10 Best Slow Cookers in 2022

*This post contains affiliate links, as an amazon affiliate I make commission from certain products promoted in this post.

What is the best slow cooker to buy?

One size does not fit all. There are a million different options out there when it comes to appliances. From size, to brand, to usability.

Here is a guide on the 10 best slow cooker to buy based on your budget and needs.

Check out this quick overview of the Slow Cookers covered in this post with pro and con details below.

Best Slow Cooker (Highest Rated, Most Recommended): KitchenAid 6-Qt. Slow Cooker

Best Slow Cooker for the Price (Best Value): Black and Decker

Cheapest Slow Cooker (Most Affordable): Crock Pot 7-Quart Manual Slow Cooker

Best Slow Cooker for Beginners: Crock Pot 6-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker

Best Slow Cooker for Advanced Cooks: All Clad Gourmet Slow Cooker

Most Attractive Slow Cooker (Easiest to Clean & Keep New): All Clad Stainless Steal 6.5-Qt.

Best slow cooker when cooking for two: Cuisinart 3 ½-Qt. Slow Cooker Best slow cooker for large families: Instant Pot Aura Pro 8-Qt. Slow Cooker

Best smart slow cooker (Pressure Cooker): CHEF iQ Pressure Cooker 6-Qt.

Most Luxurious Slow Cooker (All the bells and whistles): Wolf Gourmet Programmable Slow Cooker

Keep reading to find out which is the best slow cooker for you.

10 Best Slow Cooker’s to Buy in 2022

Best Slow Cooker (Highest Rated, Most Recommended): KitchenAid 6-Qt. Slow Cooker

Amazons choice when it comes to slow cookers. With thousands of 4.5 star reviews on Amazon and rated number one by Americas test kitchen, this slow cooker wins out as overall best slow cooker.

The price is very affordable and the size being a 6-Qt works for large or small families. The size of the slow cooker is great for anything from chicken dinners to soups to a full rotisserie chicken at home.

Pro: Affordable, 6-Quart, Programmable, Keeps food warm when finished, Digital display

Con: Only 4 cook settings, Steel Exterior in stainless steel color, not travel friendly

Best Slow Cooker for the Price (Best Value): Black and Decker

When it comes to the best slow cooker for the best value price-wise then the Black and Decker 7-quart digital slow cooker is the way to go. Not only it is super on trend with a black chalkboard surface. But it is also super affordable with programmable settings.

Also a super fun slow cooker for families because you can write on the chalkboard surface.

Pros: super affordable, Cute modern chalkboard surface, 7-quarts, locking system for transportation, lid holder, digital controls, great for large families, dishwasher safe

Cons: Harder to keep clean, no sear functionality, a bit bulky in size for storing.

Cheapest Slow Cooker (Most Affordable): Crock Pot 7-Quart Manual Slow Cooker

If you do not mind having a manual setting for your slow cooker cook time then the crock-pot 7-quart slow cooker is a great cheap option. Crock-pot slow cookers are a wonderful reliable brand and this slow cooker is less then $40 and is a great size for families at 7-quarts.

With price point being its best seller the downside to this slow cooker is the manual settings for cook time. Since there is no automatic keep warm setting you will have to manually switch when finished cooking.

Pro: Under $40, Great size for families, dishwasher safe, stainless steel,

Con: Not travel friendly, outside gets hot, no sear functionality, only 2 cook settings

Best Slow Cooker for Beginners: Crock Pot 6-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker

If this is your first slow cooker and you aren’t sure about using it yet then this is a great option for you. Not only will you not have to pay an arm and a leg for a new appliance but it is programmable with automatic settings to keep food warm after it cooks so you do not have to worry.

The true dump and go appliance for an easy dinner any night of the week. This slow cooker also comes with a smaller slow cooker for dips, perfect for large family gathers or any party.

Pro: Price point, dishwasher safe, 6-Qt, programmable controls, automatically warms food after cooking, little dipper warmer included

Con: Not travel friendly, No rubber lid seal, only two cook settings, exterior gets warm

Best Slow Cooker for Advanced Cooks: All Clad Gourmet Slow Cooker

This beautiful all-clad slow cooker has so many incredible features. You can program several different cooking styles and its super easy to clean and use. A rice cup and steam bucket is included and will be a great addition to any seasoned chefs kitchen.

The digital display will make cook time easy and this slow cooker will keep your food warm for up to 6b hours. A must have appliance if you’re in the market for a new slow cooker.

Pros: 5-Qt, programmable controls, digital display, automatically warms food, multiple cook programs available, beautiful smart design

Cons: a bit more expensive, ideal for families of 4 or less, not travel friendly

Most Attractive Slow Cooker (Easiest to Keep Clean & New): All Clad Stainless Steel 6.5-Qt.

This gorgeous modern slow cooker will look incredible in any kitchen. With a stainless steel design it is easy to clean and keep looking like brand new. Many other slow cookers can be hard to clean as you use them over and over again.

Get this all-clad stainless steel slow cooker for a modern appliance in your kitchen. It also has great functionality with a digital display, programmable controls and automatically keeps food warm after cooking so dinner is ready and warm when you are.

Pros: 6.5-Qt, programmable controls, digital display, automatically keeps food warm, dishwasher safe,

Cons: Not stove-top safe, not travel friendly, a bit more expensive

Best slow cooker when cooking for two: Cuisinart 3 ½-Qt. Slow Cooker

If you are cooking for two this slow cooker is an incredible option. At 3 1/2-Qt it is a large enough size for soups, while also small enough to make any slow cooker recipes on a smaller scale.

The sleek design and size is very storage friendly and will allow you to store in your kitchen without overwhelming the space. As an amazon choice product you cannot go wrong with this Cuisinart slow cooker option.

Pro: Perfect size when cooking for two, storage friendly, dishwasher safe, automatically keeps food warm, nonslip rubber feet, stay cool handles for safety

Cons: Small for families, only 4 cook settings, not travel friendly

Best slow cooker for large families: Instant Pot Branded 8-Qt Slow Cooker

A bigger family means more food for dinner. A family of four can get away with a 6-Qt slow cooker but any more then 4 people will need a much large size. I love the 8-Qt. instant pot brand slow cooker because it allows you to cook for a large family or even a party.

Plan meals out and triple or quadruple the recipe. If you have loads of parties or family members this is the slow cooker you need at home. Forget having multiple appliances. Get rid of the small slow cookers and purchase this one high quality large slow cooker for your family.

Pro: Great size 8-Qt, Storage friendly, stove-top safe, sear friendly, programmable controls, precision cooking, automatically keeps food warm, high quality brand, incredible price point

Con: Not travel friendly, too large for most people, no pressure cooker functionality (This is a slow cooker made by instant pot).

Best smart slow cooker (technically a pressure cooker): CHEF iQ Pressure Cooker 6-Qt.

The chef iQ 6-Qt pressure cooker has wifi functionality and an app on your phone. Though this is technically a pressure cooker it does have a slow cooker setting.

But the smart wifi app functionality of this is one of a kind and way to cool to not include in this list. If you are interested in full blown smart cooking then this all-in-one pressure cooker is perfect for you.

Pro: Control from an app, connect to wifi, smart device, slow cooker setting, storage friendly, 6-Qt.

Con: Not travel friendly, does not work without being set up, technically a pressure cooker and not strictly a slow cooker

Most Luxurious Slow Cooker (All the bells and whistles): Wolf Gourmet Programmable Slow Cooker

If you want the best of the best slow cooker this one is for you. This beauty has all the bells and whistles any slow cooker could offer.

Not only is the wolf gourmet beautiful to look at but she can also do just about anything you could dream of. Plus with a 5 year limited warranty your investment in yourself is safe and you will be making dinner like a professional chef every night of the week.

Pro: High quality, beautiful sleek design, programmable, multiple cooking programs, sear functionality, sous wide functionality, 5-year limited warranty

Con: expensive

What is a slow cooker?

A slow cooker heats at the base and works its way up cooking food slowly over several hours. A vacuum seal is created with the lid because of the steam produced during the cook time.

Slow cookers are a great way to let dinner cook for you while you head to the store or work for the day. They are safe to leave at home on as opposed to the oven or stove top.

What is the advantage of a slow cooker?

A slow cooker is an amazing appliance because it makes cooking dinner easy. Using freezer meals or dump and go recipes you can have dinner prepped in a few minutes and then go about your day while it cooks for you.

Slow cookers are also amazing because they give you tender juicy meat produced cooking meat for a long time over a low heat. Delicious dinners without all the work. You can even add frozen food straight into a slow cooker.

Is slow cooker healthy?

Yes, slow cookers are an extremely healthy appliance. Making healthy dinners more delicious and easier to make.

Try making some healthy freezer recipes and dump and go into the slow cooker. Dinner made in 60 seconds every night.

What should I look for when buying a slow cooker?

First consider size. If you have a smaller family try purchasing a 3-Qt slow cooker, where as a family of 4 could purchase a 6-Qt slow cooker and a family larger then 4+ will need an 8-Qt slow cooker.

Consider price point, you can get a slow cooker as little as $30 and as much as $600. There are different brands and features making slow cookers more or less expensive depending on your needs.

Lastly decide whether you would like manual or prgrammable controls. I prefer programmable (even though it adds a bit in price) because manual settings can sometimes cause dinner to overcook. The programmable controls will automatically stop cooking the food when ti is done and switch to keep warm mode ensuring dinner is warm, safe and ready when you are.

What size of slow cooker should I buy?

If you have a smaller family try purchasing a 3-Qt slow cooker, where as a family of 4 could purchase a 6-Qt slow cooker and a family larger then 4+ will need an 8-Qt slow cooker.

Is it worth getting a slow cooker?

Absolutely. Slow cookers will not only take the flavor of your food to a whole new level. But they will also save you loads of money. Making batch recipes, prepping meals and finding new recipes will allow you to use up what you have in the fridge so you can save less while eating healthier hom-ecooked meals on a regular basis. All thanks to your brand new slow cooker.

Best slow cooker accessories?

The top 3 best slow cooker accessories are
Slow Cooker Liners
Silicone Roasting Rack
Slow Cooker Bag

Where can I find the best slow cooker recipes?

Find the healthiest, easiest and best slow cooker recipes at www.myfamilydinner.com.