Slow cookers, rice cookers and multi-cookers are great for taking the fuss out of cooking. We've picked out five of the best slow cookers we've tested to help you choose.
There are some real gems on the market right now, including massive units that can comfortably feed the entire family, feature-heavy, high-tech numbers and straightforward, frill-free cookers that cost no more than a cheap pair of jeans.
Browse our best slow cookers round-up by clicking the 'Next' arrow above, or choose the items that suit your needs from the list below.
Best Multi Cooker | Tefal RK302E15 8-in-1 Multi Cooker
Best Budget Slow Cooker | Lakeland Brushed Chrome Family Slow Cooker
Best Rice Cooker | Sage Risotto Plus
Best Slow Cooker for Large Families | Crock-Pot 4.7L Countdown Slow Cooker
Best Hob-Safe Slow Cooker | Morphy Richards 3.5L Digital Sear and Stew
Related: Best Kitchen Gadgets Round-up
There's no shortage of choice when it comes to slow cookers and rice cookers. Many have useful extra features, such as vegetable steaming and specialist rice modes, but the number of features isn't the only thing to think about.
Size
If you cook for the whole family, a larger slow cooker is a good idea. Most have a capacity of around three litres, but look for ones with 4.5 litres or more if you cook family meals often.
Heat Retention
One of the things we look at is how well a cooker retains heat. The best have removable pots that retain heat well, which is ideal as you can simply pick up the pot and serve at the table straight from the pot.
Timer Settings
We like slow cookers with flexible delay timers as they make it much easier to make sure whatever you're cooking will be ready just when you need it. Check how the timer works before buying.
Cleaning
Slow cookers and rice cookers have to be easy to clean. We check for this in all our reviews, though many are dishwasher safe too. Check if you'd rather not get your hands dirty.
Sauté & Searing
One final thing to consider is how you'll prepare ingredients as some recipes require you to pre-cook ingredients. It's worth considering a cooker that has a sauté and sear function, or can be used on a hob so you can cook ingredients in the pot. Less washing up is always a good thing.
