Cuisinart PSC-400 Stainless Steel 4-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Cuisinart PSC-400 Stainless Steel 4-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker
Customer Review: The Little Crock Pot that Could
Summary: 4 Stars
Great little slow cooker/crockpot.
The unit cooks well and evenly.
The sleek design is suitable for a permanent home on the counter (unlike my older crockpot with it's 1970's floral print, which is best hidden in the cupboard). The retractable cord is an added bonus that makes it easy to keep on the counter or store neatly on a shelf.
The digital display is great - I love being able to set the time and walk away. But, calling this a programmable unit is a bit misleading - it's equipped with a digital timer, that's where the programming ends. The only thing that kept this review from being 5 stars is the lack of a "delayed start" option, which I thought would be included on a "programmable unit". However, to be fair, that short-coming, if you can call it that, is compensated for by the "warming feature" that keeps food warm after the cooking cycle.
The 4 quart is great for a small household. However, since you technically should only cook about 3 quarts in a 4 quart unit, if you have a household of 4 or more or love to eat "left overs", I suggest you consider bumping up to the 6 quart unit. Otherwise, you may find that your regular recipes don't quite fit into the pot.
All in all, well worth the investment.
Customer Review: boiling, not slow cooking
Summary: 2 Stars
I was interested in a smaller size slow cooker but I wanted the programming features of the larger cookers. The Cuisinart 650 model has a lot of criticisms and plenty of 1 star ratings, but most of the reviews for both the CSC-400 and PSC-400 were positive. Unfortunately, every negative comment of the larger model is true with the PSC-400 I bought:
-the low temperature setting is too high
-the high setting boils the food
-escaping steam causes the lid to rattle constantly
-condensation runs down the outside of the pot
After researching how a slow cooker is "suppose" to work, I find descriptions such as this: "Slow cookers are designed to emit very little steam, so food braises in its own juices, as well as any cooking liquid."
The USDA website says: "The direct heat from the pot, lengthy cooking and steam created within the tightly-covered container combine to destroy bacteria and make the slow cooker a safe process for cooking foods."
The Cuisinart PSC-400 does not slow cook. It boils. It rattles.
Lastly, yes, it looks great, but it is a space hog.
Customer Review: Flawed after all
Summary: 4 Stars
I was anticipating the fake chrome handles on the body of the appliance(thanks to some reviews read here), but I was not expecting a fake chrome handle on the lid. Even if I had known it were fake, I would not have expected the fake chrome finish to bubble and peel off after just 2 uses (and gentle handwashing too!!!). This is a huge disappointment in quality.
Unlike some others, I have no complaints about rattling lids, or settings being too hot ... all that works great in my case, and I've been very satisfied performance-wise.
Cuisinart really cheaped out on that junk lid though. Maybe the quality of the lid in general is related to some of those complaints people have about the rattling lid?
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If Cuisinart can do the honorable thing to rectify my defective lid, I will come back here to post the redeeming news and retract my lambasting comments. In the meantime, I plan to make a lot of noise on all the websites where I can, seeing as I am so disgusted with their hands-off attitude towards their own product integrity.
Customer Review: Just what I wanted!
Summary: 5 Stars
I ordered this cooker off ebay for roughly the same price as it is listed here. I have to say that so far I am very satisfied with it.
My last slow cooker was an Oster, which got the job done, but was not all that great. I got this one to replace it after the old one got cracked.
It heats evenly, and cooks meat great! A pot roast made in the was 10 TIMES more tender and juicy than the other one. I like the timer features, and love the fact that even after being on high for about 5 hours the lid is still completely cool to the touch. The rewindable cord is really nice for storage.
The only problem I could possibly have with this is that it is a tiny bit on the small side. I was able to fit a 6 pound roast in it, so that's all I need, but I thought it would be bigger. However, they do offer a larger one, so just be sure if you need to feed a lot of people you invest in that one, not this one. 4 quarts is good for about 3 to 4 people I think, but if you eat a lot get the larger one.
Overall I would definitely recommend this to anyone. Really a great slow cooker!
Customer Review: Excellent!
Summary: 5 Stars
After researching for days, I bought this Cuisinart 4 quart cooker. I wasn't able to find the 4 quart locally, only the larger 6 1/2, much too large for the two of us.
So far I have been very pleased with it. It did just fine on low heat for the roasts I've cooked. It automatically goes to "warm" after the time is met if using the timer. It will easily feed four people and I suspect it could even feed six, depending on your meal. My roasts have been approximately 3 pounds and I added veggies.
This is an attractive looking slow cooker and not as heavy as I thought it might be. Cleaning is very easy! The glass lid is much lighter than my old (11 year old) slow cooker and that is a nice feature!
Be aware that this slow cooker can not be programmed to automatically come on. You must do that manually. But would you really want meat sitting out for an hour or more before cooking begins?
I've had no problems with my meat or the liquids over cooking/evaporating either. I recommend the Cuisinart PSC-400!