What Is The Best Slow Cooker 2019

The best slow cookers and multi-cookers of 2019

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Slow cooker season isn't really just one season, it's a year-round celebration. And with the addition of multi-cookers into the mix recently, the clamor for cookers has skyrocketed.

From soups and stews in the winter to wings and pulled pork in the summer, slow cookers are are a kitchen mainstay, while multi-cookers can put together a whole plate for you within an hour with their numerous functions. But the problem is finding the right one for you — and that's where Reviewed comes in.

We've tested products to find the best one for your needs, whether you're getting into the game for the first time or looking to level up to the latest and greatest in setting and forgetting. So in keeping with the theme, we threw the best of the best into one place and cooked it on low for six hours — while stirring occasionally — to produce the best slow cookers and multi-cookers of 2019.

Slow cookers

The best slow cooker: Cuisinart 3-in-1 Cook Central Multi-Cooker

The Cuisinart 3-in-1 Multi-Cooker is every meat lover's dream come true. Why? Because it boasts a removable nonstick aluminum cooking pot that can be used right on the stovetop. That means you can sauté or brown your meat before slow cooking it to mouth-watering perfection.

Not only does it offer a feature that isn't found on most other slow cookers, but the Cuisinart also produced consistently great results during our time cooking with it. For deliciously moist and tender pulled pork, the Cuisnart was the slow cooker to beat.

It'll cost a pretty penny, but if you're looking for a feature-rich package that'll cut down on dirty dishes, the Cuisinart is perfectly poised to handle whatever you throw at it.

Get the Cuisinart 3-in-1 Cook Central 6-quart on Amazon for $106.64

The best value slow cooker: The Hamilton Beach Set 'n Forget Programmable Slow Cooker

The Hamilton Beach Set & Forget Slow Cooker strikes a balance between affordability and features that creates an impressive bang for your buck—even if you have to make a few compromises to get there. Most notably, this unit runs a little hotter than other slow cookers you may be familiar with, but luckily there's a handy accessory that can help take care of that problem.

Bundled with the Hamilton Beach Set & Forget is a temperature probe that slips through a hole in the glass lid to take a reading from whatever you're cooking. If you've ever come home to a slow cooker that's turned off well before the roast is done, you'll be happy to know that you can program this beauty to switch over to the warm setting once your meat has reached the ideal internal temp.

Get the Hamilton Beach Set 'n Forget 6-quart at Newegg for $49.99

The best multi-cooker: The Instant Pot Smart WiFi

The Instant Pot Smart WiFi is everything a multi-cooker can (and should) be: fast, efficient, precise, intuitive, and perfectly capable of replacing most other devices in your kitchen. This version provides a handy 8-in-1 appliance with the convenience of WiFi connectivity, allowing you to set, monitor, and control your multi-cooker from virtually anywhere. Beyond this new technology, the Smart WiFi shares most of its DNA with the existing Duo Plus, save for the latter's "Sanitize" function.

If a smart-connected device sounds too complicated to have in the kitchen, don't worry—the Instant Pot Smart operates just fine without the app, too. While we did use the app at points throughout testing, we usually fell back into entering controls manually and found it incredibly easy to use. It's worth noting that when the Instant Pot changes between modes, the beeps are LOUD, which can be helpful or annoying—but you can turn the sound off if you're trying to sleep.

If you're into micro-managing your dinner, this model also allows you to choose between "Less," "More" and "Normal" settings for each preset. If you're not that kind of person, it also comes with 750+ pre-programmed recipes that simply let you press a button and forget about the meal until it's done, something no other multi-cooker can claim.

If you're looking for a more basic multi-cooker, the Crock-Pot Express Crock Multi-Cooker, which was our original best overall (and now our best value pick) or the original Instant Pot Duo may be more your speed—but the Smart can do everything you're looking for and more at a very competitive price, making it our top pick.

Get the Instant Pot Smart WiFi 6-quart on Amazon for $136.35

The best value multi-cooker: Crock-Pot Express Crock

The Crock Pot Express Crock multi cooker

With decades of experience in making slow cookers, Crock-Pot clearly knows what it's doing in the kitchen. That experience shines through with the Crock-Pot Express Crock Multi-Cooker, a user-friendly gadget that aced nearly every test we put it through. Once our top choice overall for its ease of use, it's now our pick for best value, as it's available for $30-40 cheaper than comparable Instant Pot models.

For most multi-cookers we tested, we had to carefully read the recipe and then consult the manual before cooking. But with the Crock-Pot, you can simply skim the recipe and press the appropriate button. It's the little things that really made this machine, like the button that says "Rice/Risotto" instead of needing to pick between "Rice," "Multigrain," or "Pressure Cook." It was the ability to manually adjust both the temperature and the pressure, and the lid that slid perfectly into place every time. Even better, the Crock-Pot was only one of two multi-cookers we tested with a nonstick inner pot. This made cleanup a breeze, shaving precious minutes off the time it took to execute quick weeknight dinners. (If you're not a fan of nonstick, or would prefer to use a metal spatula rather than silicone or a wooden spoon, it may be worth looking to the Instant Pot models instead.)

Get the 6-quart Crock Pot Express Crock at Wal-Mart for $69

Prices are accurate at the time this article was published, but may change over time.

This article features excerpts of product reviews published on Reviewed. To see thousands of other product reviews, check out Reviewed here.