Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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228 of 236 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Overall, a good appliance., February 18, 2005
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.
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110 of 115 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Just set it and forget it!, January 5, 2005
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.
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56 of 57 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Looks 5, Cooks 0, January 20, 2006
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.
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by Editors of Cooking Light Magazine
by Cormac McCarthy
