Five of the best slow cookers

Ideal for making comforting dishes like casseroles, stews, soups and pot roasts, the trusty slow cooker is a kitchen appliance that’s known for its convenience.

They work “like magic”, says CNN. “Assemble and prep your ingredients, pop them inside, and lift the lid hours later to reveal a flavour-packed dish that can provide meals for days.”

Surprisingly versatile, the slow cooker can do so much more than just casseroles and stews - you should also think of it as a tool for braising, sautéing and steaming.

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Bon Appétit’s Alyse Whitney says: “To better utilise the humble appliance, there are only a few tweaks you need to make. Your slow cooker food doesn’t need to be bland and boring.”

Here we pick out five of the best slow cookers available for sale right now.

1. Crock-Pot Digital Slow Cooker 5L CSC026

Crock-Pot

Stylish and reliable, this model is especially good for slow-cooked meat or hearty stews. It has a 20-hour digital timer and a pot that can be used on all types of hob or in the oven.

£100; lakeland.co.uk

2. Morphy Richards 3.5-litre Digital Sear and Stew Slowcooker 460015

Morphy Richards

This mid-sized model is easy to use and clean, and automatically switches to warm mode when it’s done. The inner pan can also be used on the hob to pre-cook ingredients.

£55; very.co.uk

3. Sage The Fast Slow Pro 6L Slow Cooker

Sage

It’s pricier than most, but this Sage model can be used for pressure cooking, sautéing and steaming as well as slow-cooking stews. The searing function means you can have perfect meat without a pan.

£200; lakeland.co.uk

4. Lakeland 6L Slow Cooker

Lakeland

If you just want a simple cooker you can leave for 6-8 hours without fiddling about with lots of settings, this model is a great choice. It’s big enough to batch-cook for a family.

£40; lakeland.co.uk

5. Swan 1.5L Slow Cooker Retro

Swan

This compact cooker cooks dishes consistently, and comes in a range of colours. It has no option to keep food warm, but is still very good value for the price.

£20; shop.swan-brand.co.uk