Lakeland digital slow cooker review

Available from Lakeland (£59.99)

Read our buyer's guide to the best slow cookers

This substantial 6.5-litre slow cooker is great for family meals and batch cooking, though its size means it's not suitable for small spaces.

There are a few standout features. The first, and unique in the test, is the lightweight aluminium inner pot that's both oven and hob-proof, including on induction. This means the searing of meat or veg can be done directly in the pot, saving on washing up.

Cleaning it is easy, the inner pot has a non-stick surface and it’s dishwasher safe too.

Heating the pot for searing was really quick. Stirring the ingredients with a wooden spoon was easy, as nothing sticks, and the sides are deep enough to prevent splattering on the hob.

With so much room, the 900g of meat for a slow cooker beef stew sat comfortably in one layer, as did the vegetables. Both tested recipes could easily have been doubled, making this a fabulous choice for batch cooking.

The only drawback is the slight dome to the base of the cooking pot, meaning oil and juices slid away to the rim.

The outer casing is robust. The cooker has a deep lipped rim and sturdy carrying handles, making it safe to move around, even when full.

There's a clear digital screen with simple, clearly marked push-button controls for the three heat settings (warm, high, low) and an especially welcome delay feature, where everything can be set and ready to go up to 24 hours ahead.

Both cooked dishes (the slow cooker beef stew and chicken curry) were excellent, the meat meltingly tender and packed with flavour. Indeed, the Lakeland slow cooker produced our favourite beef stew of all the slow cookers tested, beautifully deep, dark and delicious.

Available from Lakeland (£59.99)

Specifications
Type: digital slow cooker
Capacity: 6.5-litre
Size: 44 x 30 x 25cm
Settings: high, low, warm and delay
Functions: 24-hour timer with start delay
Pot: light, metal, non-stick.
Lid: tempered glass lid with Bakelite handle – oven-safe up to 200˚C
Guarantee: 3 years
Dishwasher: inner pot and lid
Oven and hob friendly: pot oven-safe up to 200˚C, all hobs including induction
Instruction manual: yes
Recipes: yes

Read our buyer's guide to the best slow cookers

Slow cooker recipes

Our best ever slow cooker recipes
Healthy slow cooker recipes
Slow cooker chicken recipes
Summer slow cooker recipes
Slow cooker curry recipes
Slow cooker beef recipes

Related reviews

Best pressure cookers
Best blenders
Instant Pot Duo review
Best food processors
Best soup makers
Best rice makers
Visit our review section

This review was last updated in January 2020. If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews or spot anything that has changed in price or availability, please get in touch at goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk.