Customer Reviews

Toastess TSC-310 Elegance 6-1/2-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

My work schedule changed and I wanted to get a programmable crock to make dinner less of an ordeal as I couldn't rely on my non-programmable crock to not leave my meal totally dried up by the time I got home. I had read really bad reviews of the Rival Smart Pot so I went with this one.

I love it. I've made a few of my "old standby" meals (like a roast with a packet of onion soup mix and a can of diet coke) and they have turned out SO much better than with my old non-programmable crock.

It's easy to use, it doesn't burn, have hot spots or leave the dish dried out. I highly recommend it!

Very happy with this slow cooker. I had a programmable slow cooker that burned everything. This one does not! Also a good price.

We have used it four months now and there have been no negative issues. The programmable feature in the product description can be confusing to some. Cooking can not be delayed due to the risk of food spoilage. Where it is useful is it switches to warm after the initial cooking time. That way your food isn't over done and is ready to eat when you get home. Stylish looking too. For 2 people it is rather large but that's ok. We get great leftovers.

I use my slow cooker for making chicken and beef stock, so the large size of this model appealed to me. However, having used it a few times now, there are two major drawbacks that I've found with the Toastess slow cooker:

1. Underpowered: The slow cooker (even on the High setting) really struggles to get its contents up to a simmer. It takes several hours for the contents to come to a minimal boil - which can't be good as far as food safety is concerned. I do fill the crock pot pretty full when making stock, but even at that fill level, my older slow cooker had no trouble getting up to temperature quickly - and this Toastess model just can't get the job done.

2. Timer Max 10 hours: This slow cooker runs on an electronic timer, which is convenient, except for the fact that it will not cook for more than 10 hours. In making my stocks, I like to let them simmer away overnight or even up to 24 hours - and that simply can't be done with this slow cooker. If I sleep in, or if I am gone for a long stretch during the day, or if I forget to increase the timer back up to 10 hours before I go to bed at night, then I risk having my slow cooker stop cooking - again, a food safety risk.

I wish I could return this model. My old slow cooker was so much better!

This is a large slow cooker. It will hold a lot of food. Good for taking to potlucks.