Philly Food Guide

Side dishes need small pots and gentle heat, not a 7-quart crock. Compare 10 slow cookers for dips, mash, beans and holiday sides that must hold warm.

Chuck, shin or short rib? Learn which cuts actually work for slow cooker beef stew, why lean beef fails, and which of 10 cookers suits each cut.

A slow cooker cannot sear or reduce a glaze. Compare 10 models on searing, sauce reduction and batch size, and learn how to adapt Mongolian beef properly.

Lean ground turkey poaches instead of browning. Compare 10 slow cookers on searing, capacity, keep-warm and transport, plus how to stop chili turning watery.

Which slow cooker makes better soup? Compare 10 models on crock depth, keep-warm, building a base and long stock cooks, plus how to avoid watery results.

Which slow cooker cookbook should you actually buy? Compare 10 best sellers on recipe count, tested vs collected recipes, photography and who each suits.

Which slow cookers actually make a one-pot meal? Compare 10 models on searing in the pot, oven-safe crocks, shape and capacity for complete meals.

Cooking for one? Compare 10 slow cookers from 1.5 to 8 quarts on usable portions, footprint and controls, and find the size that suits how you actually eat.

Compare 10 slow cookers for meal prep on usable portions, timing precision, crock ratings and cleaning. Find the right size for the week you actually cook.

Compare 10 multi function slow cookers, from programmable crocks to true multicookers. See capacity, settings, pros, cons and which one fits your kitchen.

Compare 10 affordable pressure cookers, electric and stovetop. See capacity, materials, safety features, pros, cons and which one fits your kitchen.

Compare 10 budget hand blenders for soups, sauces, smoothies and everyday prep. See power, attachments, pros, cons and the best option for your needs.

Our two hot-protein hoagies compared — a burger patty off its usual bun versus griddled steak, and the one ingredient that quietly separates them.