Need recommendations for a crock pot!

[MichelleCarmen]

Okay, finally decided that I *need* a crock pot. Everyone I know has one and I felt like I''m not a crockpot sort of girl, however, with late night sports practices for my kids and my disorganization, etc., it''d be nice to toss ingredients in the pot and to come home in the evening to a heavenly smell and ready-made meal.

I''ve seen prices ranging all over. There was one at a store I frequent that was $79 and that seems a bit steep. Anyone have one that works wonderfully that''s under say $40? I would be a fancier one, however, I''m still not sure if I''ll use it every week.

Also, are there any features that are a must?

Thanks.

 

[Amandine]

While I can''t recommend a specific brand, make certain that the crock part can be removed. This makes cleaning lots easier. I think most styles offer this now, but double check to be certain!

 

[missjae]

Kitchen Aid''s slow cooker is AMAZING - easy to clean, easy to use and the food turns out wonderfully!

 

[ladypirate]

We got ours for 39.99 at Fry''s and it''s been great:

http://www.frys.com/product/5057845?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG

 

[Kaleigh]

MC, I don''t have a link, but love my Rival Crock pot. I love all the settings, etc.. I got it at Bed Bath and Beyond, if you have a coupon you get 20% off. I forget how much I paid for it, was a few years ago...

You''re going to love it, so easy and care free...

Let us know which one you get...

 

[GoingCrazy29]

Before we registered I asked everyone about crockpots and was recommended to register for this one. Its great! I love that the lid can be locked down and that there is a place for the spoon to be attached- we are big tailgaters and will use it for taking chili. I know its more than $40, but I had about 5 people who own it recommend and now I can recommend it too! In fact, I just posted in the Healthy forum for some new crockpot recipes. Good luck!

 

[Camille]

While you at it MC try Reynolds Slow Cooker Liners OMG, no more scrubbing messy BBQ pork

 

[Kaleigh]

Date: 10/17/2009 12:13:23 PM
Author: Camille
While you at it MC try Reynolds Slow Cooker Liners OMG, no more scrubbing messy BBQ pork

Great idea, didn''t know they existed..

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 10/17/2009 12:13:23 PM
Author: Camille
While you at it MC try Reynolds Slow Cooker Liners OMG, no more scrubbing messy BBQ pork

Thanks for bringing these up. Sounds perfect. I''m excited to make pulled-pork sandwiches. My husband loves those.

I''ll check out the ones you gals brought up. Thanks! After I get one, I''ll have to head on over to the crockpot recipies thread. I better not right at this moment as I am STARVING! lol

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 10/16/2009 10:12:03 PM
Author: missjae
Kitchen Aid''s slow cooker is AMAZING - easy to clean, easy to use and the food turns out wonderfully!

Thanks for the suggestion. My budget is more around $40 because I''m looking for a "test run" pot just in case I only end up using it occasionally. I have a feeling it''ll become a regular part of my dinner rotations, but want to absolutely sure

(Plus, my husband just bought two new guy "toys" so I''m toning down my purchases for a short time!)

 

[Mara]

Back when the crockpot craze hit PS oh...4 years ago maybe???... and everyone was talking CP recipes and/or running out to buy one...I got the Rival one from BBB. It was I think $70 and if you have the 20% coupon it helps. Anyway it has been great, it also has the removable pot for cleaning and cleans up very easily. For a family it would be wonderful... for just us two I had to half a lot of recipes or we''d be eating the stuff for days.

One thing you want to do is be sure you get a large enough one that a whole chicken will fit in it. Otherwise it''s a pain to have to cut it up and put it in or whatever. I''d suggest a larger oval one... the smaller rounds are more well-suited for small things like dips or appetizers.

 

[TravelingGal]

So do you still use it a lot Mara? I never committed and bought one of these things, even though I was tempted as the topic has been brought up more than once on PS (in fact, I think I was the one who brought it up at one time. )

 

[missjaxon]

I know the OP is wanting under $40 but I just have to post that I have the KA Slow cooker that Missjae posted and it is amazing purely for the reasons that Mara mentioned, it is oval and it fits a whole chicken in it but it can also be used for smaller recipes. I love making soups and stews and perogies and ribs etc from it. It is very useful especially at the holidays

 

[Camille]

Author: MC My budget is more around $40 because I''m looking for a ''test run'' pot just in case I only end up using it occasionally. I have a feeling it''ll become a regular part of my dinner rotations, but want to absolutely sure

(Plus, my husband just bought two new guy ''toys'' so I''m toning down my purchases for a short time!)

Here''s my .2¢
They all work and size does matter. I still use my 4 year old Euro Pro once a week,--- 5 qt white /oval {$35} perfect size for a whole chicken [up to 6 lb] but the insert shows some discoloration from from DH''s italian sauce

Last year I purchased All Clad 6.5 Qt with stainless steel instert when they went on sale [$125] the handles got too hot, metal insert was flimsy and digital readout faded within a month, went back and got the black insert version

it''s large and pretty, great for company, amazing BBQ pork/chicken throughout the Summer.
As a joke, also bought a round 4qt Rival in black for DH''s sauce at Macys for $19 [on sale constantly] he loves it! Good Luck

 

[Mara]

TG...i don't use it during the summer but use it about 1-2x a week in winter. i also use it for things like making the sauce for spaghetti or lasagna, it's great to just stir fry everything in 10 min before work, and then dump it with sauce into the crockpot and let it sit in there for 6 hours. the sauce reduces and everything melds so wonderfully. i use it mostly for stews and soups, the sauces for pastas and then i also will use it for things like artichoke dip for parties etc... you just toss everything in and let it sit for 2 hours. i have even heard of people making lasagna in the crockpot! layers and everything.

the Rival i have has a huge ceramic thick black insert so it is very durable and easy to wash and it won't show stains since it's black. def a fan. but as i said i have found a lot of the cp recipes out there need more spices and salt and pepper because it seems like the long-term cooking tends to bland and wash out some of the flavors.

Actually I think this is the one I have, 6qt Rival. It's only $49.99 now.
http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=16517127

 

[KimberlyH]

We bought a cheapie 5 years ago from Walmart and use it quite frequently (at least once a week during the winter). I can''t imagine the brand mattering much for something like a crockpot, we throw food in, set it on low and we''re done (except the occasional stirring).

 

[Haven]

I have the Hamilton Beach CP that GoingCrazy linked to and I *love* it.

I''m going to echo some suggestions and say the most important features are:
- A removable crock, it makes cleaning super easy
- I wish my lid hinged at the back of the crock so I could just lift it up. My lid rests on top, so I have to take the entire thing off and place it to the side.
- Works in program and manual modes
- Size. Mine is 6 qts and I need all that space, sometimes!

If you''re not sure you really want one, I HIGHLY recommend you check out your local Salvation Army and Goodwill stores. They always have Crock Pots there. I bought a tiny one to use for dips for $1.50 last year. After a good scrub, they''re good to go. I bet you''ll be able to find a big one for under $10.

I use mine a lot for entertaining, I really love it.

 

[TravelingGal]

So MC, which one did you end up getting?

I bit the bullet today at Costco and got a Rival. I brought it up and started checking reviews as well as looking up old PS threads and realized it is the exact one Mara got. It got good ratings as a best buy/value in a lot of consumer site reviews, but reviews are very mixed on Amazon. The Hamilton Set and Forget gets great reviews and is only about 5 bucks more than the one I got at Costco, so I''m debating on returning this one.

Anyway, FYI, Costco has it for 39.99 plus a small bonus little dipper warmer.

 

[TravelingGal]

Question for you rival crock pot owners...I have the one that most of you have (Deco, Mara, Kaleigh, etc). Do you know if your lid wobbles? I put the lid on earlier tonight and it doesn't seem to lay "flat" on the ceramic part.

ETA, OK, I think it's supposed to be that way to let a little pressure out. Hm.

 

[Cleopatra]

Date: 11/5/2009 3:15:53 AM
Author: TravelingGal
Question for you rival crock pot owners...I have the one that most of you have (Deco, Mara, Kaleigh, etc). Do you know if your lid wobbles? I put the lid on earlier tonight and it doesn''t seem to lay ''flat'' on the ceramic part.

ETA, OK, I think it''s supposed to be that way to let a little pressure out. Hm.

Hi TGal. I have the Rival crockpot as well, and my lid always wobbles....I also had my lid crack in half for no reason at all. Rival was "ok" about sending me a new lid (took about 2 months!!)...but, yes - the lid on my crockpot wobbles and doesn''t lay flat.


I''ve been considering tossing my Rival to get the Hamilton crockpot. If I had it to do over, I''d have returned my Rival the day I bought it. It boiled my food on the "low" setting and has been a pain to use since the day I bought it. Sorry for being such a downer about the Rival, but from my experience, I hate it. ha...

 

[PrettyBlues]

TGal, I have the same crockpot as well. The lid does wobble, but I haven''t had any problems with it so far. Then again, I have only had it about three months now. But I have been using it probably 2-3 times a week without issue.

I actually like the way it cooks, the timing recommendations seem spot on with the recipes I''ve tried, and I have used both the low and high settings and the food has turned out great.

The only other crockpot I have tried is my parents one from the 70''s, so maybe I don''t have a very good reference point for how it should work.

 

[swimmer]

I had a Rival for 5 years and the lid wobbled a bit, but bought a new one last spring (after DH submerged the electrical component overnight) and the lid fits more tightly now, not the rubber seal like some of the $90 models, but I prefer to avoid plastic/rubber and food. The Rival is also $17.99 at Target right now, so well worth the price. I do love the removable stoneware body, so easy to just stick in the fridge.

 

[TravelingGal]

Thanks ladies, I am still debating. I like that the hamilton can just lock and go. I''ve also heard the rival lids crack and break...so many reviews on Amazon say this.

And then I looked up crock pot recipes and am really wondering...does any of this actually sound good? Hm. I''ve been debating this for years now on PS...every winter I think about it. Well, at least there is one now sitting here - whether or not I''ll keep it is another issue though....

 

[anchor31]

I got the Hamilton as a wedding present. I love it! I love how I can make bigger quantities to freeze. I have no lid breaking/wobbling issues.

 

[Haven]

TGal--There are so many great crock pot recipes out there. Do you cook a lot? If so, you''ll be able to look at the ingredients and tell if a recipe is something your family will actually like to eat.

My favorite thing to make in the crock pot is pulled bbq chicken. The chicken stays super moist, and it''s infused with the bbq flavor by the time it''s ready to serve. YUM. I also use it to make vegetarian chili whenever we''re having a lot of people over. There are always a handful of vegetarians in the crowd, and that way I don''t have to worry about accidentally using any utensils that dipped into a meat dish to stir the veggie chili.

There''s a website out there about frugal living where the woman cooks almost everything in her crock pot. I think it''s called $1,000 a month or something. I''ll post it when I find it.

 

[EricaR]

I''ve got the same Rival crockpot. I''ve used it at least twice a week for the past, oh, four years now. I love it so so soooooo much! My lid does wobble a bit, but it has never cracked or broken even with such heavy use.

 

[TravelingGal]

Thanks for the input ladies.

Haven, you have the hamilton too, right? Still like it?

The Hamilton and the Rival are the same price...I realized with the 20% BBB coupon it will be a wash. The only difference is A) should anything happen to the Rival, Costco will take it back and B) it comes with the little dipper. Do people use their little dippers much?

 

[Mara]

yeah my lid is a little wobbly but it fits in a groove so it won''t ever ''fall off''...it is built that way to release steam i think? you will find once you use it and it''s hot and steam is escaping that the lid jumps around a little bit.

i wish that i could take the rival with me but in reality i would prob only do that for small stuff like appetizer dip, not a big thing of soup.

with recipes out there, i have found most of them need more spice and flavor so i always load up on them. i love using it for spaghetti sauce, just dump in all your ingredients and your pan fried meat and let it sit for 6-8 hours. it reduces down so nicely. you can use the same sauce for lasagna, baked ziti etc.

i have wanted to make pulled pork, i saw it in a cooks illustrated magazine but haven''t done it yet.

cp is also great for things like spinach artichoke dip, just dump it all in and mix and let sit for 1 hour.

 

[wyndham]

Date: 11/5/2009 1:35:03 PM
Author: Haven

My favorite thing to make in the crock pot is pulled bbq chicken. The chicken stays super moist, and it''s infused with the bbq flavor by the time it''s ready to serve. YUM. I also use it to make vegetarian chili whenever we''re having a lot of people over. There are always a handful of vegetarians in the crowd, and that way I don''t have to worry about accidentally using any utensils that dipped into a meat dish to stir the veggie chili.

Haven, pulled BBQ chicken sounds amazing! Do you have a recipe you could share? Also, what do you serve it with?

Thanks!!

 

[vintagecushion]

Another vote for the Hamilton here. My last crockpot was a rival and I think it ran a lot hotter. The Hamilton is perfect on low!