Customer Reviews

Westbend 6-quart Versatility Everyday Cooker Polished Stainless Steel Pot Slow Cooker

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've wandered into those kitchen shops where you drool over everything and can't afford anything. And I lusted after one of their upscale brand slow cookers that move from stovetop burner to oven to fridge with ease (for a few hundred dollars). And it made me wonder whether there wasn't a cheaper way to have the utility (if not the cachet) of those things.

Enter the West Bend Versatility Slow Cooker.

Because the pot is really just a stainless steel dutch oven (with a teflon base to prevent sticking), you can do whatever you want with it--including putting it on the burner unit that comes with it. But you can also use it to brown your meat on the stove in the same pot you use for slow cooking (saving you the trouble of putting a second pot in the dishwasher). You can also dispense with the base and put the thing right in your oven, if you choose. And it's light enough that you won't dislocate a shoulder doing so.

But the mystique of the crock pot, with the stoneware container emitting radiant heat all around your roast or stew--is gone. What you get here is--just a pot and a spare burner. But really, for most things, that's what you need. You don't really need the radiant heat; you need a burner that you can leave on during the day without worrying about burning your house down. And that's what you get here.

You can even use the base as a small griddle (though we don't). But that extra versatility raises some problems for people who aren't paying attention. The dial on the base goes from "keep warm" to "high" -- and then it keeps on going (kind of like the amplifier on "Spinal Tap" that goes to 11, instead of 10). The upper heat levels are for griddle use (I guess), not slow cooking. So you can burn things up if you don't watch what you are doing.

If the All-Clad crowd is too rich for your blood (or you want to see whether the concept will work for you at a tenth the price), you might want to give this one a try. Even if you don't often use the base as a burner, you will gain another pot to cook in. But if for you a crock pot is all about the mysteries of radiant heat, you will want to stick with the tried and true (and heavy) crocks of yore.

I am very pleased with this item, it is so easy to clean up when done and it cooks very well. Also, the fact that it can go right into the refrigerator when the leftovers cool is great. The lid does get hot while cooking, but that's what they make potholders for, so to me it is a very good product.

I always liked the West Bend slo-cookers, this is my third one. This is the best so far. Looks good with i'ts stainless steel exterior. Works like a charm. Once I ordered it ,it came so fast I was surprised. Would recommend it to everyone. It's large size is a bonus.

Great product. It is sturdy, has great capacity, and is easy to clean. It is also sleek and stylish looking. I highly recommend it.

This multi purpose slow cooker is a wonderful addition to my kitchen. As a working women it certainly comes in handy. I especially like it because I can now cook turkey breast which I was unable to do in my old cooker. The grill is great for heating and keeping dinner rolls warm. The best part is that it is easy clean up. I would highly recommend to anyone.

This product is very versatile; you can use the pot to brown on the stove and then transfer the pot to the base unit for slow cooking. You can also use the base unit as a mini griddle without the pot. Since the pot is metal and the lid glass, you can use it as a Dutch oven, and if the base unit goes out, you still have a usable cook pot. The only two drawbacks are the temperature setting has to be cranked way up to the "high" range to get it to simmer [not a big problem]; and if the pot holds six quarts, it is just barely six when filled all the way up to the brim [which you shouldn't do because it will overflow during cooking]. This latter is the reason for a downgrade to four stars instead of five. Other than that, it is a good cooker.

This turned out to be a poor purchase! The pan is tinny and right away bent upon using it on stove top to brown meat. Also hard to see no. or marks for degrees so i used white out to mark it. Also lid doesnot fit tight. All in all a bad purchase- i have used these in the past but this model is made very poor and I do not recommend it.

I HAD A SMALLER ONE THAT WAS GREAT BUT NEEDED A LARGER ONE. I USE IT FOR SOUPS ROAST AND DISHES TO TAKE TO POT LUCK DINNERS. BEST OF ALL IT KEEPS DISHES WARM WHILE SERVING. I GAVE MY SON THE SMALL ONE HE LOVES IT!

Have recently finished making slow cooking spaghetti sauce which cooked for eight hours. Best features of this slow cooker is the light weight of the cooking pot and the ease that it cleaned.

This slow cooker was shipped to the Caribbean for use here. My other cooker is so heavy that it is difficult to carry to a friends for dinner. This one works great.

Will order a second one for use in the states.

This is exactly what I was looking for. The temperature is on an adjustable dial instead of 1-5 steps like a lot of slow cookers. I've used it 4 times since I've got it and it hasn't burned anything yet. The left side of the dial is for slow cooking. I put the temp gauge on the left side in the morning before work and when I get home I've got a nice hot meal!