Slow Cooker Review

Evaluating reviews of slow cookers

Slow cookers have been around for nearly 40 years. This simple appliance, first introduced as an electric bean cooker, has slowly evolved over the years into a versatile kitchen gadget capable of cooking soups and stews, beans and meats, breads and dessert -- all with a minimum of preparation. It's no wonder that slow cookers command such devotion from owners.

ConsumerReports.org has the most comprehensive review of slow cookers in which editors prepared four different dishes in 15 slow cookers with 6- to 7-quart capacities. The article also includes tips on choosing a cooker. Cook's Illustrated magazine is another good source. Editors there prepared baked beans, pot roast and beef chili in seven slow cookers, evaluating models on overall results, ease of use and value. They also measured water evaporation and internal meat temperature. Of the reviews we read, these are by far the most credible and detailed.

We also found an excellent slow-cooker review on Slate.com, where Jill Pellettieri prepares 15 dishes in eight slow cookers. She awards points for performance, ease of use, aesthetics, value and flavor of the finished dish. Real Simple magazine also test slow cookers, but editors don't say much about their methods. About.com guide Jessica Harlan tests and rates three slow cookers, listing pros and cons of each. We found several other sources of slow-cooker recommendations, including Southern Living, Woman's Day and Good Housekeeping, but these magazines don't specify testing methods, and sometimes it's unclear whether editors examined any slow cookers in person. We found comments posted by owners at Amazon.com, Cooking.com, Target.com and Epinions.com to also be very helpful, particularly with regard to reliability and cooking performance.

Slow cookers are widely known as crock pots, but "Crock-Pot" is actually a trademark of industry pioneer Rival. Unfortunately, the loudest complaints we read were aimed at Rival Crock-Pots -- in particular at the Rival 38501 Round 5-Quart Smart-Pot Crock-Pot (*Est. $35). The Smart-Pot is one of Rival's programmable slow cookers, which can be set on high for either four or six hours or on low for eight or 10 hours. After that time, the cooker switches to warm. However, of the more than 100 owner reviews we read at Amazon.com and Epinions.com, more than 70 percent are negative. The most consistent complaint is that the temperature settings are too high, causing food to boil and burn on low or even on warm. Several owners also complain that escaping steam causes the lid to rattle, and condensation runs down the outside of the pot. Jill Pellettieri tested this slow cooker for Slate.com and found that it burned both her mushroom barley soup and rice pudding, leaving a black residue that was almost impossible to remove.