Cuisinart CSC-650 6-1/2-Quart Slow Cooker
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Cuisinart CSC-650 6-1/2-Quart Slow Cooker
Customer Review: Overall, a good appliance.
Summary: 4 Stars
I did quite a bit of research before purchasing this slow cooker.
America's Test Kitchen recommends West Bend Versatility slow cooker. It is a truly versatile model, but I didn't like its aluminum insert. As you may know, aluminum can be hazardous to health, so this slow cooker was scratched off my list pretty quickly.
The other models I looked at were All-Clad Stainless Steel Slow Cooker (available from William Sonoma only), Farberware Millennium (also recommended by America's Test Kitchen), Cuisinart CSC-650 and various Rival models ("various Rival models" has an interesting ring to it :) ).
All of the latest slow cookers are made in China, so I was somewhat concerned about the construction quality. One of the main reasons I picked Cuisinart model was a 3-year warranty, compared to just 1 year for the rest of the competition.
Another factor was the generally positive feedback from CSC-650 owners. Cooking.com is probably a better place to check for reviews, because they let you post a review only if you actually purchased that particular item from them.
I had this baby delivered to me about a week ago, and I put it to work right away. I must say I am satisfied with my purchase decision. Having said that, here's a list of things that I do and don't like about this machine...
Do Like:
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- 3-year warranty (1 year for every other slow cooker I researched)
- retractable cord (I wish every appliance had it!)
- cooks well (overall), and no, it doesn't burn food as some reviewers have indicated
- construction quality seems to be good, although it is impossible to say for sure until appliance is a couple of years old
Don't Like:
- stainless steel housing gets stained quite easily, should have been more fingerprint-resistant
- "Made in China": $99 is a premium price to pay for an item that was manufactured using cheap labor; manufacturers who reap huge profits from the North American market should invest into the local labor market
- cooks most things faster than recipies (even the ones included in Cuisinart booklet) indicate, so you have to keep an eye on your food to make sure it doesn't overcook
After purchasing the slow cooker, I headed straight to the local bookstore to pick up a recipe book. I skimmed through about 6-7 titles, and ended up buying Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook by Beth Hensperger and Julie Kaufmann. Most of its recipies are made from scratch and rarely use any canned ingridients. It also seems to have the best overall collection of recipies.
Yesterday, I had a few friends over and we had ourselves a feast. I cooked quite a few things in the slow cooker:
- Lamb Goulash (which was ruined/overcooked - the first thing I ever done in this slow cooker)
- Chicken Casseatore (not sure about spelling, it's from the Cuisinart booklet) came out nicely, it was around the time that I started looking closely after the cooking process.
- Short Ribs In Red Wine were perfect, here, again, the cooking time was 5 hours instead of 7 hours indicated in the recipe.
Overall, I am happy. I didn't experience any of the problems reported by some reviewers. I can safely recommend this appliance.
Customer Review: Good but not really a slow cooker
Summary: 3 Stars
Hmmm,...I hate to bash this thing because it really does produce some great tasting food but it does it really fast. Faster then I want it to.
I did happen to find the following comment at "Wikipedia" regarding slow cooker thermostats:
"Many slow cookers have two or more temperature settings (e.g., low, medium, and high). A typical slow cooker operates at 80°C (176°F) on low, 90°C (194°F) on high, and 1 hour at 90°C followed by 80°C on medium. Often slow cookers sold in the US in the past several decades will not slow cook at all: all of the settings bring the contents to a full boil, with the only difference in setting being the amount of time to come to a boil. This may be due to concerns about product liability from unsafe food holding temperatures".
Hence the mystery behind those "fast-hot" slow cookers.
In my opinion it kind of negates the purpose of having one if you turn it on at 7am and it's done at 1pm but you won't be home until 6pm.
I have had Cuisinart a little over a month now and I have cooked something in it every week. Although we have had some great meals, everything has cooked very fast compared to the way slow cookers used to be. I was here to shut it off when I thought it was done, but most people may not be. It simmers on "low", in fact it even bubbles on "warm".
According to "Wikipedia" a slow cooker should not simmer ever on any of the settings. Had I to choose again, I would not purchase this and frankly would have done a lot more research because now that I have, it appears that many of the other new cookers do the same thing. Even "All-Clad" has "too-fast" comments. I did happen to run across a blog where many people were praising the simple, inexpensive Farberware FSSC500 5-Quart Slow Cooker for its "slowness", and I have just ordered that one for our Cabin. (I only wish it were bigger) I could have had nearly 4 of them for what the Cuisinart cost. This Farberware is very simple, inexpensive (I think $29.00) and it doesn't do anything "fancy" at all. Fine by me! Fewer things to break! I will still use the Cuisinart for "faster" cooking, and I think it looks sleek and nice, but in a nut shell, I wanted a true slow cooker.
One MAJOR dislike in the design is that when you turn it on, even on "low" it will be on "high" for one hour before it switches to low. This means that if you turn it off and want to turn it back on again, you're stuck with "high". What if the electricity goes out for a few minutes? Do we start back on high for an hour? I agree that it's good to START out on high to get things heated up fast due to bacteria, but this should be an option so one is not "stuck" on high when they want to be on low. I think they missed the boat on that one. (go with an one hour high option button)
That should be an option in my opinion. I will say that the cookbook that comes with it is really good. Excellent! I have tried five recipes and they have all been excellent. So, I can't complain about that, indeed some really good grub. (Ziti Lasagna was fabulous...on the "lighter side" as well)
Ahh,...in quest of the perfect slow cooker! :)
Customer Review: Just set it and forget it!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is the BMW of slow cookers! It's big and formidable with a sturdy ceramic pot insert that transitions to the table nicely.
The sleek, brushed aluminum housing gives it a professional-quality look that will compliment or upgrade any kitchen counter to restaurant-chef status. And such a deal from Amazon! Take it from me, I spent hours researching this product and this is the best place to buy it - especially with free shipping and (when) available discount coupons (do a Google search).
Before writing this review, I wanted to test it out on a variety of recipes. All came out flawless and tasty. This is not a hot pot - on the low or high setting, this unit heats up slowly and evenly - not like some pots I've had that actually scorch food. Using the built-in timer, it actually lowers itself to keep warm only when the cooking phase is done, so handy when the subway is delayed.
What is it about slow-cooking? So many recipes today are geared towards fast-cooking and preparation, that you lose the finesse of the food. The Cuisinart allows meats, veggies, herbs and liquids to slowly mingle, macerate and mellow into a satisfying home-cooked experience. Just throw the ingredients in the crock, set the timer, and when you get home the place is filled with a lovely aroma and your dinner is ready to enjoy.
And talk about big, at 6.5 quarts; this baby can handle a family of five and big cuts of meat easily. A see-through glass lid, rubber non-skid feet and (what a joy!) retractable power cord makes it a portable wonder! If you have a small oven or stove this pot will double your cooking space. Comes with a rack for cooking desserts and soufflés and a spiral-bound cookbook that gets you started - although I have found great more detailed crock books online at Amazon.
If you're thinking about a slow-cooker, look no further. Cuisinart simply makes the best kitchen stuff, and this is no exception, top-notch for those who spend their money wisely...and the price...exceptional. Delivery? I got it in two days with free shipping before Christmas without even needing it quickly.
Customer Review: Crock Pot Review
Summary: 5 Stars
Hi We bought this pot awhile ago and have been using it very well. I must say however that this is my first crock pot that I have owned so I am not an expert so things like optimal cooking temps for flavor/texture I may be fairly ignorant of.
That being said I have not had the same problems as others. Honestly I do not understand how a crock would not let off some steam as it cooks as it is not a pressure cooker and should let it off fairly easily. When we make a pot roast on low the crock does boil the liquid some but it has never burned or reduced it by very much. The roast has been VERY tender even though we used, just to see, a cheap cut of meat. When we switched to a more expensive cut the taste was not as good thought it was very tender also. I am cooking a nitrite free corned beef (two pounds) as I type this and it has been on high for two hours -- as I am in a hurry-- with liquid to slightly cover it and it is not near boiling. The cooking time on this is five to six hours.
The crock is large and is nice to look at. Pretty solid and nice cord retraction feature. Seems well built and anyone who walks into the house after it has been cooking for a hour or two makes comments about how something smells really good.
Also I am not sure if you can get this on Amazon.com but I did find a book at Williams - Sonoma called "The Gourmet Slow Cooker" by Lynn Alley. It has great stuff! So far they have worked quite well and have been very tasty.
On a final note I am old enough to remember the problems of the older crocks that did not heat up enough to kill the bacteria in the food as it cooked or worse yet actually encouraged the growth of them as the food cooked. I think considering this I am very fine if the crock does heat up high enought to eliminate this risk. Frankly we have noticed no problem in taste or texture to warrant a problem with the level of heat, if this is even a 'could be' problem.
GoodBye and Thanks
Customer Review: Beautiful Cuisinart Slow Cooker Is Flawed
Summary: 3 Stars
This slow cooker has an attractive brushed metal encasement which in my mind makes it immediately more at home in the kitchen than the decorative models offered by a few other producers. (Flowers and frogs? Give me room, please.) However, now in hindsight, I've known some "flowers and frogs" producers to provide a slow cooker that actually cooked slowly. Though the Cuisinart 650 is programmed to heat your food "rapidly" to 140 degrees and then adjust to the actual setting you chose (which is miles ahead of most of the competition and a welcome addition to the strangely slowly-improving art of slow cooking) the "low" setting is not low enough to permit more than a 4 or 5-hour absence of the chef, regardless of the recipe. What I mean is that the low setting, at least on the unit I purchased, is too hot to gently stew a roast for 8 hours or "steep" a stock for 4 hours. So that is my main concern--that low isn't low enough. I do have another point though. The unit I purchased came in a sealed box. When I removed it from the box I found a large sticker plastered to the front of the brushed metal encasement advertising the glories of the cookery. The sticker peeled-off easily enough but the discoloration of the encasement where the sticker had been attached seems permanent and impervious to modern cleansers and treatments. So a bothersome and apparently permanent "stain" is provided, free of charge, right up front on the face of the beautifully brushed metal finish of the encasement. What is the purpose of a product-scarring sticker on a product that is stuck in a box until someone opens it, anyway? I think that those involved in this product could have thought a little longer before dumping it onto the market. There are other slow cookers available on the market which adhere to their purpose more honestly than this effort by Cuisinart. I used to own one...