
LM: A little bit bigger is better because you want to be able to fit a whole recipe in there – plus leftovers are great – and six quarts is about the right size.

What we know we like is a good size capacity of at least six quarts. LM: We've tested them a number of times and I just recently updated this with all new models. SS: Tell us what we should be thinking about when we're going to buy a slow cooker. If you have the wrong slow cooker – or not the greatest recipe – you can put stuff in there, but it doesn't come out the way you’re hoping. SS: It's the expectation, but it's not always the case. I think that's what people want from their slow cooker. You wrote, “A slow cooker promises to be a little fantasy grandmother who sits in the kitchen all day cooking for you.” That's perfect.

Sally Swift: You wrote something about slow cookers that I must read aloud because I think you have just captured the fantasy. She joined our managing editor Sally Swift to talk about the results of their equipment review and gave us a mouth-watering recipe for Slow-Cooker Memphis-Style Wet Ribs.

Lisa McManus is executive editor in charge of equipment testing at Cook’s Illustrated and Cook’s Country magazines. America’s Test Kitchen recently tested eight slow cookers to find out which ones worked best and which ones left a hot mess. A phrase you hear a lot from people when discussing slow cookers is “set it and forget it.” It should be easy, right? Sadly, it’s not always that simple because not all slow cookers are created equal.
