Calamari Stew In Slow Cooker

Lid, Rice cooker, Cookware and bakeware, Stock pot, Food steamer, Pressure cooker, Slow cooker, Small appliance, Home appliance,

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With so many types of cooking appliances on the market, from pressure cookers to multi-cookers to Instant Pots and more, it's hard to tell which cooker is right for you. The tried-and-true slow cooker is a freestanding cooking appliance that allows food to be cooked at a low and steady temperature, similar to braising in an oven. It requires at least a little bit of liquid to prevent the bottom from burning, although most slow cooked foods are more liquidy like a soup, stew, or chili.

Slow cookers are great for meal prepping with healthy slow cooker recipes and hands-off cooking, especially around the holidays. They require a little planning ahead, but there's something beautiful about setting it, forgetting it and coming home to a warm, home-cooked meal. When you want to cook low and slow, choose a top-tested slow cooker from the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Technology Lab.

During our side-by-side analysis, our culinary experts tested slow cookers by making everything from beef stew to chicken soup to roast beef. We made 72 servings of beef stew, cooked up 28 whole chickens, simmered 221 ounces of onion, 256 ounces of carrots, and 238 ounces of celery all over the span of 432 hours. We checked for good temperature control and consistency during cooking and evaluated each slow cooker's design, safety, and ease of use without the help of an instruction manual. We also assessed keep warm features, meat tenderness, and flavor development of dishes. What we found out impressed us: Traditional slow cookers performed well and were consistent. Pressure cooker models that have slow cook features did well also, but with slightly lower results.

Based on our Kitchen Appliances Lab tests, here are our top picks for the best slow cookers of 2021:

Best Overall Slow Cooker: All-Clad 7-Quart Gourmet Slow Cooker
Best Value Slow Cooker: Black+Decker 7-Quart Digital Slow Cooker
Best Programmable Slow Cooker: Calphalon Digital Sauté Slow Cooker
Best Multi-Cooker for Slow Cooking: Crock-Pot Express Crock Multi-Cooker
Most Customizable Slow Cooker: Breville Fast Slow Pro Multi Function Cooker
Most Consistent Slow Cooker: KitchenAid 6-Qt. Slow Cooker with Standard Lid
Most Innovative Slow Cooker: Wolf Gourmet Multi Cooker
Most Versatile Slow Cooker: Zojirushi Multicooker
Best Slow Cooker for Entertaining: Cuisinart Programmable Slow Cooker
Best Slow Cooker for Tailgating: Crock-Pot Cook & Carry Portable Slow Cooker

How does a slow cooker work?

Traditional slow cookers have a high and low setting. The high temperature usually cooks around 212°F, while the low hovers above 200°F. Some slow cookers also have a keep warm setting (165°F), which is above the food-safe temperature of 145°F without overcooking the food. Newer models can brown and others have specific settings for rice and even sous vide. Not having to take out an extra pan to perform these tasks saves time and clean up!

The newest way to slow cook is in a multi cooker that can also pressure cook (some even air fry!). Large cuts of meat, like pulled pork, cook well in a slow cooker because the tough muscle fibers break down over time, allowing the meat to get nice and tender. Stews also work well because cheaper cuts of meat can be used and vegetables won't get overcooked.

How to find the right slow cooker for you

Cooking pot size: The main thing to consider when shopping for a slow cooker, is the size of the pot and how large of a meal you'll be cooking. Some slow cookers have pots as small as 1 ½ quarts, or are as large as 8 quarts for many different sized households.

Footprint: Consider how much space this appliance will take up on your countertop. How much space can you afford to give this new piece? Is it too tall to fit under your cabinets? Will it hog an entire cabinet? These are all things to keep in mind before you buy.

Features: Time to consider bells and whistles: Will you just be using it slow cook, or would you prefer added functionality, like sear, air fry, or sous vide in the very same appliance? We loved models that came with a temperature probe that allow you to monitor the internal temperature of foods without opening the lid. You'll probably want an automatic keep warm setting to keep your meal at a safe temperature after it finishes cooking.

Programmable slow cookers: Some slow cookers have a "delay start" feature that allows you to start cooking without physically pressing any buttons. This is very handy, but we don't recommend using this feature for longer than two hours, especially when cooking with meat; according to the FDA, when food sits out at room temperature for more than two hours, bacteria starts to increase exponentially, putting you at risk for illness.

Best Overall Slow Cooker

7-Quart Gourmet Slow Cooker

All-Clad amazon.com

$239.95

This top-tested slow cooker has a removable 7-quart aluminum insert that's pretty enough to go straight to the table for serving. The digital controls offer settings for slow cooking on low, high/low, and high, plus a programmable 20-hour timer. A five-hour keep warm setting allows you to safely keep food out for an extended period. Bonus: You can use this model for browning, steaming, and cooking rice.

Best Value Slow Cooker

7-Quart Digital Slow Cooker

BLACK+DECKER amazon.com

$65.31

In our tests the Black + Decker 7-Quart Digital Cooker with Chalkboard Surface nicely slow cooked a beef roast on low and high, as well as a chicken soup on low. This updated model offers the same standout features, like an easy-to-program control panel, large side handles, and locking lid; plus, extras like sous vide and an included temperature probe to help prevent overcooking. If you're new to slow cooking (and even sous vide!), the price point makes it a nice way to give it a try.

Best Programmable Slow Cooker

Digital Sauté Slow Cooker

Calphalon amazon.com

$122.30

The Calphalon Digital Sautét urned out some of the most tender beef in our lab's test; stew broth was rich and vegetables held their shape (a rarity for a slow cooker). Our lab was equally impressed with the performance of the nonstick cooking insert, which doubles as a sauté pan — when we used it to brown meat on the stove it earned top ratings for even heating. The dial features settings for low, high, and warm. The 5.3-quart cooking pot insert is also oven and cooktop safe.

Best Multi-Cooker for Slow Cooking

Express Crock Multi-Cooker

Crock-Pot bestbuy.com

$109.99

Crock-Pot's 6-quart Express is a master at slow cooking, but it also pressure cooks, browns, sautés, and steams. So if you don't have time to add ingredients in the morning but still want an effortless, no-stress meal, you can make chili, soup, or stew when you get home from the office on the pressure cook setting instead. It has a delay start and keep warm feature so you can hold your food at the ideal serving temperature until everyone in the family is ready to eat. After you're done, place the non-stick cooking pot into your dishwasher for easy cleanup!

Most Customizable Slow Cooker

Fast Slow Pro Multi Function Cooker

Breville amazon.com

$279.00

If you want cooker that offers tons flexibility and unique bells and whistles, you'll love Breville's Fast Slow Pro. The sleek six-quart tool allows you tochoose from 11 pressure cook options and high to low for slow cooking.You can also precisely adjust the temperature and pressure level (from 1.5 to 12 Psi, one of the biggest ranges we've seen) or select pre-programmed settings for vegetables, rice, risotto, soup, stock, beans, poultry, meat, bone-in meat, chili and stew, dessert and custom. In our tests, it performed well when pressure-cooking and slow-cooking beef stew. We also found the LCD screen and knobs were super intuitive and easy to use, and like that the cooking insert is dishwasher safe.

Most Consistent Slow Cooker

6-Qt. Slow Cooker with Standard Lid

KitchenAid amazon.com

$119.00

Beauty and functionality are what the Kitchen Aid Slow Cooker is all about. With four temperature settings, this easy to use six-quart cooker scored high on our usability testing and our cook test keeping a steady warm temperature after cooking. We also like the large sturdy handles which help to get a firm grip when you're ready for cleaning. The ceramic vessel and glass lid are both dishwasher safe.

Most Innovative Slow Cooker

Multi-Function Cooker

Wolf Gourmet amazon.com

$649.95

Withsix intuitive modes including slow cook, sous vide and saute/sear, you'll be ready to take on any recipe with the Wolf Gourmet 7-quart Multi-Function Cooker. A removable stainless steel cookware piece can also be used on your gas, electric or induction cooktop makes this cooker a winner, and you can keep track of internal temperature with the convenient temperature probe.

This slow cooker produced the most tender roast in our test. Don't worry about cleaning up because the insert and lid are both dishwasher safe, and with a five-year warranty, Wolf is standing by their product.

Most Versatile Slow Cooker

Multicooker

Zojirushi amazon.com

$249.99

Zojirushi's Multicooker is one of the most versatile slow cookers out there. It can also be used to sauté, simmer, steam, cook rice or quinoa, or make yogurt. And even on the slow cook setting, you can select from four temperature options from 140°F to 200°F.

It will take a bit of experimentation to figure out which setting is right for your recipe, but once you find the correct temperature you'll be using this stainless steel cooker with 6-quart capacity for every meal.

Best Slow Cooker for Entertaining

Programmable Slow Cooker

Cuisinart amazon.com

$99.95

This Cuisinart Programmable Slow Cooker automatically switches to the keep warm setting after cooking and remains there for up to eight hours. It also includes a "simmer" setting that's great for hearty cuts of meats like brisket that need to cook all day. The glass lid makes it easy to check on progress. A 24-hour programmable cook time and three-year warranty help make this a one of our picks.

Best Slow Cooker for Tailgaiting

Cook & Carry Portable Slow Cooker

Crock-Pot amazon.com

$54.99

The Cook & Carry's lid features two secure locks and a large handle, making it ideal for taking on the go to potlucks or tailgates . It holds up to six quarts, automatically switches to Keep Warm, and has a stoneware cooking insert that is dishwasher and oven safe.

Nicole Papantoniou, Good Housekeeping Institute Deputy Director, Kitchen Appliances Lab Nicole runs the Good Housekeeping Kitchen Appliances Lab where she oversees the content and testing related to kitchen and cooking appliances, tools, and gear; she's an experienced product tester and developer, as well as recipe creator, trained in classic culinary arts and culinary nutrition.

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