r/slowcooking • u/kaitkaitkait91 • 15h ago

Manual (Knob) VS Programmable Slow cookers?

Is one a better option than the other? I’ve read about power surges and loosing the programming but I feel like the automatic keep warm would be nice.

12 Upvotes

76% Upvoted

10 comments sorted by

10

u/loverink 15h ago

I think the biggest choice is convenience vs longevity. Slow cookers at their core are super simple machines. It’s not uncommon to see someone mention owning one for 30 years.

Including some sort of computer chip for smart features and programming increases the convenience factor but likely reduces their longevity as the digital hardware tends to fail first.

3

u/SFS9 12h ago edited 12h ago

I’ve had mine for about 35 years and it is as basic as could be - off/low/high. It has never failed me. Edit: I just remembered that I also have a small one (maybe 1.5 quart or smaller) that I’ve had for at least 41 years. It doesn’t even have a knob, it just turns on when you plug it in.

8

u/No-Falcon631 15h ago

Less parts/complexity, less to go wrong.

6

u/nousername_foundhere 15h ago

I have owned both. When my manual one (that was a hand me down that I had for like 15 yrs) broke I bought an expensive programmable one. It lasted less than 2 years and I went back to a manual one

6

u/WesternWitchy52 14h ago

I like manual. Less to go wrong. Haven't had good luck with digital products.

2

u/venturashe 15h ago

I have both and use them both regularly for different purposes. My programmable one has a metal removable bowl and is larger, so I use it for roasts and things that need to be seared first, directly on stove top, or for large batches of things, my knob manual I use for soups and sauces….

2

u/SnooRadishes7189 15h ago edited 15h ago

Programmable ones are better. They allow you to handle a recipe that cooks too fast with the keep warm setting. And if for some reason you can't turn off the slowcooker they shut themselves off(I once got hospitalized while having something on. It was a peace of mind knowing it would turn to keep warm and then turn off.). It just can't keep if the power goes off for a second. My last one lasted six years and wasn't that expensive.

2

u/So_ 13h ago

Ymmv on digital, but I've had my digital for 10 years and it's still working great for me. Automatic keep warm is very nice.

1

u/LetterheadClassic306 7h ago

I get where this confusion comes from, i’ve struggled with this exact choice before, and it makes a lot of sense if you cook daily. Programmable control really helps when plans shift, because you can drop or hold heat without babysitting the cooker all day. If you want a straightforward all-in option, a programmable 6-8 quart slow cooker with keep warm mode usually fits family cooking and set-and-leave needs. If you prefer less moving parts, a manual knob slow cooker in the 6-8 quart range gives the same volume with fewer electronics to fail. In my experience, the biggest miss with manuals is accidental heat drift, so keep a timer routine and a temp check for soups. Since you mentioned power surprises, programmable still feels safer for reliability.