Looking to buy the best slow cooker which makes cooking easier? Read our round-up of the best range of slow cookers. We have mentioned below how to buy the best slow cooker.
Table of Contents
How do slow cookers work?
A slow cooker is a great addition to your kitchen appliances and can cook many delicious foods with minimal effort. They cook food slowly with stable temperature and moisture inside it makes food more soft and delicious.
You can cook a wide range of food in slow cookers like soups, stews, casseroles, curries and many more.
What are the benefits of slow cooking?
It is very convenient to cook in a slow cooker. Because the pot heats up evenly and never gets high heat which burns the ingredients inside the pot.
Slow cooking is always best and healthy. When you cook meat in slow cookers it tenderises meat properly and gives you the best flavour come out of it. Moreover, slow cooking keeps the essential nutrients of the food which are usually lost by different ways of cooking. Slow cookers utilize less amount of electricity as compared to an oven.
What things do you need to consider before buying a slow cooker?
Size of the cooking pot
Generally, when you buy one you should look for the capacity. Well, slow cookers are available in different ranges of capacity in the market from 1.5 litres up to 7 litres.
Usually, a 1.5 to 2.5-litre size cooker is good for couples. For more than two and less than five people, 4 to 4.5 litres capacity cookers will be best. For a larger family, a 5.5 to the 7-litre slow cooker will be ideal.
Slow cooker’s settings
Usually, all the slow cookers come with the same controls. Like low controls and high controls. You can use a low setting for slow and longer cooking for the whole day and high settings for quick and fast cooking but with the same slow cooking effects.
Keep Food Warm
Most slow cookers have this option which usually maintains the temperature of food and keeps your food warm without cooking it further. This feature will automatically turn on once the food has been cooked.
Auto cooking Function
This feature is very useful when you cook. When you want to cook food quicker and in time then with this option a slow cooker starts with a high cooking option and then shifts to slow cooking mode automatically. Your food will be cooked in low settings.
Cooking Timer
Most of the slow cookers available in the market come with a timer. So the cooker will automatically turn off once cooking is done. You just need to set the time for different cooking.
Moreover, some of the cookers have a “ warm” option which automatically turns on once your cooking set time has been reached.
Cooking Pot
Slow cookers have non-stick coating aluminium cooking pots. It is much easier to wash them by hand. It is lighter in weight.
Transparent Lid
Slow cookers come along with a transparent glass lid which is convenient while cooking as you can see on your food progress. So you don’t need to every time open the lid every to check your food every.
The Best Slow Cookers NZ
1. Philips Multi-Cooker/Slow Cooker – HD2237/7
With this Philips HD2237/72 All in One Kitchen Slow Cooker 1000 you can do cooking faster. This slow cooker has stainless steel material. This is the smartest way of cooking and you can do multi-cooking, slow cooking and can prepare delicious food for yourself and for your family.
This slow cooker does slow cooking with low and high temperatures for up to 12 hours and the pressure cooker comes with various direct menu buttons. The other feature is multi cooking that is to provide an additional variety of cooking food. This slow cooker can do Saute/Sear in high and low temperatures.
This multi-cooker has 9 safety protection systems and has a bowl capacity of 6L. Its cord is about 1.2m long. This cooker is more durable and easy to use.
Pros:
- This cooker has an automatic keep warm feature for up to 12 hours and also has reheat functions.
- It has Pro Ceramic coating and has an anti-scratch pot for cooking
- This slow cooker is very easy-to-clean and has a detachable inner lid design
- It comes with slow cooking and multi cooking modes.
Cons :
- Not ideal to cook a small portion
2. Choose-a-Crock Slow Cooker
This Slow cooker is an ideal choice for small to large families up to eight people. It is a beautifully designed and stainless steel Glazed Ceramic oval-shaped body.
This cooker comes with two small and large size bowls. It has a timer and a switch which keeps your food warm after cooking. It comes with 3 temperature settings options: high/low/warm.
You can easily adjust the time in the middle of cooking if you want to cook longer. The small pot is perfect if you want to cook for two people. It has a side heating element, which helps for perfect and delicious cooking. It has a dishwasher safe lid and crocks.
Pros:
- Easy to clean
- Cook all kinds of meat
- Timer Display
- It can cook two at one time.
- Oven-safe crock for reheating
Cons:
- Heavy and Bulky
- Not Dishwasher safe
3. Philips All-In-One Multi/Slow Cooker
With this Philips All-In-One Multi-Cooker/Pressure Cooker/Slow Cooker you can enjoy high-quality meals with Philips all-in-one multi-cooker even during your busy days.
You can cook different foods in the slow cooker with accurate temperature and perfect control of pressure. This comes with a dual control system, digital touch screen, Preset cooking function, and cooking time settings.
This slow cooker has a capacity of 6 litres. This included multi-cooker menus with accurate cooking time and it has Saute and Sear functions.
Pros:
- It has a 24-hour preset timer
- Automatic keep warm for 12 hours
- Enough cord length
Cons :
- Not good Design
- Not enough pressure
4. Artisan Slow Cooker
The KitchenAid 5.7L Artisan Slow Cooker is ideal for family kitchens. This slow cooker is very helpful for cooking and cooks meals ideally and perfectly. This is a highly functional kitchen appliance. It includes a dual-sided lid and has a large capacity to cook any type of meat and food.
It is a great choice for any kitchen as it can cook fast recipes and slow-cooked food. You can easily adjust the cooking time to 30-minute up to 24 hours and your food will be ready when you arrive home.
It comes with 4 temperature settings for cooking and you can cook your food as per your personal preference.
Pros :
- This slow cooker is Versatile and easy to use
- This Slow Cooker is very convenient and a practical solution to long hours of cooking.
Cons:
- Not Dishwasher Safe
5. Crockpot 5L, Saute & Slow Cooker
This 5.5L Crockpot, Saute & Slow Cooker is a nicely designed and multifunctional kitchen appliance. while cooking on this cooker you can save your time. It is very helpful and convenient to cook meals on this slow cooker.
This 5.5L Crockpot, Saute & Slow Cooker is ideal for small to large families and cooks food for up to 8 people. This great appliance has a dura ceramic coated pot for faster cooking. This great appliance is oven safe and dishwasher safe. It has a digital little screen on it with programme control and has timer settings.
This slow cooker has a keep-warm function to keep your food warm for a longer time. Before you do slow cooking, always place a pot directly on all cooktops.
Pros :
- This slow cooker is easy to use and great for quick recipes.
- It is dishwasher safe
- This slow cooker comes with programmable digital controls
- Keep warm function
Cons:
- Expensive
6. Morphy Richards Sear & Stew Slow Cooker
This Morphy Richards 3.5L Electric Sear & Stew Slow Cooker w/ Glass Lid Rose Gold is a stylish slow cooker with great design. It is very easy to use and can cook meals quickly. You just need to add your food ingredients and leave the slow cooker to stew for between 3 and 12 hours. It has a toughened glass lid.
This slow cooker cooks delicious food accurately. This comes with cooking temperature setting low, medium and high. It has one-pot cooking from the beginning of cooking to finishing and a transparent lid.
Pros :
- Dishwasher safe
- It has cool-touch handles
- This cooker is easy to clean
Cons :
- Its is Bulky
7. Russell Hobbs 3.5L Slow Cooker 
With the Russell Hobbs 3.5L slow cooker, you can now enjoy your cooking and save time. This has a capacity of 3.5L and can make your cooking impressive and smart.
It has a stainless steel slow cooker Ceramic oven proof cooking pot and compact slow cooker for cooking delicious food. It includes the tempered glass lid for good heat retention and to see the cooking. This slow cooker is a smartly brushed stainless steel design.
It has 3 heat settings: high, low and automatic cooking and the heating element has a wrap-around for safety.
Pros :
- Easy to use and cook food faster
- Featured tempered glass lid
- I have stainless steel design
- Slow cook and prepare delicious and healthy food.
Cons :
- Some meat takes a very long time to cook
- No Digital Display
8. Westinghouse 3.5L Slow Cooker
This attractive and stylish designed Westinghouse Slow Cooker with a 3.5L capacity slow cooker conveniently cooks your food deliciously from start to finish in one pot. This cooker comes in Black Stainless Steel material and has multifunctional and basic features.
It has a Tempered glass lid to monitor the cooking and has a removable ceramic insert. It comes with cool-touch handles and has 3 temperature settings High, low and keep warm functions.
Pros :
- Easy to use in the kitchen and cooks delicious food ready
- Easy to clean the non-stick stainless steel pot
- It has Black Stainless Finish
- Adjustable temperature settings
Cons :
- No Digital Display
9. Maxim Kitchen Pro
This Maxim Kitchen Pro slow cooker is smartly designed and has a black and silver colour body and capacity of 3.5 L . It is stainless steel and comes with a removable ceramic bowl. In this slow cooker, you can cook delicious meals for your family and friends.
This slow cooking method is ideal for cooking and can keep the nutrition and taste equally. You can use this slow cooker to cook food for up to 12 hours and cook all kinds of meat and food.
This Maxim Kitchen Pro slow cooker comes with a removable ceramic bowl with a tempered glass lid so you can look at your cooking as well.
Pros :
- This slow cooker bowl is easy to clean
- Cooks perfectly and evenly
- Value of money
- Easy to use and lightweight
Cons :
- Not well-known Brand
10. Sheffield Slow Cooker – PL395
This Sheffield Slow Cooker is a very helpful appliance in the kitchen to cook food in a smart and convenient way.
This slow cooker has brushed stainless steel and is easy to wash after use. It comes with a 5.6L capacity and is ideal for the whole family. It has 3 temperature settings of low, high and auto settings.
This cooker has a removable ceramic pot which is helpful for easy cleaning and the tempered glass lid helps in easy looking on your cooking. It has cool-touch handles for safety features and has risk-free portability.
Pros :
- Tempered glass lid
- it comes with a removable ceramic pot
- This slow cooker is thermostatically controlled
- Cool-touch handles
- Easy to use and clean
Cons :
- No Digital Display
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