Flexible time and temperature options ensure perfect results every time. Don’t lock the lids of slow cookers when cooking, which can cause the glass to break. Ceramic can crack in sudden temperature changes, so don’t fill your crock with cold water while it’s still hot. Crocks made out of stoneware (like those of both of our picks) and their lids can tolerate the dishwasher. Otherwise, clean them in hot, soapy water, using a cloth or sponge rather than abrasive scouring pads.
They’re equipped to protect food en route to parties and potlucks anytime you want. Once you’re back home, the stoneware insert removes for easy cleanup in the dishwasher. Hamilton Beach® Large Slow Cookers make it easy to cook a big, tasty meal. Just prepare your fresh ingredients, place them in the crock, and go on your way.
But as we lay out in our How we picked section, we prefer the convenience of a programmable cooker. The Temp Tracker has a lid with the same style of lock and gasket for spill-proof transportation as our pick. Although you can achieve the same with a regular probe thermometer hamilton beach mixer slipped under the lid, we appreciate that the probe can work in conjunction with the machine to fine-tune cooking times. To supplement our interviews, we read every review of slow cookers we could find, as well as owner reviews, to determine our criteria.
If you need to cook it, we’ll give you the versatility to make it! The West Bend Versatility Cooker is your “go-to” tool for easy breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. With one appliance you get a slow cooker, oven-ready roaster, stovetop pot, and electric griddle. Plus, the lid and cooking pot are dishwasher-safe so cleanup is a breeze. With Tender Crisp Technology, you can achieve all the quick cooking and tenderizing wonders that you love about pressure cookers.
Errors will be corrected where discovered, and Lowe’s reserves the right to revoke any stated offer and to correct any errors, inaccuracies or omissions including after an order has been submitted. For a smaller, manual model, hamilton beach mixer we like the Crock-Pot 4-Quart Manual Slow Cooker. It’s small, with no extra features, but it’s inexpensive and well-reviewed. The KitchenAid 6-Quart Slow Cooker with Easy Serve Glass Lid didn’t get hot enough to cook beans.
Later on, you’ll come home to a perfectly cooked meal that’s ready to serve. Note that all of the cookers we tested emitted a rubbery, burning-like smell when we first used them. The odor is typical of appliances with heating elements and comes from a coating applied to protect the elements from corrosion while the machine is shipped and stored. The handles on the Set & Forget’s crock are small, and they aren’t as easy to grab as the Temp Tracker’s (our also-great pick) because of their position at the long end of the oval crock.
Once the cooking time is up, they automatically switch to warm. Hamilton Beach® Small Slow Cookers are the perfect size for medium-size families and most cooking occasions. Chop up fresh ingredients in the morning, hamilton beach slow cooker add them to your slow cooker, and walk away. You’ll have peace of mind all day, knowing that you’re coming home later to a delicious meal. Slow cooker defrosts first, then cooks it until perfectly done.