When it comes to making delicious chocolate fudge, finding the time can sometimes be a concern. After all, preparing fudge comes with many unknowns in terms of heat density and more. But with a versatile slow cooker, fudge can be made effectively with little inconvenience to you!
The best slow cookers to use for chocolate fudge will feature the right balance between high and low cooking settings. A slow cooker with a transparent lid is also optimal since this allows you to observe the top layer of the fudge mixture.
I know it probably seems a little odd to use a crock pot for chocolate fudge, but a slow cooker makes a simple recipe for fudge come together perfectly with little fuss.
Not all slow cooker recipes are for savory dishes only, and in this buyer’s guide, I will show you just how convenient a slow cooker can be for this recipe.
Read on to discover some of the best slow cooker models for making fudge.
Quick overview
There are few things in the kitchen more convenient than a crock pot. By using a slow cooker, chocolate fudge preparation becomes incredibly easy thanks to the cooker doing most of the work.
A slow cooker helps the chocolate fudge melt faster, but also maintains a steady cooking reaction thanks to a low temperature.
The process is as simple as adding your chocolate of choice (milk chocolate for sweet, dark chocolate for bitter), condensed milk, and vanilla extract.
I sometimes prefer to add a bit of butter and swap condensed milk for sweetened condensed coconut milk for a tropical taste. But truly, the sky is the limit in terms of chocolate variations and or even peanut butter if you want peanut butter fudge.
Each slow cooker fudge recipe is different, but essentially, there are a couple of different ways to prepare slow cooker chocolate fudge:
- High heat. You can set the slow cooker to high and stir the fudge mixture every 10 minutes or so for roughly an hour.
- Low heat. On low heat, you can set the temp to low and stir every 20 minutes or so for 2-3 hours.
With either method, make sure you leave the lid off. Once the crock pot chocolate fudge is crusted on top, mix one final time and turn off the heat.
You are then ready to set your chocolate fudge.
Is it worth buying slow cooker fudge machines?
This all depends on your preferred method. But I must say, the convenience of using a slow cooker for chocolate fudge is very addictive!
There is so much to worry about when melting chocolate fudge on the stove, and a slow cooker speeds the process up without any worrisome fluctuations in temperature. After all, there is nothing more disappointing than scorched chocolate fudge.
A crock pot or slow cooker comes in many different variations. So it is important to ensure you select the best slow cooker to suit your individual needs.
Some crock pot models tend to cook ingredients much faster on high settings, whereas a low setting greatly reduces scorching- which allows you to walk away and tend to other matters.
But fear not, we have narrowed down and reviewed five stellar models below.
Courant Mini Slow Cooker Crock Pot
More often than not, a small batch of fudge in the slow cooker is all we want. When you just want to make a small batch, this mini slow cooker/crock pot by Courant is perfect.
The stand out feature on this crock pot are the three available settings: high, low, and keep warm. The keep warm feature is great if you need to run some errands and cannot see to your fudge batch immediately.
The pot base is non-stick, which is truly indispensable when it comes to crock pot chocolate fudge. The crock pot is completely removable and is dishwasher-safe.
The handles and knobs are cool to the touch and a convenient timer allows you to pre-program a fudge recipe to reduce even more time.
The selling point for me is certainly the keep warm feature. Fudge ingredients need time to thoroughly cook and crust, and this feature allows that to occur with little oversight on your part.
Pros
- Non-stick and removable crock pot
- Smaller capacity makes this model perfect for small fudge batches
- The outer, stainless steel crock pot housing is durable and easy-to-clean
- Comes with three heat settings to maximize your schedule
Cons
- The keep-warm feature is convenient, but should not be used longer than an hour for a fudge recipe
- The high heat setting may be a bit too hot for fudge ingredients
Hamilton Beach Portable Slow Cooker
Crock pot chocolate fudge is certainly an easy recipe execution for quick and delicious fudge, but the cooking time can sometimes be off.
What’s great about this portable slow cooker from Hamilton is that it uses smart technology to allow you to set desired cook times. You could also set a maximum temperature instead, and for easy fudge, this should be a max of 239 degrees Fahrenheit.
Another stand out of this slow cooker is its capacity of 6 quarts. This allows you to make a gigantic batch of fudge or smaller – it all depends on what volume you want to make.
There is also a “power interrupt setting” that will keep your slow cooker on during a brief (30 minutes or less) power outage.
In short, Hamilton certainly put a lot of thought and ingenuity into designing this slow cooker. The desired temperature setting is absolutely perfect for when you want to start a fudge batch and tend to other matters.
Pros
- Easy-to-clean and dishwasher safe
- 100% smart technology allows you to cook at desired time or temperature (239 degrees Fahrenheit for fudge)
- Comes with a very spacious size density to make small or sizable fudge batches
- Also comes with a clip-tight gasket lid making the pot perfect for covered dishes
Cons
- Very high heat settings can cause a collapse of the outer holding base
Cuisinart PSC-350 Programmable Slow Cooker
This programmable slow cooker by the trusted brand Cuisinart also scores high marks for its innovation and available cooking settings.
Ingredients such as condensed milk and milk chocolate can be tricky when making crock pot chocolate fudge. This is due to the easy ability to scorch and ruin these light, quick-to-heat ingredients.
What I like about this slow cooker is the range of different cooking modes: high, low, simmer, and warm. The simmer and warm programmable features are great for milk chocolate, sweetened condensed milk, milk chocolate chips, and even white chocolate fudge.
When your programmed cooking time completes, the pot will automatically shift to a warm setting just in case you are not immediately around to attend to the fudge.
This model also comes with a 24-hour cooking timer, which comes in handy if you are planning to make a lot of fudge for an event.
Pros
- Holds 3.5 quarts of volume if you need to make larger fudge recipes
- Comes with a 24-hour cooking timer for pre-planned recipes
- Warm and simmer settings work great for reducing the scorching of sweetened condensed milk, dark chocolate chips, semi-sweet chocolate, chopped walnuts, or even white chocolate chips
- Dishwasher safe
Cons
- Consistent high heat settings can lead to warping of the inner pot
Magic Mill 8.5 Quart Slow Cooker
Another great programmable slow cooker is this 8.5 quart model by Magic Mill. This model’s timer allows you to set cooking times as low as 30 minutes and up to 20 hours-which is not viable for fudge, but also comes in handy for savory dishes!
If you need a bit more time after the cooking process is complete, this unit has a warm setting delay of 4 hours.
You can easily cook on high and then allow the 4-hour warm setting to kick in if you are not around to stir the fudge.
The most important thing is to keep the ingredients moving and breaking down- which heat can take care of if you cannot stir the fudge.
What’s great about this model is that it is compact and easy to disassemble and clean. Cleaning hot fudge is not always easy, so any slow cooker that advertises easy cleaning is ideal.
Pros
- The handles are cool to the touch and full grip, which makes for easy lifting of the pot
- Comes with a 4-hour warm setting after a programmed cooking time completes
- Programmable from 30 minutes up to 20 hours
Cons
- The lid doesn’t seal tight, but this is typically not a concern when making crock pot fudge
Elite Gourmet Electric Slow Cooker
This affordable and compact slow cooker by Elite Gourmet reaches temperatures up to 120 watts.
There aren’t many bells and whistles with this model, but if you need a quick, no-fuss slow cooking unit for fudge recipes, this unit gets the job done.
This unit features high, low, and warm settings, and its 2 quart capacity is perfect for quick fudge recipes.
Pros
- Affordable and durable
- Works as an airtight container for moments you cannot store your chocolate immediately
- The high setting reaches up to 120 watts, which makes prep time a breeze for making chocolate
Cons
- Not ideal for large batches
Which slow cooker is best for fudge making? (Buyers Guide)
Slow cooker chocolate fudge recipes typically call for prep time either in high or low cooking settings. Therefore, it is ideal to invest in a cooker that can meet both of these temperature variations.
You may also be confused about what makes a slow cooker different from a crock pot. There are very few differences but the main difference is that slow cookers usually have full-metal pots.
A crock pot is typically ceramic. Honestly, there are not any real noticeable differences between the two. Both variations work splendidly for making a fudge recipe.
Of the above-listed models, you may find that the Courant Mini Slow Cooker will completely suit all of your fudge-making needs. This model is also incredibly versatile, which means you can make a wide variety of recipes with multiple ingredients.
Can a slow cooker successfully cook all fudge recipe card ingredients?
This typically depends on the variable heat settings that come with your chosen cooker. It is important to opt for a cooker that can cook through ingredients such as chocolate chips, semi sweet chocolate chips, and a variety of nuts.
Since it is quite hard to find a cooker with a specific ‘fudge setting, make sure you choose a cooker that has high and low settings and preferably a warm setting. All of the above cookers feature these three settings.
Size
The size of your cooker depends solely on what size you feel you need. If you only make fudge sporadically, a small cooker is all you need.
If you make fudge often or for large gatherings, definitely choose a cooker with 3+ quarts of capacity.
The above-listed models range in capacity from 2 up to 6 quarts.
Temperature range
As you can see, cookers come in a wide variety of temperature ranges. High, low, and warm settings are very necessary for making fudge.
If you feel like you will never need to leave your recipe unattended, you can stick with a cooker with high and low settings only.
Design/Material
The design and material of a slow cooker are not super important; but if the pot is non-stick, this could pose a problem.
To navigate around this issue, you can simply place wax paper (parchment paper) along the bottom of the pot to the top.
This will help alleviate any sticking issues. Just make sure you do not leave the fudge cooking too long if you use this method-you don’t want a house fire.
It can also be a bit tricky when removing the fudge since parchment paper can sometimes cause the fudge to stick to it.
Additional Features
A slow cooker for making fudge is fairly straightforward, but many models come with some additional features which can be useful.
Cookers that feature timers or that are programmable are excellent if you need to prepare fudge and tend to other matters of the day.
Timers can be customized according to a wide range of temperature settings, and many will cook for the programmed time and then set to warm until removed. Some cookers even have 24-hour timers, but steer clear of this setting when making fudge.
FAQs
What cannot be cooked in a slow cooker?
Obviously, this article is all about cooking fudge in a slow cooker, but you likely already know that many items/dishes can be prepared in a slow cooker.
With that in mind, there are also some things you will want to avoid with a slow cooker.
You have to be careful making fudge itself in a slow cooker since condensed milk may curdle if the temperature gets too high. Never leave slow cooker fudge unattended if you cook it on high.
Do slow cooker machines use a lot of electricity?
The electrical output of a slow cooker is not necessarily immense. Obviously, the longer you leave the cooker on, the more energy it will use.
But generally speaking, a slow cooker will only use about as much electricity as a light bulb-which is virtually nothing in the grand scheme of electricity bills!
Slow cookers use roughly 75 to 210 watts of power when in use.
In Summary
The best kind of slow cooker for making delicious and easy chocolate fudge will typically feature a range of temperature settings.
Low and warm are the optimal cooking temps for making fudge in these units.
Using a slow cooker for fudge is so easy and efficient, that I find it hard to even consider making fudge without one these days!
Feel like you’re missing a few bits from your fudge making kit? Check out our posts on the best equipment:
