Once you are convinced by the benefits of a slow cooker and have brushed up on the different slow cooker features available you are ready to make the final decisions before taking the plunge and buying a slow cooker. These slow cooker buying tips will give you a checklist of questions to ask yourself before you start shopping.
Size Isn’t Everything
The key purchase factor for most people is the size of their slow cooker. There are models available at most price points for most sizes, differentiated by brand and functionality, so everyone can find a slow cooker to suit their needs and budget.
It is not always clear what size you need so we’ve poured our knowledge into our handy size picker!
| Capacity | Servings | Ideal for | Price Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 3 quarts | Under 4 | Singles or couples | $20-$100 |
| 3-5 quarts | 4-8 | Couples who freeze Small families |
$30-$150 |
| Over 5 quarts | Over 8 | Large families Love entertaining Freeze in bulk |
$30-$180 |
Feature Choices
It’s difficult to avoid repetition here but we consider it absolutely essential that you get a removable cooking pot and glass lid with any slow cooker purchase. For most people with modern lifestyles and work commitments, a timer and keep warm function are also required and it is rare to see a recent slow cooker without at least two heat settings.
The key choices are then capacity, shape and size as well as whether you need some of the less common features such as a locking lid for transport to parties and picnics. Take a moment to think it over so you can quickly browse the online catalog and find your ideal slow cooker.
Accessorize your slow cooker
Once you’ve selected your new slow cooker, make sure you have everything you need to get the best out of it from day one. By buying all the accessories you need with the cooker you can often save on shipping costs. All these and more are available from our accessories catalog.
- If you are cooking in bulk to freeze, make sure you have enough freezer storage to store your culinary creations in. Most slow chef’s need a variety of sizes of freezing containers so they can store meals for one, two or more separately. You will find that you need more than you think as the slow cooking bug bites you!
- If either you have a model of slow cooker that doesn’t have a removable pot, you may want to use pot liners that cut down on cleaning.
- Make sure you have the right utensils to prepare, on some occasions stir and serve your slow cooking meals. A good set of knives and a set of spatulas, ladels and serving spoons are perfect here as well as a trivet for your dining table to put the warm cooking pot on.
- The mainstay of many chef’s needing to breakout of simple soups and stews. Tap into a wide variety of slow cooking recipe books to expand your range of slow cooker recipes and techniques.
Time To Buy
With the in-depth understanding this short guide has given you, you are ready to make the final step and buy a slow cooker. Every item in our slow cookers catalog has been evaluated against our key features checklist for easy comparison and is browseable by price, brand, capacity or servings so finding your ideal slow cooker is quick and simple!
US Catalog
UK Catalog