Crock-Pot 5-1/2-Quart Oval Countdown Slow Cooker, Stainless
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Crock-Pot 5-1/2-Quart Oval Countdown Slow Cooker, Stainless
Customer Review: So far so good...Smoke? read the manual
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this crock pot despite the negative reviews. Several of them said the crock smoked and it was returned, only to find the new one smoked too. Well, read the first page on the manual and it says in bold letters that it will smoke the first few uses. I guess sort of like new brakes on a car (they stink! and it goes away and the brakes work like a charm). I liked the design of the crock, so I was willing to give it a try with low expectations. So, I just filled mine with water and turned it on (before cooking a meal) to let it stink away.
I have cooked chili, pot roast and a pork tenderloin. All came out wonderful. This model is much larger, so you have to make sure you are accommodating the space with food and liquid. If you don't .. duh.. it will burn. I was cooking for a large group and the roast came out wonderful. I have my own recipes and times for cooking, so I generally kept the temp on low for about 6 hours my first run. It worked perfect. The cranberry tenderloin was a little different, so I watched it closer (since I was home). It probably would have gotten too dry if I had left it, but that was my fault, not the crocks. I simply didn't have enough sauce in it. Anyway, bottom line: I am very happy with my crock and glad I gave it a chance. It hasn't let me down yet and I've had it for about 6 months, now. If you are cooking for a larger family, this one works great. I wouldn't recommend it for a smaller group because it is simply too big for general recipes and will burn things...and make you an unhappy camper.
Customer Review: USA Made Product a Must
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this Rival Model at the local Goodwill and paid $15, it was practically new with the cardboard insert in the pot. I was looking for a manual for it and came accross these reviews. Firstly, this pot that I found is made in the USA. Many recent pots are made in China and are inferior. I made the mistake of buying a new oval crockpot and the ceramic insert cracked from the heat on my first use. And while they sent a replacement that was not a good sign. The lid on the Chinese made pots are lighter weight glass with a plastic handle screwed on the top. On the USA made pots, at least the older ones, the lids are made of heavy duty glass and are one piece. They don't jiggle, explode or let out the liquid. I was apprehensive because of so many bad reviews when trying out the pot, but I have cooked, a whole 6 pound chicken, with no liquid on a small trivet and a rack of ribs from their recipe book with excellent results...So I am thinking that the problem is with the Chinese manufactured pots. I am systematically going through EVERYTHING in my house and replacing all Chinese manufactured products with USA manufactured ones. And while this is getting harder and harder to do, and sometimes as with the crockpots, I have to resort to Goodwill, it is very worthwhile. When you compare one to the other, the quality of the USA produced product is far superior.Customer Review: Leaky lid + high temp = burnt roasts
Summary: 1 Stars
I've experienced the problems others have described, and no, the problem is not caused by insufficient volume. The booklet itself says "the recipes in this book may be used, as printed, in the 4-6.5 quart crock pot slow cooker."
I have done many recipes that are similar in food volume to the ones that come in the cooker's own booklet (whole chickens, 3 lb roasts, etc.), and the lid still leaks and foods cook way too fast on "low." Several times I have come home to a wet mess all over the counter and a burnt meal in the crock pot. This thing is absolutely not to be trusted by itself! Indeed, as I write this there is a 3.5 lb pork roast sitting in my crock, which I put in stone cold frozen 4 hours ago, and in that amount of time on low, it is completely cooked and ready to serve. According to their booklet, I should add an additional 4 hours of cooking time on low for frozen foods, for a total of 12-14 hours!
We had two crock pots when we got married--this one, and a smaller one. We gave away the small one when we purged our duplicate appliances, and having now had to live with this one for a while, I really regret it.
Customer Review: Great crock pot for the crock pot cooker...
Summary: 5 Stars
As I was reading through the reviews here I noticed that this crock pot was getting a bad name. So here is my review. I have owned this for just over a month and I have used it about seven times from roasts to chili. Perfect every time!
Lid Problem:
One review talked about the lid not fitting and how that they all were like this, and that is untrue. I actually went to the store and checked this model out and found that the one on the shelf and the one below in the box had perfect fitting lids. We received ours as a wedding gift and the lid also fits perfect. 3 for 3 isn't all that bad.
Dried out roast:
I am guessing they just had a bad recipe. I still haven't had any of my dinners come out bad.
My Thoughts:
This crock pot is sleak and big enough for a good size family meal. The digital timer is great, but I normally time my foods to be ready when I get home so they don't stew for too long. But the warmer worked on my famous chili, so it has been tested. I think that everyone will enjoy this crockpot. It is extremely easy to clean and makes great meals.
Of course, these are just my thoughts.Customer Review: Nice features but NOT a slow cooker!
Summary: 3 Stars
I use this item most of the the time and am pleased with the purchase. That being said, the buyer should be aware that it's not a true slow cooker in that It heats rapidly then slowly.
Most items are boiling in an hr even when put on the slow mode.! Because of the quick heat your basic crock-pot recipes might be hit-and-miss in this thing.The best thing howwever to cook with this is to stay at home and keep checking on it after every couple of hrs or two.YOu can't leave items in it and return home in the evening and expect things to be done! It can actually burn them if left alone!
Still, it pinch-hits for a true slow cooker in most applications.The automatic timer in it is great because you can program it to cook for as many hours as you think it might need. It makes great soups and stews, and I have also cooked some Foreign country stews in it with sucess.
Overall, I'm glad I have one, though I'd wish I'd realized at the time of purchase that it doesn't work quite like a real slow cooker.