We Went Through Pounds of Pot Roast To Find the Best Slow Cookers

For home cooks, slow cookers are a kitchen essential. They allow you to cook food unattended for hours, freeing you up to entertain, clean, work, or just take your mind off one chore on your list. Along with the classic slow cooker recipes, these handy machines can also steam dumplings, sauté veggies, brown meat, bake cookies, and much more.

We tested popular models to help find the best slow cookers and are currently testing even more. After using each one to prepare our favorite pot roast recipe, we considered each slow cooker's overall feel, durability, cleanup and storage, efficiency, and value.

Our Favorites

• Our Top Pick: Cuisinart 3-in-1 Cook Central 6-Quart Multi-Cooker
• Best Budget: Hamilton Beach Set & Forget Programmable Slow Cooker
• Most Versatile: Instant Pot Pro 10-in-1 6-Quart Pressure Cooker
• Best Small Capacity: Elite Gourmet 2-Quart Electric Slow Cooker

Our Top Pick

Cuisinart 3-In-1 Cook Central 6-Quart Multi-Cooker

$158 at Amazon $160 at Wayfair $160 at Sur La Table

Cuisinart takes the top spot with its multicooker that allows for slow cooking, browning, and steaming all in one. The shallow and wide cooking base gives you better heat distribution than other slow cookers. It's also a larger surface area when you want to brown or sauté. Plus, it has a steaming function to quickly make perfect eggs or vegetables. What really won us over? Instead of slowly heating up over the first half-hour or so, this slow cooker kicks off the cooking process with a good amount of heat, saving time and energy.

Measuring 11 x 18 x 10.5 inches, this pot will claim a bit of counter or cabinet space, so keep that in mind if you have a small kitchen. However, we found that the large capacity means you can easily double a recipe or add lots of vegetables to your soup. No matter how much food we fit inside, the meals came out tender and thoroughly cooked.

The cool-touch lid is easy to handle whether you're checking up on your dish or ready to serve it. In terms of operation, the LCD screen and buttons are easy to read and intuitive, even for a beginner. Cleanup is even easier since the cooking pot is dishwasher-safe.

The Details: 6-quart capacity; 11 x 18 x 10.5 inches; 16 pounds; slow cook, brown/sauté, steam

Best Budget

Hamilton Beach Programmable Set & Forget 6-Quart Slow Cooker

$68 at Amazon $75 at Target $15 at Walmart

Hamilton Beach makes reliable kitchen equipment, and this slow cooker is no exception. One of the big selling points for this top-rated slow cooker is its temperature probe. It is inserted through the lid to track the internal temperature of the meat during cooking. Once your meat hits your desired temperature, the slow cooker automatically maintains it, so your meal doesn't overcook.

The digital screen allows you to cycle through preferred heat settings and your desired cooking time before automatically switching to warm when it's done. We initially found the digital control panel somewhat confusing, but it only took one use to become comfortable. We also liked its secure lid, which has a rubberized gasket lining the edges of the lid, preventing heat from escaping. It also features clips to hold the lid in place for simple portability, and both the lid and crock are dishwasher safe.

The Details: 6-quart capacity; 11.25 x 17.5 x 11.75 inches; 14 pounds; slow cook, keep warm

Most Versatile

Instant Pot Pro 10-in-1 6-Quart Pressure Cooker

$170 $99 at Amazon $18 at Walmart $150 at Wayfair

Although the Instant Pot possesses far more than just slow cooking abilities (like pressure cooking, rice cooking, steaming, and even yogurt making), it came out at the top when we tested it purely for slow cooking and browning ability. One of the standout features is the lid that locks into place, preventing virtually any heat or steam from escaping during the cooking process.

Like a true "multicooker," the Instant Pot Pro allows for the entire cooking process to be completed inside the unit, and this is where the highly specific programming capability really comes in handy. You can place your meat or vegetables inside the stainless-steel inner pot—which can be used on a stove if necessary—and sauté at five different temperature levels. Then, set your slow cooking to high or low for up to 99 hours.

That all said, you may have to do a few test runs with your recipe before getting it just right. This Instant Pot's slow cooking function tends to get too hot on high and stay too cold on low. Another drawback is the round pot, which means you might not be able to fit longer cuts of meat into it.

The Details: 6-quart capacity; 12.2 x 13.38 x 12.48 inches; 11.8 pounds; pressure cook, slow cook, rice, steam, sauté, make yogurt, warm

Best Small Capacity

Elite Gourmet Electric Oval 2-Quart Slow Cooker

$20 at Amazon

Ideal for small apartments or anyone with limited storage, this no-frills slow cooker will give you the perfect portions every time. While this slow cooker may appear too small for any real benefit, we found that the high-sided stoneware pot and powerful heating element make it ideal for small kitchens and portion control. It will make plenty of food to serve three to four people.

Due to its size, this slow cooker is a breeze to store and clean (the lid and ceramic insert pot fit easily in the dishwasher). Its high-sided ceramic pot allows food to be fully submerged in liquid for moist, flavorful dishes. To be expected at such a low price point, this slow cooker must be manually shut off and does not feature a timer. During our tests, we also found that the body of the machine became too hot to touch while in use. For the price, however, this is a reliable slow cooker that makes just the right amount of food for individuals or small families.

The Details: 2-quart capacity; 10.5 x 10.5 x 8 inches; 5.7 pounds; slow cook (high, low), warm

Our Takeaway

Our pick is the Cuisinart 3-in-1 Cook Central 6-Quart Multi-Cooker because it performs great, is roomy enough for most people's needs, and can be cleaned up easily at a price that isn't too steep. For those looking for something more budget-minded, it's hard to go wrong with the more basic model, the Hamilton Beach Set & Forget Programmable Slow Cooker, for its reliability and affordability.

How We Tested Each Slow Cooker

We rounded up the top-rated slow cookers and asked Allrecipes expert product tester Rachel Johnson to try them out. From basic manual slow cookers to programmable multicookers, Rachel tested them all. Additionally, we currently testing another batch of slow cookers with results expected before the holidays.

For this test, Rachel prepared Chef John's Slow Cooker Beef Pot Roast to put the searing, meat tenderizing, and overall slow cooking abilities of each slow cooker to work. Many pounds of pot roast later, she rated each slow cooker on the following metrics:

• Overall Feel: What is the slow cooker made of? What parts does it include? How functional is the design?
• Durability: Is the slow cooker made to last? Will it show wear over time?
• Cleanup and Storage: How easy is it to clean the slow cooker? How is the slow cooker meant to be stored and maintained?
• Efficiency: How quickly does it heat up? Does it cook food uniformly? How well do its functions perform?
• Overall Value: Is it worth the investment?

The Leftovers: Other Slow Cookers We Tested

We've tested the Instant 6-Quart Electric Round Dutch Oven as both a Dutch oven and a slow cooker and while we love it as the former, we don't think it holds up on the second front. It is easy to use as a beginner, and all of our testers have found the controls easy and intuitive. But, when you set it to slow cooking, you only have one temperature setting (low/203°F), which ultimately limits you to nearly all-day cooking. One tester did find a workaround—she did still have to make dinner after all—but it led her to overcook her meat.

Common Questions

How does a slow cooker work?

A basic slow cooker is made up of three elements: the base, the cooking vessel (or crock), and the lid. The base contains a thin metal liner that conducts heat, which is then transferred to the cooking vessel. Slow cookers create heat towards the base, which then moves up the sides to evenly heat your food.

Slow cookers help tenderize meat, especially when it's not the most expensive cut. They also help bring out the flavor in your ingredients, and depending on the size, they can allow you to cook large portions of food all in one pot. But the best part about slow cookers is that they allow you to come home to a delicious meal that's ready to eat with minimal effort.

Can you put frozen meat in a slow cooker?

We agree with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that this is a bad idea and you should defrost your meat first. Yes, food in a slow cooker does eventually get to a high enough temperature, but it's what happens before that's the issue. First, frozen meat will take longer to heat up, but more importantly, it'll sit in the temperature zone that's known as the "Danger Zone" for far longer than it should. This means bacteria will grow and multiply rapidly to the point where it's not considered safe.

What kinds of dishes can you make in a slow cooker?

Slow cookers are great for hearty dishes like pot roast, pulled pork, and chili, but there's lots more they can handle. Our readers use theirs for everything from chicken and dumplings and stuffing to batches of hot chocolate and rice pudding.

Why Take Our Word For It?

This roundup was written by Melanie Fincher, a Birmingham-based home cook and food journalist with nearly 7 years of experience writing news and lifestyle content.

Rachel Johnson, who tested all of the slow cookers on the list, is an experienced kitchen product tester, recipe developer, food writer, and photographer. Her work has also appeared in publications like Chowhound, Cooking Light Magazine, Bon Appétit, and Edible Austin.