Best Small Crock-Pot | Reviews and Buying Guide

With the wide range of cooking appliances available on the market today, it can become quite difficult to find a small crock-pot that fits all your needs. In order to find a slow cooker that is right for you, you need to learn all about the buying process and the important things you need to consider prior to making a final decision. Slow cookers allow food to be cooked at a steady, low temperature and only require a little bit of liquid or water to prevent the food at the bottom from burning.

These kitchen appliances are great for preparing meals that need a lot of time to cook and require some planning. If you desire to add ingredients to a cooking container, forget about it, and enjoy a warm, home-cooked meal at the end of the day, a crock-pot might be the ideal solution for you. Here, we have prepared an extensive guide to the best small crock-pots to help you make an informed decision:

Things You Need to Consider Before Buying a Small Crock-Pot

If you have made the decision to purchase a slow cooker for the first time, it is best that you learn about a few things to consider in order to make the best buy. Crock-pots come in a wide range of functions and prices and finding the right one mainly depends on your personal requirements.

Construction

When it comes to crock-pots, the most popular choices are porcelain and ceramic cookers. Metal crocks are also a good choice. All these materials do a great job of conducting heat. Therefore, your personal preference plays a major role in the type of slow cooker you select. One aspect of the construction of the crock-pot you should consider is that if it can be easily cleaned. Crock-pots that come with a heating unit and crock fused together become a nightmare to clean!

The Heating Method

While some slow cookers come with a base that encloses a detachable insert snugly, others come with a heating element that is only installed on the bottom. However, there is a third type also available in which the heating element extends up to the side of the crock-pot’s base and therefore, allows even distribution of heat.

Never opt for slow cookers in which the crock is simply placed right on top of the heating element as this causes uneven distribution of heat, requiring you to stir your food more frequently in order to prevent it from getting burned.

Material

Firstly, the lid of the cooker needs to be a snug fit so that no heat escapes the container. The next thing you want to do to stop the precious heat from getting out of the small crock-pot is to avoid opening the lid. For this purpose, it’s best to opt for a crock-pot that comes with a glass lid. The transparency of the lid will enable you to see inside.

Shape

While crock-pots come in two different shapes; oval and round, there is no correct answer to which one of them is a better choice. You need to analyze the types of meals you will be cooking in your slow cooker. For instance, when cooking ribs, brisket, or whole chickens, oval crock-pots serve the purpose better. However, for stews, soups, and beans, the shape of the slow cooker doesn’t matter much. Therefore, simply figure out the purpose of your slow cooker before finalizing the purchase.

Size

The size of a crock-pot is a very important consideration. If you simply would like to keep your dips warm or prepare oatmeal in your crock-pot, or you have a small kitchen space, a tiny crock-pot might be the ideal choice for you. However, if you would like to double your recipes for larger crowds very often, it may be best to stick with a larger sized pot.

Warming Function

Crock-pots often come with both low and high-temperature cooking settings. However, some slow cookers also come with a warming function. This feature helps warm up food when needed. This setting also lets you cook food at an extremely low temperature for a very long period of time.

Sear Function

If you plan to sauté vegetables or brown meats in your slow cooker then looking for a crock-pot with a sear function might make preparing meals easier. While this is an extremely useful function to have in a kitchen appliance, it does come at a high price.

Timer

A timer adds a digital aspect to a slow cooker and makes it a more advanced option for cooks to enjoy. Some slow cookers come with the option of selecting between preset cooking times and some come with a digital timer. If you plan to leave the home while your meal cooks, it is best to buy a slow cooker that features a built-in timer in order to prevent your meals from turning to mush.

7 Best Small Crock-Pots

1) Instant Pot 6 Qt Duo Nova 7-in-1 Pressure Cooker

As the name suggests, the Instant Pot 6 Qt Duo Nova 7-in-1 Pressure Cooker combines seven appliances in one; a slow cooker, yogurt maker, pressure cooker, rice cooker, sauté pan, steamer, and food warmer. If you are planning to have a party, you can’t go wrong with this 6-Qt pot! The Duo Nova features a high-quality microprocessor that helps adjust and monitor time, temperature, heat, and pressure to cook food at a higher speed than other methods.

This cooker delivers delicious, consistent results each time! It comes with a smart lid that automatically seals the pot and makes steam release extremely easy with a release button. Give this dishwasher-safe, durable, and elegant crock-pot a try today to make cooking simpler and more convenient!

Dimensions: 13.39 x 12.20 x 12.48 inches

Our rating: 4.8 / 5

2) Crock-Pot 3-Quart Round Manual Slow Cooker

The Crock-Pot 3-Quart Round Manual Slow Cooker enables users to come home to delicious home-cooked meals. When you have this efficient tiny crock-pot, all you need to do is simply throw in some of your favorite ingredients and let this slow cooker do the rest for you. This small pot is ideal for preparing dips and slow-cook meals for a family of two. You can set the cooking time up to 20 hours.

This crock-pot features low and high cook settings along with a keep-warm function that enables users to serve food hot and fresh. While you are enjoying a day out, this slow cooker does all the work for you! Enjoy comforting tender meats, flavorful soups, stews, broths and stocks, and countless other delicious meals with minimal effort!

Dimensions: 9.84 x 11.41 x 10.4 inches

Our rating: 4.7 / 5

3) Crock-Pot 6-Quart Cook & Carry Programmable Slow Cooker

The Crock-Pot 6-Quart Cook & Carry Programmable Slow Cooker is an ideal crock-pot to prepare meals for a family of seven and more people. It features a digital countdown control that lets users program cook times between 30 minutes and 20 hours, allowing them to come home to slow-cooked, flavorful meals!

The locking lid is extremely easy to use and enables users to carry this pot with minimum mess. The removable stone inserts of this pot can be safely used in the microwave as well as in the oven. With the additional keep-warm settings that this crock-pot comes with, you can enjoy warm, tasty meals at all times!

Dimensions: 9.40 x 15.10 x 14.80 inches

Our rating: 4.7 / 5

4) Maxi-Matic 1.5 Quart Slow Cooker

The Maxi-Matic 1.5 Quart Slow Cooker is ideal for slow cooking purposes, serving appetizers, and one-pot meals such as dips, meatballs, sauces, stews, and sauces. If you are keen on hosting fondue parties where you need to prepare several delicious dips then the Maxi Matic might just be the perfect solution for you! This versatile appliance features high and low-temperature settings.

Additionally, it also comes with a keep-warm setting that helps users keep their meals fresh and hot before they finally serve it. Moreover, the attractive finish of this slow cooker completes the package. This small crock-pot comes with a removable inner stoneware pot that is extremely easy to clean, a cool-touch knob and handles that ensure maximum safety during handling, and finally a tempered glass lid that allows easy cooks to easily view the cooking cycle.

Dimensions: 8.8 x 7.4 x 8.8 inches

Our rating: 4.6 / 5

5) Crock-Pot 6-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker

The Crock-Pot 6-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker is ideal for preparing stews, chilies, sauces, dips, and more. While the low and high settings can be used to slow-cook delicious meals, the warm setting can keep the cooked food at the perfect temperature.

Since the round stoneware and lid are removable and dishwasher safe, you can easily clean this crock-pot after every use. Furthermore, this slow cooker features a digital countdown control that lets you adjust the cooking time anywhere between 30 minutes and 20 hours. Give it a try today to enjoy perfectly tender and mouthwatering meals!

Dimensions: 14.50 x 9.00 x 14.50 inches

Our rating:  4.5 / 5

6) Cuisinart 3-1/2-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker

The Cuisinart 3-1/2-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker is an oval-shaped slow cooker that comes with a glass lid that helps individuals look inside the pot without having to open the lid, stay-cool handles that ensure maximum safety, and nonslip rubber feet that help keep the appliance steadily in one place.

The pot and lid of this product are dishwasher-safe and users can use the instruction manual to understand how to use it in the most optimized manner. Furthermore, this tiny crock-pot features a touchpad control panel with 4 cooking modes and a 24-hour LCD countdown timer, allowing users to enjoy maximum efficiency!

Dimensions: 14.2 x 16.5 x 11.8 inches

Our rating:  4.5 / 5

7) Elite Gourmet Electric Slow Cooker

With the Elite Gourmet Electric Slow Cooker, you can prepare a variety of delicious meals ranging from desserts, soups, stocks, broths, sauces, and fancy appetizers. This product is dishwasher-safe and comes with a tempered glass lid and cool-touch knobs.

The cool-touch feature of the knobs makes the experience easier for individuals and the tight lid of this cooker keeps the ingredients inside tender and moist. The easy-to-use low, high and keep-warm settings make the usage more convenient. Additionally, the power indicator illuminates when you turn the slow cooker on.

Dimensions: 10.43 x 8.07 x 7.87 inches

Our rating: 4.4 / 5

Bottom Line

Crock-pots are kitchen staples that are game-changing for individuals who desire to simply throw in the ingredients of their favorite meal in the slow cooker, turn it on and then let the small crock-pot work its magic! Use all the aforementioned information on the best small crock-pots available on the market and the features to consider before buying one in order to make the best possible buy!

Happy cooking!