Crockpot is actually a brand name, owned by the company Sunbeam Products. It’s the superstar of slow cookers, the Elvis of countertop appliances. When someone says, “I’ll throw it in the Crockpot,” they usually mean any slow cooker, but the brand’s name is so famous it’s become a verb.
So, all Crockpots are slow cookers, but not every slow cooker gets the fancy title “Crockpot.” It’s like calling every soda a “Coke” in the South—it’s wrong, but we all nod and move on.
What Makes Them Different?
Traditionally, a Crockpot had a stoneware insert that sat inside a heating element, cooking from the sides. This was the original design from the 1970s, and it’s great for even, gentle heat. Slow cookers today often have a metal or aluminum pot that heats from the bottom, which can get hotter and cook faster.
But here’s the joke: modern Crockpots have totally abandoned that old-school design. They now use bottom heat, just like generic slow cookers. So the line is blurrier than a bowl of over-stirred oatmeal. Honestly, you’d need a microscope to tell them apart these days.
Pro tip: If you see a control knob with “High,” “Low,” and “Warm,” you’re looking at a slow cooker. If it also says “Crockpot” in big letters, you’re looking at a fancy one.
