Customer Reviews

Cuisinart CSC-650 6-1/2-Quart Slow Cooker

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(22)

 

 

I did quite a bit of research before purchasing this slow cooker.

America's Test Kitchen recommends West Bend Versatility slow cooker. It is a truly versatile model, but I didn't like its aluminum insert. As you may know, aluminum can be hazardous to health, so this slow cooker was scratched off my list pretty quickly.

The other models I looked at were All-Clad Stainless Steel Slow Cooker (available from William Sonoma only), Farberware Millennium (also recommended by America's Test Kitchen), Cuisinart CSC-650 and various Rival models ("various Rival models" has an interesting ring to it :) ).

All of the latest slow cookers are made in China, so I was somewhat concerned about the construction quality. One of the main reasons I picked Cuisinart model was a 3-year warranty, compared to just 1 year for the rest of the competition.

Another factor was the generally positive feedback from CSC-650 owners. Cooking.com is probably a better place to check for reviews, because they let you post a review only if you actually purchased that particular item from them.

I had this baby delivered to me about a week ago, and I put it to work right away. I must say I am satisfied with my purchase decision. Having said that, here's a list of things that I do and don't like about this machine...

Do Like:
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- 3-year warranty (1 year for every other slow cooker I researched)

- retractable cord (I wish every appliance had it!)

- cooks well (overall), and no, it doesn't burn food as some reviewers have indicated

- construction quality seems to be good, although it is impossible to say for sure until appliance is a couple of years old

Don't Like:
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- stainless steel housing gets stained quite easily, should have been more fingerprint-resistant

- "Made in China": $99 is a premium price to pay for an item that was manufactured using cheap labor; manufacturers who reap huge profits from the North American market should invest into the local labor market

- cooks most things faster than recipies (even the ones included in Cuisinart booklet) indicate, so you have to keep an eye on your food to make sure it doesn't overcook

After purchasing the slow cooker, I headed straight to the local bookstore to pick up a recipe book. I skimmed through about 6-7 titles, and ended up buying Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook by Beth Hensperger and Julie Kaufmann. Most of its recipies are made from scratch and rarely use any canned ingridients. It also seems to have the best overall collection of recipies.

Yesterday, I had a few friends over and we had ourselves a feast. I cooked quite a few things in the slow cooker:

- Lamb Goulash (which was ruined/overcooked - the first thing I ever done in this slow cooker)

- Chicken Casseatore (not sure about spelling, it's from the Cuisinart booklet) came out nicely, it was around the time that I started looking closely after the cooking process.

- Short Ribs In Red Wine were perfect, here, again, the cooking time was 5 hours instead of 7 hours indicated in the recipe.

Overall, I am happy. I didn't experience any of the problems reported by some reviewers. I can safely recommend this appliance.

I'm getting to pack up my third CSC-650 (in as many weeks) to ship back to Cuisinart. It's apparent from my own experiences and those of several other reviewers that there are serious quality-control issues with this product. I am not bashing Cuisinart here; I have a Griller that may be the best counter-top appliance I've ever owned and worth every penny of the price. I had planned to wait until I had a unit that worked correctly before writing my review, but since it looks like that may never happen, I decided to write now.

The three units I've had do not just get a little too warm at the Low setting, they get boiling hot (literally) within 3-4 hours. The instructions say that the on the Low (timed) setting the unit will heat up above 140 degrees F and then go back down to the low temperature. My experience with all three I've had is that, when set on Low (with timer), they quickly heat up to 140 and then just keep going up, and up, and up.

Once the contents reach boiling (212 degrees) they continue to boil until the cooking cycle is over (up eight hours). Even when the cooker switches to Warm, the contents continue to boil for a couple of hours. Other web sites I've looked at seem to agree that the final temprature after eight hours of low, slow cooking should be about 185. I suspect the crockpot itself may get considerably hotter than 212F , but had no safe way to test it alone. This might explain the burning and sticking some users have reported.

Interestingly, the third one, when tested on High, was still slightly below boiling after 5 hours.

I've read quite a few positive reviews of this product on different sites, but I've also seen the overheating issue brought up on those sites. Some of the positive reviewers infer that those who have had bad experiences are using the machine incorrectly or imply that it works fine if you're willing to make drastic adjustments to recipes, including the ones in the Cuisinart cookbook. I think, however, the case is that some of us have received units with thermostats that work, and some of us have received units with thermostats that do not work at all, at least on the Low setting.

If the fourth unit does not work properly, I may just give up trying to use it as a Slow Cooker and only use it when I'm around to check it at least once an hour.

Follow-up (April 2006): I did keep the fourth one, not because it actually works right, but because it was the least faulty of the four. Number four still overheats, but does not bring the pot to a full boil, even after 8 hours. It still heats up to over 200 degrees if left on Low for 4-5 hours. However, if you cook on Low for a couple of hours and then switch it to Warm, it will heat to about 185 degrees after about eight hours. I still do not trust it to slow cook a meal unattended.

This is the BMW of slow cookers! It's big and formidable with a sturdy ceramic pot insert that transitions to the table nicely.
The sleek, brushed aluminum housing gives it a professional-quality look that will compliment or upgrade any kitchen counter to restaurant-chef status. And such a deal from Amazon! Take it from me, I spent hours researching this product and this is the best place to buy it - especially with free shipping and (when) available discount coupons (do a Google search).

Before writing this review, I wanted to test it out on a variety of recipes. All came out flawless and tasty. This is not a hot pot - on the low or high setting, this unit heats up slowly and evenly - not like some pots I've had that actually scorch food. Using the built-in timer, it actually lowers itself to keep warm only when the cooking phase is done, so handy when the subway is delayed.

What is it about slow-cooking? So many recipes today are geared towards fast-cooking and preparation, that you lose the finesse of the food. The Cuisinart allows meats, veggies, herbs and liquids to slowly mingle, macerate and mellow into a satisfying home-cooked experience. Just throw the ingredients in the crock, set the timer, and when you get home the place is filled with a lovely aroma and your dinner is ready to enjoy.

And talk about big, at 6.5 quarts; this baby can handle a family of five and big cuts of meat easily. A see-through glass lid, rubber non-skid feet and (what a joy!) retractable power cord makes it a portable wonder! If you have a small oven or stove this pot will double your cooking space. Comes with a rack for cooking desserts and soufflés and a spiral-bound cookbook that gets you started - although I have found great more detailed crock books online at Amazon.

If you're thinking about a slow-cooker, look no further. Cuisinart simply makes the best kitchen stuff, and this is no exception, top-notch for those who spend their money wisely...and the price...exceptional. Delivery? I got it in two days with free shipping before Christmas without even needing it quickly.

I bought this crockpot primarily for cooking large meals and entertaining. I already have two smaller pots and have used them for years. This is a truly great crockpot. I have made excellent tomato sauce, chili and beef stew so far. The recipe book has some unusually good recipes that you don't get in a typical booklet (e.g. paella). Some folks have complained here that the low setting is higher than they expected - read the manual guys, I think what you have noticed is that to more closely follow FDA safety guidelines for temperatures, this crock automatically cooks on high for one hour, then shifts to low, when set on the low setting. This is to raise the food temp to the safety zone more quickly. Compared to my other crockpots, this is a Rolls Royce.

Very disappointed. I bought this for my wife for Christmas and am returning it today after 4 uses. I bought it for the Cuisinart name and quality as well as the fact that it had a timer which would allow us to leave it on while at work and it would automatically switch to the warm mode when the time was up. Good thing we decided to try it out on our day off before using as intended. This thing cooks way too hot. We have used nothing but the warm setting and food/liquid is boiling within 2 hours and continues to boil the entire time. Needless to say the food is way overcooked and/or scorched on the bottom due to the liquid being almost completely boiled off. The steam and moisture comes out all around the lid, defeating the purpose of a slow cooker. After the first use we have cut the recipe times by 1/3 and still no good. You could probably cut the recipe time in half, cover the pot with aluminum foil before putting the cover on, and stay home and keep a watchful eye on it and get satisfactory results. Not me. The construction quality and retractable cord are great, the only positive I can add.

I ordered the CSC 650 Cuisinart Slow Cooker and received it 3 days later. The order was placed after I searched and reviewed every slow cooker I could on the internet...I kept going back to amazon.com. I was fearful because one or two of the csc 650 crock pot reviews talked about how HOT it is....Well... every different model crock pot I reviewed had a least one that talked about a "hot crock Pot" so I learned that this is typical of crock pots and you probably don't want to leave any such appliance on "high" for 4, 5 6 hours at a time. The day it arrived I put it to work, cooking a wonderful soup recipe my relatives love.. it turned out great but I did have to start it on high then reduce it to low for the rest of the cooking period. The next day I made breaded pork chops for a hungry crew of eight. I called my husband from the mall and asked how it was coming after 2 hours... he said it was quite hot.. I told him to reduce it to low. 3 hours later... 16 porkchops in gravy with 8 whole potatoes were done and it had automatically switched to warm. The features that sold me were the size, the timer/warmer, the retractable cord, and most of all the 3 year warranty. I am not disappointed so far but I've only had it for two days and have used it almost continuously for 24 hours. Tomorrow, chili will cook for 10 people. It is such a beautiful, attractive unit too--the stainless cleans up very nicely. I know I need to watch this cooker if I start it on high.. it will need to be reduced to low. If I'm going to be away from home for a long period of time, I will definitely start it on LOW.

Hi We bought this pot awhile ago and have been using it very well. I must say however that this is my first crock pot that I have owned so I am not an expert so things like optimal cooking temps for flavor/texture I may be fairly ignorant of.

That being said I have not had the same problems as others. Honestly I do not understand how a crock would not let off some steam as it cooks as it is not a pressure cooker and should let it off fairly easily. When we make a pot roast on low the crock does boil the liquid some but it has never burned or reduced it by very much. The roast has been VERY tender even though we used, just to see, a cheap cut of meat. When we switched to a more expensive cut the taste was not as good thought it was very tender also. I am cooking a nitrite free corned beef (two pounds) as I type this and it has been on high for two hours -- as I am in a hurry-- with liquid to slightly cover it and it is not near boiling. The cooking time on this is five to six hours.

The crock is large and is nice to look at. Pretty solid and nice cord retraction feature. Seems well built and anyone who walks into the house after it has been cooking for a hour or two makes comments about how something smells really good.

Also I am not sure if you can get this on Amazon.com but I did find a book at Williams - Sonoma called "The Gourmet Slow Cooker" by Lynn Alley. It has great stuff! So far they have worked quite well and have been very tasty.

On a final note I am old enough to remember the problems of the older crocks that did not heat up enough to kill the bacteria in the food as it cooked or worse yet actually encouraged the growth of them as the food cooked. I think considering this I am very fine if the crock does heat up high enought to eliminate this risk. Frankly we have noticed no problem in taste or texture to warrant a problem with the level of heat, if this is even a 'could be' problem.

GoodBye and Thanks

This slow cooker has an attractive brushed metal encasement which in my mind makes it immediately more at home in the kitchen than the decorative models offered by a few other producers. (Flowers and frogs? Give me room, please.) However, now in hindsight, I've known some "flowers and frogs" producers to provide a slow cooker that actually cooked slowly. Though the Cuisinart 650 is programmed to heat your food "rapidly" to 140 degrees and then adjust to the actual setting you chose (which is miles ahead of most of the competition and a welcome addition to the strangely slowly-improving art of slow cooking) the "low" setting is not low enough to permit more than a 4 or 5-hour absence of the chef, regardless of the recipe. What I mean is that the low setting, at least on the unit I purchased, is too hot to gently stew a roast for 8 hours or "steep" a stock for 4 hours. So that is my main concern--that low isn't low enough. I do have another point though. The unit I purchased came in a sealed box. When I removed it from the box I found a large sticker plastered to the front of the brushed metal encasement advertising the glories of the cookery. The sticker peeled-off easily enough but the discoloration of the encasement where the sticker had been attached seems permanent and impervious to modern cleansers and treatments. So a bothersome and apparently permanent "stain" is provided, free of charge, right up front on the face of the beautifully brushed metal finish of the encasement. What is the purpose of a product-scarring sticker on a product that is stuck in a box until someone opens it, anyway? I think that those involved in this product could have thought a little longer before dumping it onto the market. There are other slow cookers available on the market which adhere to their purpose more honestly than this effort by Cuisinart. I used to own one...

I bought THREE of these for a buffet party. 2 would never get hot, UNSAFE holding temp for food. Afterwards, cleaning with a just a damp cloth, the writing by the indicator lights vanished. I used the only properly working one a second time, and the red plastic light cover fell out and broke on the floor. So much for 3 all lined up looking nice for a party! Too late to return, so be warned, although they look nice at first, don't fall for a 'pretty face'

Cuisinart Customer Service shipped a replacement to me for my faulty model that was boiling vigorously on LOW. This replacement works great! Love it! 4 stars!

P.S. The computer program wouldn't let me change the star setting to 4.