All-Clad 99009

Have you ever noticed how, in car reviews, the user ratings are generally higher than the professional reviews? It makes sense. The owners picked a make and model to fit their special needs, and never had… a chance to spend a week, or a month, testing and comparing the competition. We make choices based on ratings, but ratings aren't fully reliable. That's warning one. Warning two is that when it comes to slow cookers, there are two kinds of people -- cooks, and soupers. The soupers want convenience, and there's no question they get it. Wake up in the morning, throw a chunk of meat in the machine, pour in a can or two of condensed soup, or onion soup powder, and you come back at night to a pot roast that's perfectly edible. Cooks persist in doing the full prep work, which means that first thing in the morning, you're chopping vegetables, searing the roast, and wondering if you wouldn't be better off with one of Rachael Ray's 30-minute meal cookbooks. Even so, the slow cooking method, really just braising, can do a wonderful job with a pot roast, lamb shanks, osso bucco if you can afford it, soups and stews. So far, my experience with the All-Clad has me very enthusiastic, although I can't yet rate it for durability, and haven't been in a position to compare it with other slow cookers. I can say that the review in [...] doesn't fit my experience. There, the reviewer complained of a loosely fitting lid that allowed too much water loss and resulted in dried out meat. I haven't encountered that, and looking at the way the machine is designed, don't see how that could happen. The All-Clad is a nice looking machine, sort of a contemporary design. That's important, because it's heavy, and you'll probably want to leave it out. If you don't have counter space, you may want to get a small table or cart. If you put it in a cabinet after each use, you may find yourself finding excuses to leave it there. It's easy to use. The controls take only minutes to learn. Cleaning is also easy, although the insert is heavy, and on the large side. The machine does have the invaluable "keep warm" feature where, after the cooking cycle is complete, it reverts to a lower, sort of hot-plate temperature, so that the food is at serving temperature for 6 hours, but doesn't overcook. The display shows the remaining cooking time during the cooking phase, and then the length of time the cooker has been on the keep warm cycle. The main feature of a slow cooker is that it makes braising relatively painless, and, used often enough, can be economically rationalized since it allows for the use of inexpensive cuts of meat since the connective tissue breaks down. The All-Clad has performed flawlessly in repeated use with several low priced cuts. The other benefit I've found is that, compared to stove-top braising, there's no need to pre-cook the vegetables. Bottom line -- the All-Clad is easy to learn, easy to use, easy to clean, and has made it possible to introduce a new cooking method so that I have a lot more variety in my meals. Assuming it lasts, the use of inexpensive cuts such a chuck roasts and top round roasts may compensate for the initially high price. Oh yes -- a friend gave me a small table to keep it on. Without that, I'm not use I would be nearly as enthusiastic.

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I agree with the raving reviews...this is a great product and beautiful...while it lasts. Buyers, be aware that most if not all of the 5-star reviews are written within a few months of receiving this item… and not a year after when the product dies! Does anyone have an All-Clad that has lasted? This is my second All-Clad cooker. The first one (I think it was model 99000 or 99001) stopped heating just before the warranty was up, fortunately. Unfortunately, I had to return the full unit to PA for inspection (because they don't believe their customers?!) and replacement. That cost me $40 from the west coast. After waiting two months and making several phone calls to follow up, I finally received this model (99009) with ceramic insert. Even more beautiful than the first model. They changed the feet design to supposedly not come off. However, we go to lots of potlucks and with the moving from car to table and back again, the feet tore off. (And we are very gentle and respectful of our belongings.) All-Clad said they don't make replacement feet for this model "because they were designed to not come off." My first disappointment. No adhesive that I could find will mend the torn feet. Then, several months later, my ceramic cracked and started leaking. They replaced the insert without a problem. I give them that credit. Now, 1 1/2 years after they sent me this replacement, it turned off in the middle of cooking and won't turn on again. I tested the outlet, I let it sit for a day and tried again...still nothing. I called All-Clad and they said that it wasn't covered under warranty anyway because it was a replacement, but if I sent it to PA, they would consider resolving the problem. At this point, I'm not willing to pay another $40+ to ship it at my expense. For the price of this item, I am extremely disappointed with their customer service and am currently waiting to hear back from a supervisor about the situation. Hoping for a good resolve...

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My slow cooker looks just like the one pictured, but with a white ceramic insert. I gave it to my husband for Christmas, but I can't remember if it was last year or the year before. I think last year. We… have used it dozens of times, for chicken, soups, chili, stews, beef, dessert, and a range of vegetable dishes, using both low and high heat settings. It is so easy to use and clean. I would give it five stars, but the lid does fit more loosely that I would like (though I have never seen steam escaping), and it does cook things more quickly than recipes call for. However, most recipes don't call for such a large slow cooker. I have often doubled recipes and had them cook in the same amount of time at the recipe calls for. Using a slow cooker does make the house smell wonderful for hours, which is lovely. Better Homes and Gardens published a Slow Cooker edition of their magazine that contains 120 recipes, and that is our go-to place for meals. I recently purchased the Slow Cooker Bible, but have yet to try any of those recipes. My cooker is currently in the process of testing a sweet potato recipe for Thanksgiving; another benefit is that it as good as adds another oven to your kitchen without taking up nearly as much space, even though the capacity is huge. Wish I could give it 4.5 stars. This is our first electrical product from All-Clad, though all our pots and pans are also All-Clad, both stainless and non-stick. We are also Cooks Illustrated devotees, and All-Clad products are almost always highly recommended. This crock pot was THE most highly recommended. No regrets.

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