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Rankings re-checked weekly · Last re-checked 16 October 2026
·Prices updated daily·AI-assisted, run by Jaco Olwagen
An 8-litre, 1200W slow cooker that also sears, steams, braises, bakes and proves in the base, with an oven-safe non-stick pot and steaming rack.
Why it's number one: Leads on performance, ease of use and capacity: the only pick that sears in its own base, a timer that drops to Keep Warm and an 8-litre oven-safe pot, with 4.5/5 from Ideal Home and Homes & Gardens and 4/5 from Expert Reviews (three reviews averaging 4.3/5) and 4.7 stars from 1,065 Amazon AU owners. It ships from Amazon UK with a UK plug.
The Ninja Foodi PossibleCooker is the premium option for people who find a basic dial slow cooker limiting. It slow cooks for up to 12 hours, but the same 8 litre non-stick pot also sears and sautés, steams, braises, simmers, bakes and proves, and a keep warm mode rounds out eight functions. Ninja's Triple Fusion Heat pairs side and base heating elements with steam heat, which it says makes the unit five times more powerful than a conventional slow cooker, so you can brown onions and seal meat in the base itself rather than on the stovetop. The pot is oven safe to 260°C and doubles as a serving dish, and a steaming rack, a glass lid with an integrated serving spoon and a recipe guide come in the box. Amazon AU buyers rate it 4.7 stars across 1,057 reviews. At 8 litres and 1200W it is a big, powerful unit, so it is a poor fit for singles, and it is the most expensive pick here by a wide margin. It also comes with a UK plug, its two year guarantee is registered in the UK and Ireland, and it ships from Amazon UK, so budget for an adapter, a longer delivery and a different warranty path than our locally stocked picks.
Performance
9.6
Ease of use
9.3
Build
8.5
Capacity
10.0
Owners
8.9
Critics
8.7
Owners is the 4.7★ Amazon AU rating from 1,067 reviews, weighted toward the category average when there are few. Critics averages 3 published reviews. Tick marks show the category average.
How we scored it
Each measure is marked against the category's rubric, where 10 is the best you can buy, 8 is strong, 6 is basic but sound and 4 falls short. The bars show that mark on the Top7 scale (a 6 reads as 7.0, an 8 as 8.5); the notes quote the rubric mark.
Performance 9.6 (rubric 9.5): Sears and sautes in the base on a 1200W element with side and base heating, plus Keep Warm; Expert Reviews found even, moist results but slower searing of large pieces than a hob.
Ease of use 9.3 (rubric 9): Digital timer that switches to Keep Warm on its own (Expert Reviews), a light 6 kg unit and a dishwasher-safe lid and spoon; Low cannot be timed under 6 hours and it has a UK plug.
Build 8.5 (rubric 8): Oven-safe non-stick pot (230 C per Expert Reviews, 260 C on the card) with stainless handles and a glass lid; Homes & Gardens says hand-wash the pot; 2-year guarantee is UK-registered.
Capacity 10.0 (rubric 10): Rated 8 litres: the 7 litre or more band.
A locally stocked 6-litre slow cooker with a stovetop-safe non-stick pot for searing, digital controls with a timer, and Low, High and Keep Warm settings.
The Russell Hobbs 6L Searing Slow Cooker takes our top spot because it delivers the one-pot sear-and-stew workflow we rate so highly, and it does it from Amazon AU's own local stock. The removable non-stick aluminium pot goes straight onto the stovetop, so you brown your onions and seal a chuck roast in the same vessel that then drops into the base to simmer, leaving one pot to wash. Controls are digital, with a timer and three heat settings (Low, High and Keep Warm), so you can set it going in the morning and let it hold dinner at serving temperature until everyone is home. The 6 litre pot cooks up to eight servings, and cool-touch handles and a tempered glass lid mean it serves straight to the table. Amazon AU buyers rate it 4.6 stars across 341 reviews, a smaller sample than the imported Morphy Richards but a consistent one, and the local stock means quick delivery with no plug or adapter to think about. It is the priciest of our Australian-sold picks, and a 6 litre pot is more than a couple needs for a weeknight curry, but for a family that wants proper browning without a frypan it is the best all-rounder on the list.
Performance
8.9
Ease of use
8.9
Build
8.1
Capacity
9.3
Owners
8.5
Owners is the 4.6★ Amazon AU rating from 347 reviews, weighted toward the category average when there are few. Fewer than two published reviews of this exact model, so the owner rating carries that weight too. Tick marks show the category average.
How we scored it
Each measure is marked against the category's rubric, where 10 is the best you can buy, 8 is strong, 6 is basic but sound and 4 falls short. The bars show that mark on the Top7 scale (a 6 reads as 7.0, an 8 as 8.5); the notes quote the rubric mark.
Performance 8.9 (rubric 8.5): Stovetop-safe non-stick pot sears in the one vessel, with Low, High and Keep Warm; CHOICE (83/100, Recommended) found a perfect low-setting result and very good performance.
Ease of use 8.9 (rubric 8.5): Digital controls with a timer and Keep Warm, a light non-stick pot that lifts out to serve and cool-touch handles; CHOICE calls it very easy to use. No lid holder.
Build 8.1 (rubric 7.5): Shatter-resistant non-stick aluminium pot and a tempered glass lid in a matte black housing; the card states neither a metal body nor a warranty term.
Capacity 9.3 (rubric 9): Rated 6 litres: the 6 to 6.9 litre band.
The 6.5 litre Sear & Stew takes everything we like about the 3.5 litre model higher up this list and scales it up for a big family. The removable aluminium pot is stovetop-proof, so you sear and stew in the one vessel, it is shatter resistant and light to lift even when full, and both pot and lid are dishwasher safe. The clever addition is a detachable hinged lid: it flips up and stays put while you stir or ladle, then lifts right off for cleaning, which means no more hunting for somewhere to rest a dripping lid. Three heat settings and a low 163W draw round it out, and like the smaller version the searing step happens on your stovetop rather than in the base. Amazon AU buyers rate it 4.7 stars across 2,380 reviews. It is the second most expensive pick here, and the locally stocked Russell Hobbs searing model does a similar job for a lot less, so this is the one to buy if you want the hinged lid and the shatterproof pot specifically. It ships from Amazon UK, so expect a longer wait for delivery and check the plug and warranty details on the listing.
Performance
8.1
Ease of use
7.8
Build
7.8
Capacity
9.3
Owners
8.9
Owners is the 4.7★ Amazon AU rating from 2,380 reviews, weighted toward the category average when there are few. Fewer than two published reviews of this exact model, so the owner rating carries that weight too. Tick marks show the category average.
How we scored it
Each measure is marked against the category's rubric, where 10 is the best you can buy, 8 is strong, 6 is basic but sound and 4 falls short. The bars show that mark on the Top7 scale (a 6 reads as 7.0, an 8 as 8.5); the notes quote the rubric mark.
Performance 8.1 (rubric 7.5): Stovetop-safe aluminium pot sears in the one vessel with three heat settings; no critic review of this 6.5L model, held at the level its 3.5L sibling earned in reviews.
Ease of use 7.8 (rubric 7): Manual dial with no timer and no keep warm on the card; a detachable hinged lid that stays open while you stir, a light shatter-resistant pot, and dishwasher-safe pot and lid.
Build 7.8 (rubric 7): Shatter-resistant aluminium pot and a detachable hinged glass lid in a painted housing; no critic evidence on durability and a UK-sourced warranty.
Capacity 9.3 (rubric 9): Rated 6.5 litres: the 6 to 6.9 litre band.
Pros
+ 6.5-litre stovetop-safe pot for one-pot searing and stewing
+ Detachable hinged lid stays open while you stir and lifts off to wash
+ Shatter-resistant aluminium pot is light even when full
+ 4.7 stars from 2,380 reviews
Cons
− Second most expensive pick on the list
− Too big for singles and couples
− Ships from Amazon UK, so delivery takes longer and plug and warranty may differ
A family-sized 5.5-litre Sunbeam with a removable ceramic pan, wrap-around element, Low, High and Keep Warm settings and a recipe book, stocked locally by Amazon AU.
Sunbeam is the slow cooker brand most Australians grew up with, and the HP5520 is the classic done simply. The 5.5 litre ceramic pan is rated for six to eight people, which makes it the right size for a family dinner with leftovers, entertaining, or cooking extra for the freezer, and the removable crock has cool-touch handles so it goes straight from the base to the table. A wrap-around element heats evenly and, Sunbeam says, prevents sticking so there's no need to stir, and the three settings are Low, High and Keep Warm, so dinner holds at serving temperature if you're running late. Pan and lid are dishwasher safe, a recipe book comes in the box, and it is sold and shipped by Amazon AU. Buyers rate it 4.6 stars across 213 reviews, a smaller sample than the imports but a happy one. The ceramic pan cannot go on the stovetop, so browning happens in a frypan first, and control is a simple dial with no timer. For a mid-sized family that wants a dependable, locally stocked crock at a budget-tier price, it is hard to argue with.
Performance
7.8
Ease of use
7.4
Build
7.4
Capacity
8.5
Owners
8.5
Owners is the 4.6★ Amazon AU rating from 216 reviews, weighted toward the category average when there are few. Fewer than two published reviews of this exact model, so the owner rating carries that weight too. Tick marks show the category average.
How we scored it
Each measure is marked against the category's rubric, where 10 is the best you can buy, 8 is strong, 6 is basic but sound and 4 falls short. The bars show that mark on the Top7 scale (a 6 reads as 7.0, an 8 as 8.5); the notes quote the rubric mark.
Performance 7.8 (rubric 7): Ceramic pan on a wrap-around element with Low, High and Keep Warm; browning needs a frypan. CHOICE rates it 85/100 and Recommended, the best CHOICE result on this list.
Ease of use 7.4 (rubric 6.5): Manual dial with Low, High and Keep Warm, a dishwasher-safe pan and lid and cool-touch handles; a heavy ceramic pan and no timer.
Build 7.4 (rubric 6.5): Stainless-steel housing around a ceramic pan with a glass lid, from a long-established Australian brand; no warranty term on the card.
Capacity 8.5 (rubric 8): Rated 5.5 litres: the 5 to 5.9 litre band.
The Morphy Richards Sear & Stew is the most-reviewed slow cooker on Amazon AU by a wide margin, with 9,585 ratings averaging 4.7 stars, and it is the import we could not leave off the list. It fixes the one thing that makes slow cooking a chore: the removable aluminium pot is stovetop-proof, so you brown your onions and sear your beef in the same pot before dropping it into the base to bubble away, and there is only one thing to wash at the end. Three heat settings cover a gentle all-day simmer through to a faster high cook, the 3.5 litre capacity suits everything from a solo dinner to a family meal, and the shatter-resistant pot is far lighter to carry to the table than a ceramic crock. It is non-stick and dishwasher safe, and at 163W it sips power. The trade-offs are that the pot is not suitable for induction cooktops, and that it ships from Amazon UK, so you will wait longer for delivery than with our locally stocked Russell Hobbs and Sunbeam picks, and it is worth checking the plug and warranty details on the listing before you buy.
Performance
8.1
Ease of use
7.0
Build
7.8
Capacity
7.0
Owners
8.9
Critics
8.5
Owners is the 4.7★ Amazon AU rating from 9,584 reviews, weighted toward the category average when there are few. Critics averages 2 published reviews. Tick marks show the category average.
How we scored it
Each measure is marked against the category's rubric, where 10 is the best you can buy, 8 is strong, 6 is basic but sound and 4 falls short. The bars show that mark on the Top7 scale (a 6 reads as 7.0, an 8 as 8.5); the notes quote the rubric mark.
Performance 8.1 (rubric 7.5): Stovetop-safe aluminium pot with Low, Med and High; Ideal Home had to turn a lamb joint halfway for even cooking and Trusted Reviews scores the same 3.5L unit 3.5/5.
Ease of use 7.0 (rubric 6): Manual dial with no timer and, per both reviews, no keep warm setting; the light shatter-resistant pot and lid are dishwasher safe and the handles stay cool.
Build 7.8 (rubric 7): Shatter-resistant aluminium pot and toughened glass lid in a painted housing; Trusted Reviews saw discolouration on the pot base after hob use; UK-sourced warranty.
Capacity 7.0 (rubric 6): Rated 3.5 litres: the 3 to 3.9 litre band.
A 7-litre Russell Hobbs crock for big households, with a dishwasher-safe ceramic bowl, Low, High and Keep Warm settings and a built-in lid holder, at a budget price.
If you feed a crowd, the Russell Hobbs RHSC7 gives you the biggest ceramic pot on this list at one of the lowest prices. The 7 litre removable ceramic bowl makes eight servings with leftovers to spare, which is what you want for a Sunday roast, a big batch of bolognese or a curry that will cover a few lunches. Three heat settings cover Low, High and Keep Warm, so dinner holds at serving temperature rather than cooking on, and the bowl lifts out to serve straight on the table. The matte black finish is smart, the handles are cool-touch, and a built-in lid holder solves the perennial question of where to rest a dripping lid while you stir. Bowl and tempered glass lid are dishwasher safe. It is sold and shipped by Amazon AU, and buyers rate it 4.5 stars across 480 reviews, the biggest local sample on this list. The ceramic bowl cannot go on the stovetop, so browning happens in a frypan first, a full 7 litre crock is heavy to carry, and it needs a proper patch of bench and cupboard space. For a large family on a budget, though, it is a lot of slow cooker for the money.
Performance
7.4
Ease of use
7.8
Build
7.0
Capacity
10.0
Owners
8.2
Owners is the 4.5★ Amazon AU rating from 498 reviews, weighted toward the category average when there are few. Fewer than two published reviews of this exact model, so the owner rating carries that weight too. Tick marks show the category average.
How we scored it
Each measure is marked against the category's rubric, where 10 is the best you can buy, 8 is strong, 6 is basic but sound and 4 falls short. The bars show that mark on the Top7 scale (a 6 reads as 7.0, an 8 as 8.5); the notes quote the rubric mark.
Performance 7.4 (rubric 6.5): Ceramic bowl with Low, High and Keep Warm; browning needs a frypan. CHOICE rates it 81/100.
Ease of use 7.8 (rubric 7): Manual dial with Keep Warm, a built-in lid holder, cool-touch handles and a dishwasher-safe bowl and tempered glass lid; a heavy 7-litre ceramic bowl and no timer.
Build 7.0 (rubric 6): Matte black housing around a ceramic bowl with a tempered glass lid; the card states no warranty term.
Capacity 10.0 (rubric 10): Rated 7 litres: the 7 litre or more band.
A compact 3.5-litre Russell Hobbs for couples and small families, with a dishwasher-safe ceramic bowl, wrap-around element and High, Low and Auto settings.
The Russell Hobbs 4443BSS is the cheapest slow cooker on our list and the one we would point most first-time buyers to. The 3.5 litre removable ceramic bowl makes four servings, which suits a couple with leftovers or a small family, and it lifts out to serve straight to the table. Three heat settings cover High, Low and Auto, so you can pick a gentle all-day cook, a faster one, or let the cooker manage the transition for you. A wrap-around heating element spreads heat evenly around the bowl for consistent cooking, and both the ceramic bowl and the tempered glass lid go in the dishwasher. It is sold and shipped by Amazon AU, so it arrives quickly, and buyers rate it 4.6 stars across 340 reviews. What you give up is a keep warm setting, which the 7 litre RHSC7 has, and any stovetop searing, since the bowl is ceramic. It is also too small for entertaining. As a simple, locally stocked crock for a couple or a small household, it does the job for very little money.
Performance
7.0
Ease of use
6.6
Build
7.0
Capacity
7.0
Owners
8.5
Owners is the 4.6★ Amazon AU rating from 348 reviews, weighted toward the category average when there are few. Fewer than two published reviews of this exact model, so the owner rating carries that weight too. Tick marks show the category average.
How we scored it
Each measure is marked against the category's rubric, where 10 is the best you can buy, 8 is strong, 6 is basic but sound and 4 falls short. The bars show that mark on the Top7 scale (a 6 reads as 7.0, an 8 as 8.5); the notes quote the rubric mark.
Performance 7.0 (rubric 6): Ceramic bowl on a wrap-around element with High, Low and Auto; no Keep Warm and browning needs a frypan. CHOICE rates it 68/100, the lowest CHOICE result on this list.
Ease of use 6.6 (rubric 5.5): Manual dial with High, Low and Auto but no Keep Warm setting and no timer; a heavy ceramic bowl, though bowl and tempered glass lid are dishwasher safe.
Build 7.0 (rubric 6): Silver housing around a ceramic bowl with a tempered glass lid; CHOICE lists the unit at 3.5 kg; no warranty term on the card.
Capacity 7.0 (rubric 6): Rated 3.5 litres: the 3 to 3.9 litre band.
We evaluate slow cookers on cooking performance (even, gentle heat, how well the pot holds temperature and whether you can sear in it), ease of use (control layout, lid design, how easy the pot is to lift, serve from and wash), build quality (pot material, lid, housing and handles), capacity (how many people it realistically feeds and whether the size suits the household), and overall value for money within its tier. We only rank dedicated electric slow cookers, so pressure cookers and multicookers are excluded by design. Units sold and shipped by Amazon AU are preferred over imports where the local product is credible, and where a pick ships from overseas we say so, because delivery times and plug types matter. All star ratings and review counts are drawn from live Amazon AU customer feedback.
Scored on Performance 45%, Ease of use 25%, Build quality 15%, Capacity 15%, plus owner ratings and critic reviews
A 3.5 litre pot makes about four servings and is the sweet spot for couples and families of up to four. Step up to 5.5 or 6 litres if you feed six to eight, entertain, or like to cook double and freeze half, and to 6.5, 7 or 8 litres if you batch cook in earnest or regularly feed a crowd. Remember a slow cooker works best when the pot is at least half full, so bigger is not automatically better.
Ceramic crock or stovetop-safe pot
A ceramic pot holds and spreads heat evenly, goes in the dishwasher and looks good on the table, but it is heavy and cannot go on the stove, so you brown meat in a frypan first. Searing designs from Russell Hobbs and Morphy Richards use a lightweight, non-stick aluminium pot that goes straight onto the cooktop for browning, then back into the base. Check the induction note on the listing if that is your cooktop.
Heat settings, keep warm and timers
Most slow cookers offer low and high, and some add an auto setting or a third heat level. A keep warm mode is the setting that matters for busy households, because it holds dinner at serving temperature when someone is running late instead of continuing to cook it. A digital timer, which the Russell Hobbs searing model has, lets you set the cook time and forget it.
Lids and cleaning
A glass lid lets you check progress without lifting it and letting the heat out. A built-in lid holder, or a hinged lid that flips up and stays put while you stir, then detaches for washing, is a genuine convenience on a big crock. Whatever the design, look for a removable pot and a lid that are both dishwasher safe.
Power draw
Traditional slow cookers draw very little power, which is why an all-day cook costs so little; the Morphy Richards models here are rated at 163W. Ninja's 1200W PossibleCooker is a different animal: the extra power is what lets it sear, steam and bake in the base rather than just simmer.
Local stock or overseas delivery
Four of our picks are sold and shipped by Amazon AU, which means quick delivery and an appliance built for the Australian market. The Morphy Richards and Ninja units ship from Amazon UK, so allow a longer delivery window, and read the listing carefully: the Ninja comes with a UK plug and its guarantee is registered in the UK and Ireland, so an adapter and a different warranty path are part of the deal.
There is a reason the slow cooker never really went out of fashion in Australia. Load it up in the morning, walk out the door, and come home to a lamb shank casserole, a pulled pork or a curry that tastes like it took all day, because it did. It turns the cheap, tough cuts into the best thing on the table, it barely draws any power compared with an oven, and on a cold winter's night there is nothing better waiting for you than a house that smells like dinner.
The market splits along two lines. The first is the pot: a classic removable ceramic crock that holds heat beautifully and looks the part on the table, or a lightweight aluminium pot that can go straight onto the stovetop so you sear and stew in the one vessel. The second is capacity, which runs from the 3.5 litre size that suits most couples and small families, through 5.5 and 6 litre pots for a family with leftovers, up to 6.5, 7 and 8 litre crocks for big households, entertaining and freezer batches.
We've compared the top-rated dedicated slow cookers on Amazon Australia and put local stock first. Four of our seven picks, from Russell Hobbs and Sunbeam, are sold and shipped by Amazon AU, so they arrive quickly with no plug or adapter to think about. The other three, Morphy Richards' Sear & Stew pots and Ninja's do-it-all PossibleCooker, ship from Amazon's UK warehouse; we kept them because nothing in local stock matches their review numbers or features, and we flag the longer delivery and plug on each. Pressure cookers and multicookers have their own category on this site and are deliberately left out.
Handy calculators
Free, in Australian units, and built for a phone on the bench.
Match the pot to the people. The 3.5 litre models from Russell Hobbs and Morphy Richards make about four servings and are the sweet spot for couples and families of up to four. If you feed six to eight, entertain, or like to cook double and freeze half, the 5.5 litre Sunbeam and the 6 litre Russell Hobbs searing model are the right size, and the 6.5 litre Morphy Richards, 7 litre Russell Hobbs and 8 litre Ninja are for serious batch cooking. Slow cookers work best at least half full, so don't buy bigger than you need.
Should I get a ceramic pot or a searing-style aluminium pot?+
A ceramic pot holds and spreads heat evenly, looks good on the table and goes in the dishwasher, but it is heavy and cannot go on the stove, so browning happens in a separate frypan. Searing models like the Russell Hobbs RHSC650BLK and the Morphy Richards Sear & Stew use a light, non-stick aluminium pot that goes straight onto the cooktop for browning, then back into the base, which means one pot to wash. Just check the induction note on the listing, as the Morphy Richards pots are not suitable for induction cooktops.
Low or high, and how long should I cook for?+
Low is the setting slow cookers are designed around: a gentle, all-day simmer that turns tough cuts tender while you are at work. High gets to a similar result in less time and is handy when you start late. An auto setting, where fitted, manages the transition between the two for you. If your cooker has keep warm, use it once the food is done rather than leaving it on high, so dinner holds at serving temperature without overcooking.
What's the difference between a slow cooker and a multicooker?+
A dedicated slow cooker does one thing: gentle, low-wattage cooking over many hours in a ceramic or aluminium pot, with a couple of heat settings and nothing to program. A multicooker such as an Instant Pot is really an electric pressure cooker that also has a slow cook mode, along with rice, sauté, steam and yoghurt programs. If you want fast weeknight pressure cooking, look at our multicookers category. If you mostly want casseroles, curries and pulled meats done the traditional way, a slow cooker is simpler and usually cheaper.
Which of these slow cookers ship locally, and will the imported ones work in Australia?+
The Russell Hobbs and Sunbeam picks are sold and shipped by Amazon AU, so they arrive quickly and there is nothing to think about on the plug front. The Morphy Richards Sear & Stew pots and the Ninja PossibleCooker are stocked in Amazon's UK warehouse, which is why delivery takes longer than a local order. The Ninja listing states it comes with a UK plug and a guarantee registered in the UK and Ireland, so you will need an inexpensive adapter and should not count on a local warranty; check the plug and warranty notes on the Morphy Richards listings too before you buy.
