Morphy Richards Sear & Stew
A practical slow cooker (3.5L, manual dial, sear-in-pot) for easy, budget-friendly slow-cooked meals.
What Size Slow Cooker Do I Need? (UK Guide 2026)
Capacity is the most important slow cooker choice, and it's easy to get wrong in either direction. Here's a simple guide to matching size to your household.
Size by household
As a rough guide: 1.5-2L mini slow cookers suit one person, side dishes and dips; 3-3.5L suits one or two people; 4-5L suits a small family of three or four; and 6L and above suits big families, entertaining, or batch cooking to freeze. If you're between sizes, go bigger - a larger cooker can make smaller meals, but a small one can't stretch to a big batch.
Total vs usable capacity
The litres quoted are the total pot capacity, but the usable amount is less - slow cookers work best filled between half and three-quarters full, both for safety and for even cooking. So a 3.5L cooker comfortably makes meals for two or three, not four. Factor this in and size up if you regularly cook for a full house or like leftovers to freeze.
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.
Frequently asked questions
What size slow cooker do I need?
Roughly: 1.5-2L for one or sides, 3-3.5L for one or two people, 4-5L for a small family, and 6L+ for big families or batch cooking. Slow cookers work best half to three-quarters full, so size up if in doubt.
Is a 3.5L slow cooker big enough for a family?
A 3.5L slow cooker suits one or two people, or a small family meal with little spare. For a family of four with leftovers, a 5-6L model is a better fit, since you shouldn't fill a slow cooker more than about three-quarters full.
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..