"WhansaMi" > wrote in message
news:5_LGg.7409$E_.3303@trnddc06...
> I've now tossed three crock pots. One was too small. The next had an odd
> smell, which then transferred to the food. The last one burned
> everything.
>
> Does anyone have a recommendation for a good crock pot?



Here's an equipment testing article from Cook's Illustrated:

Hasta,
Curt Nelson

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Slow Cookers
Written: 6/2004

This updated a previous testing from March, 2003.


This article was published in the charter issue of Cook's Country, sister
magazine to Cook's Illustrated.

Slow cookers (better known as Crock-Pots, a name trademarked by the Rival
company) may be the only modern kitchen convenience that saves the cook time
by using more of it rather than less. But gone are the days of merely
picking out what size you need. We found 40 different models online, which
begs the question: Is one slow cooker better than another? To find out, we
rounded up eight leading models and put them through some very slow tests in
the kitchen.

We prepared a simple beef chili on low temperature setting for six hours in
each model, and, frankly, each chili was pretty good. We also prepared pot
roast on the high temperature setting in each model, leaving the meat in the
cooker until the roast maintained an internal temperature of 200 degrees for
an hour. All but one slow cooker managed this task, albeit at different
lengths of time, ranging from seven to nine hours. Time, however, is not
really the name of this game. It turns out that what matters is size, at
least with our pot roast recipe. We recommend buying a slow cooker with a
minimum capacity of 6 quarts. Anything smaller and a modest 5-pound roast,
pork loin, or brisket won't fit.

Shape also matters. We found the round crock styles to be deeper than the
oval crocks, and they heated more evenly. That said, while the depth and
shape of these round cookers made them perfect for submerging a roast in
braising liquid, it proved a hindrance with recipes requiring bulky, layered
ingredients, such as chicken parts or ribs. Oval-shaped slow cookers, such
as the Farberware Millennium and the West Bend Versatility, have more
surface area for cooking and are better suited to these kinds of recipes.
Because oval cookers also work when making chilis, stews, or roasts, they
are the more versatile choice. However, if you're going to use your slow
cooker only for stews and chilis, the Proctor Silex round cooker is a great
option.

In addition to differences in size and shape, we noted a variety of features
on slow cookers, some of which are quite helpful. A "keep warm" setting is
sensible (it turns the heat down once the food is done), but only when
paired with a timer. This way, if you are late getting home from work,
dinner will still be fine. Without a timer, the keep warm function seems
useless. We also liked models with power light -- without one, it's hard to
tell if the slow cooker is on. As might be expected, a dishwasher-safe crock
and lid are desirable, but neither of our two favorite oval cookers, the
Farberware and the West Bend, offered this feature.

In the end, we can recommend three of the eight models tested. Perhaps best
of all, we found that spending more money didn't necessarily buy a better
slow cooker.

RECOMMENDED

Farberware Millennium FSC600
Capacity/Size: 6 quarts/oval
Useable Capacity: 5 quarts
Features: Low and high settings; power light
Price: $29.99
The largest useable capacity (among the 6-quart models) gave the pot roast
plenty of room. The oval shape is also well suited to recipes with bulky
ingredients, such as chicken parts and ribs. The low setting yields vast
temperature differences throughout the crock; this problem disappears when
the cooker is set to high, allowing us to produce an evenly cooked pot
roast. Although the crock is not dishwasher-safe, this is a good cooker for
a fair price.

West Bend Versatility Cooker #84716
Capacity/Shape: 6 quarts/oval
Useable Capacity: 4.75 quarts
Features: Variable thermostat; "crock" is actually a lightweight pot that is
stovetop- and ovensafe to 350 degrees
Price: $39.99
Not your standard slow cooker, the Versatility Cooker lives up to its name.
Instead of a ceramic crock enveloped by heating elements, a lightweight
metal pot gives you the option of jumpstarting recipes on the stovetop and
then transferring the "crock" to its griddle-like base to finish cooking.
Heat output struggles at lower settings. Not dishwasher-safe.

Proctor Silex #33627
Capacity/Shape: 7 quarts/round
Useable Capacity: 5.6 quarts
Features: Low and high settings; dishwasher-safe crock and lid
Price: $39.95
Huge capacity and most even heating. An efficient round shape is perfect for
roasts{m}this model was the only one able to hold pot roast fully submerged
in the cooking liquid. But the round shape is not well suited to bulky
chicken parts or ribs. This bare-bones slow cooker could use some bells and
whistles, especially a power light so you'd know if it was working.

RECOMMENDED WITH RESERVATIONS

Rival Recipe Smart Pot #4865
Capacity/Shape: 5.5 quarts/oval
Useable Capacity: 4 quarts
Features: Low and high settings; keep warm function; timer; power light;
digital display with 204 recipes; dishwasher-safe crock and lid
Price: $79.99
The "ultimate" in slow cookers delivers many advantageous functions, but it
is not without serious faults. Most troublesome was the small size of the
crock, which could barely contain the big pot roast we tested. On the plus
side, the timer could be set at half-hour increments to one of three
temperatures. The idea of including recipes with the pot is intriguing, but
the small digital screen is not easy to read.

Rival Smart Pot #38601
Capacity/Shape: 6 quarts/oval
Useable Capacity: 4 quarts
Features: Low and high settings; keep warm function; timer; power light;
dishwasher-safe crock and lid
Price: $49.99
The timer was frustrating to use because it can be set only to four and six
hours on high and to eight or ten hours on low. Therefore, you cannot cook
anything on high for eight hours without resetting the machine after six
hours. The pot roast also swelled enough during cooking to pop the lid open,
lengthening the cooking time considerably.

NOT RECOMMENDED

Toastmaster #1320
Capacity/Shape: 6 quarts/oval
Useable Capacity: 5 quarts
Features: Low and high settings; power light
Price: $24.99
Same features as the Farberware (both are produced by Salton), but this
cooker had a harder time maintaining even heat on the low setting. Chili
ranged from a barely-safe-to-eat 165 degrees in the center to a full simmer
at the edge of the crock. As with the Farberware, using the high temperature
setting eliminated this problem, allowing us to produce a well-cooked pot
roast. For identical features and better performance, spend the extra five
dollars on the Farberware cooker.

Hamilton Beach Meal Maker #33575
Capacity/Shape: 6 quarts/oval
Useable Capacity: 4.5 quarts
Features: Low and high settings; keep warm function; dishwasher-safe crock
and lid
Price: $35.99
Exceptionally even heat, but food sputtered onto the wall because the
lightweight lid could not contain the huffing and puffing of either the
chili or the pot roast.

West Bend Crockery Cooker #84346
Capacity/Shape: 6 quarts/oval
Useable Capacity: 4.75 quarts
Features: Low and high settings; keep warm function; power light;
dishwasher-safe crock and lid
Price: $31.99
The most uneven slow cooker at low temperature, and high temperature failed
to push the internal temperature of the pot roast much over 190 degrees; the
others cookers easily got the pot roast up to 200 degrees.

Add-On Feature
The Smart-Part Programmable Module (model #SP100, $9.95) by Rival is a
separate timer that works with most slow cookers. Cooking times are limited
to four or six hours on high and eight or 10 hours on low. This device will
also automatically turn the slow cooker to "warm" once the time has elapsed.