Black & Decker 7-Quart Digital Slow Cooker with Temperature Probe and Precision Sous-Vide

A countertop workhorse that does more than stew

I cleared space on my counter for this 7-quart Black+Decker slow cooker, and after several weeks of soups, roasts, and bath-cooked proteins, it has earned its permanent spot. It’s a rare slow cooker that can also run a temperature probe and hold a steady sous‑vide bath; this one tackles all three with a friendly, straightforward interface.

Design and build

The footprint is big (about 17.7 x 11 inches and 14.3 inches tall), and at 12 pounds it’s substantial. That heft comes from a thick stoneware insert and a tempered glass lid, both of which feel sturdy and seat securely. The locking lid is more than a gimmick—it clamps down firmly, making transport and storage less anxiety‑inducing. The exterior styling is clean and modern enough that I didn’t feel the need to hide it in a cabinet between uses.

Inside the box you get the base, the 7‑quart stoneware, a lid, a wire rack, a temperature probe, and a slim recipe booklet. Two disposable resealable bags are included for sous‑vide, but I quickly switched to my own freezer‑grade zip bags and reusable silicone pouches.

Controls and setup

The digital panel is simple: mode selection (Slow Cook, Probe, Sous‑Vide), temperature/target settings, and time. Button presses are responsive, and the display is easy to read across the kitchen. In sous‑vide mode, the display alternates between the current water temperature and your target—handy for gauging preheat progress. The audible timer is loud enough to hear from another room, but not obnoxious.

Setup is painless. The probe connects through a dedicated port, the rack drops into the stoneware for bag support, and everything lines up intuitively. The insert and lid are dishwasher‑safe, which has been great for weeknight cleanup.

Classic slow cooking performance

On Low (labeled for 8–9 hours) and High (3–4 hours), the cooker behaves exactly how I want: steady, even heat and no scorching around the edges. A beef chuck roast on Low emerged tender with intact vegetables—no mushy carrots, no rubbery onions. Chili on High took a little over four hours to thicken nicely without catching on the sides.

The Warm setting holds food safely for service without cooking it to death. I leaned on Warm multiple evenings to bridge the gap between “done” and “family’s actually home,” and never saw the toughening you can get with overly hot keep‑warm modes on cheaper units.

Probe cooking: set it and relax

The probe mode is excellent for large cuts where internal temperature matters more than clock time. You plug in the probe, insert it into the thickest part of the meat, set a target temperature, and the cooker manages the rest. For a pork loin, I set 145°F; the cooker approached it gradually and then switched to Warm when the mark was hit. The result was remarkably consistent: juicy slices with no gray banding.

This mode also shines for things like brisket where you want to monitor internal progress without fussing with a separate thermometer. The included probe is reasonably accurate; spot‑checks against my instant‑read thermometer were within a degree or two.

Sous‑vide: better than expected, with caveats

The sous‑vide function heats and maintains a water bath inside the stoneware insert. I won’t pretend it matches a high‑end immersion circulator with active pumping, but performance has been solid. Once preheated, the bath held within about 1–2°F of target across several tests. Chicken breasts at 150°F were uniformly tender edge‑to‑edge. A strip steak at 129°F had that perfectly rosy interior after a quick cast‑iron sear. Even denser items like pork tenderloin behaved predictably.

Two tips that improved my results:
- Preheat with hot tap water or a kettle. Cold‑to‑target preheat can take a while (up to an hour for a full bath); starting hotter cuts that time dramatically.
- Use the included rack to keep pouches separated and fully submerged. In a static bath, spacing matters.

Because there’s no circulation pump, I avoided overpacking the bath and kept bags away from the walls. For longer cooks, I clipped the bag tops to the rim and set the lid slightly ajar to prevent bag edges from interfering with the seal; evaporation wasn’t an issue for typical 1–4 hour sessions.

Is this the right tool if you’re sous‑viding every night or doing large batches of steaks to precise competition standards? Probably not. But for home cooks who want the convenience of a slow cooker with the option to do sous‑vide a few times a month, it’s genuinely useful.

Capacity and everyday use

Seven quarts is generous. I fed a crowd with a full batch of braised beans and had room to spare. Family‑sized soups, big pot roasts, and party dips are easy. The tradeoff for capacity is counter space; if you’re in a tiny kitchen, measure before you commit.

The locking lid turned out to be more than a transport nicety: it also reduces slosh if you need to shuffle the cooker from counter to table. For potlucks, I felt confident carrying a full insert across town without decorating the trunk.

Cleaning and maintenance

The stoneware and glass lid go straight into the dishwasher. The base wipes down with a damp cloth. Because the insert is heavy, I avoid sudden temperature swings—no cold water rinse right out of a hot cook—and I don’t use metal tools in the pot. Treated with basic care, it has held up well and still looks new.

What could be better

• Preheat time for sous‑vide: Heating a full bath from cold can be slow. Preheating separately is the practical workaround.
• No active water circulation: Temperature uniformity is very good for most use cases but isn’t as consistent as a pumped circulator when you cram the bath full.
• Bulky size: The capacity is great, but the unit is large and fairly tall. Plan on permanent counter space or a sturdy lower cabinet.
• Bags: The included disposable bags are a nice starter, but you’ll want freezer‑grade zip bags, reusable silicone bags, or a vacuum sealer for regular sous‑vide use.

None of these were deal‑breakers for me, but they’re worth knowing before you buy.

Safety and usability notes

• The display shows both current and target temps in sous‑vide mode—a small touch that really helps timing.
• The timer alert is clear without being shrill.
• The Warm mode is gentle. I comfortably held food for an hour without texture drift.
• Use the probe cable carefully when locking the lid; there’s a neat path for it, but pinching the cable under a latch will shorten its life.

Who it’s for

• Families and batch cooks who want a roomy, reliable slow cooker that can also nail a pork loin’s doneness with a probe.
• Curious home cooks who’d like to try sous‑vide without buying a separate circulator and container.
• Potluck regulars who value a locking lid and easy transport.

Who might look elsewhere:
- Enthusiasts who sous‑vide often, need rapid preheats, or demand pump‑circulated water for perfectly uniform baths across a crowded pot.
- Small‑space kitchens where a 7‑quart appliance is a non‑starter.

The bottom line

As a slow cooker, this Black+Decker unit is excellent: steady heat, generous capacity, sensible controls, and a genuinely useful Warm mode. The probe feature removes guesswork from roasts, and the sous‑vide function, while not a replacement for a top‑tier circulator, is more capable than I expected once preheated. Add in a lockable lid, dishwasher‑safe parts, and a durable build, and you’ve got a versatile piece of kit that earns its keep.

Recommendation: I recommend it for most home cooks who want a dependable slow cooker with thoughtful extras. If you’re sous‑vide curious or appreciate probe‑guided cooking, this is an easy yes. If you’re a precision sous‑vide power user or short on space, a dedicated circulator and a smaller slow cooker might suit you better. For everyone else, this multitasker hits a sweet spot of performance, simplicity, and value.