I need to buy a new Slow Cooker - any suggestions?

rubysmama · Feb 9, 2016

I hit the lid of my Crockpot (slow cooker) against the stove and it must have hit in just the right (or wrong) spot, as it is now in 2 pieces! I checked online and can buy a replacement lid for $19.99 + $11.00 shipping, but I'm thinking for the $31.00 I'd be better off just buying a new slow cooker.

The one I have (had) is oval. I think I want a rectangle one now. And definitely a clear (see through) lid.

Any suggestions / opinions / thoughts?

kittens mom · Feb 9, 2016

I buy the cheapest ones that have a brand name I can recognize. I stay away from Faberware ( am I allowed to say that here ) The plates on the Panini press actually bent. Almost like melting on the top plate. The last can opener of theirs I bought fell apart opening the first can. Since a slow cooker is not temperature specific I don't need one with all the bells and whistles. I should mention I like bells and whistles. The cheaper ones have lasted as long as the expensive ones.

I'm planning on buying a smaller one because sometimes I just don't need a big slow cooker,

I need a good rice cooker. Mine sucks. No matter how carefully I measure the rice water ratio I end up with burnt rice on the bottom and it ruins the whole pot with that taste. I don't think cheap off the end of the aisle at wally was the way to go here.

Kat0121 · Feb 9, 2016

This is the one I have. It is oval but I love it. It's never let me down

http://www.walmart.com/ip/40703590?...76244472&wl4=&wl5=pla&wl6=95955006512&veh=sem

You might find one at a thrift store too.

Winchester · Feb 10, 2016

rubysmama said:
I hit the lid of my Crockpot (slow cooker) against the stove and it must have hit in just the right (or wrong) spot, as it is now in 2 pieces! I checked online and can buy a replacement lid for $19.99 + $11.00 shipping, but I'm thinking for the $31.00 I'd be better off just buying a new slow cooker.

The one I have (had) is oval. I think I want a rectangle one now. And definitely a clear (see through) lid.

Any suggestions / opinions / thoughts?

Rubysmama, when you say rectangle, do you mean the newish casserole-type crock pots? Like this: http://www.walmart.com/ip/38762860?...89580552&wl4=&wl5=pla&wl6=88658214272&veh=sem

I have this one (in red) and I really like it. I've used it many times since we got it....we found it on sale at KMart, I think it was. It's from Rival and I like Rival crock pots. You can use the insert in your oven, too; that makes it nice if you're having a big dinner and you need an extra 9 x 13-inch casserole; it has come in handy for me that way. My one complaint about that particular crock pot is that the cord isn't very long at all and you almost need to have the crock pot really close to your receptacle....I understand why, but it's really too short, in my opinion. I will say that it seems to clean very well.

One thing you need to know about today's crock pots and slow cookers (and you probably know this already).

They cook faster than the crock pots from years ago. I'm serious. I have found that my newer crock pots will cook a meal in 5-6 hours versus the 8 hours that the older crock pots took. And that casserole crock pot is like that. I can put the food together in the crock pot and, more often than not, the food will be ready in about 6 hours.

My personal opinion about the crock pots with the stainless inserts is that they burn the food at the point where the food touches the insert. I've stopped using one of my crock pots for that reason.

There was a good article from America's Test Kitchen, probably Cook's Illustrated, about crock pots and slow cookers. They tested them, but I forget which one came out on top. If you'd like I can check on that tonight when I get home from work. I know that a lot of people seem to really like Hamilton Beach crock pots/ slow cookers. I don't have one, so I can't say.....mine are all from Rival.

That's probably more than you wanted to know, but well, you know me.....I write chapters of books sometimes!

AbbysMom · Feb 10, 2016

I have this one -

No idea why it's $90 as I got it for almost nothing at Kohls. It must be discontinued. I wouldn't recommend it because of the white color. I tend to make a lot of tomato based recipe and it's getting stained, no matter what I do to try to clean it. Other than that, it's fine.

If by rectangle, you mean one of these -

I wouldn't recommend it for everyday cooking. I have a mini one that I got a zillion years ago at my bridal shower. I use it for dips and for keeping things warm and it works great for that, but it only gets the heat from the bottom, not all around.

sivyaleah · Feb 10, 2016

I need a new one also. Mine is at least 10 years old. It cooks ok enough but I think I want more features and the lid doesn't quite stay on so when moisture builds up it leaks around the edges. I'd love one that I can sear in first too, but not sure I want to spend a lot on it.

rubysmama · Feb 10, 2016

Kittens Mom said:
I buy the cheapest ones that have a brand name I can recognize. I stay away from Faberware ( am I allowed to say that here ) The plates on the Panini press actually bent. Almost like melting on the top plate. The last can opener of theirs I bought fell apart opening the first can. Since a slow cooker is not temperature specific I don't need one with all the bells and whistles. I should mention I like bells and whistles. The cheaper ones have lasted as long as the expensive ones.

I'm planning on buying a smaller one because sometimes I just don't need a big slow cooker,

I need a good rice cooker. Mine sucks. No matter how carefully I measure the rice water ratio I end up with burnt rice on the bottom and it ruins the whole pot with that taste. I don't think cheap off the end of the aisle at wally was the way to go here.

@Kittens Mom: I've never heard of Faberware. Maybe it's a brand not available in Canada. But I know now to stay away from it, if I see it.

I also have a cheap rice cooker that I never use because like yours, it always burns on the bottom. I think, with rice cookers, you have to spend a lot to get a good quality one.

Kat0121 said:
This is the one I have. It is oval but I love it. It's never let me down

http://www.walmart.com/ip/40703590?...76244472&wl4=&wl5=pla&wl6=95955006512&veh=sem

You might find one at a thrift store too.

@Kat0121: Thanks. Will keep it in mind when I out looking. How long have you had it?

Winchester said:
Rubysmama, when you say rectangle, do you mean the newish casserole-type crock pots? Like this: http://www.walmart.com/ip/38762860?...89580552&wl4=&wl5=pla&wl6=88658214272&veh=sem

I have this one (in red) and I really like it. I've used it many times since we got it....we found it on sale at KMart, I think it was. It's from Rival and I like Rival crock pots. You can use the insert in your oven, too; that makes it nice if you're having a big dinner and you need an extra 9 x 13-inch casserole; it has come in handy for me that way. My one complaint about that particular crock pot is that the cord isn't very long at all and you almost need to have the crock pot really close to your receptacle....I understand why, but it's really too short, in my opinion. I will say that it seems to clean very well.

One thing you need to know about today's crock pots and slow cookers (and you probably know this already).

They cook faster than the crock pots from years ago. I'm serious. I have found that my newer crock pots will cook a meal in 5-6 hours versus the 8 hours that the older crock pots took. And that casserole crock pot is like that. I can put the food together in the crock pot and, more often than not, the food will be ready in about 6 hours.

My personal opinion about the crock pots with the stainless inserts is that they burn the food at the point where the food touches the insert. I've stopped using one of my crock pots for that reason.

There was a good article from America's Test Kitchen, probably Cook's Illustrated, about crock pots and slow cookers. They tested them, but I forget which one came out on top. If you'd like I can check on that tonight when I get home from work. I know that a lot of people seem to really like Hamilton Beach crock pots/ slow cookers. I don't have one, so I can't say.....mine are all from Rival.

That's probably more than you wanted to know, but well, you know me.....I write chapters of books sometimes!

@Winchester: Yes, the casserole type is what I was referring to. I made lasagna in my oval one and though it turned out well, it was impossible to get uniform shaped servings.

I've heard about newer ones cooking hotter, but mine is only about 3 years old, so I have no experience with the older ones. Here's the one I have:

It was a gift, so I don't know how much it cost, and now it seems to be discontinued, except for parts. Glancing over the comments, though, I see I'm not the only one who broke the lid. I know now to stay away from slow cookers with ceramic lids.

I'm an information junkie, so don't worry about writing your chapters of information, I lap it all up.

AbbysMom said:
I have this one -

No idea why it's $90 as I got it for almost nothing at Kohls. It must be discontinued. I wouldn't recommend it because of the white color. I tend to make a lot of tomato based recipe and it's getting stained, no matter what I do to try to clean it. Other than that, it's fine.

If by rectangle, you mean one of these -

I wouldn't recommend it for everyday cooking. I have a mini one that I got a zillion years ago at my bridal shower. I use it for dips and for keeping things warm and it works great for that, but it only gets the heat from the bottom, not all around.

@AbbysMom : For everyday use, I'm probably going to get another oval one, similar to the Hamilton Beach one in your link. Interesting about the white getting stained. I cook A LOT of tomato based recipes, so I can see that would never work for me. I did find the insert of the one I have, though black, started to get a cloudy stain on it that would not come off.

The rectangle type was more like Winchester linked. I haven't seen the ones that only warm the bottom. Must be sure to stay away from them.

sivyaleah said:
I need a new one also. Mine is at least 10 years old. It cooks ok enough but I think I want more features and the lid doesn't quite stay on so when moisture builds up it leaks around the edges. I'd love one that I can sear in first too, but not sure I want to spend a lot on it.

@sivyaleah : Since yours is 10 years old, did you see Winchester's comment that the newer ones cook hotter than the older ones?

sivyaleah · Feb 10, 2016

rubysmama said:
@Kittens Mom: I've never heard of Faberware. Maybe it's a brand not available in Canada. But I know now to stay away from it, if I see it.

I also have a cheap rice cooker that I never use because like yours, it always burns on the bottom. I think, with rice cookers, you have to spend a lot to get a good quality one.

@Kat0121: Thanks. Will keep it in mind when I out looking. How long have you had it?

@Winchester: Yes, the casserole type is what I was referring to. I made lasagna in my oval one and though it turned out well, it was impossible to get uniform shaped servings.

I've heard about newer ones cooking hotter, but mine is only about 3 years old, so I have no experience with the older ones. Here's the one I have:

It was a gift, so I don't know how much it cost, and now it seems to be discontinued, except for parts.   Glancing over the comments, though, I see I'm not the only one who broke the lid. I know now to stay away from slow cookers with ceramic lids.

I'm an information junkie, so don't worry about writing your chapters of information, I lap it all up.

@AbbysMom : For everyday use, I'm probably going to get another oval one, similar to the Hamilton Beach one in your link. Interesting about the white getting stained. I cook A LOT of tomato based recipes, so I can see that would never work for me.   I did find the insert of the one I have, though black, started to get a cloudy stain on it that would not come off.

The rectangle type was more like Winchester linked.   I haven't seen the ones that only warm the bottom. Must be sure to stay away from them.

@sivyaleah : Since yours is 10 years old, did you see Winchester's comment that the newer ones cook hotter than the older ones?

I did.

I have to say for an older, not expensive one mine cooks fairly fast also. Most things I can do in about 6 hours. The only time I put the power on 8-12 ours is if I really want to cook it nice and slow to make sure a tougher cut is tender.

Kat0121 · Feb 10, 2016

rubysmama said:
@Kittens Mom: I've never heard of Faberware. Maybe it's a brand not available in Canada. But I know now to stay away from it, if I see it.

I also have a cheap rice cooker that I never use because like yours, it always burns on the bottom. I think, with rice cookers, you have to spend a lot to get a good quality one.

@Kat0121: Thanks. Will keep it in mind when I out looking. How long have you had it?

@Winchester: Yes, the casserole type is what I was referring to. I made lasagna in my oval one and though it turned out well, it was impossible to get uniform shaped servings.

I've heard about newer ones cooking hotter, but mine is only about 3 years old, so I have no experience with the older ones. Here's the one I have:

It was a gift, so I don't know how much it cost, and now it seems to be discontinued, except for parts.   Glancing over the comments, though, I see I'm not the only one who broke the lid. I know now to stay away from slow cookers with ceramic lids.

I'm an information junkie, so don't worry about writing your chapters of information, I lap it all up.

@AbbysMom : For everyday use, I'm probably going to get another oval one, similar to the Hamilton Beach one in your link. Interesting about the white getting stained. I cook A LOT of tomato based recipes, so I can see that would never work for me.   I did find the insert of the one I have, though black, started to get a cloudy stain on it that would not come off.

The rectangle type was more like Winchester linked.   I haven't seen the ones that only warm the bottom. Must be sure to stay away from them.

@sivyaleah : Since yours is 10 years old, did you see Winchester's comment that the newer ones cook hotter than the older ones?

I have had that one for 7 years

rubysmama · Feb 10, 2016

sivyaleah said:
I did.

I have to say for an older, not expensive one mine cooks fairly fast also. Most things I can do in about 6 hours. The only time I put the power on 8-12 ours is if I really want to cook it nice and slow to make sure a tougher cut is tender.

As I'm vegetarian, mine never had any meat in it. But it has managed to turn pasta to mush!

Kat0121 said:
I have had that one for 7 years

Good to know they last that long.

sivyaleah · Feb 10, 2016

rubysmama said:
As I'm vegetarian, mine never had any meat in it. But it has managed to turn pasta to mush!

Good to know they last that long.

I tried making rice in it one time (risotto). What a fail!

Winchester · Feb 10, 2016

According to Cook's Illustrated:

Winner:

Kitchen Aid 6-quart slow cooker with solid glass lid (KSC6223SS @ $ 99.99)

Recommended:

Crock-Pot Countdown Touchscreen Digital Slow Cooker (SCVT650-PS @ $ 89.99)

Recommended with Reservations:

Hamilton Beach Set ’n Forget 6 Qt. Programmable Slow Cooker with Spoon/Lid (Model #33967 @ $59.99)

Crock-Pot Digital Slow Cooker with iStir Stirring System (Model #SCCPVC600AS-P @ $69.99)

Crock-Pot Slow Cooker Featuring Smart Cook Technology (Model #SCCPVM650-PS @ $99.99)

Hamilton Beach IntelliTime 6 Quart Slow Cooker (Model #33564 @ $ 59.99)

Not Recommended:

West Bend Versatility Cooker - This is like the one Karen (Abbys Mom) mentioned. They said it scorched the food because the pot was really thin and the heating element was way too high for the pot.

____________________________________________________________________

I don't have a rice cooker either....maybe I could use one.

kittens mom · Feb 10, 2016

Winchester said:
According to Cook's Illustrated:

Winner:

Kitchen Aid 6-quart slow cooker with solid glass lid (KSC6223SS @ $ 99.99)

Recommended:

Crock-Pot Countdown Touchscreen Digital Slow Cooker (SCVT650-PS @ $ 89.99)

Recommended with Reservations:

Hamilton Beach Set ’n Forget 6 Qt. Programmable Slow Cooker with Spoon/Lid (Model #33967 @ $59.99)

Crock-Pot Digital Slow Cooker with iStir Stirring System (Model #SCCPVC600AS-P @ $69.99)

Crock-Pot Slow Cooker Featuring Smart Cook Technology (Model #SCCPVM650-PS @ $99.99)

Hamilton Beach IntelliTime 6 Quart Slow Cooker (Model #33564 @ $ 59.99)

Not Recommended:

West Bend Versatility Cooker - This is like the one Karen (Abbys Mom) mentioned. They said it scorched the food because the pot was really thin and the heating element was way too high for the pot.

____________________________________________________________________

I don't have a rice cooker either....maybe I could use one.

I had a wonderful rice cooker for years. It died after Kitten got sick. Trying to save money I bought a cheap pos and it's ruined some very nice rice. I like my rice soft but still well formed and fluffy. Not a soggy mess. I had to keep adding water to keep it from scorching. It's the same reason I hate cooking it on the stove.

My current slow cooker says CrockPot on it. It has basic settings and has been in constant use for at least 5 years. Big oval thing with a ceramic insert.

sivyaleah · Feb 10, 2016

Kittens Mom said:
I had a wonderful rice cooker for years. It died after Kitten got sick. Trying to save money I bought a cheap pos and it's ruined some very nice rice. I like my rice soft but still well formed and fluffy. Not a soggy mess. I had to keep adding water to keep it from scorching. It's the same reason I hate cooking it on the stove.

My current slow cooker says CrockPot on it. It has basic settings and has been in constant use for at least 5 years. Big oval thing with a ceramic insert.

That's another thing I'd like but I'm running out of room to store things lol.

I cook my rice in the microwave and it comes out perfect and easy clean up. 5 minutes on high then 15 minutes on 50% power for 1 cup rice. Easy peasy!

kittens mom · Feb 10, 2016

sivyaleah said:
That's another thing I'd like but I'm running out of room to store things lol.

I cook my rice in the microwave and it comes out perfect and easy clean up. 5 minutes on high then 15 minutes on 50% power for 1 cup rice. Easy peasy!

show off

MoochNNoodles · Feb 10, 2016

I have a rice cooker I got at my bridal shower. It's never been used.

My Step-family is Puerto Rican; we ate a lot of rice growing up! My Mom used her rice cooker a lot! So I figured I would; but its been just as easy to do it on the stove. Oh well!!

I have 2 slow cookers; both get used a lot. My standard size one is from Rival and was left behind by one of DH's room mates before we were married. The other is larger and i use that for sauce and roasts. That says it's from "West Bend." That came from my mother. I had 2 standard size ones and she had 2 larger ones. So we traded. My Gram had given me hers when she wasn't cooking much anymore. Neither are anything fancy. They do have glass lids. One has a "keep warm" setting on the dial. I'm ok with them not being fancy. I don't like to use appliances when I am not home; even though these are designed to be left. My cousin's husband is a fireman (she is a volunteer one also) and he won't let her use one when they aren't home. She said he's seen too much.

I do want one of the rectangular casserole style ones at some point. I also like the idea of a mini one for dips. When I was a teenager my friend's mother would simmer potpourri in a mini one and it always smelled amazing in their house!

rubysmama · Feb 10, 2016

sivyaleah said:
I tried making rice in it one time (risotto). What a fail!

I made rice and beans in it once. Also a goopy rice fail.

MoochNNoodles said:
I don't like to use appliances when I am not home; even though these are designed to be left. My cousin's husband is a fireman (she is a volunteer one also) and he won't let her use one when they aren't home. She said he's seen too much.

I've never left mine for the whole day, but I have left it for a few hours. Now I'm going to be more nervous.

But it is good to know that they're not totally safe to leave unattended.

Winchester · Feb 11, 2016

I leave my crock pot alone. It's simply that I am gone all day; I don't have a choice if we want to eat dinner. I usually put it in the basement on top of the chest freezer....at least that way the cats can't get to it (not that I really think they would, but.....)

There are times when I've put a meal together in the crock pot together at night and let it cook all night, then put it in the fridge in the morning. Then all we had to do was heat it up when we got home from work that night. But that's a hassle, too. It's really rough sometimes when you work all day long and then have meetings at night and you're trying to figure out what to make for dinner that's halfways healthy. We don't do fast food hardly at all (our fast food is usually a Digiorno's pizza or something like that). I cook ahead and freeze things, but even so, it's simply a pain to be constantly figuring out what to make for dinner and how to make it.

Right down the road from us, a house burned down from the dehumidifier in the basement that malfunctioned. We have a dehumidifier....I think about that a lot. Heck, our old dishwasher's electrical panel melted down....twice, once in the afternoon, the last time around midnight one night last year. We had a dryer fire one night (thank god, we were home because I used to leave the dryer running when I left the house for short periods of time). If you read Consumer Reports, there have been cases of houses burning because the microwave started during a power surge and nobody was home. Air conditioner units catching on fire. It makes me crazy sometimes, thinking about what could happen!

catlover19 · Feb 11, 2016

I have a bravetti slow cooker and it's awful. We got one as a wedding gift, my husband accidentally dropped it one day and it cracked but we didn't care too much because we didn't like it. My mom bought us a new one for Christmas that year....the exact same one that we don't like. I haven't bothered to replace it yet but I really want to get a programmable one.

This is the one I have. Ignore how dirty the outside is, it doesn't come clean.

20160211_123945.jpg

catlover19
Feb 11, 2016

sivyaleah · Feb 11, 2016

Winchester said:
I leave my crock pot alone. It's simply that I am gone all day; I don't have a choice if we want to eat dinner. I usually put it in the basement on top of the chest freezer....at least that way the cats can't get to it (not that I really think they would, but.....)

There are times when I've put a meal together in the crock pot together at night and let it cook all night, then put it in the fridge in the morning. Then all we had to do was heat it up when we got home from work that night. But that's a hassle, too. It's really rough sometimes when you work all day long and then have meetings at night and you're trying to figure out what to make for dinner that's halfways healthy. We don't do fast food hardly at all (our fast food is usually a Digiorno's pizza or something like that). I cook ahead and freeze things, but even so, it's simply a pain to be constantly figuring out what to make for dinner and how to make it.

Right down the road from us, a house burned down from the dehumidifier in the basement that malfunctioned. We have a dehumidifier....I think about that a lot. Heck, our old dishwasher's electrical panel melted down....twice, once in the afternoon, the last time around midnight one night last year. We had a dryer fire one night (thank god, we were home because I used to leave the dryer running when I left the house for short periods of time). If you read Consumer Reports, there have been cases of houses burning because the microwave started during a power surge and nobody was home. Air conditioner units catching on fire. It makes me crazy sometimes, thinking about what could happen!

I try not to think about all that. A few weeks ago, we came home to hear all our CO-2 alarms blasting. To make a long story short, there were embers smoldering in the ash pit of our fireplace (goes into the basement). Apparently there was an exposed wood beam cutting across the space of the pit! When Tom pushed down the dead ashes a few nights before, I guess some were still burning. I later read it can take up to 72 hours for ashes to be completely safe. Unbelievable. So, the CO2 built up while we were out of the house all day. We were lucky we got home early that night. I'd hate to think about the cats being affected because of it let alone the house burning down. It took 2 hours for the firemen to put the darn thing out and now we have to think about how to repair it/insurance, etc. Ugh.

I'd love to be able to utilize the crock pot better but wind up using it on weekends when I can make a batch of something and freeze it for later use. We have the last of my home made split pea soup ready to defrost tonight

It's freaking cold out today!

I need to buy a new Slow Cooker - any suggestions?

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Kittens life was lost to a negligent veterinarian.

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In the kitchen with my cookies

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In the kitchen with my cookies

Hamilton Beach Set ’n Forget 6 Qt. Programmable Slow Cooker with Spoon/Lid (Model #33967 @ $59.99)

Crock-Pot Slow Cooker Featuring Smart Cook Technology (Model #SCCPVM650-PS @ $99.99)

West Bend Versatility Cooker - This is like the one Karen (Abbys Mom) mentioned. They said it scorched the food because the pot was really thin and the heating element was way too high for the pot.

Kittens life was lost to a negligent veterinarian.

Hamilton Beach Set ’n Forget 6 Qt. Programmable Slow Cooker with Spoon/Lid (Model #33967 @ $59.99)

Crock-Pot Slow Cooker Featuring Smart Cook Technology (Model #SCCPVM650-PS @ $99.99)

West Bend Versatility Cooker - This is like the one Karen (Abbys Mom) mentioned. They said it scorched the food because the pot was really thin and the heating element was way too high for the pot.

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Kittens life was lost to a negligent veterinarian.

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In the kitchen with my cookies

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