Thread: Slow cooker choices

On Oct 1, 9:57*pm, "Polly Esther" <Polly...@cableone.net> wrote:
> Happy to tell you that our bachelor grandsons have bought their first home
> and we were glad to contribute lots of cooking stuff that are too big now
> for our needs. I thought buying a new, smaller slow cooker would be easy.
> Wrong.
> * * So many brands; so many abilities that I don't need, want or wantto
> learn. I'm convinced that a slow cooker needs to cook with surrounded heat
> rather than just at the base and that a setting of hi and low will be
> perfectly adequate. *Anyone here buy one recently that they are pleased
> with? *Polly

*Bachelor grandsons* = GAY

And they're going to stay bachelors, what with their grammaw hanging
around with the crock-pot and donated kitchen wares.

LOL

On Oct 1, 9:57*pm, "Polly Esther" <Polly...@cableone.net> wrote:
>
> Happy to tell you that our bachelor grandsons have bought their first home
> and we were glad to contribute lots of cooking stuff that are too big now
> for our needs. I thought buying a new, smaller slow cooker would be easy.
> Wrong.
> * * So many brands; so many abilities that I don't need, want or wantto
> learn. I'm convinced that a slow cooker needs to cook with surrounded heat
> rather than just at the base and that a setting of hi and low will be
> perfectly adequate. *Anyone here buy one recently that they are pleased
> with? *Polly
>
>
I bought the CrockPot brand at Target about 2 years ago. It has timed
cooking for 8 or 10 hours on low. Or I can choose the 4 or 6 hour
option for high heat. Whichever I choose after the cooking time has
expired it goes into a 2 hour 'stay warm' mode. I've really liked the
results and it's a 6 quart model with a stoneware crock. I caught it
on sale for around $35, normally it's about $50.

I like the retro West Bend crock pots, which you can buy used on ebay,
and it consists of three parts, a bottom heating element base, a oval-
shaped metal pot with handles that sits on the heating element, and a
glass top that sits on the pot. The nice thing about these is that
you can easily remove the pot and glass lid and store the cooked food
in the refrigerator, and cleanup is much easier than those giant
ceramic insert type crock pots. Here is an example of what one of
these looks like; I don't believe these are produced any more but you
can pick them up on ebay or at your local thrift store.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/West-Bend-mu...item2ec240d689

This one is more of a bean pot shape, but it is good too:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-WEST...item20cbdd3501

On Oct 2, 4:08*pm, Michael OConnor <mpoconn...@aol.com> wrote:
>
> I like the retro West Bend crock pots, which you can buy used on ebay,
> and it consists of three parts, a bottom heating element base, a oval-
> shaped metal pot with handles that sits on the heating element, and a
> glass top that sits on the pot. *The nice thing about these is that
> you can easily remove the pot and glass lid and store the cooked food
> in the refrigerator, and cleanup is much easier than those giant
> ceramic insert type crock pots. *Here is an example of what one of
> these looks like; I don't believe these are produced any more but you
> can pick them up on ebay or at your local thrift store.
>
> http://www.ebay.com/itm/West-Bend-mu...oker-crock-pot...
>
>
That's what I originally had but mine had a different lid that could
also be used as a serving dish. I really did like it but it was a 4
quart model and they do make a 6 quart model now. Last I checked it
was about $75 online. Mine never disappointed me.

<[email protected]> That's what I originally had but mine had a
different lid that could
also be used as a serving dish. I really did like it but it was a 4
quart model and they do make a 6 quart model now. Last I checked it
was about $75 online. Mine never disappointed me.

I read that a slow cooker needs to have 'surround' heating rather than just
a base heating element. That theory may be just marketing bologna; any
opinions? And I see that a slow cooker can cost anywhere from $30 or so to
the sky's the limit. Looks like everybody except Revlon and Budweiser makes
a slow cooker. Any brands a dud? I'm sorry that I'm making such a big deal
of this purchase but I'd really like to do it right and be done with it.
Got other fish to fry... but not in a slow cooker. Polly

On Tuesday, October 2, 2012 10:28:39 PM UTC-5, Polly Esther wrote:
>
I read that a slow cooker needs to have 'surround' heating rather than justa base heating element. That theory may be just marketing bologna; any opinions? And I see that a slow cooker can cost anywhere from $30 or so to thesky's the limit. Looks like everybody except Revlon and Budweiser makes a slow cooker. Any brands a dud? I'm sorry that I'm making such a big deal ofthis purchase but I'd really like to do it right and be done with it. Got other fish to fry... but not in a slow cooker. Polly
>
>
The West Bend I had an was just a base cooker but it produced excellent results so I can't say if the surrounding heat is better or not. The timed Crock Pot brand I have is the surround heat type and it produces great dishes, too. But last I read the Rival brand has really been disappointing lately..