The PowerXL StirMax stirs, shreds, slow cooks and sautés—no spoon required!
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I Thought Slow Cookers Were the Ultimate Life Hack—Until I Met the PowerXL StirMax
Updated on May 12, 2025
Working from home should give me plenty of time to whip up gorgeous, chef-quality spreads. In reality, I’m a little lazy once I’m off the clock. I usually rely on my trusted slow cooker for fuss-free meals. After all, it doesn’t get any easier than dump-it-and-forget-it!
At least, that was my experience—until I tried the PowerXL StirMax. In just a few uses, it’s already replaced my old Crock-Pot on the counter. So, what is this ingenious appliance that came between me and my trusty slow cooker?
VIA MERCHANT
PowerXL StirMax
Look ma, no hands! This clever slow cooker braises, boils, shreds and stirs—no spoon required.
What is the PowerXL StirMax?
Despite how much I love it, there are some things my slow cooker can’t do. It can’t sear, boil, shred or stir, so it’s still up to me to perform basic prep and finish off a meal on my own. Sometimes, that extra 30 minutes makes me spring for takeout instead.
The PowerXL StirMax is a multicooker—meaning that it’s a slow cooker that also offers additional cooking styles. Sure, there are already a few notable multicookers on the market. However, the feature that sets the PowerXL StirMax apart is its clever central stirring and shredding paddle. This useful addition lets home cooks program an automatic stirring cycle for almost any of its cooking presets.
Apart from the low and slow method, its control touchpad also has presets for stews/soups, warming, steaming/boiling, risotto, sautéing and rice. There are also two additional settings specific to the machine: StirMax and BraiseMax.
Together, the settings are capable of complex dishes—think shredded pork tacos, bolognese or crispy desserts. The paddle also makes it possible to brown your beef right in the pot before adding in other ingredients—no stovetop or spoon required.
How We Tested It
Given all that the PowerXL StirMax is capable of, I knew I had a lot of testing ahead of me. The included recipe booklet offers lots of ideas, so I settled on a menu that utilized most of the cooking presets, focusing on those that included the stir function. My tests consisted of shredded chicken tacos, chili and a batch of Alfredo noodles for bolognese.
Shredded Chicken Tacos
This recipe was incredibly simple, consisting of only chicken breasts, salsa, jalapeños and salt and pepper. I set the ingredients in the pot and selected the “slow cook” setting, choosing “high” using the temperature arrows. I then set the cooking time to three hours using the time arrows.
Next was programming the “stir” setting. The pot gives four stirring presets: high, low, delay and off. I selected “delay,” which begins the stirring cycle midway through cooking. This is what I’d recommend for any shredded dishes, since it gives the meat plenty of time to cook most of the way through before breaking it up.
I left the pot to do its thing, checking in about midway through the cycle to get a glimpse of the stirring magic. And magic it was! The paddle began turning exactly midway through. At first, I was a little skeptical—it just moved the chicken breasts around the pot. But as the paddle spun, then turned and spun in the other direction, I noticed that the chicken was slowly yet surely breaking down into generous shreds.
One aspect that I love is that the StirMax has these clever “shelves” built into the corners, which encourage foods to keep moving with the paddle rather than bunching up. Even without any assistance from me, nothing burned or refused to incorporate fully. After three hours, I had a well-shredded, perfectly incorporated pot of taco-ready chicken!
Slow Cooking Chili
I was excited to try the StirMax setting, which uses two cooking functions back-to-back. Chili was the perfect test! To begin, I first selected the “StirMax” setting. Then, I programmed the machine for 15 minutes on the “stir low” setting. The pot preheats, then beeps twice and displays the timer once it’s ready for your protein. Just like the chicken, I placed my ground beef in the pot once the timer popped up on the LED screen.
The machine automatically stirred the beef for me as it browned, so I chopped my veggies and tidied up my kitchen in the meantime. When I came back to it 10 minutes later, the beef was about halfway done and well broken up. I then added some onions and corn and let the StirMax continue for another 7 minutes. After that, I added the seasonings and let the machine spin and cook until the timer ended.
Once the StirMax setting finished, the machine automatically switched over to simmer for 40 minutes. The time is adjustable, but 40 minutes was perfect for my purposes. I dumped in the wet ingredients (including tomatoes, beans and beef stock), then stepped away. In 40 minutes I had a perfect pot of chili—and you really could taste the browned beef and veggies nestled inside!
Boiling Noodles
For my pasta, I began by filling the pot 3/4 of the way with water, then added 2 tablespoons of salt. I selected the “steam/boil” setting and adjusted the “stir” setting to “high.” Then, I covered the pot and waited for it to boil. The pot indicates when it’s ready for pasta by showing the timer on the LED screen. When the timer came up, I dumped in my uncooked noodles and adjusted the time to 12 minutes, according to the noodle package instructions.
The PowerXL StirMax’s temperature and time settings are adjustable at any time, even in the middle of cooking. This came in handy when bubbles began reaching dangerously close to the lid. All I had to do was tap the down arrow within the “temp” settings a few times to bring the boil down a bit. When you touch the temperature or time controls, the LED display pulls up the current time or temperature, making it easy to adjust.
Cleaning
My favorite appliances include dishwasher-safe components, and the PowerXL StirMax is no exception. The pot is ceramic-coated and safe for the dishwasher, as is the lid and stirring paddle.
Storing
One of the complaints I have about most multicookers and slow cookers are how much room they demand on the counter and in the cupboard. The PowerXL StirMax has two components, including a square pot with a lid and a small hotplate/control panel. For me, this is perfect, since the baseplate tucks away easily without commandeering my entire cabinet. As for the pot, I stash it with the rest of my cookware.
Pros
- Includes a paddle that shreds/stirs
- PFAS-free nonstick ceramic pot
- Lots of presets/temperature controls
- Cool-touch handles
- Dishwasher safe
- Recipe book/detailed instructions included
Cons
- Takes some practice
- Only one size available
Product Comparison
The easiest comparison to make is the PowerXL StirMax vs. a traditional Crock-Pot. In terms of price, the difference is a bit staggering. While the PowerXL StirMax rings up at around $100 (or around $130 for the Plus version), a similarly sized Crock-Pot only maxes out at around $40. If you’re just looking for a budget slow cooker with a great reputation, a Crock-Pot is the obvious choice.
That said, the StirMax is more akin to Crock-Pot’s MultiMeal Multicooker, which offers similar steam, bake, sauté and steam options. The Crock-Pot option retails for a bit higher than the StirMax at around $200, and still doesn’t offer self-stirring or boil presets.
Another good comparison is the Ninja Foodi PossibleCooker Pro, which offers similar functionality, with the added bonus of an oven-safe insert. The price is also approximately the same, with the Foodi ringing up at around $150. However, again, there’s no self-stirring option. Instead, the Foodi comes with its own spoon and holder.
Final Verdict
Truthfully, there really isn’t anything quite like the PowerXL StirMax on the market—and that’s one reason why I’m smitten. As someone who spends her days side-eyeing gimmicky appliances, it’s rare that I come across something I actually love, and the StirMax is that product. Sure, it’s a multicooker at its core, but the stirring paddle is seriously groundbreaking. It’s like having a little helper in the kitchen!
Where To Buy the PowerXL StirMax
VIA MERCHANT
PowerXL StirMax
The PowerXL StirMax does everything a multicooker can do, but it also stirs itself. Consider it your little kitchen helper.
The PowerXL StirMax is available at several retailers, including Walmart, Amazon and Wayfair. An original StirMax retails for around $100, while the upgraded PowerXL StirMax Plus—which comes with accessories like a ladle and a steamer basket—costs around $130. At such an agreeable price, it really pays to snag this countertop cooker instead of a traditional slow cooker.
FAQs
What is a multicooker?
According to cookbook author and nutritionist Jenny Tschiesche, a multicooker is an all-in-one appliance designed to perform multiple functions including pressure cooking and slow cooking as well as other functions such as steaming, sautéing, boiling and baking.
“Whilst most multicookers will be able to pressure cook, slow cook, sauté, steam, rice and also keep food warm until you’re ready to eat it, some will also have more advanced features,” says Jenny. “Some might have a sous vide function, some may be able to help you make yogurt, proof bread, dehydrate or sterilize. Some even have an air fryer function.”
How much does the PowerXL StirMax cost?
The original version rings up at around $100, while the PowerXL StirMax Plus—which comes with accessories like a ladle and a steamer basket—costs around $130.
Why You Should Trust Us
Our testing team has a combined decade of experience testing and evaluating everything from the best upright freezers to the best toasters. Many of us have backgrounds in kitchen and culinary careers ourselves. The remainder of our team are simply passionate home cooks who want to recommend the very best products using honest and fair testing practices. We would never recommend a product we don’t love, regardless of how popular or big the brand is.
For this piece, we also spoke to cookbook author and Nutritionist Jenny Tschiesche. Apart from her involvement with Channel 5’s The Air Fryer Diet, Jenny also provides corporate wellbeing nutrition workshops. She creates delicious and nutritious ultra processed free recipes, and educates by simplifying the science behind good eating habits. She is also the author of Modern Vegetarian Instant Pot Cookbook: 101 veggie and vegan recipes for your multi-cooker and Modern Instant Pot Cookbook: 101 recipes for your multi-cooker.
