West Bend 84396 Oval Slow Cooker
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Category: Kitchen See more product details |
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of West Bend 84396 Oval Slow Cooker
Customer Review: The best slow cooker out there...
Summary: 5 Stars
I read Consumer Reports/Cook's Illustrated reviews on slow cookers before purchasing this. They did not disappoint.
The principle of slow cookers is that it cooks over a long low slow heat. This allows cheaper but often more flavorful meats to be used where the connective tissue of meats break down. However, slow cookers are not for prime cut and more expensive meats which are leaner. These meats tend to dry up into a gray mess.
This slow cooker works on that same principle. The main difference and advantage of this and the rest of the similar West Bend slow cookers is that the pot is DETACHABLE from the base heating unit. You can thus fry or BROWN MEATS over STOVETOP before you slow cook it. This adds tremendous flavor and depth to a dish. You could also stick the pot in an OVEN (using foil, as the cover is not oven proof) or BROIL to finish off the dish. Or you can thicken the dish (starch, flour, cornstarch, arrowroot, etc) over the stove.
Another advantage of the detachable pot is that it is LIGHT and EASY to CLEAN. It also takes up LESS SPACE in the fridge. It's also LESS BULKY to store since the pot is thinner than the traditional ceramic pot. You can also store the base SEPARATELY from the pot.
I've owned 5 other crockpots (slow cookers) in the past and got rid of all of them when I got this. This is truly a set it and forget it appliance that is a must to own.