Furthermore, we evaluate each slow cooker’s design, safety features and ease of use without the help of an instruction manual. We also assess the “keep warm” function, meat tenderness and flavor development of dishes. What we found out impressed us: Traditional slow cookers performed well and were consistent. Pressure cooker models that have slow cook features did well also, but with slightly lower scores.

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What to consider when shopping for a slow cooker

✔️Capacity: The main thing to consider is the size of the pot and how large a batch you generally cook. Slow cooker pots can range from as small as 1½ quarts to as large as 10 quarts, so you can find the size that suits your household.

✔️ Footprint: Consider how much space this appliance will take up on your countertop. Is it too tall to fit under your cabinets? Will it hog an entire shelf if you store it out of sight? These are all things to keep in mind before you buy.

✔️Functions: Time to consider bells and whistles: Will your slow cooker let you brown right in the pot? Can you use the appliance solely to slow cook, or will you be able to sear, cook rice, air fry, pressure cook or sous vide as well? We loved models that came with a temperature probe that allows you to monitor the internal temperature of foods without opening the lid. We also recommend an automatic “keep warm” setting that usually holds your cooked food at 165°F, which is above the food-safe temperature of 145°F but won’t overcook the food.

✔️Apps and programmable slow cookers: Some slow cookers can be paired with smartphone apps that allow you to set the time and temperature; some will include recipes with ingredient lists and step-by-step instructions. Others have a “delay start” feature that allows you to start cooking without physically pressing any buttons. This is very handy, but we don’t recommend using this feature for longer than two hours, especially when cooking with meat; according to the FDA, when food sits out at room temperature for more than two hours, bacteria starts to increase exponentially, putting you at risk for illness.

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What’s the difference between a slow cooker and a Crockpot?

This is kind of a trick question! All Crockpots are slow cookers, but not all slow cookers are Crockpots. “Crockpot” is the brand name of a successful line of slow cookers from Sunbeam Products, Inc. Much in the way that “Kleenex” has become shorthand for facial tissue, people use the term “Crockpot” to refer broadly to slow cookers. As you’ll see from our list, there are actually many manufacturers of slow cookers out there.

There is, however, one difference in cooking method: Crockpots and crockpot-style cookers generally have a ceramic pot inside a base with a heating element that wraps around the pot. Slow cookers that are not crockpot-style are more likely to have a metal pot and a heating element on the bottom only. These may be able to offer a browning function, whereas Crockpots and crockpot-style cookers usually do not.

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Why trust Good Housekeeping?

Nicole Papantoniou has run the Good Housekeeping Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab since 2019; she led the testing for slow cookers as well as air fryers, toaster ovens and stainless steel cookware. Previously she worked in product development for small kitchen appliances and tools since 2014 as well as in several test kitchens, where she tested and developed recipes and food content starting in 2012. She has a grand diplome in classic culinary arts from the former French Culinary Institute and a certificate in culinary nutrition from the former Natural Gourmet Institute, now both known as the Institute of Culinary Education.

Nicole Papantoniou

Kitchen Appliances & Innovation Lab Director

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.

The 8 Best Slow Cookers of 2023

The pinnacle of versatile, low-maintenance cooking

By

Donna Currie

Donna Currie

Donna Currie is a food writer and blogger specializing in recipes and kitchen gadgets. She covers kitchen tools and gadgets for The Spruce Eats and is the author of Make Ahead Bread.

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Editorial Process

Updated on 02/15/23

We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation.
Learn more.

The Spruce Eats / Chloe Jeong

It might seem contradictory that an appliance that cooks your food slowly over the course of several hours can actually help save you time, but busy cooks know slow cookers are the secret to getting easy meals on the table without much, if any, hands-on cooking time. Whether you want a slow cooker that can function as a multi-cooker or are looking for one that is programmable, portable, or budget-friendly, there’s a model out there to meet your demands.

Our Top Picks

Best Overall:

Hamilton Beach Programmable Set & Forget 6-Quart Slow Cooker at Amazon

Runner-Up, Best Overall:

KitchenAid Slow Cooker at Amazon

Best Budget:

Crock-Pot Cook & Carry Manual Slow Cooker at Amazon

Best High-End:

Greenpan Slow Cooker at Amazon

Best High-Tech:

Instant Pot 6-Quart Max 9-in-1 Pressure Cooker at Amazon

Best Large Capacity:

Hamilton Beach Stay or Go Portable Slow Cooker at Amazon

Best for Roasting:

Cuisinart Multi-Cooker at Amazon

Best for Buffets:

Sunvivi Triple Slow Cooker at Amazon

In This Article

• Our Picks

• What to Look for

• FAQs

• Why Trust The Spruce Eats?

Amazon

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What We Like

What We Don’t Like

We Tried Hamilton Beach’s 6-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker

This slow cooker checks all the boxes on your wish list. It can be programmed or operated manually, there’s a temperature probe to check the temperature of your food as you cook it, and at 6 quarts, it’s the perfect size for most uses. When the cooking time or temperature is reached, the cooker even automatically switches to a warming setting for up to two hours. Cooking time maxes out at 12 hours, not including the additional two hours on warm mode.

There are three settings total: program (which allows you to set a cooking time), probe (which uses the temperature probe to determine doneness), and manual (which lets you set high, low, or warm temperatures without setting a cooking time). We were really impressed by the ease of use; as the name implies, you really can set it and forget it. Not a single dish had any hot spots: Everything came out evenly cooked and delicious.

For anyone needing to travel with their slow cooker, this model has sturdy handles and a gasket on the lid, which clips on tightly so you can take it to a potluck or family dinner. We successfully transported honey-glazed ham to a Friendsgiving with zero spills. For serving, there’s a spoon that clips onto the unit to keep it from getting lost in transit.

Another feature we really liked is that if you live in an area with frequent power glitches, this model will return to it on during brief outages (up to five seconds) and keep cooking or keep your food warm until you get home. Just note that the casing is thin, making it more prone to dents, and the control panel can be difficult to read because it lacks brightness and contrast with the gray background. That said, we did not find either of these to be dealbreakers.

Price at time of publish: $80

The Spruce Eats / Gayle L. Squires

Capacity: 6 quarts | Pot Material: Stoneware | Weight: 12.8 pounds | Dimensions: 11.25 x 17.5 x 11.75 inches

Testing Takeaway

“The temperature probe mode allowed us to cook poultry and meat to an exact internal temperature before the appliance switched over to the warm setting.” — Gayle L. Squires, Product Tester

WAY FAIR

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What We Like

What We Don’t Like

KitchenAid Slow Cooker Review

If you’re looking for something that can be programmed for more extensive times than our best overall pick, this KitchenAid slow cooker is a great alternative option that performed well in testing. It’s designed for perfect cooking and easy serving, with a glass lid that can be opened on either side—great for buffet serving while keeping food warm and covered. Plus, it can be programmed for up to 24 hours at a time in 30-minute increments for unattended cooking.

The 6-quart cooking insert, which fits enough food to feed seven, according to the manufacturer, is oval-shaped to fit foods like whole chickens or roasts, and it’s removable for serving and for easy cleanup. This slow cooker has high, medium, and low settings as well as a keep-warm setting. If you’re not available when cooking time is up, it automatically switches to keep-warm for four hours.

The easy-to-read digital display shows how much cooking time is left, as well as the temperature setting. We found it to be a very intuitive appliance. For storage, the cord stores on the bottom of the cooker. If you don’t need to use your slow cooker on a buffet, there is a similar model with a solid glass lid.

Price at time of publish: $130

The Spruce Eats / Joline Buscemi

Capacity: 6 quarts | Pot Material: Ceramic | Weight: 17 pounds | Dimensions: 10. 5 x 10.75 x 17.5 inches

Testing Takeaway

“Once the timer finishes, the slow cooker automatically goes into “keep warm” mode, where it will stay for up to four hours before turning off.” — Joline Buscemi, Product Tester

Amazon

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What We Like

• Lock-on lid

• Affordable

• Dishwasher-safe

What We Don’t Like

Crock-Pot Cook & Carry Slow Cooker Review

Slow cookers don’t need lots of fancy settings to turn out excellent meals, and this 6-quart oval unit proves it. We tested the manual version, but this Crock-Pot model is also available with digital controls. The manual version has a simple dial to choose between high, low, and warm settings. The digital version has the same heat settings as well as preset cooking times from 30 minutes to 20 hours. Both come with a dishwasher-safe stoneware cooking insert and a glass lid.

While the operation of the manual controls remains as simple as using the first slow cookers, this has some updated features, like the locking lid and handles that make this slow cooker easy to transport from the kitchen to the dining room or across town for a dinner party. The polished stainless steel exterior and black accents look attractive and are easy to wipe clean when you’re done cooking.

We cooked a creamy rosemary white bean soup, filling the maker with vegetables and stock before turning the cook setting to high. After about two and a half hours, we switched it to low for another four hours to finish. Just remember that this model is manual through and through, so if you want to stop cooking and switch over to the keep-warm setting, you have to do it yourself.

Price at time of publish: $67

The Spruce Eats / Joline Buscemi 

Capacity: 6 quarts | Pot Material: Stoneware | Weight: 12.3 pounds | Dimensions: 14 x 9 x 13.9 inches

Testing Takeaway

“The locking lid felt secure without being complicated to use and we felt confident traveling with it.” — Joline Buscemi, Product Tester

WILLIAMS SONOMA

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What We Like

What We Don’t Like

Greenpan’s claim to fame is creating high-quality nonstick cookware that’s free of PFAS, PFOA, lead, and cadmium. This slow cooker has a durable stainless steel exterior, and the 6-quart Thermolon ceramic interior is both dishwasher-safe and very nonstick. This slow cooker looks modern and stylish with its LCD screen, but some users note that the buttons are labeled with small print and can be hard to see. Regardless, the eight functions are the star of the show; the one-touch preset functions include slow cook, brown/sauté, and steam, and the five slow-cook modes include hi, lo, reheat, simmer/buffet, and keep warm. It’s programmable to cook for up to 24 hours and can stay on the keep-warm setting for up to eight hours. Like most slow cookers, this one switches automatically to keep-warm mode after cooking time is up.

It’s incredibly convenient to be able to sear ingredients in the same pan before slow cooking, and the steam function is helpful for veggies, seafood, dumplings or tamales. There are handles on both the exterior and the ceramic bowl, which makes it easy to travel with the whole machine to keep food warm on a buffet or just the lighter interior. If you can afford a more expensive slow cooker, this is a fantastic choice that’ll last a long time.

Price at time of publish: $250

Capacity: 6 quarts | Pot Material: Thermolon volt ceramic | Weight: 13.5 pounds | Dimensions: 19 x 13.5 x 11 inches

The 7 Best Slow Cookers and Pressure Cookers of 2023

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What We Like

What We Don’t Like

• Pricey

Slow cookers are a great kitchen tool, but speeding up the cooking process by pressure cooking can also be a huge benefit. This Instant Pot can do both and much, much more. The customizable temperature can cook at just the right heat for any recipe, the warm function can keep food ready for serving, and the temperature accuracy stays within +/- 1. 8 degrees, so it can even be used for sous vide cooking.

When it comes to pressure cooking, it can hold a sustained 15 psi like a stovetop pressure cooker, so it cooks faster than other electric pressure cookers and can also be used for home canning. This has a large, intuitive touch screen for easy control of all of the functions, along with a simple dial to select the options. From sautéing and making rice or yogurt to slow-cooking stews, this Instant Pot can do it all. The inner cooking pot is stainless steel and dishwasher-safe for easy cleaning when cooking is done.

Price at time of publish: $149

Capacity: 6 quarts | Pot Material: Stainless steel | Weight: 13.25 pounds | Dimensions: 13.8 x 13.8 x 13 inches

The 6 Best Sous Vide Cookers of 2023, Tested and Reviewed

Amazon

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This is the perfect slow cooker for large families or anyone who likes to cook freezer meals. The 10-quart capacity is even large enough to handle a 10-pound turkey or 12-pound roast, saving oven space for pies and dinner rolls. This cooker can be set for low or high heat, and it has a warm setting to keep food at serving temperature when cooking is done.

The lid seals well and has clips to hold it in place, so the cooker can travel to parties and potlucks without risking messy spills. The large side handles offer a secure grip, so it’s easy to carry to the table or on the go. When cooking is done, the removable crock and glass lid are dishwasher-safe.

Price at time of publish: $90

Capacity: 10 quarts | Pot Material: Stoneware | Weight: 15.66 pounds | Dimensions: 12.5 x 15.75 x 11.5 inches

The 8 Best Multi-Cookers of 2023

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What We Like

What We Don’t Like

Many slow cookers require lots of liquid, so they can’t be used for true roasting. This multi-cooker is designed to make roasting easy, along with slow cooking, steaming, and browning. It includes a convenient steaming/roasting rack, so it’s ready to roast without buying extra accessories. 

The slow-cook function can be set to high, low, simmer, or warm for optimal cooking control up to 24 hours. Roasting can be set for 250 to 450 degrees for up to six hours, steaming can be set for up to 90 minutes, and sauté can be set for up to 500 degrees.

The inner cooking pot is removable and has a nonstick coating, so food doesn’t stick and cleaning is easy. The pot and lid are dishwasher-safe, and when it’s time to put the cooker away, the retractable cord gets out of the way for neat storage.

Price at time of publish: $130

Capacity: 7 quarts | Pot Material: Aluminum | Weight: 21.2 pounds | Dimensions: 15.5 x 19 x 11 inches

The 7 Best Roasting Pans of 2023, Tested and Reviewed

Amazon

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What We Like

• Each pot has its own temperature control

• Clear lids allow you to see inside

• Dishwasher-safe pots and lids

What We Don’t Like

Whether you’re having a backyard barbecue, holiday get-together, or block party, this triple cooker from Sunvivi will come in handy. Featuring three separate pots, the slow cooker doubles as a warmer to keep your food nice and hot. Each pot holds 1.5 quarts, which is wonderful for holding warm dips for game day, taco fillings for a birthday party, or soups for a family reunion.

It’s an incredibly versatile cooker that can help you craft easy meals. Each pot has its own temperature setting: low, warm, and high. This Sunvivi cooker also comes with three spoons, non-slip feet, and glass lids that allow you to see what’s cooking. Each crock is removable when it comes time to clean—just be sure to let them cool before handling. 

Price at time of publish: $130

Capacity: 1.5 quarts each, 4.5 total | Pot Material: Ceramic | Weight: 16.3  pounds | Dimensions: 25 x 7.3 x 12.3 inches

The 8 Best Rice Cookers in 2023, Tested and Reviewed

Final Verdict

Our No. 1 pick is the Hamilton Beach Portable 6-Quart Set & Forget Slow Cooker. It’s programmable, features a built-in temperature probe to monitor the temperature of food as it cooks, and automatically switches to a warming mode when cooking time or temperature has been reached. For a cheaper option that still performs well, we recommend the Crock-Pot Cook & Carry Manual Slow Cooker.

What to Look for in a Slow Cooker

Capacity

How much chili are you going to cook? Slow cookers tend to perform best when they’re at least half full, so there’s no sense in buying a giant cooker if you prefer cooking in small quantities. On the other hand, if you often make batches of food to freeze, a large cooker is your best bet.

Shape

Many slow cookers are oval-shaped, which makes them better for cooking whole chickens or roasts. However, keep in mind that if you’re only going to use your cooker for making soups and stews, shape is less important.

Extra Features

Today’s slow cookers offer a variety of useful features. From programmable timing to special lids that contain heat, you’ll find all sorts of extras that make cooking easier. Of course, if your needs are simple, those features might make your device more complicated (and expensive) than it needs to be.

FAQs

What temperature is low on a slow cooker?

The low temperature setting on a slow cooker is typically around 200 degrees. The high setting is approximately 300 degrees.

Can you put frozen meat in a slow cooker?

Using frozen meat in a slow cooker is not recommended. Frozen meat and poultry should be thawed before using in a slow cooker recipe. While some frozen vegetables can be added to a soup or stew in a slow cooker without issue, frozen meat and poultry will increase the cook time needed and may not cook evenly.

Can you leave food in a slow cooker overnight?

You can cook food in a slower cooker overnight and switch it to the warm setting when you get up in the morning. This is a great option for prepping breakfast or brunch dishes ahead of time, like a large pot of oatmeal or a breakfast casserole.

Food should not be kept on the warm setting overnight. Likewise, food should not be placed in a slow cooker overnight that is not turned on to cook.

Why Trust The Spruce Eats?

Donna Currie is a cookbook author who writes roundups and reviews products for The Spruce Eats. She has tested more than 90 kitchen products for the brand.

This roundup was updated by Sharon Lehman, a home cook who happens to be a registered dietitian nutritionist; Allison Wignall, a writer who focuses on food and travel and is always in the kitchen trying to recreate recipes from around the world; and Katya Weiss-Andersson, a writer and editor with almost a decade of experience as a professional chef.

The Best Pressure Cookers for Quick and Easy Meals: Tested and Approved

Additional reporting by

Sharon Lehman, RDN

Sharon Lehman, RDN

Sharon Lehman is a freelance writer and Registered Dietitian Nutritionist specializing in food, health, and wellness topics. She is the Small Appliance Expert for The Spruce Eats.

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Editorial Process

and

Allison Wignall

Allison Wignall

Allison Wignall is a staff writer for The Spruce Eats who focuses on product reviews. She has also contributed to publications such as Food & Wine, Travel + Leisure, and Southern Living.

Learn about The Spruce Eats’
Editorial Process

Article Sources

The Spruce Eats uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

1. United States Department of Agriculture. Cook Slow to Save Time: Four Important Slow Cooker Food Safety Tips.

2. United States Department of Agriculture. Slow Cookers and Food Safety.

Kitfort KT-211 slow cooker: big, simple and cheap

A recent iXBT.com review of a slow cooker caused a lot of controversy regarding the usefulness of this kitchen appliance. This time we are studying an even more specific version of such a device – large, simple and cheap. Let’s try to convince skeptics that a slow cooker cannot be replaced by multicookers or pots.

Features

Manufacturer	Kitfort
Model	KT-211
Type	slow cooker
Country of origin	China
Warranty	1 year
Service life	2 years
Power	380 W
pot capacity (maximum/operating)	8 / 6.2 l
Pot material	glazed ceramics
Outer body material	stainless steel
Number of modes	3
Control	mechanical
Timer	no
Weight	6. 5 kg
Dimensions (W×H×D)	305×405×260 mm
Mains cable length	1 meter
Retail offers

Contents

The device arrived for testing in a large cardboard box. The box contains the data of the slow cooker and its technical characteristics, it is not equipped with handles or slots.

Opening the box, inside we found:

• complete slow cooker;
• cover;
• instructions.

At first glance

The device looks very large. Still: only one pan with a volume of 8 liters, and even from thick-walled ceramics, and “around it” is the slow cooker itself. The design is simple and uncomplicated, we see only one control knob. This appliance will obviously not become a decoration of the kitchen; rather, it looks like a technique for a catering point. But there are no bright and clumsy details in it, so it will not catch the eye too much. The pan itself, although large, is not very heavy. I would especially like to note its grip: the handles are very comfortable, do not slip, fit well in the hand, you can not be afraid to drop it.

There are no holes or sealing rubber in the glass lid. And I would like to.

Body made of aluminium, exterior made of stainless steel. Inside the case there are inscriptions about the inadmissibility of cooking in the device without a lid. The handles are plastic, small. For carrying an empty device with a bowl without contents, they look quite reliable, and it is more convenient to carry a full pot separately. In addition, the manufacturer indicates that the handles are only designed to carry an empty slow cooker. So there are no complaints about the pens.

The slow cooker stands on four legs, and given its weight and size, it is clear that it will not slip or move anywhere. The cord, despite the low power of the device, is reliable and of sufficient section.

This appliance needs a lot of space in the kitchen. You also need to take into account the total weight of the device and the products loaded into it.

Manual

The instruction manual is a 22-page brochure with a detailed description of the device and its technical characteristics. It also has a section for recipes and general tips for using the slow cooker. The instruction completely gives an idea about the device for those who have not yet been familiar with such devices – and is unlikely to give any new knowledge to those who are familiar.

Control

In this model, it is mechanical and consists of a single switch located on the front of the case. It has four positions: off, heating, weak heating, strong heating. This is where the management ends. Thus, the design is simplified as much as possible: the KT-214, for example, had an off timer.

Operation

Before use, wash the ceramic pot and lid and wipe the body with a damp cloth. The manufacturer also recommends putting a pot filled with water in a slow cooker for 3-4 hours and turning on the “High” mode to weather all technical odors. We did just that, but it should be noted that there were no extraneous odors.

During the operation of the device, we came to the conclusion that this particular model will show itself best in large families or small cafes. The optimal load of meat in it is at least four kilograms, a small pork or lamb leg can fit entirely.

Thanks to smooth, slow heating, the meat in the device is stewed perfectly, the veins soften at low temperatures, the meat retains its taste and does not require the addition of water. An excellent dish can be obtained from the toughest, lowest-grade cut, or even from a sinewy trim. At the same time, the dish does not require intervention, you just need to more or less correctly calculate the cooking time – well, or adjust the temperature and duration during the cooking process.

The same goes for soups and stews, they also turn out very well in this slow cooker. The situation is not so rosy with cereals, especially with friable rice. Here, in order to achieve a good result, you will first have to practice, choose the time and amount of water. Cooking jam also has its own subtleties, the lower layer without stirring keeps the temperature higher than the upper one, and this can be both a plus and a minus, depending on the recipe.

An undoubted advantage of the slow cooker (and how it compares favorably with the multicooker) is the absence of silicone elements and the Teflon coating of the bowl. Any dish stewed or stewed for a long time in a slow cooker still acquires a slight unpleasant aftertaste due to the silicone lid. In the slow cooker, no foreign odors and tastes are transferred to the products.

The disadvantage of this model is the lack of sealing rubber on the lid. The aroma of the dish being prepared easily penetrates from the pan into the room. This is not always convenient, especially if you want to put the meat out to stew overnight.

The body heats up quite strongly during cooking, so it is better not to keep low-melting foods such as cheese, butter, etc. near it. Taking out a pan, even a hot one, is not difficult. To do this, you need to have comfortable potholders or a towel. As we have already said, the handles of a ceramic pot are very grippy, do not slip in your hands, and it is surprisingly convenient to carry them.

Another important point to consider when choosing a model is the size of the kitchen sink (especially if you don’t have a dishwasher). The pot has a length of 28 cm along the outer edge of the bottom and expands upwards, it may not fit in a small sink.

Maintenance

Maintenance is quite simple. The ceramic pot and lid can be washed in the dishwasher or by hand in warm water. It is important not to allow a sharp temperature drop so that the pan does not crack. The housing and the heating container can be wiped with a damp cloth.

Our measurements

For several cooking cycles with a total time of 41 hours 23 minutes, the KT-211 slow cooker consumed 11. 47 kWh of electricity. The highest recorded power was 356 watts. During this time, about 12 kg of meat, about 7 kg of vegetables and 5 liters of jam were cooked in the device. Thus, the price of electricity in the total price of the finished product can be considered insignificant.

The temperature recorded on the cabinet during cooking at maximum power ranged from 60°C to 74°C at various locations on the cabinet.

Practice tests

The purpose of the tests was to understand how the taste and texture of the dish would be different when cooked in a slow cooker compared to the traditional way – on the stove or in the oven. We cooked tough meat, vegetables and jam.

Stringy beef stew

We took more than four kilograms of stringy beef with diaphragm, onions, carrots and spices. They cut the meat into very large pieces, without removing anything. Lubricate the bottom of the bowl of the slow cooker with a small amount of oil, put the meat there. Set to max mode.

After about 7 hours, when the meat was juicy, we added chopped onion, salt and bay leaf to the bowl. After another 5–6 hours, they put pieces of carrots, hot red and green peppers. The dish was leveled with salt. Left it for another 3-4 hours.

When the tenderness of the meat suited us, we turned off the slow cooker, let the meat cool, and cut it into pieces across the grain. Part of it was placed in another pan, poured over with the secreted juice, boiled and rolled into jars. The rest was used as a second hot dish with a side dish.

Since we did not use any preservatives, it is better to store rolled up jars in the refrigerator for no more than a month.

The quality of the resulting stew, despite the cheap sinewy meat, definitely surpasses all purchased stews that we have tasted. For the better, it also differs from the stew cooked according to the classic recipe on the stove over low heat.

Result: excellent.

Wild roe with thyme

Roe deer meat is tougher than even horse meat and goat meat, so it is not easy to cook it using traditional methods. We got a roe deer leg with a piece of the costal part.

We did not spoil the taste of the meat by marinating in vinegar, but only salted it, added butter, sprinkled it with pepper, shifted it with thyme and put it into the slow cooker without cutting it. We cooked at the maximum mode for about 10 hours, then carefully turned it over, poured the extracted juice on top and left it for another 6–7 hours at low power. The meat turned out juicy, with a specific smell of game and not at all tough. And, most valuable for a beautiful presentation, the pieces retained their integrity.

The result is excellent, the labor intensity is almost zero.

Result: excellent.

Steamed turnip with sweet potato

Steamed turnip is like a character in fairy tales: everyone knows, but no one has seen. We decided to taste this legend, but assuming the dubious taste of turnips, we added sweet potato to it.

Turnips and sweet potatoes were cleaned, cut into large equal parts, a little water and vegetable oil were added to the container, and the maximum power was turned on. Turnip became soft after 4 hours, sweet potato a little earlier. We would rate the palatability of turnips as extremely low, but sweet potato is quite edible and can be an excellent side dish for any cutlet or kebba.

In general, it is clear that it is possible to cook vegetables in this way, but in the case of root crops, the expediency of this raises questions. It probably makes sense to experiment with cooking some vegetable sauces for meat in a slow cooker.

Since it is unlikely that there are slow cooker wines in the inedibility of turnips, we will not greatly reduce the rating.

Result: good.

Stuffed courgette and stuffed peppers

In this test, we decided to experiment with stuffing. We decided to stuff a large zucchini and peppers. The filling is standard: minced meat (beef / pork), rice, onion, spices.

Put the stuffed zucchini in a container, add 100 ml of water, a spoonful of oil, salt and keep it for 5 hours at maximum power. The zucchini looked good, but as soon as it was taken out and cut, it began to rapidly give juice. Minced meat, in our opinion, was somewhat overcooked. Rice became quite mushy. However, an hour before, the zucchini was still harsh.

We decided to repeat the experiment with stuffing, but on peppers. We stuffed 12 peppers, put them in a container, added water, oil and salt, turned on the powerful mode. First, the peppers took a long time to gain temperature. After some time, the vegetables were cooked, but the rice was still damp. And by the time the rice and minced meat were ready, the peppers were already slightly overcooked.

Conclusion: it is probably possible to find the optimal scheme for cooking stuffed vegetables in a slow cooker, but it is much easier to make them on the stove at higher temperatures and faster heating.

Since the taste of the dish was somewhat unusual, but not bad, and the preparation did not take time, the result was rated as good.

Result: good.

Paradise apple jam

Having read in the instructions for the device that the jam does not burn in it, although it can be cooked for a long time, we decided to try to cook large yellow paradise apples in it. It should be noted that their taste before cooking was bitter-sour, so we did not expect anything particularly good from the experiment.

Washed the apples, boiled a thick syrup, poured the syrup into a container. They poured as many apples as they liked into the syrup, poured more granulated sugar on top, thinking that it would dissolve in the syrup. We turned on the maximum power and left for several hours.

When they returned to the kitchen, they found that the undissolved sugar had settled to the bottom, but did not burn. The apples floated to the top, gave juice and softened, and the syrup turned red. We turned off the slow cooker and left it to cool down. During this time, the apples were soaked in syrup, turned red-brown in color and mostly remained intact. The syrup acquired a rich taste and aroma, and the apples became very good in taste.

The disadvantage of this method is that in the process of soaking the fruit, the jam cools down. In order to roll jam into jars, you need to heat it again to a boil, and this is more convenient and faster to do in another container.

Result: good.

Conclusions

The slow cooker has proved to be a useful kitchen appliance. Stringy tough meat is best cooked in it, while vegetables are best cooked separately or laid after the meat is almost cooked. You can cook specific jams or thicken milk. A slow cooker can be purchased in addition to other common kitchen devices, but due to its specifics, it is unlikely to replace them.

This model allows you to cook for a very large company and can be safely recommended to a large family or a small catering point.

If the presence of a timer is critical for you, then due to the rather low power of the device, any external “socket timer”, for example, will almost certainly suit you.

Pros

• allows you to cook a large volume, the convenient shape of the container holds large parts whole
• does not require constant supervision
• low price

Cons

• takes up a lot of space
• missing timer
• no seal on cover

Read the full text of the article on iXBT

Review of the Kitfort KT-214 slow cooker for “slow cooking”

Once we have already tested a specific device for “slow cooking” – and, frankly, neither the process nor the result of us not very impressed: long, complicated and completely incomprehensible why all this, if there is a slow cooker in the house. However, in American kitchens, the slow cooker is quite common – how can so many people be wrong? We decided to try again.

Features

^* Quite simply, this is the period during which parts for device repair are delivered to official service centers. After this period, any repair in the official SC (both warranty and paid) is unlikely to be possible.

Equipment

Opening the box, inside we found:

• complete slow cooker: body, bowl, lid
• manual
• warranty card
• promotional materials and “Kitfort” fridge magnet

At first glance

The size of the device immediately impresses: the full (at the edge) capacity of the oval bowl made of thick-walled ceramics is declared to be 6.5 liters, and it is clear that the case containing such a bowl cannot be small.

In general, everything here is massive: and a thick-walled bowl made of glazed ceramics, which itself weighs 3.3 kg…

…and even a glass lid that weighs 890 grams.

The frame of the glass lid is made of a soft material resembling silicone, and it is additionally pressed against the body with two grips.

Although we got the impression that her own weight would be enough for her.

Despite the almost hermetic design, the lid itself has an opening to allow excess steam to escape. Probably, tightness is needed here so that this process is completely controlled. Pressing the red button on the handle releases the grips.

The side handles are designed to carry the entire device, but the instructions warn us that in no case should they be used to carry a slow cooker with a bowl filled with contents – the handles are not designed for this and their attachment strength to the body may not be enough.

The bottom has 4 rubber feet and numerous ventilation holes. The bottom is plastic.

The body itself is aluminum on the inside, without the bowl it is very light – only 1.6 kg.

Adding all three values, we get the true (not according to the passport) weight of the entire device: 5.8 kg.

Bowl, lid and body are oval in shape and therefore absolutely symmetrical, i.e. they can be aligned with each other on any “side”.

Manual

Traditionally for Kitfort, the instruction is exclusively in Russian, short, understandable and useful. 18 recipes are given, which for the most part will not reveal any revelations to the reader, but are simple, understandable and, most importantly, delicious.

Control

The control panel is a round digital screen with a red backlight in the middle and 4 buttons on each side of it.

The combined inscriptions in Russian and English on the buttons are somewhat annoying for no reason. It would be clear if all the inscriptions were in English – they were just too lazy and didn’t translate, because we all actually know English in such volumes;) And here it seems like they translated it – but for some reason not completely.

The control panel for a mains powered slow cooker is as follows.

Press the Start/Stop button to turn it on. Then the numbers will appear on the screen (first zeros).

Now you can press the “Timer” button and use the up / down arrows to set the cooking time – up to 18 hours, in steps of half an hour. You can also press the “Delay” button and set the delay time – the same 18 hours maximum, with the same half-hour step.

Then press one of the three mode buttons – “High”, “Low” or “Heat” – and the slow cooker will start working, and the countdown will be displayed on the screen.

If you press the mode button immediately, without setting either the timer or the delay, the slow cooker will work in the selected mode for a maximum of 18 hours, then switch to the heating mode, work in it for another 6 hours, and then turn off.

Using a stopwatch and a cooking thermometer inserted into the hole in the lid, we checked the functioning of the “Low” mode and made sure that its operation corresponds to the table given in the instructions. So let’s just bring it here.

In our case, the upper limit of Low was 94 °C, not 93, as in the documentation, but we do not consider this a serious discrepancy.

As you can see, the main effect of the slow cooker is a very slow rise in temperature to a limit slightly lower than the boiling point. In Russian, such a process is called “languor,” and the classic way to implement it is to use a Russian stove.

Operation

Before starting work, the manufacturer recommends washing the bowl and lid with warm soapy water, dry, then fill the bowl with water and turn on the slow cooker in the “High” mode for 3-4 hours to eliminate “technical odors” (i.e. burnt grease) . Just in case, we did so, but we did not catch any technical smells.

In operation, the device is extremely quiet, almost silent. The case does not heat up much, you need to try very hard to get burned on it. Steam slowly escapes through the hole in the lid, but its amount is small – you don’t have to worry about the cabinets located above the slow cooker.

But the bowl is noticeably hot right after the end of cooking, besides, it is rather heavy along with the contents, and the handles on the sides are rather small. In general – prepare thick “tacks” and hold the bowl firmly.

Why do we need additional holders for the lid, we did not understand. Once we even forgot to fasten them – and nothing terrible happened at all.

The device has a strange “trick”, which, I remember, some multicookers sinned at the dawn of the “multicooker era” (now no one does this anymore): non-switchable heating. At the end of any process, the slow cooker will switch to the heating mode and will work in it for 6 hours. You cannot disable this, you can only cancel the heating, waiting for the end of cooking.

During operation, it is strongly recommended not to put too little or too much food in the bowl: in the first case, they may overheat, and in the second case, they may “overflow”.

Maintenance

The ceramic bowl and lid can be washed in the dishwasher, but the bowl must be cooled down beforehand (in any case, even if washing by hand is planned). With its wall thickness, this is not a quick process, we left the bowl to “ventilate” for an hour (note that if you leave it in the case, the process will drag on for even more time).

Under no circumstances should the housing be immersed in water; it may be wiped with a soft, damp cloth.

Our measurements

When idle, the power-on slow cooker consumes 0.2-0.3 watts. In heating mode, the maximum power consumption recorded by us is 303 watts. Cooking a dish in the “High” mode for 6 hours consumed 1.61 kWh of electricity.

Practical tests

Before this test, there was a difficult task: to figure out who needs it and why, and then try to determine in practice whether this device is convenient and whether it is good to live with it.

Judging by the available temperature regimes, the slow cooker is designed for simmering and stewing. This is useful when cooking vintage dishes, as it mimics the ovens used in one form or another in almost every traditional kitchen.

The test results pleased us with the fact that, firstly, all dishes prepared in a slow cooker do not require significant labor costs: turn it on and forget it. Secondly, the bowl has a large volume: for a small family it may not be filled completely, but if you wish, you can cook food in advance or feed a bunch of guests, as well as make an adequate amount of jam, baked milk or canned food that requires pasteurization or sterilization. Thirdly, the process does not need to be controlled at all. And, last but not least, everything turned out delicious.

During testing, we prepared the following dishes:

• lentil soup with smoked meats
• lamb sabzi-govurma
• Old Russian buckwheat porridge
• classic sour cabbage soup
• pasteurized marrows
• baked milk
• beef tongue

An important question that we tried to answer for ourselves: is there something in the appliance in which it would be superior to a multicooker? Some top multicookers can be customized by the user for a similar cooking result. What are the benefits of a slow cooker? We answered this question as follows: everything is already set up for languishing and nothing needs to be done, excellent results are obtained without any time costs at all. It is important that the volume of the bowl is enough to cook bone broths, aspics and just any dishes for a large company or family. The shape is comfortable, the surface area is large, the ceramic bowl is pleasant to use. In general, it’s just another device for other purposes.

Lentil stew with smoked meats

If the Sloth from the fairy tale “Morozko” exists somewhere, then this dish is for it. We took a half-kilogram package of lentils, poured them into a ceramic bowl of a slow cooker. They added several types of smoked meats, raw onions, salt, dry herbs, a large handful of dried root vegetables and several spices: ground bay leaf, smoked paprika, turmeric and ground chili.

Then they poured water into the bowl up to half the volume, threw a piece of 50 grams of butter into it and set it to the “Low” mode for 7 hours.

After 7 hours, our dish itself went into the heating mode and by the time the testers returned to the laboratory, it met us hot, but not scalding – just right for tasting. Upon opening the lid, we decided that it was more of a stew than a chowder.

But it turned out that it was just dried vegetables and herbs that floated to the surface. Having stirred the contents, we got a stew of excellent texture and taste.

Result: excellent.

We spent three minutes preparing and our slow cooker did the rest. The lentils did not boil into a puree, but became soft inside, retaining their external shape. A very pleasant thing, not only in taste, but also in texture.

Lamb sabzi-govurma

This is an Azerbaijani dish of meat and greens. We allowed ourselves some liberties in the process of cooking, but in general it turned out to be something that we have tried more than once in Azerbaijani restaurants.

To begin with, we cut off some outer fat from a leg of lamb and fried a dozen young onions on it – to add flavor to the future dish. We transferred from the pan to the slow cooker and began to fill it further.

Lamb leg meat, cut not too finely, was put into the appliance next. Added salt and chili flakes.

From sour greens, sorrel is most often put in this dish, but we added a little rhubarb: in the right time, the stems will definitely be stewed and give us the sourness we need.

Then we added cilantro and parsley, green onion and baby garlic, green basil and Swiss chard.

The greens are voluminous, so it turned out to be an awesome amount: right under the lid!

Then we set our dish for 8 hours in the “High” mode – walk like a walk.

After eight hours, tender, juicy meat with greens appeared before our eyes. The volume decreased three times, and the meat played the main role in the dish, and not that stack of greens, which we were a little afraid of when laying.

To describe the consistency of meat, the expression “you can eat with your lips” is appropriate.

Result: excellent.

Old Russian buckwheat porridge

Remembering folk recipes, it would be strange not to cook something from the kitchen of our great-grandmothers. Cooking the most delicious buckwheat porridge in the world.

First, we roasted the grits in a frying pan. Of course, it is not green even from the store packaging, but additional calcination will make the taste better.

Then they fried the onion.

Dried boletus, broken into small pieces.

Mushrooms, onions, buckwheat, salt were put into the slow cooker. Water was added and set to “Low” for 8 hours.

Looks like nothing special. The taste is really different in a good way.

Alas, there are not many words to describe the taste, but the situation can be illustrated by the fact that in the presence of main dishes and this buckwheat as a side dish, the tasters asked to put them … more buckwheat without anything.

Result: excellent.

Classic sour cabbage soup

Where there is porridge, there is cabbage soup. We took the following set: sauerkraut, pork belly, onion and green onion, garlic, pepper and dried porcini mushrooms. They poured water and put it on “Low” for 10 hours.

And again we got a great soup without doing anything.

The brisket has melted to complete tenderness, cabbage and mushrooms too, but the shape has been preserved. Served with sour cream. We regretted that we were not sent a slow cooker with an even larger bowl for testing.

Result: excellent.

Pasteurized zucchini

We found a good tip in the instructions: other containers can be placed inside the bowl. For example, if you need to cook a little, you can put a pot with the main dish and a pot with a side dish.

We used a plastic container as a container. We experimented with vegetables: fried zucchini, sprinkled with garlic and herbs, put a layer of tomatoes on top, also fried. We were going to take all this wealth with us to a country picnic, which was planned as far as 500 kilometers from the testing site.

So the decision was made to bring our product to a temperature that will kill most bacteria and prevent it from spoiling on the road, but at the same time not overheating the herbs and garlic, leaving a “live” taste.

Covered with a lid, not closing tightly. And put on the “High” mode for three hours.

And they missed a little: the heating data in the instructions, apparently, were measured with a much fuller bowl, which had to be heated much more. Having opened the lid, after two hours we found that our vegetables were boiling. It turned out to be delicious anyway, and they were perfectly stored, but the appearance and aroma of garlic and herbs suffered relative to what was intended.

Result: good.

It seems that for complex things like pasteurization, our device is suitable, but it will have to be adapted. And do not cook in very small volumes.

Baked milk

Baked milk can be made in a slow cooker and we decided to give it a try. The temperature does not reach one hundred degrees and the milk will definitely not run away, and a large surface area helps to periodically drown the resulting ruddy foams, which are invaluable when preparing ryazhenka (varenets) from such milk.

Slow mode for 12 hours – and we are there. The author did not drown the foam, as he went to bed, but in vain: the crust that was baked on top turned out to be magnificent.

Result: excellent.

Delicious, much tastier than store-bought milk. And just. And the volume is normal.

Beef tongue

It seems that the tests could be continued indefinitely: sorting through soups, cereals, meat and stews one by one, making jam and so on. But all good things come to an end, and we decided on the last test: boiled tongue.

The beef tongue was placed in a bowl, poured with water, adding a couple of onions, a bunch of garni, a couple of smoked dried Abkhazian peppers, salt, cloves and cardamom, black and allspice, a cinnamon stick and dry vegetables. So our tongue will turn out fragrant.

After six hours on “High”, the tongue was removed and quickly skinned under running cold water. Not boiled, but soft and juicy: just what you need.