01.Introduction
Test results for 25 slow cookers priced between $25 and $200
For busy lifestyles, investing in a slow cookers has a lot of advantages. Cooking a meal is as easy as preparing the ingredients in the morning, adding the required liquid, setting the temperature and forgetting about it. At the end of the day dinner is ready. The appliance cooks the meal at a relatively low temperature while you're busy elsewhere, and it’s designed to cook safely while unattended.
Slow cookers are good with relatively inexpensive cuts of meat, such as stewing beef, shank or blade, which stay moist and won’t dry out during the long hours required for cooking. Slow cookers are also perfect for stews, soups, casseroles and other winter warmers. In summer they’ll cook a pot roast or one-pot meal without heating up your kitchen like an oven.
In our last review we praised the Breville ikon BSC560 for featuring an inner pan that allows you to sear the meat on the stovetop without needing to use another pan. This time there is one model on test that goes one step further - the Sunbeam SecretChef™ Electronic Sear and Slow Cooker HP8555 - which can sear in the slow cooker without the need for the stovetop, and we found it does this well. Although you pay more for these models, this feature is impressive, reducing the amount of cleaning at the end and making the slow cooker more versatile.
For tips on how to get the best result from a slow cooker, see our Tester’s tips.
Check our Cook's CHOICE recipe for corned beef, perfect for your slow cooker.
For more information on Ovens and cooktops, see Kitchen.
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Brands tested
- # Abode SCO-55
- Belle SC55
- Breville Banquet BSC400B
- Breville BSC300
- Breville ikon BSC560
- # Breville The Flavour Maker BSC500
- Crock-Pot HP1550
- # Cuisinart Brushed stainless Programmable Slow Cooker - 6.5L PSC-650A
- George Foreman GFSC35
- # George Foreman 6L Slow Cooker GFSC60BLK
- # Homemaker 5L Slow Cooker
- Kambrook KSC110
- Kenwood CP657
- Maxim KitchenPro SCS-5
- Morphy Richards 48715
- # Morphy Richards Healthy Living Digital Slow Cooker 48730
- Ronson Banquet RSC550
- Russell Hobbs Abbey Lane RHG802 (A)
- Russell Hobbs RHSC600
- # Russell Hobbs 3.5L Slow Cooker 4443BSS
- # Sunbeam SecretChef™ Electronic Sear and Slow Cooker HP8555
- # Sunbeam SecretChef™ Slow Cooker 5.5L HP5520
- Sunbeam HP5590
- # Tefal Slow Cooker
- Tiffany SC65SS
# Newly tested models.
(A) Discontinued.
How we test
Cooking performance Our home economist, Fiona Mair, assesses each slow cooker by cooking corned beef on the low setting and chilli shredded beef on the high setting. The corned beef test, with standard-sized pieces of corned silverside, serves to check the cooker’s ability to cook a dish at a low temperature over an extended period of time (eight hours); the chilli shredded beef test (with dried beans) establishes how well each cooker can cook a dish at high temperatures over a shorter time (five hours) without it sticking to the bottom.
Fiona delivers her verdict at the end of the day, assessing how well the dishes look and taste at that time. Scores are awarded for appearance and texture, with deductions for dark or dried-out areas, overcooked texture or chilli shredded beef sticking to the pot.
Ease of use Fiona assesses how easy the cookers are to assemble, store and clean. She also considers the external temperature of the cooker surface, handles and controls during operation.
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