The Best Slow Cookers That Always Deliver Dinner on Time

The Instant Pot Duo60 6-Quart Programmable Pressure Cooker is beloved by thousands of reviewers for a reason — its functionality is second to none, which is why we’re naming it as the best overall slow cooker. This slow cooker can also be used as a pressure cooker, rice cooker, yogurt maker, and steamer. You can even sauté ingredients in it before adding them to another dish.

All of these presets can be programmed with just the push of a button, which sets the time and temp automatically for you. Its lid clamps on for a tight (and safe) seal to ensure your meal will be completely cooked on time. The 6-quart model is the most versatile, but it also comes in a small 3-quart version and a much bigger 8-quart for extra large batches.

Our editor Brandon Carte is a longtime fan of the Instant Pot for making meal prep a little less labor-intensive. He says, “As crazy as it sounds, I meal-prep for my dogs, and we use the Instant Pot for cooking all the chicken for them. I used it to meal-prep for myself, too, and found that the Instant Pot is a game-changer when it comes to cooking proteins quickly.”

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The Crock-Pot 6-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker is just the right blend of simple and smart. It has two temperature settings (“low” and “high”), but a seriously impressive number of specific cook times. It even has a convenient locking lid that keeps the contents inside warm during transit. The stay-cool handles also help support its weight and prevent burns.

Our tester Danielle St. Pierre loves this device's many timer settings, so she doesn’t have to think about getting home in time to turn it off. She says, “My favorite feature of this slow cooker is the programmable timer setting, which lets you program cook times anywhere from 30 minutes to 20 hours. I also really like the automatic warming mode feature in case you — like me — somehow always forget to turn things off in the kitchen while you’re running around.”

From the O.G. of all slow cooker brands, the Crock-Pot 7-Quart Oval Manual Slow Cooker is a trusted and reliable kitchen appliance. This 7-quart manual slow cooker can feed a whole family for dinner — and you'll probably still have leftovers for the next day. The four heat settings are controlled by a simple, straightforward dial, and the reasonable price point for its extra-large size just simply can't be beaten.

Our tester Kayla Ramsey loves how easy it is to use, saying, “I’ve been using a version of this same Crock-Pot since I started cooking as a kid, and no matter how many newer, smarter versions of slow cookers come out, I still consider this one perfect in its simplicity.”

Just one caveat: It’s an entirely manual device with no timer or auto-off settings, so you need to turn this off (or set it to “warm”) if you want it to stop cooking.

When you want to set a precise time or temperature for your cooking, the 6-Quart Set & Forget Digital Programmable Slow Cooker delivers the results you want. It offers three cooking modes that let you cook your food to your desired doneness or the recommended time for your recipe.

Once the cooking timer goes off, the device switches into a “warm” mode, so your food will be at the perfect temperature when you’re ready to sit down for a meal. Also, if you want to take this slow cooker to go, all you have to do is lock the lid on with its included clamps, and you’re ready to take it to a potluck.

Our editor Brandon Carte loves this model, especially because it allows for much more precision. He says, “The slow cooker is incredibly easy to use. It only requires four button presses to get your food cooking. There’s a small display so you can adjust the temperature in 5-degree increments. You can set it between 140 and 180 degrees. I love that when you set the timer, you can adjust the time in 30-minute increments.”

The device’s most unique feature is its temperature probe. The slow cooker’s lid even has a small hole that you can stick the probe through to pierce a roast or chicken thigh to ensure its doneness.

However, because this probe is detachable from the device and doesn’t come with its own case, Carte does say that it’s easy to misplace. And while the display is extremely useful for programming your functions, it’s quite dim and can’t be easily read from a distance.

As the most affordable and compact option on this list, the Crock-Pot 3-Quart Manual Slow Cooker is a great pick for smaller households. Although it’s a manual model that can’t be controlled remotely or programmed to an exact temperature, we love the no-frills functionality.

“Depending on the day and what I’m cooking, I’ll set the temperature knob to low if I am running errands or high if I plan on being home and want to eat sooner rather than later,” says editor Melanie Yates.

We also love the warming function to keep the food at a serving temperature if the cooking happens to wrap up before we're ready to chow down. Using this slow cooker helps our home-cooking routine by allowing us to make up a large batch of food for the week without being in the kitchen for hours.