Slow cookers come in a wide selection of sizes, shapes, colours and prices and these factors need to be considered before you decide which one is right for you. Appearance is the first thing you'll notice; you'll find contemporary stainless steel, rich-coloured and pristine-looking white models as well as the rustic-looking cream and brown versions. Originally only round slow cookers were available; these are excellent for soup and casserole making and for cooking puddings in basins and cakes in round tins.The more modern oval version is a better buy if you entertain often as it's perfect for pot-roasting larger joints of meat and is also good for cooking loaf-shaped cakes and pâtés.
When slow cookers were first manufactured, the ceramic cooking pots were permanently fixed into the outer casing.You may still have such a slow cooker, but more recent models have a removable cooking pot that fits into an outer metal casing.The heating elements are safely situated between the inner and outer casings. A removable cooking pot can be used as a serving dish and allows food to be browned in the oven or under the grill (broiler) without causing damage to the outer casing. It also simplifies washing up. The heat-resistant lid may be ceramic or toughened glass.The latter allows you to monitor the food without lifting the lid and losing precious heat.
The size of slow cookers ranges from a tiny 600 ml/1 pint/21/2 cup cooking pot to a massive 6.5 litre/111/2 pint/261/4 cup one. I have found the ideal size to be 1.5 litres/21/2 pint/6 cups - a large enough capacity for two portions, but small enough to ensure that food such as portions of fish or meat will fit snugly inside and be sufficiently covered by the cooking liquid.This size is a great asset for singles and couples and takes up very little space in the kitchen.