. And the results didn’t disappoint - it scored highly when making curry, soup and stew, with meat and veg cooked to perfection. Read our full Salter chalkboard slow cooker review. 4. Flavours won’t become more concentrated because the liquid doesn’t reduce, so try to pack in as much flavour as you can. This is another slow cooker with a fun chalkboard design, which we think is a creative way of letting the family know what's for dinner. Slow cookers can result in watery sauces, while pressure cookers can be intimidating to use. There’s a “keep warm” function, too, and you can save your own settings to its memory. Both slow cookers and pressure cookers offer a convenient and versatile way to cook, as the machine takes on some of the work. Looking to buy a slow cooker? This means once the set time has been reached, the cooker will either switch off or automatically shift to the “keep warm” setting, depending on the model. Known best for small to medium-sized kitchen gadgets, these buggers brought us a stainless steel, six quart slow cooker with programmable features. The recipes we tested were impressive. Some slow cookers have a timer. We were impressed with how our dishes turned out during testing. Cooking for a long time at a low temperature also helps tenderise meat and bring out its flavour, meaning you can get a lot more from a less expensive cut. With sizes starting at 1-litre through to a whopping 6.5-litres, choosing the right size for you is imperative. On the downside, the hinged lid is a little fiddly to operate and it’s a bit bulky to store, but now we’re being picky. It’s also extremely energy efficient, scoring top marks on all settings. Season at the same time. Pressure cookers can be hob-top or electronic and operate at high temperatures, employing pressure to quickly work through ingredients that traditionally require slow cooking, such as hard pulses and tough meat cuts. A slow cooker takes up space on the worktop and in the cupboard. The cooking pot accommodates enough food for eight people, which is ideal for mid-week dinner parties or if you like to prep meals in advance. ). It’s worth noting that the stirring function isn’t suitable for every recipe, for instance those using large joints of meat. Key features: 4.7-litre dishwasher-safe pot You also preserve nutrients that are sometimes lost when cooking via other methods. Fun, quirky and family friendly, the chalkboard exterior makes this slow cooker a stand-out appliance, and would make any kitchen look homely. There’s a useful range of pre-set settings, including “pressure cook” and “slow cook”, which enable you to cook a variety of foods at set cooking times and temperature/pressure levels to get the best results. 1.5L Slow Cooker by Lakeland – best compact slow cooker Slow cookers rarely come as dinky as this compact model. We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article. Where to buy: $25.99 (Originally $44.99), Macy's The Bella 5-quart slow cooker is just the thing for anyone looking for a cooker that won't break the bank. Key specificationsCapacity: 5 litrePot: AluminiumLid: GlassNumber of heat settings: 3, Read the full Crock-Pot CSC026 DuraCeramic Digital Saute slow cooker review. There is no need to stir the contents in between, as slow cookers apply an even heat and don’t get hot enough for the food to catch.