Replace my crock pot?!
Answers: My Crock Pot broke and I am looking to replace it. I had a Hamilton Beach, and it was okay (cooked a little hot) and was not programmable. I am looking to get a new one, maybe programmable since I work and I would like it to shut off before I get home. There are so many makes and models that I am having trouble deciding which brands to consider and which brands to stay away from. Can anyone recommend some good models? Thanks for your help.
I have a rival that I really like. You can program it to cook for say 3 hours then it will switch to "keep warm" I have also recently seen a new rival that you can set the inswert onto the stove and brown meat in there, rather than dirtying up a pan or 2. It has to be that SPECIAL type/model to put it on the stove though.
My mother-in-law has one that has 3 different sized "pots" it's white but I can't remember the brand name. She likes it cuz it's just her and her husband in general, but when the fam comes over there are a lot of us. So it's nice and versatile.
I got a large, oval shaped Hamilton Beach from Costco about a year ago and I've been very happy with it.
I think most of the newer crockpots cook a little hotter than the old ones. There has been concern that meats could have too much "barely warm" time during slow cooking, fostering bacterial growth. Most manufacturers made them a little bit hotter.
When I'm shopping for appliances, I like to go to amazon and read user reviews there. Even if I don't plan on buying from amazon, the ratings and comments help me make a decision.
I have a Rival, a Hamilton Beach and a programmable Hamilton Beach that I haven't taken the time to learn how to use! I like them all, and I think you're right, Hamilton Beach does cook a little hot!
The Rival is nice because it's only 3 quarts and now that it's just my hubby & I it's plenty big.
Good luck!
I have the Rival Smart-Pot (standard size). I've been very happy with it... it came with a padded/insulated case for storage and taking it along. I bought it from Amazon a few years ago (and I don't think that it was terribly expensive). Here, it looks just like this:
I would definitely replace my crockpot with a pressure cooker. All of the new ones seem to cook very hot, and I am leary of leaving mine alone, even with the programmable feature. They sputter and move the cover around even on low.
And with a pressure cooker you are using less electricity/energy as they cook so fast. You will find that your meats are much more tender as well.
I have one like in the link below and it is super! I would never be without it again.