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Crockpot Lift and Serve Digital Slow Cooker review: the ultimate gadget for busy families
With a large capacity and an automatic keep warm setting, the Crockpot Lift and Serve is a popular choice for families. But does it really help save time and effort in the kitchen? We put this slow cooker through its paces to find out.
By Natasha Gregson | Last updated Mar 7, 2024
If you're looking to simplify your cooking routine but don't want to sacrifice serving up delicious, home-cooked meals, you may want to add the best slow cooker to your kitchen arsenal.
These energy-efficient appliances are ideal for shaving time off cooking; simply prep your ingredients, bung them all in the pot, and let your dish gently cook away for hours on end. The results? Think juicy meats falling off the bone, aromatic stews bubbling away, and mouthwatering veggie soups that taste like they've been simmering for hours.
The Crockpot Lift and Serve Digital Slow Cooker is a popular model, and one that's particularly ideal for families due to its large 4.7-litre capacity and automatic keep warm setting. To see if it really lives up to the hype, I tested this slow cooker out, carefully evaluating its design, ease of use, key features, value for money, and those all-important results.
Plus, for more gadgets that make life easier in the kitchen, don't miss Mumsnet's round-ups of the best air fryers and the best food processors.
Our verdict at a glance
Price on writing: £49 | Buy now from Amazon
What we like
Automatically switches to the keep warm setting when your food is ready
Handy countdown timer
Large capacity
Easy to use and assemble
Pot is surprisingly lightweight for the size
Clear instructions
Sleek design
Easy to clean
Pot lifts out of slow cooker for easy serving
What we don't like
Quite bulky
Hinged lid makes it tricky to remove the pot
Lid catches condensation, which drips into the pot when opened
Pot can't be used on the hob
Only one function - you may want a multi-cooker for more versatility
Crockpot Lift and Serve Digital Slow Cooker: first impressions
Unboxing the Crockpot Lift and Serve Digital Slow Cooker, the first thing I noticed was the size – with a 4.7-litre capacity, it has a fairly big footprint. Whether you're planning on leaving it out on the counter or stored away in the cupboard beside your bread maker and Tupperware, you'll need to make sure you have sufficient space to store it. However, its large size means it can easily hold up to five portions, so it's ideal for families or batch cookers.
The ceramic pot and lid needed a quick clean with warm soapy water, and then it was ready to be assembled. This was a super easy process, with the lid clicking smoothly into place. The hinged fitting of the lid did make the appliance quite tall when it was open, however, something to consider if you have low kitchen cupboards where you'll be using the slow cooker.
I was a big fan of the design, too; the sleek, glossy black finish gives it a modern, stylish look, and the pot was surprisingly lightweight to carry.
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Crockpot Lift and Serve Digital Slow Cooker: how easy was it to use?
After a quick read of the instructions, I found the slow cooker was very intuitive to use. I'd definitely recommend reading the manual before diving in though to get to grips with the symbols on the display panel.
As the pot is ceramic, it can't be used on the hob. For a lot of slow cooking recipes, browning meat or softening veg on the hob prior to slow cooking is optional, but I opted for a hearty sausage casserole that required the onions to be sautéed and the sausages to be browned before they were added to the pot. I had to use a separate pan for this, so it would have been much easier if it was a hob-safe pot which could then be transferred straight to the slow cooker. Still, it didn't add on too much time, just a bit of extra washing up.
When the ingredients were ready, I added them to the pot, selected my chosen heat setting, and used the arrow buttons to set the timer (it allows you to do this in 30 minute increments up to 20 hours). Then, I closed the lid, and left it for eight hours to work its magic. It's really that simple.
"The real standout feature is the automatic keep warm function. This is what elevates this cooker to our 'best overall' pick"
I loved being able to check how long my casserole had left with the digital countdown timer, too. When the timer ended, the slow cooker automatically switched to the keep warm setting to avoid overcooking, but still kept my dish warm and ready to serve up when suited. This was my favourite feature of the slow cooker, it meant I could tuck in as soon as I was ready, and I didn't need to make sure I was free when the meal finished cooking. As for the results, it made a tasty casserole for four which was quickly devoured.
The Lift and Serve allows you to remove the ceramic bowl from the slow cooker base and serve up straight away (a heat-resistant mat will be needed on some surfaces) in the centre of the table. It's a nice touch, but I did struggle to remove the pot from the base as the lid fitting got in the way, so I found it much easier to remove the lid first before removing the pot. The lid also collected some condensation, which dripped into the pot when it was opened.
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Crockpot Lift and Serve Slow Cooker: how easy was it to clean?
Both the lid and the base are dishwasher safe, something that busy families will certainly appreciate. However, I opted to wash them by hand – it seemed more convenient than taking up a large bulk of dishwasher space. They were easily cleaned with warm soapy water and there was no need to scrub as the food residue came off easily and didn't stick to the ceramic.
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Our verdict
Overall star rating: 4.5/5
If you're looking to make meal prep easier, particularly if you're busy juggling work and family life, I would definitely recommend the Crockpot Lift and Serve Digital Slow Cooker. Sure, there are a couple of drawbacks – namely, a few issues with the hinged lid, and it not being safe for hob use – but overall, I found this was a fantastic gadget for saving time.
I loved the ease of use, the digital display and countdown timer, the sleek design, and the large capacity that can serve up to five generous portions. But the real selling point is the auto keep warm function – it's a smart feature that makes this Crockpot the crème de la crème.
Key specs
Capacity: 4.7 litre
Size: 26.8D x 34.2W x 33.8H cm
Settings: Low, high, keep warm
Pot: Stoneware ceramic
Lid: Hinged glass lid
Guarantee: Two years
Dishwasher safe?: Yes, inner pot and lid
Oven and hob friendly: Oven only, can't be used on the hob
Power: 220W
About the author
Natasha is a writer and Affiliate Content Editor at Mumsnet, with a specialism in kitchen, lifestyle and home product round-ups and reviews.
With several years of editorial experience under her belt, she has written on many topics, covering everything from fashion to health, parenting to entertainment, and has had work featured in national publications including The i Paper and Stylist Magazine.
A keen foodie, she loves nothing more than trying new culinary creations in the kitchen, which often includes testing out and researching the latest time-saving gadgets for Mumsnet.
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