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.

The CSC026 comes in any colour you want, as long as it’s gloss white – but that’s OK with us as it’s a great looking slow cooker. The front of the slow cooker is home to a large control panel that contains a digital display and buttons to control cooking time and temperature.High and low temperature settings give you versatility over your timings, while the keep warm function means seconds can be served up straight away and latecomers don’t have to miss out. Yes. Oster claims that their DuraCeramic coated pans, waffle irons, and other cookware are 100 percent free of from these toxic elements. 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.

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. Designed to make meal planning easy, the digital timer can be set from 30 minutes to twenty hours, with an LED display counting down the time – and if you’re not quite ready when your food is, an automatic keep-warm function will make sure it doesn’t go cold. Manufacturers of ceramic-coated cookware and kitchen appliances such as Oster claim that their products are extremely safe, durable, reliable, and contain no harmful chemical, toxins, carcinogens or heavy metals. As a result, this particular coating needs less curing time, which saves on the heat. This reduces energy and the entire manufacturing process emits 50 percent less carbon dioxide than Teflon based products.According to ceramic manufacturers, ceramic coated pans, waffle irons, and other products do not produce any hazardous fumes even if they are heated beyond 450 degrees. This isn’t the case with Teflon coated cookware. Ceramic coated products also don’t even break down at extreme heat, which makes it safe for humans. Slow cookers are also brilliant for less-than-confident cooks, easily creating all those meals that seem a bit scary on the hob. That’s because slow cooking develops the flavours of food for richer, tastier results. It’s not just dinners that slow cookers excel at making either. They make great porridge, granola, stewed apples, bread and butter pudding, fudge and dips. You can use your slow cooker to melt chocolate, as a Bain-marie. How much should I spend on a slow cooker? 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. In an ideal world, a slow cooker at this price point would also have a timer and automatic switch to keep warm rather than relying on manual controls. However, what you do get for your money is excellent build quality, perfectly controlled heat, and a design that makes cooking super-easy.

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. The FDA has strict requirements for all ceramic products sold in the US to be cadmium and lead-free So, always buy ceramic coated products sold in the US by reputable companies to be safe. Final Words Ceramic coating doesn’t peel or break down at high temperatures and doesn’t emit any toxic fumes. While cooking at normal temperatures, say under 500 degrees, they are a much better alternative than Teflon (PTFE) coated pan.DuraCeramic is developed by Belgian cookware manufacturer Oster. The company claims that this unique and innovative ceramic coating is four times more resilient than conventional Teflon coated surfaces. It also won’t peel or flake with extended use. DuraCeramic is also PFOA and PTFE free, the company claims. This usually happens to ceramic cookware originated from Asia and Latin American countries where health and public safety regulations are a bit relaxed. 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. The lid is made of glass and has a small steam hole. This is a neat little touch as it prevents the lid from rattling like we’ve seen in some cheaper slow cookers. We’re starting to see a little grime build up between the handle and the lid, but the handle is removable with a couple of screws and easily cleaned.

Refitting the lid to the base and lowering it created a secure seal around the rim. As the contents cooked, there was noticeably less smell of bolognese in the air than other machines tend to produce. So while you won’t be coming home to a house full of intense cooking smells, it’s likely to make for more tender, moist meals.

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. 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.