Rice - Again, it’s very easy to get rice wrong in a slow cooker. If you’re planning on adding it at the start, you’ll need extra liquid and a low temperature setting. Don’t rely on what the box says about the size of your slow cooker, and don’t be swayed by the marketing blurb promising litres of capacity. When we tested its slow cooking mode we found that it's almost too good at retaining moisture. Recipes that came out more saucy in some slow cookers were a little less rich because it's also designed to be an airtight pressure cooker. That can be remedied though by adding less liquid or taking into account the liquid that will come out of meat and veggies when you add them. Slow cookers have got so much going for them, it’s hard not to love them. Not only will a good one save you time and effort in the kitchen, it’ll save you money too. Slow cookers transform cheaper cuts of meat into tender dishes and liven up economical healthy pulses, like lentils, beans and peas. Plus, while they can be on all day, it’s at such a low wattage that it will only cost pennies.

slow cooker 2023: Enjoy delicious, slow cooked meals Best slow cooker 2023: Enjoy delicious, slow cooked meals

The inner pot needs to be at room temperature before you start cooking. If you've kept a slow cooker dish in the fridge, you must wait for it to warm up before turning it on. It might promise 6 litres on the box, but you won't get 6 litres’ worth of your favourite recipe in the cooking bowl.After our recipes tests, we turn our attention to features. Good slow cookers will have plenty of useful features, be it a well constructed lid to keep the heat in or a high performance warming setting that keeps food toasty without drying it out. Capacity is also important, which is why we take note of the best size models for families, couples and even solo households. Finally, for slow cookers with other cooking functions, such as sautéing or pressure cooking, we test these as we would any other multi cooker. If you’re cooking for one or two and have no plans to freeze leftovers, choose a smaller 3.5-litre slow cooker (usable volume of around 2 litres). Heat retention: how the cooker holds heat for safety on the worktop and whether the food catches or burns It sounds obvious, but an indicator light will show you instantly that your slow cooker is on and working. Not every slow cooker has one, especially the very basic models. Keep warm Rice and pasta dishes work best cooked on high for the shortest time possible. Always use easy-cook rice, rinsed well first – the more starch you rinse from the rice, the better the finished result.

slow cooker 2023 - batch cooking made easy | Ideal Home Best slow cooker 2023 - batch cooking made easy | Ideal Home

Looking for an easier way to cook rice? See our round-up of the best rice cookers. Best slow cooker features to look out for You can activate a keep warm setting to keep your food ready for as long as six hours after your cooking mode has finished. The sear mode took only a few minutes to pre-heat and we were able to brown our onions before adding curry ingredients, which delivered a lot of extra flavour.The slow cooker's 'reduce' function was useful for bubbling away excess liquid after slow cooking.The Ninja Foodi Multi-Cooker is certainly mighty, but if you like your gadgets it could be a great investment. You can of course just use this multi-cooker as a slow cooker, for which it has a generous 6 litre capacity, but you can also take advantage of the sear setting to brown meat and veggies before slow cooking for a more rich flavour. The best slow cookers you can buy in 2023 1. Argos Cookworks 6.5l Slow Cooker: Best budget slow cooker with a huge capacity The Russell Hobbs Good to Go Multicooker is a true multi-tasker. Armed with a variety of capabilities, you can make sure that your meat is cooked just right before you cut it open, or fill up a water bath for succulent sous vide fish or veggies. This digital slow cooker comes with a removable control dial on its front control panel, which has pre-set modes for steaming and stewing as well as high and low manual temperature levels. There is also a keep warm mode. The range of settings on your slow cooker will depend on how much you spend. The most basic slow cookers will have high, low and possibly a warm setting, which you’ll need to select manually. So if you’re not too bothered by anything more fancy, then save yourself some money and opt for a basic model. Delicate vegetables - While a slow cooker is excellent for tougher root veg, it can cause softer produce such as courgette, asparagus and pumpkin to turn to mush. If you insist on adding them, they’ll need to go towards the end of the cooking process.

Crock-Pot Chrome Slow Cooker, 6.5 Litre, Brushed Chrome

However, there’s not much of a seal between the lid and the bowl, so you might find some condensation escaping. The exterior of the cooker can also grow hot, so use oven gloves. Much like the Morphy Richards, the pot is made of lightweight metal, so it’s easy to carry but doesn’t hold heat well when serving. The Tefal represents great value for money thanks to its multiple functions – in particular, slow cooking and rice cooking.

Enjoy one-pot suppers and family favourite dishes such as pulled pork and chilli with these easy-to-use cookers

READ NEXT: Create super-smooth sauces with these fab hand blenders Does it matter what the pot is made of? As they're versatile buys, many of the slow cookers featured below have extra functionalities or accessories for steaming and multi-level cooking, with the cross-over between the best multi-cookers and slow cookers evident in both of our guides. If you're looking to cash in on as many features as you can, then look out for those models with different functions built-in.