Rate your crockpot

[pas2]

My crockpot broke and I am lost without it. Please help me out buy telling me what make and size your crockpot is and how you like it. Mine was a nice one, large with glass lid (I think 6.5qt) but the controls allowed for low/high/auto shift. Loved that feature. Now they have oval and all different sizes other than large or small so I really need opinions.

By the way, has anyone else had their crock just snap in half after turning it on? At least I was able to salvage the roast!

 

[lisajl]

pas2,

Yes, I have had my crockpot break in half! I thought that only happened to me!!!

When I called the manufacturer they said it was because the roast (or whatever I put in), was too cold. If I remember correctly I had been thawing it. It might have been a little frozen, yet.

The crock pot I have now is a Rival. Not sure of the size, but it does a great job!
Have not had any problems with it. My sis gave it to me for a Christmas gift about 8 years ago.
It just keeps plugging along!

It has the removable crock, easier to clean.

Lisajl

 

[annemariec]

Hi Pas2 & lisajl, mine is a Hamilton Beach. (I had a Rival before this one and it was a good crockpot too.) I've had it for 2 years. It was a gift and I love it! It has a pretty design to it --- white with colorful morning glories along the rim of the bottom.

It's probably considered a medium size (don't know the qt. size). It's oval with a glass lid. The controls are: keep warm, low, and high.

I've never heard of a crock snapping in half! I'll have to be careful.
Thanks for sharing.

Annemarie

 

[sha_lyn]

Corningwave 6 (or 6.50) round qt removable conringware crock (can be used on top of stove or in the oven, can go from refrigerator to the "pot")

I just made swiss steak in it today. I browned the meat on the stove first. I love nto having ot dirty another pan for browning. I have used it often in the oven too. Really you aren't suppose to use it under the broiler but I put the broiler on low and made sure the crock os 6 inches away from the heat. I top brown casseroles in it all the time that way.

 

[piratesmate]

I've always had Rival stoneware pots. The first (25 yrs ago) did not have a removeable crock & was ~ 4qt, but worked well for more than 10 years. I got rid of it when I found a 6qt one with a plastic lid & removeable crock at a yard sale. I've been using that one for close to 15 years.

I was finding it too small for certain things (not enough carrots, etc. would fit) so I got a 6.5qt oval for C'mas maybe 3 years ago. It's great!

All of mine have only had LOW and HIGH for settings.

I've never heard of the crock splitting! I'd be so upset!! I don't think, though, that I've ever put a roast right on the stone. The carrots always go on the bottom & I add cold water if the meat is frozen. However, I have put the crock back in after having it in the refrigerator overnight & never had any trouble.

 

[pas2]

For the record, my roast was thawed and the other ingredients were not cold either. I put it all togeather the way I always do and about 10 minutes later I heard a loud "snap". I emptied the crock and found a hairline crack across the bottom of the crock?
It is a mystery to me because nothing was unusually "cold" nor was the crock "hot" yet. One of life's mysteries I guess.

 

[piratesmate]

pas2 - I hope I didn't offend you. I didn't mean to imply that you did something wrong. I was just thinking through "outloud" how I load the crock. Since I sometimes put the cold crock back in the heating unit (you're not supposed to do that! ), I think it was just a "fluke" - maybe a tiny flaw in the crock that took a while to show up.

d

 

[Kermit]

I also have a Rival crockpot that I just love. It's pretty big, but I don't know the exact deminsions. It's round, and the crock is removable. You can't use it on the stove, but I take it straight from the fridge and plug it in when I need to. Mine has HIGH, LOW, and AUTO. The AUTO setting is my favorite, since I'm a freak about germs when it comes to cooking. I like the way it gets the food hot enough to be safe very quickly and then switches to LOW so that my cheap cuts of meat end up being tender.

 

[A kid at heart]

I have an oval Rival Smart pot crock pot! its the best! it has 4-6-8-10 hrs cook time and it automatically switches to warm when done cooking! its large enough for big roasts and stuff! I love it!

 

[inky dinky doo]

I don't own a crockpot, but I do have -- and LOVE -- a 4-qt., a 6-qt., and an 18-qt. Nesco roaster. I use all three for slow all-day cooking and for roasting, and they do a wonderful job.

 

[pas2]

Piratesmate

Absolutely no offense taken! I just wanted everyone to know it could also happen without the frozen/fridge connection. I think we are too trusting of our crockpots, that they are infalible. I too believe it had a weak spot and had finally failed.

I cant believe how many times I had to rethink what I was going to cook over the last 2 weeks, keep going for the pot!

Thanks everyone for your opinions.

 

[Wiggle]

I also have one with the programmable buttons for x-number of hours, then it automatically switches to warm. Actually, I don't care for it all that much. I thought I would be able to actually "program" it, because I wanted a delayed start. It doesn't work that way. So then I decided to use my timer that I use to turn on my lights when I'm away -- in order to do the delayed start. But it won't start because you need to actually push the button to make it begin. Its lights just flash when the timer kicks it on.

The other model crockpots have a dial that you turn for low/high/warm/off. If those are connected to the lights timer in order to create a delayed start, they just start right up on the setting you've chosen (assuming, of course, that you've not selected 'off' like I have done!!).

I know I rambled on, so I hope this makes sense.

 

[sha_lyn]

Wiggles... I'm glad that you explained how the programable one works. I had really thought about buying one but I'm like you. I had rather be able to set the time for it to come on instead of it being on warm after cooking. I've thought about using a timer also. Now that I know it works, I'll have to give it a try.

BTW my Corningware Crockpot has low high and automatic also. IT cooks for 2 hours at high then switches to low.

 

[Kteacher]

I have an old Rival that was a wedding gift almost 20 years ago. it has the removable pot, but the lid broke a long time ago. I've been using the lid to my stockpot, which fits perfectly. Does anyone have any experience with baking things in their crockpot? I see so many recipes for breads and desserts, but because I don't have the pan that fits inside I haven't tried them.

 

[lisajl]

I've seen recipes for bread and cakes for your crockpot, but were afraid to try them.
It's like the first time I made a cake in my microwave....yuk!
Lisa

 

[piratesmate]

I got a recipe book with my 1st crockpot (27+ years ago) that included recipes for cakes/breads. At the time, they sold a special pan that went into the crock - it was cylindrical . . . similar to a can with a lid. The recipes I tried were similar to the date & nut bread you used to be able to buy in a can. It was sweet, dark brown and very moist. Sorry, that's the best description I can give as it's been years since I've seen the stuff in the stores.

Deb