What slow cooker is best?

[JeanSimmons]

I am looking to buy a slow cooker, but I'm unsure which one to get. Budget up to about £200.00. I love the idea rich autumn stews left to cook all day.

Ninja slow cooker

Thank you. Funnily enough, that's the very one I had my eye on.

Can't recommend but get a big one! Needs to be able to fit a large chicken in or double a recipe.
I have a Tower one that I bought from a charity shop for £5 when I went back to work after maternity leave 22 years ago. Its still going strong and I use it regularly. I always thought if I used it enough I'd buy a good quality one but honestly its been great so haven't replaced it.
Its oval which helps with things like chicken.
The other thing I'd look for with a slow cooker when I next buy one is a timer.

I have a very basic cookworks one , it has off/ on and a high and low setting , it doesn't have a timer but I get rou d this by having it plugged into a socket timer switch .
I think it cost me about £30 10 ish years ago .
What on earth ( apart from the brand name) do you get by spending another £150+ on one

Ninja combi. Bought the Ninja slow cooker casserole dish to go with it. Amazing 😍 slightly pricey but so worth it.

I'm on my second Crockpot and they've both been great. We have a faily basic model (two heat setting and a timer) but it does everything I need it to.

You dont need to spend a fortune i.have had a few and never spent more than £30 or £40
A tip i learned off here is
You need very little water as the food produces its own juices during cooking
I usually add about half a cup half way through cooking .

Not quite what you're asking for but I would look at a pressure cooker/multi cooker instead - I have barely used my slow cooker since I got my instant pot (ninja also do one). They have a slow cooker modes which may not be quite as effective as a dedicated machine but more than make up for that by giving you many more options. Personally I like to start things off on pressure cooker mode and then leave on keep warm; you get the flavour blending effects of slow cooking and can come home to a hot meal but with more intense flavours and bringing it quickly to a good safe temperature and keeping it there.

I presume you get more functions. Plus, as I don't have a tine machine I can't get a cheaper one from the past!

Now this is really useful advice. Thank you very much. Would you recommend the InstantPot brand?

I’ve got a ninja multi cooker (pressure, slow, sauté and air fryer in one) and it’s brilliant. I’ve cooked all sorts it in using the various functions and have been really impressed with it. I’m looking forward to the colder months where slow cooking becomes my norm again!

I too recommend the Ninja Multi cooker - so useful

I rarely slow cook now - pressure cook all the way because its so quick and so much safer then the pressure cookers of old

I steam roast joints, make yoghurt, cook stews and soups in a fraction of the time . I did make the bread and bake in it but soon stopped as the weight started piling on - all too easy

It's a big heavy beast. I leave it on a trolly so I can wheel it out of sight when not using it , its not something easy to get in and out of a cupboard - and its not light

The cheapest one you can find, in case you are like me and enthusiastically use it all the time for a couple of weeks then get bored and put it away in a cupboard never to be used again...

Don't be like me.

Seriously, I might look at getting mine out again if I can find the darned thing

I got one from Lakeland a couple of years ago. It was only about £50 (special offer I see it is £65 at the moment), and has been the best one we've had (3 I think over 30 years). That said, the Ninja one looks very appealing!

You really don't need to spend £200, thats madness.

I've had a number of slow cookers over the years and the ninja slow cook function on my ninja air fryer thing is by far the best slow cooker I've had.

I recently got a Russell Hobbs multicooker thing on Tiktok and have used it almost every day since. Used it as a slow cooker, for frying/searing things, roasting a chicken and it makes amazing roast potatoes and one pot rice/pasta dishes. I wish it had the pressure cook function but as I paid around £40 for it I'm very happy with it, it's the Russell Hobbs Good to Go

I'm willing to do so if it is the best option. I believe in value, which doesn't always mean getting the cheapest option.

I'm not like that.

Forgot to add my ninja air fries, bakes, steams, and has many other functions as well. Only one appliance for everything. No rooting around cupboards for different appliances. Hardly ever use oven
I specifically bought one with the slow cook function

I have a crock pot and it isn't as good as the 30 quid Sainsburys one I had before. I think the guy from bored of lunch has a ninja.

We have an instant pot and use it weekly at least. We have two kids and weird schedules so it’s brilliant for making something that can stay warm until the last of us eats. Had it for maybe 8 years or so now and it’s still perfect.

my advice is the get a big one if you want stews. We regularly double up a recipe and freeze half (and defrost in it later). Love that we can sauté or pressure cook in the same thing so we can brown the meat and then make a sauce etc.

Ninja slow cooker is awful, just read the reviews on Amazon. I had one and promptly returned it. The low setting does nothing at all, barely cooks anything. I was really disappointed. Crockpots for me.

Seconding the instant pot recommendation. I’ve used mine multiple times a week for 7 or 8 years because it’s so useful. Good capacity (I have a duo), fab for cooking rice or dried pulses so you can do things like bean curries or soups really easily, and sauté meat to brown it before slow cooking. The inner pot is stainless steel so dishwasher safe and no nasty non stick. They also sell spare parts so good for longevity - I replaced the gasket on mine once after a particularly fragrant curry but it’s otherwise still in perfect condition.

I had a Crockpot but the £20 Tower one from Amazon Warehouse that I have now is better.