Instant Pots, slow cookers, and all-in-ones: The best of easy dinners

1. KitchenAid 6-Qt Slow Cooker ($100)

When you work from home, dinner can simmer all day. This programmable cooker excels at keeping the contents below a boil and evenly distributing the heat. It also has a "wonderfully simple" control panel. Buy it at Amazon.

2. Zojirushi NHS-06 Rice Cooker ($48)

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Any of Zojirushi's entry-level rice cookers turns a delicate task into an "almost brain-free" enterprise. "To operate, do the only thing you can: Push the one button. The rice is perfect every time," writes Kendra Vaculin at Epicurious. Buy it at Amazon.

3. Instant Pot Duo 6-Qt ($79)

America's favorite multi­cooker created a craze for a reason, and it still outperforms the competition. "It's super simple to use," can do the work of a slow cooker or rice cooker, and will cook dried beans in just 20 ­minutes. Buy it at Amazon.

4. Thermomix TM6 ($1,499)

Popular in Europe, Thermomix's pricey all-in-one machines can prep and cook multicourse meals. They're preprogrammed with recipes, and though no all-in-one is truly easy to use, Thermomix's are easier to use than any of the others. Buy it at Thermomix.

5. Cuisinart CBK-110 Bread Maker ($110)

The best-selling bread machine on Amazon can pop out fresh loaves in three different sizes, and features 12 preset programs, including whole wheat and gluten-free. "Just load the machine with ingredients, set it, and forget it," per Good Housekeeping. Buy it at Williams Sonoma.

Editor's note: Every week The Week's editors survey product reviews and articles in websites, newspapers, and magazines, to find cool and useful new items we think you'll like. We're now making it easier to purchase these selections through affiliate partnerships with certain retailers. The Week may get a share of the revenue from these purchases.