Feed the family with a slow cooker for every budget

Winter is here, bringing chilly mornings, shorter days, and an overall feeling of falling productivity. If you're anything like us, getting home from work in the dark can make cooking dinner feel harder than usual.

Enter: the slow cooker.

These contraptions allow you to throw dinner together in the morning and cook throughout the day while you're out. The top models have timers and functions for keeping your food warm until everyone is home and ready to eat.

We've pulled together some of the best options at a price range that considers all budgets. So get a slow cooker now to improve your winter cooking!

NOTE: Prices are accurate at the time of publishing.

Under $50

Russell Hobbs Slow Cooker, 3.5L

$47.95 on AmazonAlso get it on The Good GuysAlso get it on Kogan

With a 3.5-litre capacity, this Russell Hobbs slow-cooker will do the job. It has a ceramic bowl perfect for conducting heat. The bowl is also removable – an important feature for cleaning the slow cooker – and dishwasher-safe. It has a tempered glass lid, making progress easy to monitor, and three heat settings so you can choose your cooking intensity. 

Making up to four servings at a time, this is the perfect slow cooker for a family trying out a slow cooker for the very first time.

Sunbeam SecretChef Slow Cooker, 5.5L 

$47 on Amazon$49 on The Good Guys

The Sunbeam SecretChef Slow Cooker is one of the cheaper options on this list and a great beginner slow cooker. It has high, low or 'keep warm' heating settings, has a dishwasher-safe pan and lid for quicker cleanups and comes with a recipe book to get you started.

Under $100

Healthy Choice Slow Cooker, 8L  

$79.95 on Kogan

Perfect for big families, this Healthy Choice Slow Cooker has a 'keep warm' setting to maintain the temperature for up to four hours before serving. It also comes with a serving spoon and lid holders.

Crock-Pot Digital Slow Cooker, 4.7L

$79 on Myer

This 4.7L Crock-Pot features a timer to set your cooking time between 30 minutes and 20 hours. It also has a keep-warm setting, so if you're late getting home, you can rest assured the food won't go cold. This one also features a hinged glass lid, which reduces mess and condensation landing on your kitchen bench.

READ MORE: This dual basket air fryer has changed dinners forever

Russell Hobbs Electric Searing Slow Cooker, 6L 

$89 on Amazon$89 on The Good Guys

This Russell Hobbs Slow Cooker is a family-friendly size to create up to eight decent servings, no matter what you cook. It has a dishwasher-safe and removable non-stick pot that can be placed directly onto your stovetop for searing. You can choose from three heat settings and watch the progress of your meal through the tempered glass lid.

Healthy Choice 3-Pot Slow Cooker, 7.5L  

$99.95 on Amazon

The Healthy Choice 3-Pot Slow Cooker has three 2.5L slow cooking pots, each with control dials and heating settings. The pots are removable from the base, making them easy to clean. But perhaps the beauty of this slow cooker is that you can have three different meals cooking at the same time, helping to satisfy the picky eaters in the household.

Healthy Choice Electric Slow & Pressure Cooker, 6L  

Buy on Amazon for $99.95Or on Myer for $119.95

This multipurpose Healthy Choice cooker is a great option for the busy home cook. It comes with pre-set functions including chicken, fish, soup, rice and cake, along with settings for stews and steaming. It also has a 24-hour delay cooking timer and a 'keep warm' option.

Under $150

Breville The Smart Temp Slow Cooker, 6L

$129 on The Good Guys$129 on Amazon$149 on Breville

If you're after a fancier slow cooker, this one from Breville offers a six-litre capacity for cooking, meaning you might even have leftovers to spare for the next day. With an LED screen, time settings, and wrap-around heating, this slow cooker will be your new best friend when it comes to preparing meals. Best of all, it has an IQ Temperature Sensor, which prevents over-cooked meals, instead keeping them warm until you're ready to eat.

Morphy Richards Electric Slow Cooker, 3.5L

Buy yours for $133.50

This sleek model from Morphy Richards also makes for a great first slow cooker. It also has three heat settings, which you can alter as your meal cooks, ensuring it's ready when you are. The stainless steel cooking pot is also removable from the central cooker, making cleaning a cinch. Ideal for a small family, or even just a couple living together, this low-tech option is an excellent starting point.

Over $200

Philips All in One Multi-Cooker, 8L

Save 36% on AmazonGet it on Myer

With an eight-litre capacity, this is perfect for larger families or those who love to entertain. This cooker offers effortless and faster cooking, 20 pre-set cooking programs and adjustable temperature control.

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