10 Best Slow Cookers, According to Expert Testing
Have a nice, warm dinner waiting for you at home with one of these handy kitchen helpers.
We've been independently researching and testing products for over 120 years. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more about our review process.
A good slow cooker can help you create largely hands-off meals for breakfast, lunch, dinner and even dessert. The set-it-and-forget-it approach means you can simmer foods while you're at work or overnight, and it helps keep your stovetop and oven available for other tasks. It works by cooking foods at a low and steady temperature, similar to braising in a Dutch oven, with the ability to keep foods warm after cooking.
When our experts in the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab test slow cookers, we prepare chicken soup and beef stew. We assess the cookers’ ability to maintain temperatures on both high and low settings, check the texture and flavor of the meat and consider how liquids reduce over time. We factor in whether you can brown foods right in the slow cooker’s pot, and we review any special features like an app, probe or insert.
If you're trying to decide between a multicooker and a slow cooker, we've got top picks for both — and you can read more about how we test slow cookers and what to consider before buying one at the end of this guide. And don't forget to check out the GH Test Kitchen's favorite slow cooker recipes.
Nicole (she/her) is the director of the Good Housekeeping Institute's Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, where she has overseen content and testing related to kitchen and cooking appliances, tools and gear since 2019. She’s an experienced product tester and recipe creator, trained in classic culinary arts and culinary nutrition. She has worked in test kitchens for small kitchen appliance brands and national magazines, including Family Circle and Ladies’ Home Journal.
Sarah (she/her) is a deputy editor in the Good Housekeeping Institute, where she tests products and covers the best picks across kitchen, tech, health and food. She has been cooking professionally since 2017 and has tested kitchen appliances and gear for Family Circle as well as developed recipes and food content for Simply Recipes, Martha Stewart Omnimedia, Oxo and Food52. She holds a certificate in professional culinary arts from the International Culinary Center (now the Institute of Culinary Education).