We all have different daily and weekly routines. Managing to balance our work and home schedules can be challenging for a lot of us and at the end of a busy day, we often end up indulging in delivery food or relying on our weekly meal kit subscription. But the slow cooker can offer a lot more value for money with no added stress in the kitchen.
The glorious slow cooker provides an affordable and convenient way to deliver nutritious, home-cooked meals with minimal effort. Its ability to produce a hot meal for the whole family at a click of a button has earned its place among Australian consumers.
Get set, forget, and the cooker will handle the rest. Investing in the right slow cooker can result in improved nutritional health, reduced use of plastics and packaging, reduced spending on takeaway and eating out and promotes healthier lifestyle practices.
This one pot wonder has traditionally served up hot casseroles, stews, and soups during our cold, winter months. But slow cookers have plenty to offer during Summer too.
Keep the heat down in the kitchen this summer. No need to use your oven or stove top on those hot, sweltering days. The slow cooker has you covered, from pulled pork sliders and barbeque chicken for lunch, to cakes, puddings, and crumbles for dessert.
We have had a look at the best slow cookers available in Australia, identifying unique and specific features that will help you decide which slow cooker is the right one for you. Whether you are cooking for 1 or two, the whole family, or entertaining a larger crowd, there is a slow cooker out there for you.
Best For Large Family
1. Breville The Flavour Maker 7L
The best slow cooker for meat with an easy sear pan to capture and enhance all the flavours
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Our top pick for the best slow cooker in Australia is the Breville Flavour Maker 7L. Whether you are feeding a large family or entertaining guests, this 7L beast will deliver the goods. Boasting a cast aluminium, non-stick, EasySear pan, it captures and develops all the flavours before simmering down in the slow cooker. This pan can also act as a standalone cookware piece.
The EasySear pan provides you with versatility when it comes to whipping up some of your favourite dishes, searing in the flavours first. It is suitable for your conventional stovetop, roasting and reheating in the oven.
With three basic settings, low, high, and auto, The Breville 7L Flavour Maker is easy to use and comes with a low power wrap around element which ensures even and consistent heat for up to 10hrs.
There is no need to worry about added mess or stress in the kitchen, as this pan comes with removable silicone hands for safe handling, making it easy to move from stovetop to cooker.
The stainless steel, dishwasher-safe lid makes for easy cleaning. However, the non-stick coated pan will have to be washed up by hand, which may be a slight inconvenience for some.
This unit is priced in the higher range, but if you like to get a little more creative in the kitchen or love to entertain, this flavour maker delivers great results for everyone to enjoy. The included Stainless-steel trivet accessory is great for serving puddings and roasts.
2. Sunbeam SecretChef Electronic 5.5L
Designed as an all-in-one frying pan and slow cooker, for easy use and cleaning
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This slow cooker holding a 5.5L capacity is ideal for medium households, or anyone who likes their fridge full of leftovers. This slow cooker provides versatility with its two-in-one function as a frying pan and/or slow cooker.
The Sunbeam non-stick aluminium pan is designed to be used inside the slow cooker unit, keeping the mess you make in the kitchen all in one pot. There is no need to move the pan to the stovetop. You also have the option to use it as a standalone frying pan.
This slow cooker also includes a simple digital display making it easy to select cooking mode, temperature, and timer options, including three heat settings, low, high, and auto keep warm function.
This nifty, all-in-one unit comes designed with a dishwasher-safe aluminium cooking pan and tempered glass lid for quick and easy cleaning.
3. Crock Pot Sear and Slow Cooker 5L
Developed with a DuraCeramic coating, suitable for all cooktops and oven types
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The Crock Pot sear and slow cooker comes with LCD screen display with a 20-hour programmable timer, making meal planning easy and convenient. The unit can be set to automatically switch to the keep warm function after the cooking process has completed, keeping your meals fresh for when you and the family are ready. Great for family dinners, this cooker’s 5L capacity can serve up to 6 people.
This slow cooker provides great adaptability and flexibility with its multi-use bowl and DuraCeramic coating. It is suitable for all cooktop and oven types including induction, with 4 times the durability of standard non-stick. Just be sure to only use wooden or silicone utensils to preserve the integrity of the coating.
The DuraCeramic cooking bowl is lighter in weight than your usual aluminium steel pan, making it a great choice for the elderly or people who struggle with muscular or arthritic problems. The lightweight bowl makes it easier for transport, cleaning, and storage. However, due to its make, it may be more susceptible to cracks and breakage if not handled with the proper care.
4. Breville The Smart Temp 6L Slow Cooker
Aussie brand Breville, serving hot meals at your convenience
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This 6L slow cooker can feed a large family all at once and is great for those who like to entertain, featuring a digital display for easy use.
You will have no problems setting and forgetting with this cooker. The Breville Smart Temp 6L slow cooker has been named so, as it features a temperature sensor which makes automatic adjustments to prevent your food from overheating.
Like most current Breville models, this one comes equipped with programmable settings, low, medium, and high and comes installed with wrap around heating to ensure it keeps your food tender and fresh.
The natural ceramic cooking bowl and glass lid are dishwasher safe, minimising the mess in your kitchen, however it is quite large and is unable to be used on the stove top or in the oven, so this slow cooker will require a separate tray or pan if you are wanting to sear or roast your ingredients before slow cooking. If you are considering the Breville 6L Smart Temp, be sure to consider the space in your kitchen for usage and storage.
Best For Baby Food
5. Philips Viva Collection 6L Multi Cooker
The fast slow cooker, an all-in-one multi cooker, bringing versatility and creativity into your kitchen at home
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Where to begin with this all-in-one marvel? This Philips multi-cooker paired with an intelligent cooking system, allows you to slow cook, pressure cook and multi cook delicious meals all in one machine. This 6L multi cooker can provide for the whole family.
It boasts multiple cooking programs including steaming, baking and yoghurt making. And with the magic of the pressure cooker, even tough cuts of meat can be tenderized in no time at all. With 7 pressure cooking modes to help you create bold flavours when you are time poor.
For your convenience, the upgraded power shortens the preheat time by 25%, so that you can enjoy a faster cooking experience.
With ProCeramic+ coating, the pot is more durable than conventional ones and is scratch-resistant. Be sure to use wooden or silicone utensils to avoid damaging the coat.
It has a detachable inner lid for easy cleaning. And with 9 safety protection systems to ensure stress-free cooking, Philips Viva Collection is the best slow cooker for baby food, giving you a variety of cooking options while ensuring all safety measures are met.
If you have room in your budget and space in your kitchen, this multi cooker may become your new best friend, delivering variety and versatility to your favourite dishes cooked at home.
Best For One Person
6. Morphy Richards Sear and Stew Slow Cooker 3.5L
A stylish, compact, and convenient unit, best for singles and couples
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With an eye-catching new design, this slow cooker conveniently cooks your meal from start to finish in one pot. With a 3.5L capacity, this is the best slow cooker for one person, delivering the perfect portion, with some leftovers for the fridge.
This little unit is undoubtedly easy to use and easy to clean. With low, medium, and high cooking settings enabling you to cook for any time between 3 and 12 hours, you can be sure of a perfectly cooked meal, exactly when you want it.
Want to check on your food whilst it is cooking? You can do this without lifting the lid and disturbing the cooking process, thanks to the transparent glass lid. Once you have finished your delicious meal the removable pot and glass lid can be loaded into the dishwasher for easy cleaning.
This unit is an affordable and efficient choice, with its compact size and basic functions. It is perfect for singles and couples who are time poor and do not wish to break the bank on a larger premium model.
7. Crock Pot Digital Hinged Lid 4.7L
A trusty cooking companion, ideal for small and medium households
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Crock Pot offers several different models for all household sizes and culinary levels. This Crock Pot Digital slow cooker comes with a hinged lid, making serving and stirring easier.
You get to call the shots. Set your cooking time from 30 minutes to 20 hours for total versatility and choose from three heat settings for that extra cooking control. The flexible 20-hour programmable timer lets you monitor the finish time using the LCD display.
No matter what time you get home from work this little cooker will keep dinner ready until you are. Its auto setting can switch to the warm function once the set cooking time ends. And for more convenience when you get home, the pot is removable so you can serve straight to the table.
With a 4.7L ceramic bowl, this cooker is ideal for couples or small families living in busy households. Simply prepare your ingredients, add them to the Crock Pot, set the timer and come home to a mouth-watering meal that is ready to eat. Once it is time to clean up, simply place the lid and pot into the dishwasher, be sure to handle it with care to avoid chips and cracks.
If this looks like the right slow cooker for you, do not miss the recipe leaflet included for more cooking inspiration in the kitchen.
8. Russell Hobbs Matte Black Slow Cooker 7L
An affordable slow cooker, perfect for large families and entertaining
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In a premium matte black finish, the Russell Hobbs Slow Cooker brings convenience into the family home. Just prepare, set, and forget. At the end of the day, you will be greeted by a hot meal ready to be eaten.
The large 7L ceramic bowl can cook up to 8 servings while the dishwasher-safe pot and tempered glass lid remove the need to spend all night washing up. Talk about a time-saver!
Like most modern slow cookers, this one comes with three heat settings giving you options to find the best mode for your schedule: low for 8-9 hours, high for 3-4 hours, and warm for keeping food at the ideal serving temperature. It also comes with a lid holder, which allows the lid to hang off the cooker, keeping countertops clear.
For its size and what this cooker can deliver, it is selling at a very affordable price when compared to other models in the same size range. If you are considering this model, ensure your kitchen has enough space for usage and storage.
Best For 2 People
9. Kambrook World of Flavours 4.5L
Affordable and efficient, the best slow cooker for 2 people
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Kambrook is an Australian brand and has been offering household kitchen appliances for over 50 years. The Kambrook 4.5L slow cooker is an easy-to-use, compact unit which delivers tender meals full of rich flavour.
This cooker comes with a glass lid allowing you to monitor your food without opening the lid, enabling perfect cooking conditions. With three temperature settings, low, high, and auto this cooker gives you control over your meals with minimal effort. Like many models on the market now, the Kambrook 4.5L also comes with the famous wrap around heat element for consistent cooking.
The dishwasher-safe removable cooking bowl and lid give you a night off from doing the dishes. Just be sure to handle with care when using the ceramic bowl as it can be more susceptible to cracks and damage.
This is an easy-to-use and easy-to-clean slow cooker. It is great value for money, ideal for couples thanks to its affordability and compact size, delivering loads of flavour.
10. Sunbeam SecretChef 5.5L
A good affordable, family sized slow cooker, complete with the basic functions
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Sunbeam provides great variety in their range, bringing you a more affordable slow cooker with the same generous capacity as the Sunbeam SecretChef Electronic. This 5.5L ceramic cooker, produces gentle and even heat with its wrap around element, creating mouth-watering, tender dishes.
This slow cooker stands at the lower end of the price range, making it widely accessible to people on a budget or a first-time user who may find the premium models a little overwhelming to start. It comes with a handy little recipe book to aid your creativity in the kitchen and with its three basic temperature settings, low, high and warm function, this slow cooker is a great addition to the family kitchen.
No mess, no fuss, this cooker comes with a removable crock insert with cool touch handles so you can serve straight to the table. The pan and lid are dishwasher-safe, for quick and easy cleaning.
This cooker may not boast all the special features and add-ons that some premium models do, but it delivers with its simple construction and easy-to -use features.
How to choose the right slow cooker for you
As you can tell from the brands featured on this page, there is a wide selection of models in various sizes to choose from. Most modern slow cookers tend to offer similar things, which can make decision making difficult. Here is what to look for when considering buying a slow cooker.
What kind of cooker?
Value for money and cooking performance are the leaders of slow cooker satisfaction for Australian consumers. All-in-one or multi-functional cookers can be a little dearer than your average slow cooker but can provide you with more cooking options and convenience. For those who are time poor, with a flexible budget, a multi cooker with pressure cooker abilities can deliver fast slow cooking, still resulting in succulent, tender dishes.
Budget and cost
Pay more and you might get some added features that provide more cooking options and up the convenience. However, spending more does not necessarily buy you a better performing cooker. Slow cookers can cost anywhere from $30 to $300 but depends on the brand and features. It is best to consider the things that are relevant to you and your household to gain the best value for money. The price generally increases with size. The bigger the cooker, the more expensive it tends to be.
Shape and size
Consider how many people you are serving, storage space required, and bench space for usage. Round slow cookers tend to waste a little more space. Rectangular cookers generally use space more efficiently.
- Singles and Couples 3L - 4.5L
- Medium sized households 4.5L – 5.5L
- Large families or entertaining 6L +
Functions
For those who are serious about their slow cooking, some premium models have added functions that may improve convenience including smart temp, warm function, auto setting, cooking modes, programmable timer, and digital display. It is important, no matter how many functions your cooker comes with, that it is easy-to-use.
Features
There are models on the market that can sear your ingredients, either in the slow cooker itself, or by transferring a removable pot to the stovetop or oven. This helps minimise cookware in the kitchen and saves on washing up. Consider whether your slow cooker pot is stove or oven proof for gas, electric or induction. Consider whether you will need extra cookware or utensils.
Easy-to-clean
The whole thrill of investing in a slow cooker is receiving flavourful food with minimal effort, and that includes cleaning up. A good slow cooker should be easy to clean. Large cooking bowls can be awkward to clean in the sink. Consider whether the parts of your cooker are dishwasher safe. This can make a huge difference in convenience.
Warranty
As a high-use kitchen appliance that withstands high temperatures for extended periods, it is no surprise these slow cookers can come with some wear and tear. The more common problems seem to be the non-stick coatings peeling off and ceramic bowls chipping. To minimise damage, wooden and silicone utensils are best to use on non-stick cookware. And ensure your dishwasher is set to a delicate mode when washing the ceramic bowl. Check the warranty that comes with your chosen slow cooker. Most should come with 1 or 2 years.
The choice is yours
Slow cookers can be lifesavers, making mealtime more convenient. At their most basic, you toss your ingredients in, select a cooking mode, and leave it. Pay a little more, and you might get additional cooking options and even greater convenience – like an auto-programmable timer, or an easy-sear pan. Ultimately, whatever cooker you decide to choose will come down to the preferences that are most relevant to your home and lifestyle.