Customer Reviews

Crock-Pot 3860-BC 6-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker, White

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(24)

 

 

This is a great size for a family, and all in all, I love this thing and use it frequently. I would buy it again if I had to replace the one I'm using now, BUT: As previous writers have stated, the glass lid does not fit correctly. It's too small or something, almost like Rival had a gross of extra lids from another crock pot and decided to stick them on this product. It will completely close if you pay attention to how you put it on, but if you've got one of the kids stirring for you, or hubby taste testing, forget about it getting put back on right! Also, "programmable" is rather misleading. What you can do is select whether you want to cook your meal for 4, 6, 8, or 10 hours. You are not able to pick 5 hours, nor are you able to set it up to cook on high for four hours, then switch to low. It WILL switch to a warming mode after the selected time is up, though, rather than dry out the food, which is a feature I like. All in all a good, solid product, but I'm hoping that Rival is reading this and will make modifications for future models. HINT, HINT, HINT, Rival!

I bought one of these pots when I decided I needed a larger crock pot. As a lover of push buttons this seemed right up my alley. As I was in a hurry, I really didn't read the instructions like I should have.

Upon getting the pot home I discovered that it's basically like a regular crock pot, only there are pushbuttons for the high and low heat. However, these pushbuttons are tied to specific times for the crock pot to run, e.g. 'low' for 2 hours and more, and 'high' for 2 hours and more. You can't program it to come on at a certain time, or do anything but follow their notion of how long your food should cook.

Additionally, as some other reviewers have noted, the glass lid is a very poor fit. If you have the temp cranked up, steam comes pouring out one side or another, and water collects on the rim until it runs down the side of the heating cover.

My third complaint was that the crock pot was not hot enough. I've had seeral, and the low setting the temp should be just below a simmer. The high setting should be hot enough to eventually boil. I never stuck a thermometer inside while it was cooking, but certainly it never did boil beans at all, even after hours unattended!

So, this is why I'd recommend you look elsewhere for a medium/large crock pot: poor construction, terrible lid, won't heat t

I was hesitant to buy this due to the somewhat negative comments here. Well, I'm glad I ignored the comments and went out and bought this. It's one of the best small kitchen appliances I've ever bought and actually used.

I don't see what the problems are with this crock pot, why the negative reviews?

First of all, this cooker is not programmable for two hours, or three hours, but four, six, eight and ten hours. Why buy this if you don't need the cooker to cook this way? Buy something else.

As for the glass lid, the lid for my crock pot is fine. It was wrapped very well in the box and I've had no problems with it--no glass shards. I've also not had any problems getting the lid to fit--but then, I'm a patient person and I take my time with the lid.

Yes, the crock pot will get hot sitting on your table--WHAT DO YOU EXPECT? it's COOKING!! But this is a lot cooler than my Nesco 18 qt. cooker--which died after 9 months--so I feel like I've made out like a bandit! The warm cycle keeps the food warm without burning.

My husband and sons absolutely rave about the meals cooked with this. With one son grown and another almost an adult, I've gotten to the stage in my life where I want more time for me and this crock pot goes a long way toward that goal. I throw the food in, turn it on, and by 5 p.m. the meal is done. All I do is add a salad or other side dish. Clean-up is easy--soak the ceramic liner in soapy water in the sink for a couple hours or stick it in the dishwasher.

If you're looking for a programmable crock pot, this is great.

This is a dangerous product, and the response (or lack thereof) that I have gotten from Rival would make me think twice before I purchase another of their products.

I have cooked with slow cookers for years, and purchased this unit three months ago because of its large size and programmability. I placed [an amount] of meat and vegetables in the unit, and set it to cook over 8-10 hours. When I returned home, the thick glass lid had blown up and threw shards of glass from the kitchen into the family and dining rooms. Thank goodness no one was home -- someone could have been seriously injured! And, thank goodness, it didn't start a fire after cooking without the lid all afternoon!

Concerned that this style of crock pot was dangerous, I tried to return it to Target, where I purchased it, but according to the Customer Service Rep there -- Target doesn't stand behind the products they sell. So, I tried to contact Rival's Customer Service department and they only offered to send me a new lid! No one asks to see the unit or the lid! They didn't want to investigate what caused this. They just wanted to get me off the phone! Everything else aside, that is what scares me most!

Buy this unit at your own risk. I would recommend that you consider a different manufacturer.

I am in complete agreement with previous reviewers about the shoddy workmanship of this product. Yes, the cover doesn't fit and I have had two of them. The first one was smashed when the unit danced across the counter due to the vibrations caused by the garbage disposal. The problem there was that the 'feet' are created by punching the metal housing. A better solution would be to add hard plastic or rubber feet so that these mishaps would not occur. The leakage of the cover however, is the worst feature of this product. Food sitting on the top layer is completely dried out. If you like to make a beef stew in a slow cooker, be prepared for dry, stringy beef on the top layer. I've given up on this appliance and have ordered a unit from HSN. Don't waste your money on this one.

This was the first crock-pot I purchased (I now have a second one that is smaller for side dishes and deserts), and I have to say that using this model is really a breeze. I have read some of the remarks that others have left about the lid not fitting tightly, and unfortunately that is true - however, it has not really been a problem for me. I try not to fill the pot all the way to the top (they say you're supposed to leave about an inch of room) and by doing that, food does not bubble over. Also, the convenience of setting a cooking time and knowing that it will switch to a "warm" cycle when finished is very helpful and very reassuring when you leave the unit cooking with no one at home - don't have to worry about food drying out from over-cooking. I've been told that when buying one of these, it is wise to get the biggest one you can find/afford - if that's true, then this is ABSOLUTELY the right choice!

We recently purchased the smart-pot to replace our previous Rival crockpot that finally blew up after years of hard use. We were excited about the new "programmable" features. It's true that the lid doesn't quite fit right. It's too small. I'm not sure this is critical though.

You are not able to program a start time... you can only program if you want high or low and how many hours you want it to run before switching to the warm setting. We found this option to be quite helpful however.

Our only complaint, and it's fairly major, is that our crockpot only has one setting... extremely high. We believe we got a lemon and that they aren't all like this. When we put our beans in to cook (the same recipe we have used for ages) it boiled the water out of it within an hour! I added more water but it dried out again before the cooking process was complete. We tried the low setting and it did the same thing... then we cooked another meal on the WARM setting... it was actually boiling! As I mentioned, I believe we have a broken crockpot and are returning it to the store today to get an exchange. I'll write another review when we test the new one out... that's assuming the store will replace the other crockpot... we lost the receipt and the box it came in had to be dug out of the garbage can. :(

I really hope the new one works properly as I really like the program features and the nice appearance. It's not an eye sore on my kitchen counter.

I never understood the magic of a crock-pot but let me tell you there is nothing better than coming home to a house filled with the aroma of the food cooking all day.

I love the Programmable feature. Put in your food, spice and then set it for the appropriate number of hours (High 4 ot 6) or Low (8 or 10) and forget it. Plus, once the allotted time is up, it goes to the "warm" feature, keeping your food warmed and displaying a flashing yellow light to signal it is done. No Annoying Beeping!

The size is perfect, whether for a group of people or just 2. I have done both preparation for leftovers or just a small amount and have found both work flawlessly. I have no problem with the lid and cleanup is fairly simple, although I tend to handwash it rather than put it in the dishwasher.

The inner core and lid are the perfect size to store leftovers in the fridge and can nicely be placed on the table for serving as well.

Bon Appetit!

I just got this after wanting a slow cooker for a while. The program thing is the best! I just made some beef stew. It was so delicious I was almost surprised! The programmable part is essential. I came home after work and it was nice and warm. I wouldn't have been able to make it home to turn it off in time. So the "warm" function was great for me.

I own a smaller Rival crock pot purchased a year or two ago (model 3351). I was so pleased with it that I decided to explore a larger model. This year's products are cheaper, and more cheaply made. What a disappointment.

The lid does not fit properly. It rocks back and forth on the ceramic pot so that making a seal is impossible. If you left this cooking all day long, you would loose all the moisture from the meal. The base is constructed more cheaply, with less insulation. The result is that you can burn yourself by touching the outside surface.

If you are looking for a good crock pot, I would recommend that you search out a used model. The new Rivals are so cheaply made that I cannot recommend them.