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. Suitable for all hob types, including induction hobs, this impressive unit allows you to prepare casseroles, curries, chillis, soups, pot roasts, and even desserts – simply choose the low, high, or keep–warm setting to best suit your creation. After cooking, the removable pot can be taken straight to the table for serving, and if you have leftovers, it can be stored in the fridge or freezer. Cost-Saving Cooking: Enjoy delicious, low-cost meals at home instead of eating out; slow cooking can be almost 2 times more energy-efficient than using a conventional oven, helping you to save money on your energy bill 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.

You can activate a keep warm setting to keep your food ready for as long as six hours after your cooking mode has finished. The sear mode took only a few minutes to pre-heat and we were able to brown our onions before adding curry ingredients, which delivered a lot of extra flavour.The slow cooker's 'reduce' function was useful for bubbling away excess liquid after slow cooking.The first thing you need to consider with any slow cooker is its capacity – each will list its bowl size in litres. Bear in mind that this won’t translate to the same amount of food, as you shouldn’t fill slow cookers to the brim. This gap allows your food to bubble and simmer properly. The usable cooking space will be around three-quarters of its bowl size, for example, a five-litre cooker can accommodate around four litres of food. 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. Slow cookers range in size from a compact 1.5 litres to a 6.5-litre bowl, so be sure to choose the right size for the way you intend to cook. As a rough guide, 1.5-3 litres will feed one or two people, 3-5 litres, three or four people and anything over five litres should suit a large family, with six litres or more ideal for batch cooks who like to fill the freezer. Alternatively, a larger cooker is great for those who like to eat what’s leftover for lunch the next day.

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. The Russell Hobbs Good to Go Multicooker is a true multi-tasker. Armed with a variety of capabilities, you can make sure that your meat is cooked just right before you cut it open, or fill up a water bath for succulent sous vide fish or veggies. This digital slow cooker comes with a removable control dial on its front control panel, which has pre-set modes for steaming and stewing as well as high and low manual temperature levels. There is also a keep warm mode. 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. Removing the need to sauté in a pan before transferring to the pot, the Sage Fast Slow Go is as useful for slow cooking converts as it is to experienced cooks. Functioning as both a slow cooker and a pressure cooker, it includes sensors at the top and bottom to monitor temperature. This makes inconsistently cooked stews a thing of the past.The removable bowl can be used on any hob – including induction – for sautéing your ingredients before long, slow cooking and is, of course, easy to clean afterwards. 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. You're in Charge: As well as automatic settings, the Manual function puts you in control, with a programmable countdown timer and High/Low cook settings 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. 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

This is a really nice “in-between” size – not so enormous that you have to cook a curry for 10 people every time you use it, but also not so small that you can only cook for two.

When testing these slow cookers we were keen to try out each of their main cooking settings, so while a more simple manual slow cooker was used to make a stew or simple curry, we pressure cooked meat and steamed fish in the more complex slow cookers on the market. When slow cookers came with digital settings we attempted delay-start recipes and tested how easy they were to use. One of the best things about the Drew and Cole Cleverchef Pro is the app, which comes with a huge range of recipes at the touch of a button. Compared to a lot of multi-cookers the Drew and Cole Cleverchef Pro has an uncomplicated display that's simple to customise. A great choice for those who want a smart multi-cooker. 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. 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 Cooking Perfection: slow, gentle heat produces delicious meals with minimal effort; ideal for soups, stews and meat joints, as well as puddings, cakes and more