Nobody wants to waste their money, so if you are shopping for a slow cooker it makes sense that you would want to find the best slow cooker for your budget. There are a couple of ways to go about this. Purchasing multiple slow cookers and trying them out yourself is not a realistic way to find the best one so the next best thing would be to get input from other people. There are websites that test household products and report their findings but you can also research customer reviews to see what customers have to say about a particular product.
Product Testing Websites
We found an article on good housekeeping.com that listed their top three picks, with each pick being in a different price range. They said that the best slow cooker for someone on a budget is the Hamilton Beach Stovetop-Safe Programmable Slow Cooker which can be purchased for approximately $80. They also had favorable comments about the Calphalon 4-Qt. Digital Slow Cooker which can also be purchased for approximately $80. For those with a larger budget, they recommended the Ninja Cooking System that can be purchased for about $200.
We also found information about slow cookers on consumerreports.org and goodhousekeeping.com but it turned out that both of these websites had the same article. In the article, they go into great detail about how they tested various slow cookers including the meals that they cooked, the settings they used, how long the meals cooked for etc. But in order to see the actual slow cookers that they recommend, you need to be a member of the website.
The Problems with Relying on a Product Testing Website
The first obvious problem is the one we just mentioned, you may have to pay a membership fee to get the information you’re looking for. Even if you can find product ratings for free, you’re getting the opinion of one person or possibly a small group of product testers. Not only that, but the products tested are generally used for a day or maybe a few days and that won’t tell you anything about the longevity of the products being tested.
A better way to find the best slow cooker would be to research customer reviews online. Instead of hearing from just one person or a small group of people, you can hear from dozens or possibly hundreds of customers who have used a slow cooker that you are researching. Many of the reviews will come from customers who have used a slow cooker for several months or even several years. This will give you insight into the durability and longevity of the product. It’s very helpful to know that people not only liked a particular slow cooker, but that it will also last for a long time. This lets you know that you are spending your money wisely.
Some Slow Cookers We Found That Are Getting Great Reviews from Customers
The Crock-Pot SCVT650-PS 6-1/2-Quart Programmable Touchscreen Slow Cooker is currently being sold for $134.75 and is getting good reviews online. There are over 500 customer reviews and it received an average user rating of 4.2 out of a possible 5 stars.
The Hamilton Beach 7 Quart Stay Or Go Slow Cooker is very inexpensive and can be purchased for under $35. It is also getting great reviews from customers. With over 200 customer reviews online it received an average user rating of 4.5 out of a possible 5 stars.
The Hamilton Beach 4.5 Qt. Slow Cooker is one of the more expensive options add $199 but it is getting fantastic reviews. We were only able to find 17 customer reviews online but it received an average user rating of 4.8 out of a possible 5 stars.
In our search for the best slow cooker, these three would be our top picks.
