If you lead a busy life of work, family, and other responsibilities, you need a kitchen appliance that will work for you. With a slow cooker, you can make your favourite meals with little effort and minimal cleanup. With built-in safety features, pre-set cooking programs, and automatic switches to warming only, you can even leave your house and go to work while your slow cooker works in your kitchen. If you’ve been on the hunt for you next best kitchen appliance, scroll through our list of top slow cookers.

Cooking a variety of dishes from pot roast to fruit crumble is made easier with this slow cooker by Crock-Pot. The cooker features an easy-to-control display with the scheduler that allows you to have food ready for a certain time, and the manual function lets it work like a standard slow cooker. The included stoneware pot and glass lid are also oven-safe and look presentable enough to serve directly on the table. The same pot and lid are dishwasher-safe, so you won’t have to worry about tedious clean-ups.

Why we love it:

— Built for cooking dinners and desserts — Inbuilt memory to save your favourite meals — Easy to operate

Crock-Pot’s CSC078 unit can help you save some money and energy, as you can program it to slow cook your chosen menu for dinner while you work on other things. The cooker comes with a removable stoneware pot that you can serve right away and can store in the fridge should there be leftovers. This slow cooker also comes with a selection of recipes as well as a few hints and tips for slow cooking.

Why we love it:

— Oven and dishwasher-safe — Perfect for casseroles and soups — Stylish black finish

Ninja’s bulky multi-cooker features a slow cooking mode, perfect for preparing pulled pork and casserole. Its adjustable time settings and temperatures also ensure that you can leave it without worrying about the cooker burning your dish. The cooker also works as a pressure cooker, air fryer, steamer, and grill, among others. The 7.5-litre capacity makes it ideal for serving large meals.

Why we love it:

— Easy switching of cooking functions — Keeps meal warm up to 12 hours — Comes with dishwasher-safe parts

Serve more family members and guests with this extra-spacious cooker by Crock-Pot. The cooker has a 5.6-litre capacity and has four cooking modes including slow cook, pressure cook, steam, and saute. If you have time, you can also opt for manual options instead of timers for fuller control. The cooker comes with a steaming rack, a stirring spoon, and a recipe book.

Why we love it:

— Easy to use controls — Has modes for faster cooking — Non-stick bowl for easier cleaning

The best slow cookers have various cooking options like rice cooking, steaming, and even yogurt making, and they even have some cool features to ensure your food is perfectly cooked every time. When it comes to making dinner, we all dread the long process from time to time. That’s why a slow cooker is a great addition to your kitchen since you can add your ingredients in the morning and have a fully done, home-cooked meal by the end of the day without breaking a sweat.