Slow cooker or pressure cooker?
The short answer
For dal, beans and lentils on a gas stove, a pressure cooker is the quicker tool: Hawkins says its cookers cut normal cooking times by as much as half compared with an open pot. A slow cooker suits a stew, soup or curry left to cook through the day on a plug point, with recipes of 4 to 5 hours on High or 6 to 8 hours on Low in Hamilton Beach's guide.
They also run on different power. Hawkins says all its pressure cookers work on domestic gas and kerosene stoves, and names only some of its ranges for induction. A slow cooker plugs into a socket, and that is where Amazon.in buyers need care: six of the nine slow cookers EkPick shortlisted are listed at 120 volts, and none of those six listings mentions a step-down transformer.
If a slow cooker is what you want, look for one listed at 220 to 240 volts. Of the nine slow cookers on EkPick's shortlist, those are the two Hadens and the Pringle FW1807, all covered in our slow cooker guide; the guide's pressure cooker with a slow-cook setting, the Nutricook Smart Pot 2, is listed at 220 volts too. EkPick has no guide to stovetop pressure cookers, so this page names none to buy.
How they compare
| Slow cooker | Pressure cooker | |
|---|---|---|
| How it cooks Source: Hamilton Beach slow cooker use and care guide and Hawkins FAQ | Heats food in a covered crock at a low or high setting over several hours. Hamilton Beach's guide says stirring isn't needed, except perhaps now and then on High, and that lifting the lid loses a lot of heat and can stretch the cooking time. | Seals steam inside the pot so the pressure, and with it the boiling point, rises. Hawkins says its cookers cook at 121 °C at 15 pounds per square inch. |
| How long it takes Source: Hamilton Beach slow cooker use and care guide and Hawkins FAQ | Hamilton Beach suggests choosing recipes that cook 4 to 5 hours on High or 6 to 8 hours on Low. | Hawkins says its cookers cut normal cooking times by as much as half, and that its own studies found an average of 53% less time than open-pot cooking, with the saving larger the longer a food takes. Hawkins says letting the pressure drop on its own, which it requires for soups and legumes, takes about 10 to 20 minutes. |
| What it runs on Source: Amazon.in listings for the nine slow cookers and B08W8QQLWD, Hawkins FAQ and Prestige Svachh product page | Electricity, from a wall socket. Six of the nine shortlisted slow cooker listings give 120 volts; the two Hadens (220 and 240 volts) and the Pringle (230 volts) are the ones listed higher. | For the stovetop cookers we read, a stove. Hawkins says all its pressure cookers suit domestic gas and kerosene stoves, some ranges also suit electric, ceramic and halogen cooktops, and only certain ranges suit induction. Prestige's Svachh page lists an induction compatible base. An electric pressure cooker plugs in instead: the Nutricook Smart Pot 2 listing gives 220 volts. |
| Attention while cooking Source: Amazon.in listing B083SBG7L2, Hamilton Beach slow cooker use and care guide, Hawkins FAQ and Prestige Svachh product page | Little once it is on: Hamilton Beach's guide says to set a kitchen timer according to the recipe and to turn the cooker off when it's done. Haden's listing says its timer lets it cook without constant monitoring, though it doesn't say what the cooker does when the timer ends. | A stovetop pressure cooker needs more than a slow cooker during cooking: Hawkins says to reduce the heat once full operating pressure is reached and start timing from there, and that precise timing is critical; Prestige says to turn the heat down to just above sim at that point. |
| How full you can fill it Source: Hamilton Beach slow cooker use and care guide, Amazon.in listings B008GS8R3K, B0G8FC649H and B097F4QKVY, Hawkins FAQ and Prestige Svachh product page | Hamilton Beach says that for best results the crock should be filled to no more than 1 inch (2.5 cm) from the rim, and to leave 2 inches (5 cm) for soups or stews so they can come to a simmer. The shortlisted slow cookers run from 1.4 litres (the two 1.5-quart Elite Gourmet models) to 6.6 litres (the Crock-Pot); the Pringle splits 2.5 litres across two 1.25-litre pots. | Hawkins says never more than two-thirds full, no more than half for soups, rice and lentils, and no more than one-third for dals that sprout, such as tuvar and moong. Prestige gives the same two-thirds limit, and half for foods that expand, such as rice. Prestige says overfilling can clog the vent tube and build excess pressure. Hawkins also advises against moong dal in cookers of 3 litres or less, because it froths. |
| Safety features the makers name Source: Amazon.in listings B07NVC8549, B008GS8R3K, B0G8FC649H and B01C5KZHXW, Hamilton Beach slow cooker use and care guide, Hawkins FAQ and Prestige Svachh product page | The Pringle and the three Elite listings mention cool-touch handles and a knob or knobs. Hamilton Beach warns that the crock may stay hot after the cooker is switched off, and to tilt the lid away from you when lifting it to avoid steam. It also says not to place the cooker on or near a hot gas or electric burner, that the sides of the base get very warm, and never to heat the crock empty or put it on a burner or stove top. | Hawkins describes a lid that stays pressure locked until the pressure falls to a safe level, and a safety valve under the lid handle. Prestige lists a pressure indicator, an auto-lock and a fusible safety plug, and says never to force the cooker open while pressure remains. Prestige warns that improper use may result in scalding injury and to make certain the cooker is properly closed before use, and recommends replacing the safety plug and gasket after one year of everyday use. Hawkins says to add at least 1 cup (240 ml) of water for the first 10 minutes of pressure cooking, because a cooker that boils dry can fuse its safety valve. |
| Cleaning Source: Hamilton Beach slow cooker use and care guide, Amazon.in listings for the nine slow cookers, Hawkins FAQ and Prestige Svachh product page | Hamilton Beach says the crock and lid can go in a dishwasher, but not on the Sanitize setting, and the base is only wiped, never immersed. Most shortlisted listings say dishwasher safe, though the Elite Gourmet MST-250XBX listing disagrees with itself: a bullet calls the lid and pot dishwasher safe, its details table says No. | Hawkins says not to put its pressure cookers or their parts in a dishwasher, though the bodies of the Futura Stainless Steel, Hawkins Classic, Hawkins Contura and Miss Mary may go in and are likely to tarnish. Prestige says not to put its cooker in a dishwasher. |
| What suits it Source: Amazon.in listing B083SBG7L2, Hamilton Beach slow cooker use and care guide and Hawkins FAQ | The listing for the Haden with timer names stews, soups and curries. Hamilton Beach says pasta, seafood, milk and cream should go in only 2 hours before serving, and that frozen, uncooked meat should be thawed first. | Hawkins lists stocks and most soups, stews and casseroles, all kinds of beans and lentils, and vegetables such as potatoes and carrots. It says foods that froth, such as oatmeal, split peas, noodles and macaroni, should not be pressure cooked. |
Which one suits you
Choose the slow cooker if
- you want a stew, soup or curry to cook through the day on a plug point, without standing over a flame
- you'd like to put the pot in a dishwasher and are comparing with a stovetop pressure cooker; Hamilton Beach allows it for its crock and lid, while Hawkins and Prestige say not to put their cookers in one
Choose the pressure cooker if
- you want dal, beans or lentils done faster than in an open pot; Hawkins says its studies found pressure cooking takes 53% less time on average
- you'd rather cook on the gas or induction stove you already have, with a cooker its maker lists for it
- you don't mind staying near the stove to lower the heat at full pressure and time the recipe
Questions buyers ask
Is a slow cooker the same as a pressure cooker?
No. A slow cooker cooks in a covered crock for hours (Hamilton Beach points to 4 to 5 hours on High or 6 to 8 on Low), while a pressure cooker seals in steam to raise the cooking temperature, 121 °C by Hawkins's figure, and Hawkins says its cookers take about half the time of an open pot.
Can I use a 120-volt slow cooker from Amazon.in in India?
Not as listed, so look for one listed at 220 to 240 volts instead. None of the six 120-volt slow cooker listings EkPick shortlisted mentions India or a step-down transformer. Hamilton Beach makes two of them, and its use and care guide, which covers one of those two models, says the warranty applies to products bought and used in the U.S. and Canada, is void on any voltage and waveform other than the one on the cooker's label, and warns not to defeat the polarized plug with an adapter or use an extension cord.
Does a pressure cooker work on an induction cooktop?
Only some pressure cookers do, so check the model. Hawkins says all its pressure cookers suit domestic gas and kerosene stoves, and names only certain ranges, among them its stainless steel and Hevibase cookers, for induction. Prestige's Svachh page lists its base as induction compatible.
Can one appliance do both jobs?
One can: the Nutricook Smart Pot 2, the one pressure cooker on the slow cooker guide's shortlist, lists Slow Cook among its cooking programs and gives 220 volts and 1000 watts. Neither the Hawkins FAQ nor Prestige's Svachh page, the two pressure cooker pages we read, mentions slow cooking.
Which is easier to clean?
It depends on the pressure cooker. Hamilton Beach says its slow cooker's crock and lid can go in a dishwasher (not on the Sanitize setting), though the base can only be wiped; Hawkins and Prestige both say not to put their stovetop pressure cookers in one, though Hawkins allows the bodies of some models in and says they are likely to tarnish. Nutricook says the removable cooking pot of its Smart Pot 2 electric pressure cooker is dishwasher-safe.
How full can I fill each one?
A pressure cooker should never be more than two-thirds full, Hawkins and Prestige both say, and Hawkins says half for soups, rice and lentils and one-third for dals that sprout. Hamilton Beach says that for best results its slow cooker crock should be filled to no more than 1 inch (2.5 cm) from the rim, leaving 2 inches (5 cm) for soups or stews.
Our picks
- Slow cooker
The best slow cooker on Amazon.in
The pickHaden 3.5-litre Slow Cooker with Timer
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