Congratulations! You’re finally deciding on buying a slow cooker. I’ve been there and done that. You don’t know how to start, between you and me, all that mumbo-jumbo about cooking program times; programs, handles, and quarts are enough to make anyone want to give up on slow cooking. But don’t worry, I’ll give you the lowdown on what you should be looking for so that when you read my best slow cooker reviews, you won’t feel like I’m talking in another language altogether:)
Below are my personal guidelines, the 3 S-es to buying a great slow cooker that will fit your needs to a T:
Size
Quarts basically denote the size of your slow cooker. In the metric system, one quart is approximately 1 liter of liquid. The more quarts your slow cooker can hold, the more you can cook. This will depend on how many people you have to feed in your household. I chose a 7-quart slow cooker because I have a family of five and a large slow cooker fits my needs.
Shape
The shape of your slow cooker will help determine your decision as well. My personal opinion is that oval slow cookers are better than the round ones because you can actually cook whole birds of chicken in them. Imagine making roast chicken in your slow cooker? Yum:)
Besides that, check out the other parts of a slow cooker’s anatomy. Are the handles sturdy? Is the lid see-through? That’s very important, so you can check on your food without lifting the lid and causing moisture to escape. If you’re very busy, which most of us are, make sure that your new slow cooker is easy to clean too!
Settings
The main reason for buying a slow cooker is to have the ability to cook great-tasting food unattended for long hours. Therefore, the settings of your slow cooker are paramount.
Check out the timer. Is it digital or analog? Digital is generally more accurate. What about temperature settings? It should have at least three, low, medium and high.
Ask about a keep warm mode. Keep warm mode keeps your food warm even after you have finished cooking it. Settings are important. The basic slow cooker should have at least those, and the more advanced (and expensive) ones might even be programmable with manual modes for optimum food quality.
I hope this has helped you in your decision-making process. You can now proceed to my best slow cooker reviews, and I hope you’ll find something you like!
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