The lid is made of glass and has a small steam hole. This is a neat little touch as it prevents the lid from rattling like we’ve seen in some cheaper slow cookers. We’re starting to see a little grime build up between the handle and the lid, but the handle is removable with a couple of screws and easily cleaned. Most slow cookers will have similar standard controls – high heat for meals cooked in less than a few hours, low heat for all-day cooking. A 'keep warm' mode should hold food at a serveable temperature without actually cooking it. Some cookers will switch to 'keep warm' automatically after an elapsed cooking time, while more basic models need this altered manually. The hinged lid design is brilliant. You don't realise what a ball-ache it is to be lifting a dripping wet lid off the slow cooker until you have a lid that is fitted. It really does make life a bit easier. I read a review on here criticising the fact that you need to take the lid off before you can pop the sauté pot into the unit. But that takes nano-seconds and is no inconvenience at all.

When we tested its slow cooking mode we found that it's almost too good at retaining moisture. Recipes that came out more saucy in some slow cookers were a little less rich because it's also designed to be an airtight pressure cooker. That can be remedied though by adding less liquid or taking into account the liquid that will come out of meat and veggies when you add them. Slow cooking couldn’t be easier for busy families – offering fuss-free, hands-off, one-pot meals. Simply chop up, drop in and turn on for beautifully cooked food ready when you are. Soups and stews, curries and casseroles, pot roasts and pasta bakes – even perfectly cooked rice can be made in a slow cooker while you get on with other things. I started by making bolognese sauce, first searing the meat on the hob. Despite the dish claiming to be compatible with induction cookers, it wouldn’t work on my hob, possibly a result of the ferrous plate of the dish being too small. Those with older hobs that require a certain diameter of pan may struggle to use it.

Should I Buy The Crock-Pot CSC026?

Ready When You Are: Ideal for busy lifestyles, this slow cooker can be set up to 12 hours in advance with expertly cooked results every time Fewer items to wash up, tastier slow-cooked stews, curries and soups, and a puddle-free worktop – what more could you ask for? Sauté function– Sauté ingredients on the hob in the die-cast aluminium pot before slow cooking: brown meat and soften onions & vegetables to maximise flavour. Does your slow cooker have good heat distribution? Some can suffer from hot spots that cause drying out in corners or at the base. Uneven heat is something that’s more likely to occur in larger bowls.

In an ideal world, a slow cooker at this price point would also have a timer and automatic switch to keep warm rather than relying on manual controls. However, what you do get for your money is excellent build quality, perfectly controlled heat, and a design that makes cooking super-easy. We love that the cooking pot is hob-safe, meaning if a recipe requires pre-cooking or searing ingredients (for example a slow cooker roast beef) – you don’t need to use a separate pan! Once your preparation step is complete you can simply lift the pot into the slow cooker. Sadly there are no rubber handles on the cooking pot, so you’ll need oven gloves to transfer the pot from the hob to the slow cooker. Basic slow cookers won’t get hot enough to sauté meat or vegetables, so you’ll need to do this in a pan before transferring the contents to the bowl. However, more expensive models offer a different one-pot solution. This can either be bowls that you use on your hob or in your oven in place of a pan (some will even be induction compatible). They will need to be moved to the slow cooker base. Machines with a sauté function for high-heat browning can simply be switched to slow cooking. Does the Hard Work for You: The Schedule Meal feature sets the optimal cooking process based on desired meal time, food type and quantity Next, I used the slow cooker to make rice pudding. After greasing the bowl I added rice, sugar, butter and milk and set to cook on high heat. After three hours, the rice pudding was perfectly cooked: the rice was tender, the sauce was rich and creamy, and there were no burnt bits or dry rice grains. The creamy rice pudding was at a hot, but not scalding, serving temperature, and the whole process had been entirely fuss-free compared to making it on the hob.Despite the pot being an odd shape – round, 25cm (10 inches) at the top, which tapers to about 20cm (8 inches) half way down – we really like the size of the CSC026. The pot will hold five litres when filled right to the brim, but more realistically will comfortably hold around three litres. The Ninja Foodi Multi-Cooker is certainly mighty, but if you like your gadgets it could be a great investment. You can of course just use this multi-cooker as a slow cooker, for which it has a generous 6 litre capacity, but you can also take advantage of the sear setting to brown meat and veggies before slow cooking for a more rich flavour. You can place the cooking pot in the dishwasher or wash by hand fairly easily. The Ninja Foodi Multi-Cooker also has a basket insert and can be used to air fry other treats when not in use as a slow cooker. Is this the future of slow cooking? We think so. Slow cookers with digital controls may also have a delay start, which is ideal if you’re out of the house for more than eight hours. This means you can start cooking at a time to suit you – while it’s hard to overcook recipes with a lot of liquid, this gives more freedom with dishes that could potentially start to dry out. A timer is another handy feature – this will either turn the machine off after cooking or put it into a limited time keep warm mode. Oven-safe, dishwasher-safe stoneware plus tempered glass lid with cool touch handles; 5.6 L capacity is ideal for large families

I offer a free online slow cooker lesson out of my online mini course which walks you through why you should be slow cooking, what you should be looking out for when shopping around, and how to choose the ideal model for you.If you need help selecting your own slow cooker model, I provide a video lesson free of charge to help you do so. Just go here, and select the free option. Slow cookers have got so much going for them, it’s hard not to love them. Not only will a good one save you time and effort in the kitchen, it’ll save you money too. Slow cookers transform cheaper cuts of meat into tender dishes and liven up economical healthy pulses, like lentils, beans and peas. Plus, while they can be on all day, it’s at such a low wattage that it will only cost pennies.