Morphy Richards Sear & Stew
A practical slow cooker (3.5L, manual dial, sear-in-pot) for easy, budget-friendly slow-cooked meals.
The Best Slow Cookers in the UK (2026)
A slow cooker is one of the most useful and economical appliances in any kitchen: add your ingredients in the morning, set it to Low, and come home to a cooked meal. The main choices are capacity (matched to your household), the controls (a simple dial or a digital timer), and whether the pot lets you sear food first. This guide explains what matters, then lists our top picks.
Quick answer
For most families, a 4-6.5L slow cooker with a removable pot is ideal; couples and singles do well with a 1.5-3.5L model. Crock-Pot (the original) and Morphy Richards (famous for Sear & Stew) are the best-known UK brands, with Tower, Swan and others offering great value. Choose digital if you want a timer, or a simple dial to keep things cheap and reliable.
What to look for
- Capacity - matched to how many you cook for.
- Controls - manual dial (Low/High/Warm) or digital timer.
- Sear/hob-safe pot - brown meat in the same pot first.
- Removable, dishwasher-safe pot - far easier to clean.
- A clear glass lid - check on food without lifting it.
- Keep-warm - holds the meal until you're ready.
How we pick
We rank on real-world usefulness: capacity, controls, the pot and lid, sear function and ease of cleaning. We don't show scraped prices or star ratings; our editorial score reflects how well each suits everyday home cooking. Slow cookers are deliberately slow (meals take hours, not minutes) and they're not pressure or multi-cookers - they do one job well and cost very little to run. Check the live Amazon price, as slow cookers are often on offer.
Our top picks
#1
#2 
Morphy Richards
A practical slow cooker (3.5L, manual dial) for easy, budget-friendly slow-cooked meals.
#3 
Morphy Richards Sear and Stew
A practical slow cooker (6.5L, sear-in-pot) for easy, budget-friendly slow-cooked meals.
#4 
Crock-Pot
A practical slow cooker (1.8L) for easy, budget-friendly slow-cooked meals.
#5 
Morphy Richards
A practical slow cooker (6.5L) for easy, budget-friendly slow-cooked meals.
#6 
Morphy Richards DuoServe
A practical slow cooker (3.8L) for easy, budget-friendly slow-cooked meals.
#7 
Morphy Richards Sear and Stew
A practical slow cooker (3.5L, manual dial, sear-in-pot) for easy, budget-friendly slow-cooked meals.
#8 
Swan Retro
A practical slow cooker (3.5L) for easy, budget-friendly slow-cooked meals.
#9 
Swan Retro
A practical slow cooker (3.5L) for easy, budget-friendly slow-cooked meals.
#10 
Crockpot Digital
A practical slow cooker (3.5L, digital timer) for easy, budget-friendly slow-cooked meals.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best slow cooker?
For families, a 4-6.5L model from Crock-Pot, Morphy Richards or a good value brand like Tower; for couples, a 1.5-3.5L compact. Pick the size for your household first, then decide between a simple dial and a digital timer, and whether you want a sear-in-pot.
Are slow cookers worth it?
Yes - they're cheap to buy, very cheap to run, and let you cook hands-off while you're out. They tenderise cheaper cuts of meat and make easy stews, curries and casseroles. The trade-off is time: meals cook over several hours rather than minutes.
Manual or digital slow cooker - which is better?
A manual dial (Low/High/Warm) is cheaper, simpler and very reliable - you switch it off yourself. A digital timer lets you set the cooking time and switches to keep-warm automatically, handy if you're out longer than the cooking time. Both cook identically; it's about convenience.
Bottom line
Our top pick is the Morphy Richards Sear & Stew (our score 9.6/10) - A practical slow cooker (3.5L, manual dial, sear-in-pot) for easy, budget-friendly slow-cooked meals..