Slow cookers range in capacity, from a compact 1.5 litres up to 7 litres. As a general guide, a 1.5 to 2.3-litre capacity is great for two people, a larger 4 to 4.5 litres will feed four, and 5.5 to 7 litres is ideal for four to six people. Ideal for entertaining, the countdown timer allows you to plan ahead, counting down as your meal cooks so you can go out for the day or enjoy more time with family and friends while it cooks a flavoursome, home-made meal. With a clear display, it’s easy to see how long your food has got left and lets you set the table ready for your slow-cooked feast.

With a generously sized 4.7 litre bowl, and a working capacity of 3.5 litres, there is sure to be enough food to keep a family of hungry mouths well fed. The glass lid on the top lets you keep an eye on your food and ensure it is cooked to perfect for a slow-cooked treat.They aren’t just for stews and casseroles either. In fact, they're real multi-taskers, even up to the challenge of cooking a whole cut of meat – including sweet and salty coca cola ham or a tender beef joint. Vegetarian family favourites such as macaroni cheese are also a go-to. Take a look at our collection of must-cook slow cooker recipes for more inspiration. This function starts your cooking off on a high setting before automatically reducing the temperature to the low setting for the remainder of the cooking time. They also calculate the energy consumed by each model to see how economical they are, and measure the moisture lost when cooking to ensuring your dinner won't end up dried out. By sealing food in pouches, the juices and subtle flavours that could otherwise be lost during conventional cooking are retained.

After you’ve finished cooking, this slow cooker is really easy to clean. Both the pot and the glass lid are dishwasher safe for ultimate convenience, while the outside of the machine simply wipes down with a damp cloth. Some slow cookers will automatically shift to this mode after a programme has ended, while others require switching manually. Slow cookers are nifty appliances that do all the cooking for you, so you can whip up scrumptious meals without spending hours working away behind a stove.Step 5 Lift the fondant out and dust with icing sugar, if you like. Serve immediately with ice cream or double cream.

With high, low and keep-warm settings, the SCCPRC507B-060 offers great control over every meal. When you have the time to prepare, set the dial to ‘Low' for a tender, slow cook that lets you get on with your day. But if you have less time and want to get a meal sorted, ‘High' is ideal. This function can be found on the majority of slow cookers, helping to retain the temperature of your food without cooking it further – handy when you’re struggling to round up the family! Step 2 Melt the butter and chocolate together in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water (make sure the base of the bowl doesn't touch the water). When the mixture is melted and smooth, lift the bowl off the pan. This will come in handy if you’re out for the day. Once the timer you set has been reached, the cooker will either switch off or automatically shift to the ‘keep warm’ setting, depending on the model, so you come home to dinner that's ready to serve. An increasingly popular way of cooking, sous-vide is a French term that simply means ‘under vacuum’. You place your food inside a sealed pouch and then pop it into a temperature-controlled water bath to cook.

Below you'll find the best slow cookers according to our experts, as well as everything you need to know before shopping – from must-have features to their energy efficiency. How we test slow cookers The controls tend to be similar on most slow cookers with a ‘low’ setting for longer, slower cooking throughout the day and a ‘high’ setting for faster cooking with similar slow-cooked results.