Slow Cooker Reviews

One of the reviews described this crockpot as cool to the touch. Even on low there is a spot that is hot. On high the entire outside is too hot to keep a hand on it. A bad feature that makes me uncomfortable leaving it untended all day.

Aside from that (which is a major consideration) I love the way it cooks, the design is attractive, and the size is very convenient.

Also, I have not been able to find out what is meant by the "auto-protect safety system"

Just what I was looking for. Perfect size for side dish for pot luck, or dinner for a family. I love the clean look.

I'm single and live by myself, and I have found that this Crock Pot is an excellent way to have a really nice meal waiting for me when I get home from work. I can make enough to last a few meals, but the Crock Pot works great even with a smaller amount of food -- you just want to make sure you've got plenty of liquid in there. I use my Crock Pot all the time, and it has worked perfectly from the moment I took it out of the box. It is also quite easy to clean; even if you forget to clean it right away, a bit of a soak with hot soapy water does the trick.

I have always used a round crock pot aand then I attended a class where a slowcooker was used.

I bought this model and am thrilled with it.It cooks so much better than the round one and I use the grill for pancakes and french toast. The cooker keeps an even heat and the lower heat keeps it warm after cooking is done.

The tote is great for pot luck transport, keeping everything warm for 2-3 hours.

Ths size is perfect for me, it gives me a meal and leftovers, and the recipe for slowcooker stew , which is in the booklet is excellent. Love it! Love it!

I thought slow-cookers were a thing of the past, boy was I wrong. They go perfectly with today's hectic lifestyle.
I picked the West Bend after checking out the ratings here on Amazon and have not been disappointed! I love the oblong shape, perfect for roasts, meatloaf and even desserts. The heating element/griddle is seperate which makes the pan easier to clean. Also I can use the pan directly on the stove to do my browning and easily transfer to the base and that's it, no extra mess. The glass cover can double as a serving dish.
My only negative was how thin/light the pan seemed but I am overlooking it because all the recipes I prepared turned out just fine. Not to mention, I like the little "extras" like the plastic cover and insulating tote which I am looking forward to using when we go barbecue.
Just get this with a couple of the slow-cooker cookbooks and your friends and family will love you.

THE RIVAL SLOW COOKER IS GREAT. IT HAS MANY USES. I USE IT AT LEAST TWICE A WEEK. NOTHING STICKS IN THE POT. THE CARRY BAG IS GREAT FOR TRANSPORTING.

This lil crock is the greatest I use it for hot dips,and to keep the gravy hot for a huge meal during the holidays. The only thing I wish it had was a temp control sometimes it gets to hot and I have to unplug it for a little while, but all in all its a great lil crock!!!!

I was surprised by what poor reviews most of the crock pots received on amazon.com, but I decided to buy this little one when I saw it at Target for $9.99. Figured even if it didn't work well, that's not much money to lose! Well, this is my first crock pot and I love it. I'm glad there's one this small. I usually fill it only half way and then have leftovers, but it could probably feed a family of four without leftovers. A lot of reviews for other crock pots said that the lids often fit poorly, but the lid on mine is perfect. I've used it seven times so far and everything has been wonderful! I particularly like the applesauce recipe that comes with the crock pot, it makes the best applesauce ever and it's nice to just peel them the night before and wake up to hot applesauce (also good over ice cream). Keep in mind that the crock pot only has the low heat setting, but I haven't had any trouble cooking recipes that call for the high setting in here. Just takes a bit longer. Also, it's not tough at all to convert recipes for larger crocks to fit this one. Mine doesn't have any problem with cooking to hot, maybe it was just the other reviewer's crock pot. I would recommend this to anyone, it's well worth the money!

I like using my crockpot because I like having dinner ready when I get home, but I wouldn't get this one if I could go back in time because the lid has never fit properly. About a year and a half after I got it, I learned that a vacuum is supposed to be created by the steam, something that can't happen with mine because the lid doesn't fit. Despite that, though, almost everything I've cooked has turned out well as long as there was lots of liquid to start. I DO like the size, shape and the actual crock itself. But the outer portion is almost flimsy and the design is ugly. Also, I think I paid about $10 less at Bed Bath & Beyond.

This is the first crock pot I have ever owned, and I love it! I use it for everything from stews to warming cider on cold winter evenings. It is also handy to use for pot lucks, etc. for hot dishes that are convenient to transport. Clean up is a breeze with the removable, dishwasher safe crock inset. All in all, a great kitchen appliance.

I replaced my old crock pot with this one, and I was amazed at how fast it cooks! There are two features that pleases me very much. One of them is the liner does not stain, and the lid is made of tempered glass so it is very light. Also, the color of the crock pot itself is very appealing and would fit in , in any
kitchen decor. I also love the way my food turns out when I put in in the crock pot overnight on low. The food is always done to perfection, so all I have to do is turn it to "keep warm", and it will stay hot untill my family and I are ready to eat. I would recommend this crockpot to anyone.

We used this crock pot fot the first time yesterday. We cooked a 3 pound chuck shoulder pot roast with carrots, onions and potatoes FOLLOWING EXACTLY THE RECIPE THAT CAME WITH THE INSTRUCTION BOOKLET. It said to slice the potatoes THIN which is a must because after 9 hours cooking on low, they were STILL not done! We sliced the spuds 1/8 inch thick! The carrots, onion and beef were ok. The beef was slightly overdone. I found the pot to cook unevenly. Since you only add 1 cup of liquid, it is not enough to cover everything, so some things cook faster than others. Next time we will try cooking on high and see if it improves.

Chicken, roasts and other longer-than-wide foods fit nicely into this pot. It holds one quart more than the 5 quart cylindrical Rival pot. For large crowds, this may be an added advantage,yet it is still a good size for the average family. So it is more flexible than the cylindrical 5 quart pot in how much it holds and what kinds of foods you can cook in it.

The removable liner is a MUST! Normally to clean a crockpot, you must be careful not to wet the electrical socket or you run the risk of shorting it out the next time it is used. Here, you can remove the liner and clean it separately. A great advantage.

This pot also has an optional insulated carrier. I recommend this option highly. You'll appreciate it the first time you want to take your crockpot to a covered dish dinner or barbecue.

This has everything you'd need in a crock pot. That's why I give it 5 stars.

I bought this crock pot as a replacement for a 4 qt crock that was centuries old. Clean up is a BREEZE! Being able to remove the pot to soak is wonderful. The exterior stays cool to the touch. What more could one ask for?

I love this slow cooker except for one problem: I had the cooker for only a month when the handle on the glass lid broke off.

There's really not much to say about a product like this. I have no complaints about it. It's a perfect size! It's easy to clean and you can separate it from the base and toss it in the fridge if you want.
This is a great product especially for days when you don't really want to cook. You can toss something in when you leave for work and have dinner ready when you come home. What more could you ask for.

I recently purchased this crockpot, because I was tired of ordering take out all the time after a hard day at work. This was the best purchase I have made in a long time! I prepare the meals the night before, turn it on in the morning before I leave, and come home to a delicious home cooked meal every night. The size is perfect for 2 people or a family of 4. I love the cool touch exterior, and clean up is a breeze! What a change from the old Rival Crockpot I owned 25 years ago!! Try it..you'll like it!

I purchased this because it was multifunctional but have found the base really does not work well as a griddle. The center gets hot enough but the edges remain too cool and therefore it cooks unevenly. It would work for one item at a time but you really can't cook 2 eggs, 2 pancakes, etc. as illustrated on the box. The non stick surface also scratches very easily and you really have to be careful with it. I do think it has many good features but the griddle isn't one of them.

Just bought this a month ago, and absolutely love it! It is easy to store, easy to clean, and works perfectly. It looks small at first, but all of my usual crock pot meals have fit fine. This is a wonderful slow cooker, it is worth the money.

I own a slightly older version of this slow cooker and it's been a faithful little workhorse in my kitchen for almost six years now. I bought it when I lived in an OLD apartment with an ancient oven I didn't trust. All my cooking was done in the little slow cooker and toaster oven. I still have it and use it and assure you it will serve you well. I'm married now and got a big ceramic slow cooker for a wedding gift, and guess which one I use more? Yep, the little West Bend!
The little West Bend does stews and pot roasts beautifully and even larger quantities of can soup.
Feel confident buying it!

My heating element went out after 3 uses. Rival wanted me to ship the entire unit plus [$] to get a new one. They wouldn't accept my offer to send just the shell/heating portion(much lighter to ship). needless to say after several emails with the same Customer service person I have NOTHING. Dont by a Rival, try Westbend.

I recently broke my stoneware insert. If this happens to you, just go buy another crockpot, DON'T try to replace the insert. The Rival people sent the wrong size twice, as well as a bunch of other things I had not ordered, and when I asked for my credit card to be refunded, they did not respond. Luckily my credit card company was more helpful, or I would have paid for that stuff! I kept trying with them until my letter to the Rival president received no response--then I went out and bought a Hamilton-Beach. It's great, by the way....

If you haven't seen your crock pot for a couple of decades, dig it out of the back of the gadget cupboard & try it again. If you're looking for a new one, this is an excellent candidate. I got this one when my old cheap-o crock pot finally gave up the ghost, and I use it continually. The cool-touch exterior really does stay cool (my old crock got so hot I had to move everything away from it while I was cooking -- what a relief to not have to do that anymore). Also, it's quite large, big enought to fit an 8-lb turkey breast. The lid is a good, tight fit, which is the most crucial thing in crock pot cooking. I'm loving mine, you'll love it too :-)

I've never used a slow-cooker before, but it made me an expert after the first time. I cooked a delicious pot-roast one afternoon and it cleaned up very nicely, too. The removeable crock is very convenient and cooled down relatively quickly after turning it off and removing the food. No scrubbing was necessary and that was what I was most impressed with. Nice clean look and I'm sure I'll make use of the two smaller "dip" trays that were included. Package included a few recipes which is great for a beginner like me!

While this crock pot isn't as "set and forget" as regular crock pots while using the inserts, the convenience of being able to do two things at once is great. (Consider the spiced / spiked cider combination for a simple example - 2 drinks, 1 pot.)

The regular crock, though, is as simple to use as any crock pot - and your recipe will often determine your results.

Overall - a fine addition to my kitchen.

Just wanted to say I finished making a delicious beef stew with my new slow cooker. It is wonderful. Came in excellent condition all the temperature settings definitely are very different. Our stew was cooked on high for 4 hours and now its on keep warm. I absolutely love the new appliance. Its wonderful to be able to throw a meal together in the morning/afternoon and evening time its done. I don't have to stand over it and watch it. I am making a chili for my dog tomorrow. I love it! I recommend it to everyone.

I normally am only cooking for myself and my fiance, so this crock pot tends to do just fine. I have another one that is much larger - but I barely use it! This crock pot is super cheap, and works fairly well considering the price. It tends to cook a little higher temperature than it should - sometimes stuff gets a little overcooked (depending on what you're making!).

The pot is also easy to clean. The liner inside pulls out and rinses off pretty easily... so far I haven't had many issues with it. For the price, I really can't complain too much. It makes a great crock pot for someone just starting out on their own, or as a gift to a college student or someone getting their first apartment/home. It has its faults, but overall its not a bad appliance.

I paid $5.99 and think it was a fabulous buy! It is a little smaller than most slow cookers - but the perfect size for our family. Also, because the heating elements are on the sides instead of the bottom, it does get hot. But since there's really no need to touch the sides while it's on, that's no big deal. I do wish it had a power indicator. That said, I LOVE that it doesn't take up too much room on the counter and is completely devoid of hokey decoration. We had Coq au Vin last night, and today we're cooking lamb with olive oil, lemon, garlic, rosemary and potatoes. The house smells like heaven! I'm hoping to buy several more at this price for gifts!

The best stew has been made in this very item! Its so easy to wash as well. The pot comes out... & voila, you're done. I highly recommend this to anyone who loves to eat:)