Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I spent a year looking for a good slow cooker that (1) When set on low did not boil food too hot (2) Could hold enough for large batch cooking (3) Did not have a hinged lid (hard to clean and breaks easily) (4) Is programmable for a set amount of time, then switches to warm (5) Was reasonably priced. I tried cheapo store brand round slow cookers which nuked my food - no need to explain since most people have had one at one point or another. Last fall I purchased the top of the line All Clad slow cooker with non-stick insert from Williams Sonoma. After sales tax it cost me a little over $300 which made me nervous. The first meal I made in it was braised short ribs. I browned the ribs in the slow cooker insert on the stove and set it on low for several hours. The food was delish and it kept a gentle simmer but I was horrified to find light scratch marks on the inside of the insert as I was washing the dishes. I used the All Clad for several days and then finally returned it because I couldn't bear the thought of having paid that much money for something that wasn't going to last. Besides, I felt a bit weird about simmering food for many hours in that non-stick coating that may one day start coming off. I then decided to look for a traditional crock pot with a timer - if I need to saute or brown I now do it in a cast iron pan the night before, deglaze, then dump all of the contents into a container that goes into the fridge if I am going to start the crock in the morning. When I get up I fill up the crock pot with the prepped food from the night before, hit the buttons, then leave for work. So far this ELume version has been great.
Pros: The low setting is actually a low simmer. I've made Indian lentil/dahl curries, bbq pulled pork, baked beans, Chinese jook/congee, Beef stew, Chili verde,red chili, soups, stock, the list goes on. I typically program it to cook for 10 hours on low and it works like a charm. Food is really slow cooked, and there are no hot spots, burned, stuck on food like previous appliances I've owned. The polished stainless finish looks beautiful - although not it does not have as high of quality finish as the All Clad.
Cons: The programmable button/pad area can be improved - the numbers are difficult to read unless you are looking at it directly at eye level, meaning you have to bend down to see what you're pressing. Mine came with a burned-out area on the keypad but I didn't bother returning it since it didn't affect the function - you can still see that it's the "on" button, it just doesn't light up. The black keypad part feels a tad cheap and you can almost pry it off if you wanted to (esp. when it gets hot) because it's glued on (!) albeit very sturdily - hopefully this lasts for a while. The crock pot itself gets a bit hot when cooking but not excessively hot like ones I've had before.
Bottom Line: I paid about $75 for this including tax. Purchased at Linens N Things with a coupon. I'm giving this a four star rating - good quality for that price but I would pay no more. Compared to my week of owning a $300 slow cooker, this is a bargain.
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Crock-Pot SCVT650-PS 6-1/2-Quart Programmable Touch Screen Slow Cooker, StainlessEnjoy healthy, home-cooked meals even with a busy schedule thanks to this easy-to-use oval-shaped slow cooker. A nice size when cooking for 8 or 9 people, the 6-1/2-quart unit can hold a 7-pound roast and works well for making soups, casseroles, stews, curries, and much more. Simply add ingredients to the unit's stoneware crock, insert it in the cooker, set the glass lid in place, and program the cooking time from 30 minutes to 20 hours using the eLume touchscreen control panel. Its digital timer counts down the time remaining, and the appliance automatically shifts to keep-warm mode at the end of the cooking time. The digital timer also keeps track of time spent in keep-warm mode, counting up in one-minute increments for up to six hours. Thoughtfully designed, the removable stoneware crock doubles as a serving dish and, along with its lid, cleans up easily by hand or in the dishwasher. Other highlights include a polished stainless-steel exterior, a large-loop lid handle, and stylish metal side handles with silicone stay-cool wraps for safe transport. Not sure what to cook first? CrockPot throws in a bonus cookbook with a range of delicious recipe ideas. The beautiful and versatile slow cooker measures approximately 16-1/2 by 8-2/3 by 12-1/5 inches and carries a one-year limited warranty.
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