Customer Reviews

Crock-Pot 5445-BCN 4-1/2-Quart Slow Cooker, Chrome

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

 

 

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. The newer programmable model is a bit more substantial, but still not up to the standards of our older unit.

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.

I have been looking around for a Crock Pot for sometime now and finally decided to buy the Rival 5445 because of the stainless steel look and because it was oval. The shape is excellent for putting a whole chicken in but don't expect to leave it in there all day because it can get very hot even on "low". It was not very well insulated so the pot was even very hot to touch. The steel or metal got so hot the knob cracked off and broke altogether. I don't have children now but it can be very dangerous if you do. I will definately return this one and get one that is better insulated and cool to touch.

While it's a fashionable design, its best quality is sitting on the counter. Never buy a slow cooker with only two heat settings -- low and high. All foods I've cooked have had to cook on the high setting for 6-8 hours. The low setting is below a simmer, and it cannot possibly cook food properly.

Also, it's not heat resistant on the outside, and it gets soo hot! Stay away from this model. I'm currently searching for another slow cooker myself!

I owned this unfortunate model for 1 year. The front nob broke off within 2 months. Then last month, the side handles cracked and broke off (probably from the intense heat it generates from the sides). Finally, the machine eventually just stopped cooking altogether. Rival should be recalling this product. Shame-Shame-Shame!

Rival crock pots are the best you're going to get, based on my experience. Since someone was confused by the negative comments, I'd like to address them.
First, having "just" low and high settings (as a reviewer complained) is the standard, and any slow cooker recipe will give you cooking times based on one or the other (or both).
A reviewer also complained about the Low setting being below a simmer and having to cook recipes on High for 6-8 hours. This has not been my experience with the types of dishes I've made. I've had dishes turn out fine when cooked on Low for 8-10 hrs (again, the norm).
A multitude of factors can effect cooking time and it may have to be increased depending on whether the crock is jammed with ingredients, or filled to full capacity, or your beans are old (old dried beans take longer to cook).
As far as the durability of the crock pot...well, it's not a piece of Le Creuset and it certainly doesn't cost as much! With reasonable care this cooker should last long enough to get you your money's worth in use, at the very least.
I'd also recommend anyone new to slow cooking to get a copy of Lora Brody's "Slow Cooker Cooking".

I own this cooker myself. The handles cracked within the first use. I alerted Christy Mercado, the Customer Service representative at crockpot.com about the issue.
I did ask for a new liner, as I have had the product since June 2003. I am waiting to see how The Holmes Group will resolve this issue.
For now I will say DO NOT BUY this model.

This crock pot works perfectly. I use it all of the time to make soups, stews, chilis, etc. Like any good crock pot, if you set it up in the morning and turn it on low, you have a great meal for dinner. I have had this for a year and a half and it has never disappointed me. On top of it all, it looks great.

This will be short and not so sweet. Do not buy this slow cooker! It is junk! It is made in China and is so bad that the Holmes Group which imports these crock pots under the Rival brand have recalled 2.6 million of them. The side handles can break, causing hot food and fluid to cover your arms, legs, and feet and causing severe burns! The stoneware can develop cracks leaking out your contents and they won't replace it for you. And the lid can break easily, or the handle on the lid can just fall apart allowing the glass lid to fall and shatter into dangerous shards.

If you own this model and it was manufactured before 2004, the Rival Recall website recommends that you unplug it immediately, and then contact them at the toll free number on that page. Just do a Google search for Rival Recall and you'll find the website.

Hundreds of official complaints of broken handles and burns have been registered with the government's consumer protection agency and this recall is in cooperation with government agencies. But numerous websites are reporting that Rival is taking their own sweet time replacing the base (do not throw away the stoneware or lid as they are only replacing the base).

If you apply for a replacement, make sure you take pictures of the number on the plug (this proves the manufacture date) and you send the plug in with a return receipt requested so you can prove you sent it in. Many people have complained that they followed the instructions but Rival customer service claims that they never got the plug, or that it was lost and since they don't have it, they won't send a new base.

We have this model, the Rival 5445, and it is on the recall list. One of the handles fell off almost causing a disaster. We are currently waiting for a new base to be sent. I'll update this as to if I get it or not.

Again, be very weary buying a Rival product. They are cheaply and dangerously made in China!

Deja vu! I thought I was reading my own words when I read the other customer reviews. Looks great, cooks okay, but the lid doesn't fit. It clanks and drips hot steam all during cooking. To top it off, the outside gets dangerously hot causing the handles to crack and break. Praise the Lord, I was not trying to lift the pot at the time the handles started cracking and breaking off in pieces. It could have been hot wassail all over grandma this Christmas! I'm thinking we may have grounds for a law suit. Reckless endangerment or something.

I love this slow cooker, it's just the right size for a family of 2 or 4. I use it to cook roasts all the time and they turn out excellent. Easy cleanup (except for some stains, which I cannot remove, that appear around the inside where the liquid has cooked all day, but not a big problem). Yes, the outside of the unit gets hot but you just know that from reading the manual and don't touch it with your bare hands!! I also like the lid, it's not as heavy and bulky as some of the other brands so I feel more confident while washing it.
I've seen other comments about the lid not fitting....it's not supposed to fit tightly so the steam can escape!! I believe that this issue is addressed in the manual also.