Best slow-cooker/crockpot?

[Chrissy]

A lot of people here love their slow-cookers, but no one ever mentions the brand they use.  I've never owned one, and would like to try a 6-quart.  Which do we think is the most long-lasting and reliable?   

Besides a removable pot, what functions should one opt for?

[FoundPeace]

Mine has a low, medium, and high setting and it has worked for years. I would say that you shouldn't pay more than $20 for it. I know people who have simple, cheap slow-cookers that they have kept for 20+ years. Don't go for all the bells and whistles and you are likely to get one that will last a long time.

[1967mama]

Don't go for all the bells and whistles and you are likely to get one that will last a long time.

+1
My electronic, fancypants crockpot that I received as a gift conked out after just a couple of years. The original one, with a dial for warm, low and high, is still going strong. I think it must be around 15 years old now.

[Ynari]

I just bought a cheap one...  Would have probably been smarter to go to the thrift store.

But, if you're also into pressure cookers, the Instant Pot gets GREAT reviews. It's a multi cooker and does rice, soups, sauté, slow cooking, pressure cooking. I'm looking to simplify my kitchen instead of having tons of one-use appliances and tools, so I'll be purchasing it soon.

[Katy Stache]

I just purchased this one. Amazon has a $10 coupon plus I received a $40 gift card for signing up for the Amazon store card. Free!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004P2NG0K/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[GizmoTX]

We have the Instant Pot & it's fantastic. Pressure cooking is amazing, & the new models have all sorts of safety features & an easy to use quiet indicator. The IP adds automation, so you can set it & not have to watch it the way stovetop PCs require. Plus it works great as a slow cooker when set to not use pressure. The inner pot is stainless steel yet food doesn't stick. We bought an extra inner pot because it can be switched out & kept warm on the stove while quickly pressure cooking rice or vegetables in 5 minutes.

[Casserole55]

Might I suggest a different route? Instead of a slow cooker, get a pressure cooker. You get the same fabulous results with foods that are braised or stewed. But you cook fast rather than slow. You can also do things like cook a delicious pot of (unsoaked) black beans in 20 minutes. I only use my slow cooker to serve hot food at parties and potlucks. I use my pressure cooker several times each week. My brand is Fagor - I got a combo 4 qt and 8 quart. Worth every penny in electricity saved.

[La Bibliotecaria Feroz]

The best crockpot is free. Mine came out of my mother's basement. Check Freecycle and Goodwill. I think people often get rid of perfectly nice crockpots because they are so bulky and not everyone uses it much. I use mine every week because we love soup.

[ketchup]

Mine's a Crockpot that's probably older than I am.  My grandpa gave it to us, and it's really nice stoneware that should last forever.  Dead simple, no timer, no clock, it doesn't do my taxes, etc.

[rocksinmyhead]

ours is a fancy-pants Hamilton Beach one my boyfriend bought about 4 years ago. kind of like this: http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/hamilton-beach-6-quart-programmable-slow-cooker/1015868953 he definitely didn't pay $50 for it though, I think he got it on sale at Walmart. he shopped around and did a lot of research.

obviously I can't speak to extreme longevity but at 4 years it's doing fine. we don't really ever use the temperature probe feature, but I guess I will go against the grain here and say I LOVE HAVING THE TIMER FEATURE. I don't know about y'all but it seems like most crockpot recipes have stupidly short cook times compared to how long we're out of the house on an average day. 8 hours is nothin' once you consider I work 9 hours most days, then get home and walk the dogs, and sometimes run, before we eat dinner. so for us, the fancy-pants timer is very much worth it. I get that crockpot recipes are pretty flexible on time, but sometimes cooking on high for an extra 2-3 hours is just not going to work. we use the crockpot occasionally in the summer (to cook dried beans probably 1x/month, and occasionally for other things), and 1-2x a week the rest of the year. I don't know if I would use it as often without the timer.

[Fodder]

I own two crockpots and I'm an avid crockpot user.

I have a 2.5 qt very simple one (off, low, high) and a 6 qt more sophisticated one (timed cooking and a warm setting).

To be honest, if I could only have one crockpot, I'd probably want a 4 qt one.  The 6qt one is really big, and it's too big for many recipes (I use the smaller one more).

I don't think you need any fancy settings, beyond having a removable insert (so much better for cleaning, and so you can prep recipes and put them in the fridge).  The timer setting is nice to have, but not necessary.

But I do think you'll find that the 6qt is too big for many recipes - it's great for large stews and chilis, but when I'm making a roast, pulled pork, curries, meatballs, etc., I find it's just too big.

[nereo]

A lot of people here love their slow-cookers, but no one ever mentions the brand they use.  I've never owned one, and would like to try a 6-quart.  Which do we think is the most long-lasting and reliable?   

Besides a removable pot, what functions should one opt for?

I'll buck the trend here by offering slightly different advice.  My slowcooker is a Crock-Pot brand circular (think it's 4.5qt) that was given to me as a gift.  Its the model they carry at Target for $30.  We've hooked it up to an electricity timer so that we can cook recipes that only call for 4 hours of cooking while we are away all day (the timer starts cooking 4 hours before we want to eat.)
Also, while I like pressure-cookers for their convienence, they don't serve the same function.  With a crockpot I can have the meal cooking while I go work or hike or ski.  With a pressure cooker I still have to make the meal (albeit much faster) but then either re-heat it when I get home or do all the cooking when I get home.  They are both useful, but for different reasons.

My slowcooker works great, but here are some of the features I wish it had:
1) oval instead of round.  The oval versions are far more useful than round ones, especially if you want to cook whole pork loins or chickens or pot roasts.  With round you just have a lot of space around your meat, and not enough contact with the braising liquids.
2) a built-in timer.  We "made-do" with a simple electric timer but versions with built-in timers can cook the food and then lower the temperature to hold it - useful since sometimes we run hours behind when we're off  hiking.  We've come home to a few meals where the meat was very dry because it cooked for 6 hours instead of 4.
3) Personally I'd prefer the 6qrt version, because I like to cook in batches and use the leftovers for lunches and dinners the following days.  4.5qt recipes usually make 6-8 servings.  6qt can make 10-12.
4) a "warm" setting in addition to "Low" nad "High".  IME, "Low" is still too high to keep food hot for several hours (it overcooks everything), and I like the convienence of coming home and having food that is still ~140ºF and ready to serve.  On my version "Low" seems to keep foods around 175ºF and "High" around 210ºF.

FWIW, ATK rated the Crock-Pot Touchscreen Slow Cooker as their best cooker, and the one they used in all their test recipes.  It's a bit steep though ($99) - that's why I've continued to use my free-as-a-gift, $30 bare-bones variety. 

[Jellyfish]

+1 to having a timer.  If I'm going to put the crock pot on in the morning before I leave for work, it will be done before I get home at night, so the timer is essential to not overcooking the meal.  To me that is the only truly essential feature.

[KBecks2]

Removable pot and then get the best price you can on sale. 

[KBecks2]

Removable pot and then get the best price you can on sale.  I agree ovals are nice.  Try to get it cheap or free!

[rocksinmyhead]

My slowcooker works great, but here are some of the features I wish it had:
1) oval instead of round.  The oval versions are far more useful than round ones, especially if you want to cook whole pork loins or chickens or pot roasts.  With round you just have a lot of space around your meat, and not enough contact with the braising liquids.
2) a built-in timer.  We "made-do" with a simple electric timer but versions with built-in timers can cook the food and then lower the temperature to hold it - useful since sometimes we run hours behind when we're off  hiking.  We've come home to a few meals where the meat was very dry because it cooked for 6 hours instead of 4.
3) Personally I'd prefer the 6qrt version, because I like to cook in batches and use the leftovers for lunches and dinners the following days.  4.5qt recipes usually make 6-8 servings.  6qt can make 10-12.
4) a "warm" setting in addition to "Low" nad "High".  IME, "Low" is still too high to keep food hot for several hours (it overcooks everything), and I like the convienence of coming home and having food that is still ~140ºF and ready to serve.  On my version "Low" seems to keep foods around 175ºF and "High" around 210ºF.

definitely agree with all of these, we have all 4 and I love it. there are only two of us and I don't have a problem using the 6 quart... most things you make in a crockpot freeze SUPER well and I love having leftovers!

[Villanelle]

You don't need a timer.  Get one of those timer systems that people use to turn lights on and off in their home, and use that on the slow cooker.  It's cheap, and one less thing to break on your cooker.  If the timer dies, you buy a new one, and they are cheap.  Granted, it will turn if off rather than just down to "warm", but unless you are hours behind, it won't make much difference.  And I always put a towel over the top of mine as its cooking so that it is better insulated and doesn't have to work so hard to keep up the temps, and that will keep it warm longer.

This is definitely something I'd by at a thrift store or garage sale.  Just make sure you plug it in and check to see that it works.  I don't think band and features are so important that they are worth paying for, and considering you can probably buy 5 thrift store pots for the price of one new, how long it lasts doesn't seem quite so important either. 

[Chrissy]

Brilliant advice, folks, thank you.  Every response has been helpful.  This type of discussion is exactly what I was hoping for.

[1967mama]

Point taken on the timer feature :-)  I'm a SAHM and so I can peek at a dish and see if its done or not.  I have a 6 qt and a 4qt. I used to have a third one (2 were gifts) but it broke when it accidentally slipped a bit while I was draining something and cracked on my sink :-(

I love getting them both going at once -- maybe one for dinner tonight, and the other with beans in it to replenish our "instant" supply of freezer beans.  I have a photo of one time where I had all 3 going.

+1 to finding one at a thrift store. I see the older ones there all the time.

[chicagomeg]

We have the Instant Pot & it's fantastic. Pressure cooking is amazing, & the new models have all sorts of safety features & an easy to use quiet indicator. The IP adds automation, so you can set it & not have to watch it the way stovetop PCs require. Plus it works great as a slow cooker when set to not use pressure. The inner pot is stainless steel yet food doesn't stick. We bought an extra inner pot because it can be switched out & kept warm on the stove while quickly pressure cooking rice or vegetables in 5 minutes.

Oh I hate all of you for recommending this thing haha. The nonstick coating on our crock pot is starting to wear & I've been thinking about getting a new rice cooker that has a delay timer. Neither of those things cost $200, and yet I want this one instead! Must resist!

ETA: Just noticed the newest version is $135. Slightly more palatable. Might stalk it for an Amazon Warehouse deal.

[2ndTimer]

If this is your first slow cooker, pick up whatever you can find cheapest with a removable inside at the thrift store.  After you have used it for a while you will know what you want much better.

[Dee18]

My basic Hamilton Beach has worked great for several years. 

[Hadilly]

Our crockpot has a removable insert that I can use on the stove top. Nice for recipes where you might want to sautee onions or sear meat.

[Carless]

Slow cookers are one of those things that always seem to be available at the thrift store.  Mine has temperatures on it, so I can use it for roasting instead of the oven which is nice.

[BayAsh]

I just watched a cooking show over the holiday weekend, and they reviewed slow cookers in one of their segments. The one with the best cooking results for a reasonable price was the Hamilton Beach stay or go. I think they reviewed the 6 quart one. Priced around $30

[1967mama]

Mine is "Crock Pot" brand. Works well.

[Rural]

I've had quite a few over the years, various brands, and the only thing that every went wrong with any of them is me dropping and breaking the crock (it's more likely to survive if empty than if full).

[sabertooth3]

@rocksinmyhead- I have that exact pot and it's great! I've only had it for about 2 years, but it's still working like new. I do pork tenderloin in there a lot, and it keeps the meat cooked and warm without drying out at all or overheating.

[zoltani]

The local goodwill had a bunch of these, check it out! We just got one for $8, works great. Wish it had a timer, but we can use a plug in timer if needed.

[lizzzi]

I just watched a cooking show over the holiday weekend, and they reviewed slow cookers in one of their segments. The one with the best cooking results for a reasonable price was the Hamilton Beach stay or go. I think they reviewed the 6 quart one. Priced around $30

I bought this one because it has a latch-on lid and the handles fold down so it will fit into a crockpot carrying bag. I also got the Reynolds slow cooker liners. The combination has been a godsend, as I take a crockpot meal with me to eat with family members every week or ten days. I bought everything from my Amazon Prime. I would recommend this slow cooker. Can't remember the exact price, but it was reasonable, and totally makes good meals (soups, pot roast, for example) that are no-mess and easy to transport.

[jengod]

$30 4-quart Proctor-Silex is available in many drugstores and is totally foolproof.

Got mine for $15 at a thrift store.

Bonus bargain breakfast recipe:

SLOW-COOKER GROATMEAL

4 cups water
1 cup GROATS (uncut oat seeds, available at Whole Foods bulk for $1.99 a pound; also via Azure Standard and other hippie sources, don't use steel-cut or rolled oats or it turns to slimy slop overnight)
1/4 tsp salt

OPTIONAL FLAVORINGS ($$)
capful vanilla extract
cinnamon stick

Combine in cooker. Turn on low setting no earlier than 10 pm (aim for ~6-8 hours cooking time). Go to bed.

PERFECT oatmeal (consistency, temperature, flavor) with zero groggy first-thing prep time, ready and waiting the next morning.

Serves 4.

[dividendman]

Well, I've wanted to eat healthier in the new year and I love stews. I've never owned a slow cooker but from this thread it looks like they're pretty good.

I looked on amazon and since I'm only making meals for myself I got thishttp://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002CA3C6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 for $13.33. I'll update this thread on how it goes.

[Chrissy]

I was in Sears over Christmas, and pointed out a killer sale on a slow-cooker to my BF.  He said, if I wanted one, he could just give me one of his!  We're getting married in a few months... I can wait until we combine forces.

[Runge]

ours is a fancy-pants Hamilton Beach one my boyfriend bought about 4 years ago. kind of like this: http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/hamilton-beach-6-quart-programmable-slow-cooker/1015868953 he definitely didn't pay $50 for it though, I think he got it on sale at Walmart. he shopped around and did a lot of research.

obviously I can't speak to extreme longevity but at 4 years it's doing fine. we don't really ever use the temperature probe feature, but I guess I will go against the grain here and say I LOVE HAVING THE TIMER FEATURE. I don't know about y'all but it seems like most crockpot recipes have stupidly short cook times compared to how long we're out of the house on an average day. 8 hours is nothin' once you consider I work 9 hours most days, then get home and walk the dogs, and sometimes run, before we eat dinner. so for us, the fancy-pants timer is very much worth it. I get that crockpot recipes are pretty flexible on time, but sometimes cooking on high for an extra 2-3 hours is just not going to work. we use the crockpot occasionally in the summer (to cook dried beans probably 1x/month, and occasionally for other things), and 1-2x a week the rest of the year. I don't know if I would use it as often without the timer.

I have the same one, maybe a year or two newer though, and I LOVE it. I use the timer feature as well, but I mainly use the probe. The probe is helpful if you're throwing in a roast and aren't sure how long it'll take to get it to the appropriate temperature. Stick the probe in there and it'll make sure the dish reaches that temp, once it does, it switches to warm. It's pretty fantastically fancy pants, and I certainly enjoy it. It's also useful if you're making and serving a hot alcoholic drink, but don't want the temperature to get too high and burn off the alcohol.

[JohnnyDollar]

Fantastically fancy-pants but IMHO worth it.  Makes tasty Real Food (tm) that's bachelor-chow easy.  Keep your eye out for sales/discount prices-- I got mine for $40 and (while looking for the model number to recommend to a friend) read reviews that the inserts break easily.  (Unnecessarily) worried, I priced a replacement insert - and found it was actually the same price as a whole new (then-newly-discontinued) crockpot of the same model!  So now I have two - one for use, one for backup/ parts - and convenience when holding a party.

[MandalayVA]

FWIW, ATK rated the Crock-Pot Touchscreen Slow Cooker as their best cooker, and the one they used in all their test recipes.  It's a bit steep though ($99) - that's why I've continued to use my free-as-a-gift, $30 bare-bones variety.

$99?  I have one and I paid $40 at Target.  Must have hit a sale. 

And +1 on the Reynolds slow cooker liners.  Yesterday I was throwing together what I call "swamp chili" (various meats with diced tomatoes, corn and spices) and realized I didn't have any liners.  One HUGE advantage other than easy cleanup is being able to lift the liner out of the crock to get the food out.  I was terrified that I was going to drop the insert trying to get the stuff into the bowl.  Needless to say liners are number one on my grocery list this week.

[dorothyc]

I have five slow cookers, but I only regularly do conventional slow cooking in the biggest, 6.5 quart one. The others are more usually used as chafing dishes when I am making holiday dinners. At Thanksgiving I started a bunch of dishes on the stovetop, then set them to keep warm in slow cookers until serving time. Large 6.5 quart Hamilton Beach Rival Crockpot with four settings - 4 or 6 hours high, or 8 or ten hours low, then it switches to keep warm. A 3 quart round Crockpot, no timer :

http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-PSC-350-2-Quart-Programmable-Cooker/dp/B001E5CWVU

I have two of these, 1.5 quart oval Proctor Silex:

http://www.goodmans.net/i/3268/rival-50301w-3-quart-round-slow-cooker-crock-pot.htm

And 4 quart oval Cuisinart with timer - I used to have two of these, but gave one to my college bound daughter

http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-PSC-350-2-Quart-Programmable-Cooker/dp/B001E5CWVU

I like the oval ones if you have cupboard space - you can cook long shaped roasts. Some of these get stored in the garage in the off season.

Edited to correct brand of biggest cooker

[MakingSenseofCents]

We have a $14 cheap crockpot that we bought from Best Buy a few years ago. We use it multiple times a day too!