Best Slow Cookers

We reviewed slow cookers across temperature accuracy at low and high settings, lid seal quality, insert material and heat retention, size versus capacity accuracy, and programmable timer reliability.

Temperature accuracy is the food safety requirement. Slow cookers are required to reach and maintain 165 degrees F to ensure food safety. Budget slow cookers with inaccurate heating elements can run too cool, which is a food safety risk rather than just a quality concern. Slow cookers with digital temperature probes that verify actual food temperature eliminate this uncertainty.

Insert material affects browning capability. A bare ceramic insert requires transferring from a skillet for any browning step before slow cooking. An aluminum or cast-iron insert that can go on the stovetop allows searing protein directly in the slow cooker insert before switching to slow cook mode -- eliminating a pan and simplifying the process. If you cook recipes that call for browning before slow cooking, insert compatibility matters.