Not bad for 10 bucks
Pros:
Small size, great for sauces and side dishes, c'mon...only 10 bucks!
Cons:
No temperature controls...cooking capacity is only 1 quart, not 1.5.
The Bottom Line:
Great for those just starting out with slow cookers, but you'll need to upgrade at some point. Use it at the buffet table to keep sauce/sides hot.
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
I read the previous review on this item and I think the reviewer may have had a defective unit. Both my sister and I have this crock pot and we have not experienced the described hot spot problem.
Yes, the actual cooking capacity is only 1 quart and not the stated 1.5 but being an experienced cook, reducing recipes accordingly wasn't a problem.
What really is disappointing is that there are no controls on the unit meaning you can't put in food, turn it on in the morning, say before work, and come home in the evening to a perfect meal as you can with larger slow cookers. The larger ones have timers that you set for the cook time and then they automatically set themselves to "warm" after the cook time has lapsed.
I wound up, using it on weekends when I would either be around all day or only had errands near home to run. At most, because of the small size, you'll have 4 to 6 hours cook time before it needs to be unplugged.
What this pot is great for is keeping gravy, sauces or side dishes warm when serving meals buffet style. This thing is a Godsend at holiday dinners so although I'm going to get a standard crock pot, I'm keeping this one for that purpose. I may try it for fondue since that dish has made a comeback in recent months. I suspect it'll do fine.
The crockery insert cleans up easily...even when you might burn something in it...OK, OK I burned the first dish I made in it having not added enough liquid, lesson learned. The recipe book tells you how much liquid to add and I read it after the fact!
There aren't many recipes included in the booklet, but most appliances only come with limited recipes anyway. You can get a standard crock pot cookbook (or look up thousands of recipes on the web) usually those recipes are for 4 or 5 quart pots...just do the math...it's not that hard. Once you get used to the way crockpots work, you can pretty much convert standard recipes to work in them.
I don't have any kids, but it might be of use for warming a glass baby bottle or baby food if you dont leave it in too long.
I would recommend this for someone just getting started with slow cookers.
