The 6 best slow cookers for tender roasts and flavorful stews

Imagine coming home to the mouthwatering aroma of a roast with carrots and potatoes. Dinner is ready; you only need to dish out the food, chow down, and relax after a long day. The best slow cookers make this dream a reality. You just load the ingredients in the morning and go about your day.

I interviewed experts and cooked roasts, potatoes, carrots, chili, and hamburgers in 14 units to find the best slow cookers. Our top pick is the Cuisinart Cook Central Multi-Cooker; it's easy to use and clean, stays at consistent temperatures, and did an outstanding job of cooking in our tests. We recommend the Crock-Pot Cook and Carry Slow Cooker as a budget option. It maintains consistent temperatures and saves you money, but it's harder to clean and has no browning function.

Learn more about how Insider Reviews tests and researches kitchen products.

Our top picks for slow cookers:

Best overall: Cuisinart Cook Central Multi-Cooker - See at Amazon

Best budget: Crock-Pot Cook and Carry Slow Cooker - See at Target

Best splurge: Wolf Gourmet Programmable Multi Cooker - See at Amazon

Best large-capacity: Ninja Foodi PossibleCooker PRO Multi-Cooker - See at Amazon

Most versatile: Instant Pot Duo Crisp Pressure Cooker - See at Amazon

Best electric Dutch oven: Instant Electric Round Dutch Oven - See at Amazon

Best overall

The Cuisinart Cook Central Multi-Cooker (model MSC-600) did a great job at every task, and it's what Anna Vocino, author of the "Eat Happy" cookbook, recommended in our interview as one of the best slow cookers.

It is one of only three cookers that didn't just boil water on high heat and maintained a simmer. On low heat, the cooker reached 197 degrees Fahrenheit and stayed there for the final 6 hours of the 12-hour cook.

The chili and roast we made in the Cuisinart were tender, moist, and delicious. The browning function works similarly to others in this guide: cooking burgers revealed that the center of the pot was hotter than the periphery, as is the case with all of the crockpots that brown.

Using the $130 Cuisinart Cook Central is intuitive. I didn't need the user manual to get started, and the buttons were clear to read. I liked that the handles remained cool, and the light weight makes it easy to carry. However, it lacks a locking lid, which could lead to spills in transport.

While the lid and pot are dishwasher-safe, the pot requires significant space in your dishwasher. I preferred washing it by hand, as the nonstick surface released debris effortlessly.

Best budget

"I've tried many brands over the years, and Crock-Pot brand has been my hands-down favorite," said Sarah Olson, founder of The Magical Slow Cooker. "No matter what model of Crock-Pot brand I buy, they cook consistently."

The Crock-Pot Cook and Carry Slow Cooker was the cheapest slow cooker I tested at $75, yet it was also one of the best slow cookers. It maintained consistent temperatures without boiling in our high and low-temperature water tests. The chili and roast were nearly perfect; my only complaint was that the vegetables were slightly mushy. I recommend checking early for doneness or adding the vegetables later in the process since the heating element cooks them faster than recipes suggest.

Setup and use were intuitive. There are only four buttons: temperature select, up and down for the time, and off. The parts that come in contact with food are dishwasher safe, which is useful considering that debris sticks to the stoneware crock and is hard to clean by hand. This is the easiest-to-transport crockpot in our guide. It only weighs 13 pounds (empty), and the lid locks in place.

If the Crock-Pot Cook and Carry isn't available, a suitable alternative is the Hamilton Beach Set & Forget Slow Cooker. It didn't perform as well as the Crock-Pot and costs $15 more, but it's just as portable and features a temperature probe.

Best splurge

At $630, the Wolf Gourmet Programmable Multi Cooker is double the price of the other cookers we tested, but it performed the best in the slow cooking tests. The chili was perfect, with the vegetables and beans not mushy or hard. The roast was juicy and tender, easily coming apart with a fork.

The browning performance wasn't as impressive, though the Wolf Gourmet produced a nice crust. Like the other units we tested, the heat was highest in the center. However, the more significant issue was that the browned bits stuck to the stainless steel, and even a trip through the dishwasher didn't remove them.

The temperature readings were nearly identical in the low-heat and high-heat tests, so this is more like a one-temperature unit. In both instances, the temperature shot up quickly and remained consistent at a light simmer for the rest of the test.

Since it can also sous vide and cook rice, the Wolf Gourmet Multi Cooker is more complicated than most slow cookers, but I still found it intuitive. The biggest design flaw is that the cooker is heavy and has no locking lid, making it difficult to transport.

My runner-up high-end pick is the All-Clad Gourmet Plus Slow Cooker. It didn't do as well with chili, and the water boiled in the high-heat test, but it's half the price and did the best job browning.

Best large-capacity

At 9 quarts, the Ninja Foodi PossibleCooker PRO Multi-Cooker was the biggest slow cooker we tested. It produced a moist, tender roast, gave burgers a good crust, and maintained a consistent temperature in our low-heat water test. However, the chili was undercooked: the vegetables and beans were too firm.

During the high-heat test, the water temperature shot up to boiling within 2 hours and stayed there for the remainder of the test. Remember, though, this is a large-capacity unit that needs the extra heating power to cook large batches of food. The higher high-heat temps were an asset when making a pot roast.

Fortunately, the $130 Ninja Multi-Cooker is easy to use and clean. The dial lets you seamlessly choose from the eight preset modes, and clear up and down arrows make setting the time and temp simple. The pot isn't dishwasher-safe, but the nonstick coating facilitates effortless hand-washing.

For its size, the Ninja Foodi PossibleCooker PRO is surprisingly light. I just wished the lid locked in place.

Most versatile

In my experience, multi-functional electric pressure cookers don't slow cook as well as dedicated slow cookers. However, the $150 Instant Pot Duo Crisp Pressure Cooker does a good enough job and has so many functions that it can replace several kitchen appliances; that's why you can find it in our guides to the best pressure cookers, best sous vide machines, and best air fryers.

The Instant Pot Duo Crisp excelled at browning burgers, producing a nice crust that was nearly uniform. It also did a good job of slow-cooking vegetables and beans. However, the roast was a little tough, and I needed a knife to cut it. I recommend increasing the cooking times when you use the Duo Crisp for slow cooking.

Regarding temperature maintenance during slow cooking, the Instant Pot wasn't great: it had the highest temperatures in our low-heat testing and brought the water to a boil in high-heat testing. To its credit, the unit maintained consistent temperatures.

If you are new to Instant Pots, you might be intimidated by the Duo Crisp, with its 18-button interface and separate lid for air frying. Fortunately, the slow cook button and the time and temp adjustments are clearly labeled. Clean-up is a snap — compared to other slow cookers, this model takes up relatively little dishwasher space.

Lastly, the Duo Crisp is easy to transport since it weighs less than 13 pounds and the lid twists on, though our budget pick has a more secure lid lock.

Read our full Instant Pot Duo Crisp review.

Best electric Dutch oven

An electric Dutch oven offers all of the benefits of the best Dutch ovens, without the need for an oven or stovetop. I like the Instant Electric Round Dutch Oven because it did a great job of getting up to and maintaining a consistent temperature. This translated to excellent chili and a good roast, though the meat wasn't as tender as I would have liked.

The meat might have turned out more tender if the cooker had a traditional "high" setting. However, there's just one temperature, which was between the average low-heat and high-heat temperatures in our tests.

Using the Instant Dutch Oven is pretty simple with the light-up buttons. While you can put the pot and lid in the dishwasher, it's not recommended. Washing by hand was easy enough as the enameled cast iron releases burned bits easily. The pot is oven- and stovetop-safe, so you can use it like any Dutch oven.

The Instant is hefty, and the lid doesn't lock in place, so you may want to look elsewhere if you plan on transporting your meals.

What to look for in a slow cooker

Size: Look for a slow cooker that is at least 6 quarts, which is the standard size for most recipes. The classic oval shape is perfect for accommodating roasts and longer items. The Instant Electric Dutch Oven is the only model in our guide that isn't oval, but we had no problem fitting a roast.

Simple display: You don't want to reference the user manual every time you use your slow cooker, so look for an easy-to-understand display with a countdown timer. All of the cookers in our guide fit the bill.

Maintaining temperature: Wild temperature swings will negatively impact your meal. For consistent results, look for a slow cooker that maintains heat levels once it gets up to temp. Our top pick is a great example of this.

Portable: If you plan on taking your crockpot to gatherings, we strongly recommend a lightweight model featuring a locking lid and large, easy-to-grip handles that stay cool. Large rubber bands or bungee cords can secure the lid if your slow cooker doesn't lock.

Other useful features: If you are in and out of your house often and may not be home when your slow cooker finishes cooking, look for a model that keeps the food warm once the cooking is done. All of the units in our guide do this. A clear lid is also a nice feature for seeing how your meal is coming along without removing the lid.

How we test slow cookers

Ease of use: I set up each slow cooker without looking at the instructions to see how intuitive the process was. I noted if it took significant trial and error to program it.

Slow cooking: I made vegan chili (7 hours on low heat) and a classic pot roast (6 hours on high) in each slow cooker. I sampled each and rated the texture and moistness of the vegetables, beans, and meat. Crockpots that produced tender but not mushy ingredients were rated higher.

Browning: I browned burgers in the models with a browning or searing function. I noted how evenly they browned and how nice the crust was. They all struggled to heat evenly, but they were good enough for my needs.

Consistent heat: I put 4 quarts of water in the crockpots and ran them for 6 hours on high heat and 12 hours on low. Every hour, I measured the temperature in several spots. If the cooker brought the water to a boil, it lost points. It gained points if it didn't have hot spots and kept the water at a consistent temperature.

Cleaning: If the pots and lids were dishwasher-safe, I washed them in the dishwasher at least once to see how much space they needed and if the dishwasher got the job done. I also washed them by hand. The classic ceramic crock material and stainless steel were the hardest to clean by hand.

Portability: I weighed the cookers and noted if they have a lid that locks in place. If you plan on attending potlucks or delivering meals to people, I strongly recommend choosing a unit with a locking lid.

Capacity: I measured how much water each pot could hold. These are the capacity measurements referenced throughout the guide.

Slow cooker FAQs

Which is better, a Crock-Pot or slow cooker?

"Slow cooker and crockpot are the same. Crock-Pot is just a brand name," said Olson. "A slow cooker slow cooks the food without any fuss. A pressure cooker (often called Instant Pot) is a sealed vessel that uses pressure to cook food faster."

I have tested the slow cooking function of 11 pressure cookers and 13 slow cookers, and overall, slow cookers do a much better job of slow cooking. Both Olson and Vocino agreed. "The Instant Pot doesn't get quite as hot as it needs to be for slow cooking," said Olson.

Can you put frozen meat in a slow cooker?

"You can," said Vocino, but "it's better if things thaw first." The reason, she explained, is that slow cookers break down the tough muscles of meat to make them tender. When you start from frozen, it takes longer and may cook unevenly.

How do you care for a slow cooker?

Cleaning and care for the best slow cookers will vary from model to model, so your best bet is to check your user manual. Most, but not all, slow cooker pots and lids are dishwasher-safe. To wash by hand, use warm soapy water and a soft sponge or cloth. Clean the parts that come in contact with food after each use.

Is a round or oval slow cooker?

It depends on what you plan to cook. Oval slow cookers are popular because they better accommodate long cuts of meat, like a roast or ribs. If you rarely prepare meat, you might prefer the deeper, round slow cookers, which are better for stews and soups.