Our tester was speaking to a friend about slow cookers recently and was casually told: “There’s nothing like eating porridge made in one.” And as our tester discovered, they were right. Tip in the ingredients and switch it on before you go to bed, and you’ll wake up to a hearty bowl of slow-cooked oats. Lakeland has a range of slow cookers and this 3.5L oval version is ideal for cooking lunch for two people with leftovers, or dinner for four. It comes with a warning that the outer layer may get hot while cooking, and the handles and cooking pot itself can become quite hot to touch, especially if cooking on the high setting. Like the other slow cookers on this list, it has a plastic handle in the centre of the glass lid making it easy to serve the food without fear of burning yourself. Unlike other products on this list, the ceramic bowl and glass lid are not dishwasher safe, but for people who want a simple, no-frills cooker that they can plug in and switch on before going about their day, the price makes it a top choice. Our tester made a hearty vegetable lasagne in this slow cooker, which lasted for a good couple of meals. It also comes in a 1.5L and 6.5L capacity. The joy of a slow cooker is being able to throw a bunch of food in a pot, switch it on, and go about your day without giving it another thought. When you return to it hours later there will be a fully cooked meal ready to be served, without the stress of having had to labour over it. This Cookworks appliance is as simple as they come, and makes for uncomplicated, easy slow cooking overnight or over the course of the day. It has three settings; low, high and keep warm, the latter of which can be used for up to four hours to keep food at a level temperature, while the 3.5L capacity makes a sizeable amount of food that can easily feed a table of four people with room for leftovers.

Morphy Richards Slow cookers | Argos Morphy Richards Slow cookers | Argos

Cooking times for traditional recipes can also be translated for a slow cooker. If a meal would normally take between 30 and 60 minutes in the oven, it would take between six and eight hours in the slow cooker on a low setting, and between two and four hours on a high setting. But you will need less liquid than in traditional recipes, as the liquid will not evaporate during the cooking process. Unfortunately there is no delay start function, but if you will be away from the slow cooker once it finishes cooking, it automatically switches onto the keep warm function for two hours, giving you some wiggle room. Our tester found this function exceptionally useful when needing a little extra time as they made a fish curry for some dinner guests. Morphy Richards makes a range of slow cookers, but this model is also available in 6.5L. The digital settings on this appliance allow you choose a low, high or keep warm setting and how long you want food to cook for. The timer starts from a minimum cooking time of four hours and increases in 30 minute increments. Once you press the start button, the timer counts down until the cooking time ends.Many do not have a temperature control but can be set to low, medium or high cooking; some also boast a keep warm setting. The temperature of the contents rises until reaching the boiling point. Afterwards the meal simmers gently, distributing flavour and water soluble vitamins throughout the food. These appliances are great for preparing cheaper cuts of meat, which usually turn out quite tender. They also make it nearly impossible to burn food. Breville makes two slow cookers, a 1.5L version and this larger pot that works well for bigger groups of diners. The three manual settings comprise of low, high, and auto, but Breville recommends using the low option as a keep warm function if you need to.

Slow Cookers – Morphy Richards-UK

Key specs – Size: 3.5L; Dishwasher safe: Yes; Cooking pot: Not ceramic (appears aluminium, but not stated); Settings: 3 (digital); Timer: Yes Each slow cooker comes with a simple set of settings: low, high, and either keep warm or auto. A keep warm setting will keep your food at a level temperature, usually for up to four hours, while an auto setting tends to cook food on the high mode until reaching a certain temperature, at which point it will switch to the temperature on a low setting. If you know you’ll be away from your slow cooker when you want to turn the food off a high setting but still keep it warm, this is a useful function.

Morphy Richards is a well known manufacturer of home appliances. In addition to slow cookers, some of their other appliances on the list include Key specs – Size: 2.4L; Dishwasher safe: Yes; Cooking pot: Stoneware; Settings: 3 (manual); Timer: No

Morphy Richards – Morphy Richards-UK Morphy Richards – Morphy Richards-UK

Key specs – Size: 3.5L; Dishwasher safe: Yes; Cooking pot: Ceramic; Settings: 3 (manual); Timer: No To calculate the average price, we add up the cheapest daily prices of the last 90 days and divide by 90. Key specs – Size: 4.5L; Dishwasher safe: Glass lid only; Cooking pot: Ceramic; Settings: 3 (manual); Timer: No These appliances are ideal for cooking stews, soups, dips – even desserts and drinks like mulled wine. They can make a huge range of nutritious and delicious meals all which can fit around a busy schedule. The possibilities are nearly endless, and recipes abound on the Internet. Equipped with an outer casing, which houses the electrical heating element, these handy products also include a tightly fitting lid and an inner pot typically made of glass or ceramic, which is usually removable for easy cleaning. Digital slow cookers make this whole process even easier, being programmable to a number of different settings. It will gently simmer whatever is in the pot, and is also ideal for cooking food overnight or if you’re out for a lot of the day. Our tester used it to cook a hearty vegetable tagine for friends – the hours the food spent in the pot brought out the spices and flavours in the dish.Key spec – Size: 1.5L; Dishwasher safe: Ceramic bowl; Cooking pot: Ceramic; Settings: 3 (manual); Timer: No A slow cooker is an electrical cooking pot that simmers food unattended over a longer period of time than in conventional oven cooking. The idea started in the United States, but when more women began working outside the home in the 1970s, the popularity of these products in the UK soared. Slow cookers allow meals to be prepared in advance; the food is then ready when you return home. Renowned for their reliable electric goods, compare online across the range and you'll find that the best Morphy Richards slow cookers are always top of the range. How Does a Slow Cooker Work? If you’re taking meat out of the freezer to go into a stew or casserole then be aware that it should be thoroughly defrosted before being slow cooked. Many brands will recommend browning any meat before putting it in the pot, and some slow cookers are designed to be able to sear or sauté meat in the cooking pot itself before adding the rest of the ingredients. Raw red kidney beans will need to be soaked overnight and boiled before being put in a slow cooker, too.