I found a brand new SLOW slow cooker!!!!!

[Chef of 5]

I also just bought the Farberware crock pot on amazon for around $38 and I have cooked in it a few times and it IS indeed a SLOW slow cooker! Finally, no more overcooked meals! 8-10 hours really means 8-10 hours! It works wonderfully. I put my relatively new Rival in the basement to use as a spare, but I am so glad I purchased this new one! It is actually quite bigger than I thought it would be. I was initially worried that I would not be able to fit stuff in it because it was round and my old Rival was the oval, but I haven't had any problems with it yet. It is pretty deep. I am so happy with this one! I would definitely recommend for anyone that has experienced the same overcooked, overboiled results with these hotter crockpots.

[SuperSpike]

I wish I had seen this thread before I got my new 6 qt Rival slow cooker on an impulse purchase.

Hi Folks!
I found this thread very helpful with references to temperatures of models, thanks. I just made a post on another board, comparing the models mentioned here, side by side, and also including the KitchenAid, one not yet mentioned in this thread. Thought I'd re-post here for easy comparisons for others. I just ordered the KitchenAid, I hope it's as good as it sounds. Thanks for the helpful thread!

Quote:
Rival (don't know which model)

High 240 degrees F.
Low 208 F.
Keep Warm 140 F.

People complain that the modern Rival runs far too hot, and the above temperatures are indicative of this.

Quote:
Farberware FSSC500

High 210 degrees F.
Low 165 F.
Keep Warm 140 F.

This inexpensive model is very well reviewed, and seems to have an ideal temp. range for low and high. Only drawbacks are that it's manually operated (no auto-warm setting), and is a round crock, not oval as many prefer.

Quote:
Euro-Pro KC276T 6-1/2-Quart

High 200 F.
Medium 170 F
Low 155 F

Switches to warm automatically to warm after cooking. I considered this one, but the high temp seemed too low to me. Some complained the cooker was too slow. Temps are from a reviewer on Amazon.

Quote:
KitchenAid KSC700 7-Quart

High 212 F
Low 203 F
Simmer 185 F
Buffet/Keep-Warm 165 F
Auto setting: This setting puts the machine on High for a fixed 2 hours, then Low for 0-8 hrs (adjustable), then --as the first three settings also do--it goes to Keep Warm for 4 hours.

I just bought this one! I bought a refurbished one directly from KitchenAid (they list them on eBay), since they're so pricey.

Update: I'm loving this cooker. It has the usual automated feature of allowing you to set a time for your cooking (at one of the three highest temps, including Simmer) and it will automatically switch to the Buffet/Keep-Warm temperature for 4 hours before shutting off. You can set it to the Buffet setting directly, but only for 6 hours before it shuts off.

Note that the Auto feature is pretty worthless for those who prefer the truly low temps. It uses the 203F temp as the low, and you can't replace that with the Simmer temp.

I've been liking the Simmer setting and using that when a recipe calls for "low." It's been great so far. Chicken is very tender, and when I made beans in it, they were cooked in the time allotted by the recipe.

[Kippy2]

Hi all,

I ordered the Farberware FSSC500 earlier this week based on this thread.

I have been VERY unhappy with my Rival crockpot for some time now, as it cooks entirely too hot and is messing up my recipes.

I am looking forward to trying some of the same recipes in my new slowcooker, with better results and no "crockpot taste". I'll let you know how it compares.

My Rival pot is only 3 years old. Before that we had my MIL's slow cooker in lovely avocado green. That crockpot finally gave up and quit. I miss that crockpot.

[Kippy2]

Hi there!

I FINALLY received my new crockpot. I had to cancel my original order because it never came.

I ended up ordering through a different site and my new Farberware FSSC500 arrived yesterday. I followed all the instructions for cleaning and first time use (water only. I am waiting to use it this weekend.
I want to be home all day the first time I use it to make sure there are no problems. I threw the old Rival away and it was so liberating. LOL.

(By the way, the last time I cooked in the Rival, the smell was even worse than usual. It smelled so "hot" that I was afraid to leave the house. )

Anyway, looking forward to trying the new one out. Now the big question: What will the expedition meal be?
Your suggestions?

Thanks,
Trish

[Kippy2]

I Love It!!!!!

I have cooked in it 5 times now, and everything - (and everytime!!) has been great!

No weird smell, no "crockpot taste", no burned food.

Best appliance I have purchased in a long time. I highly recommend.!!

Thanks,
Trish

[The_Swedish_Chef]

I just wanted to add to this thread. I use my crock pot 4-5 times a week: soups, stews, apple butter, etc. I own a 1985 Rival crockpot that has been in continual service since I received it as a wedding gift in that year; talk about getting your money's worth!

I needed/wanted another Rival for our cottage so trusting the brand, I bought one of those whiz-bang new models 3 years ago and after having three soups and one stew boil themselves dry, on LOW, I gave it away to my church to use for buffet dinners. I didn't want to make that mistake twice (hadn't seen this thread, sadly) so I kept dragging that 1985 crock pot 188 miles, back and forth between cottage and home. I continued to do research and read reviews of other brands (missed the Farberware brand model reviews) so I bought none.

Then, a month ago, I got the idea to search ebay for vintage crockpots and I got that same day, the exact model that I adore, with the original box and the recipe book that came with it: for under $13.00, $5.00 shipping! It arrived fantastically wrapped and I've been using it every time I go out to the country with the same superior results.

I still subscribe daily to that ebay search "Vintage Crock Pots" and you'd be amazed at the savings you can find. And with everyone trying to save some money and the ebay seller trying to make money, it's a win/win for everyone. Yesterday's listings had an original Rival, in box, never used (wedding gift) and it had a "Buy It Now!" price of $4.99! It was in Harvest Gold. If I didn't already have the one that I wanted, I would have snapped it up in a second!!!

So, if you trust ebay sellers and want to save yourself some extra money (to use for your crockpot meals), this is a viable alternative to buying new ones.

[Chef #455520]

Thank you everyone for the tip about the Farberware crockpot. I am going to Amazon now to order one. Anyone interested in a crock pot that burns everything? LOL.

[Canadian In Atlanta]

That is a really great story. I bought my house almost seven years ago, and it come with a vintage kitchen from the 70s, complete with harvest gold formica counter, avocado enamel sink and avocado appliances (including a double oven!!). I still have the counters, sink and double oven, but had to replace the huge energy-hog fridge. It will be sad when I replace the counters, but it will have to happen some day

[The_Swedish_Chef]

Canadian In Atlanta wrote:
That is a really great story. I bought my house almost seven years ago, and it come with a vintage kitchen from the 70s, complete with harvest gold formica counter, avocado enamel sink and avocado appliances (including a double oven!!). I still have the counters, sink and double oven, but had to replace the huge energy-hog fridge. It will be sad when I replace the counters, but it will have to happen some day

I love vintage kitchens!!! At my cottage, I have a truly vintage 1940-early 50's kitchen that was the major reason I bought the place. Knotty pine cabinet doors, speckled linoleum, metal edges to the counters with that cool gold starburst pattern formica. It even has those lovely little shelves surrounding the kitchen windows for decorative "doo-dads." Guess that vintage crockpots and vintage kitchens can't be improved upon.

[Magnolia99]

Hi, wanted to bump this topic and also ask whether anyone had found a slow cooker lately that doesn't boil food on low. The Farberware mentioned in this thread doesn't seem to be available anymore.

[Red Apple Guy]

Hey Magnolia99, wlecome to the forum.

I haven't seen a lot of talk lately on this topic, so I can offer my experience and a couple of sites to review.

I have the Hamilton Beach 3-in-1 and love it. I don't know if it boils on low, but the heating is more reasonable than my last unit.

Amazon.com is a good place to compare cookers since so many people post their reviews. Look at over all ratings, the bar chart showing how many 5's, 4's, 1's, etc., and read a few for each brand in your price range to see the designer's tendency on heating.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=slow+cookers

Here's a site that tests and recommends units. http://www.consumersearch.com/slow-cookers
look at the pros and cons of the units.

Red

[mnesset]

Just to let you know, although it was hard to find the Farberware FSSC500, I finally had success at the Bed Bath & Beyond website.

Here's where I found it...

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/search/search.aspx/Farberware-FSSC500/?sstr=Farberware+FSSC500&grid=20&dim=1&nty=1&[url][/url]

[Red Apple Guy]

Great to know. How do you like it? (assuming you have it)

Red

[mnesset]

I don't have it yet but can't wait to try it out when it comes. Thanks to everyone on this thread, I finally figured out why all my crock pot meals are overcooked and yucky!