Inspired by JanetRose's Crock Pot thread

[Micca]

Dis-er JanetRose's thread about crock pot cooking made me want to learn more about the actual crock pot.

When DW and I got married in 1974 we received several crock pots as wedding gifts. I guess we just didn't think we'd like food cooked in them and they were never used. After many years and many moves, I finally got tired of them taking up space and tossed them. Of course now, it starts to seem like a pretty good idea for some tasty dishes.

So what do veteran crock pot users recommend as far as brands, features, etc. ? It seems that prices are pretty reasonable for most models. What is the price range for a good quality cooker? When we make our purchase I'll be checking back to Janet's thread about recipes. TIA

 

[C.Ann]

Don't know about features, but I would suggest going with a large one.. I have two - a large one and a smaller one.. I find I use the larger one much more frequently - mostly because I can do "batch" cooking that way - or say meatballs and/or hot sausage with peppers and sauce for a good-sized party..

Hope someone comes along and gives you the specifics you need.. (And this is definitely the time to get one - lots of sales all over the place!!)

 

[bas71873]

I love, love, love my Rival (round) crock pot. I've had it for probably 12 years or so and use it all the time. Just has a high & low setting. I got a new one several years ago, Rival (oval) with all these fancy settings, etc. and I HATED it. I sold it in a garage sale. Then just this past October, I bought another Rival (oval....I haven't been able to find a round one lately) and it just has a high & low setting (I bought it because I was having a Halloween party and doing 2 different soups). I like it, seems to work as well as my old one. I paid about $25 for it at Walmart.

 

[mickeysgal]

I have three. Two large ovals and a small round. Not only are they wonderful to cook with, but they make great warming dishes. This past Thanksgiving, I cooked in one, and used the another to keep other the mashed potatoes warm while waiting for the turkey to be done.

To me, they're a required staple for a kitchen. Love them!

 

[Micca]

Thanks for the replies so far. I was thinking I'd get a fairly large one that would be suitable for roasts, whole chickens, etc.

I'm getting the sense that there's no need for a bunch of bells & whistles on these things. Maybe just a couple of options for temperature, does it matter if it has a timer? Are all crock pots ceramic inside? At present I work from home so turning it on/off or adjusting the temp setting can be done manually by me(this would be about the extent of my cooking skills btw)

 

[bas71873]

Thanks for the replies so far. I was thinking I'd get a fairly large one that would be suitable for roasts, whole chickens, etc.

I'm getting the sense that there's no need for a bunch of bells & whistles on these things. Maybe just a couple of options for temperature, does it matter if it has a timer? Are all crock pots ceramic inside? At present I work from home so turning it on/off or adjusting the temp setting can be done manually by me(this would be about the extent of my cooking skills btw)

I hated mine with a timer. You could set it for X number of hours to cook and then it would keep it on "warm". That feature never worked for me. I just like keeping it on low all day. I don't think I've ever used the high feature . I am making white chicken chili in my crock tomorrow

 

[iNTeNSeBLue98]

Removable insert, the best thing to happen to crock-pots. And the latest one has a latch to keep the lid on tight for travelling.

I have a large older round one, and my brother moved in with a large oval. Both are from Rival and have high and low settings. The oval also has the keep warm setting.

I switch between the two depending on how round or oblong whatever I'm cooking is.

 

[lovemygoofy]

I bought a new crockpot at walmart recently. It has a removeable insert and not digital. The sucker is huge at 7qts! The chicken can take a swim and you can almost roast two chickens at once. I paid $18 for the crockpot rival brand one at walmart.

I also have an older, think 10 yrs, that is a crockpot brand that has been used at least once a week for the last 10 years and has done wonderful but taken a beating.

I acutally have both my crockpots going today. I'm making chicken and dumplings in the big pot and a cobbler in the second one. My crockpots take a beating during the winter months for sure.

 

[Lionqueen2]

I love, love, love my Rival (round) crock pot. I've had it for probably 12 years or so and use it all the time. Just has a high & low setting. I got a new one several years ago, Rival (oval) with all these fancy settings, etc. and I HATED it. I sold it in a garage sale. Then just this past October, I bought another Rival (oval....I haven't been able to find a round one lately) and it just has a high & low setting (I bought it because I was having a Halloween party and doing 2 different soups). I like it, seems to work as well as my old one. I paid about $25 for it at Walmart.

I agree. Those old Rivals were great and it is hard to find a good replacement. Glad you like you new one.

 

[NMAmy]

I have a really big Crockpot that I use for parties. Then I have this one: http://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beac...7?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1291576531&sr=8-7

It's perfect because I use the small one when it's just DH and I and I can switch to a larger size when we have company.

 

[krcit]

I have a question. My crockpot has high 4 hrs, high 6 hrs, low 8 or low 10 hours. After the number of hours it switches to warm. There is no way to get it on warm without it being on for the 4, 6, 8 or 10 hours first. So annoying because a lot of times I want to turn it on warm b/c it's done cooking. Do they have ones with just a warm setting?

 

[Micca]

Thanks for the additional details. Looks like either that model Tina has from WalMart or Amy's suggestion from Amazon would work for us.

 

[lovemygoofy]

Thanks for the additional details. Looks like either that model Tina has from WalMart or Amy's suggestion from Amazon would work for us.

I suggest when you start using your crockpot to be at home that first time. My new crockpot can blister fingers on low. I only use the high setting if the insert is completely filled with food.

My house smells so good now with chicken and dumplings and the other crockpot is cooking up my berry cobbler. Nothing better than some homecooking on a cold windy day.

 

[Topper]

I have a question. My crockpot has high 4 hrs, high 6 hrs, low 8 or low 10 hours. After the number of hours it switches to warm. There is no way to get it on warm without it being on for the 4, 6, 8 or 10 hours first. So annoying because a lot of times I want to turn it on warm b/c it's done cooking. Do they have ones with just a warm setting?

This one does:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Crock-Pot-Slow-Cooker-7-Quart/10992850

 

[Micca]

I suggest when you start using your crockpot to be at home that first time. My new crockpot can blister fingers on low. I only use the high setting if the insert is completely filled with food.

My house smells so good now with chicken and dumplings and the other crockpot is cooking up my berry cobbler. Nothing better than some homecooking on a cold windy day.

Thanks for the tip Tina. One of the reasons I am interested in a crock pot after all these years is now I work at home, so I can keep an eye on it.

I realize that many people turn 'em on and head off for the day, but that makes me just a little nervous.

 

[bas71873]

I realize that many people turn 'em on and head off for the day, but that makes me just a little nervous.

I do it all the time. I'm knocking on wood, but I've never had any issues! Good luck and happy experimenting

 

[disneyhand]

I'm on my 2nd crockpot after 27 years of marriage. The newer one is a Rival, purchased at Costco. It came w/ a mini crock pot too.

The newer one has 2 low settings and 2 high settings and then warm. I love that it goes to warm and I've never experienced a problem with anything overcooking.

My original crock pot was one piece and heavy. A pain to clean. Two settings high and low only. The new one is much improved and I use it alot, just like the first one.

 

[krcit]

This one does:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Crock-Pot-Slow-Cooker-7-Quart/10992850

Thanks Topper!! It';s on my Christmas list

 

[tiggerlover]

I have two older Rival (round) crockpots. I have a small one that I got as a wedding gift 24 years ago, the large one was my mother's from the 1970's and I use it often. Although it is round I still have trouble fitting roasts in it, so I have asked Santa for a new oval crockpot, but that is my only complaint, or should I say inconvenience. So I guess my advice would be to go with something oval and definitely go for the removable crock, makes clean up easier. (oh, and once you do purchase a crockpot, buy some crockpot liners from the grocery store, they are great and make clean up even easier than the removable crock).

 

[tink_lover]

My Rival is almost 25 years old and has just the high and low settings. I just used it today to make some chocolate nutty candy.