Rival Slow Cooker

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I made a pot roast last week in my crock pot. It was set on low, and
following directions, I let it cook for 8 hours. When 8 hours had
passed, I found the liquid in the pot to be boiling. A serious boil.
In light of what you've said about newer crock pots running hotter, is
this normal? My crock pot is maybe 5 or 6 years old.

Is 5-6 years new in crock pot lingo? Did they ever work as advertised,
cook slooooow!

Hmm, how come all yoose crock pot touters never mentioned this
overheating thingie in all the many previous crock pot threads??? I'm
beginning to think I should cancel my order and stay with my tried and
true old fogey methods. Doesn't anyone have anything good to say in
defence of this, otherwise I'll take your silence as agreeing with
crock pots being [censored] pots.

Sheldon

I use the WestBend metal pan slow cooker that claims the base can be
used as a griddle....not very convenient. I tried it once and didn't
care for it. A frying pan was better. Now on to the subject of crock
pots cooking too hot. My WestBend doesn't overheat. It's about 10 yrs
old though. I would call their 800 number and ask them what the
temperatures are supposed to be. I have another one, round, by WestBend
that I bought at a yard sale (for 2.00) that I don't know the age of.
If I put it on the lowest setting, it is too low. But overall, I use
them a lot and find them very reliable.......Sharon

Gregory Morrow said:

jillie said:

Sheldon, I have this model and use it a lot. Oatmeal done in the
crockpot is great...and a blessing on the mornings there is no time to
cook.

I think you'll enjoy it for more things than you had anticipated.
Crockpots are great!

The new crockpot liner bags by Reynolds are a real time saver,
too....makes clean up a breeze.

I still think they are a silly affectation...my crock pot cleans up
very easily, almost like magic - and this is true for stuff I've cooked
for many hours, e.g. spaghetti sauce.

The crockpot is a GODSEND for making stocks, spaghetti sauce, soups,
etc. You don't have to constantly fiddle with a flame, you can make a
large quantity (I have the 6 - quart model) and clean - up is a snap...

Tonight I'm making chicken/sausage gumbo, this weekend will be cold so
I'm making some nice warm minestrone...I'll have plenty for myself, to
give, and for company.

Needless to say it's real economical too, no need for me to have to buy
canned stock or soup ever again if I don't want to. For the price of a
coupla cans of Progresso I can make *quarts* of soup with the
thing...no more pondering "I wonder what EXACTLY they put in that
canned stock?". I am running out of freezer space in fact, I am
seriously considering buying a small freezer in which to store my
crockpot "bounty"...

I'm a single person and I love mine, they must be a REAL boon for
larger households...

Sounds like I won't be disappointed.

I checked out those bags, sure looks like a gimmick to me... I can't
imagine the insert can be difficult to clean, it's a slow cooker after
all, why should anything burn/stick?

http://www.reynoldskitchens.com/reynoldskitchens/kitchenconnection/products/slow_cooker/index.asp

I suppose I'll have to wait a while, as to get the free shipping I had
to choose the slow boat via China option, they say 2 weeks, but my
experience with Amazon is most items arrive within 2-3 days regardless
which shipping option chosen, only those items shipped from secondary
sources take a bit longer. I'm looking forward to trying this out on
my Mcanns steel cut oats. I haven't cooked any since the last time on
the stove top, took about forever, all the while stirring my arm off...
and I have a well exercised wrist, but nearly two hours...!

For extra food storage I like a second refrigerator-freezer rather than
a freezer alone... I have a smaller (18 cu ft) no frills model in the
basement... uses little energy as it's rarely opened. The extra fridge
space comes in might handy... also is a good buffer in case one unit
dies, you still have the other to cram into until the repair or a new
one is purchased... and I don't see the point in freezing years worth
of food... I think living in the US more than 6 months worth is
ridiculous, has nothing to do with saving money, simply means you're
paranoid you might starve... yeah, like most Americans look like
they're starving.

Sheldon

Gregory Morrow said:

I still think they are a silly affectation...my crock pot cleans up
very easily, almost like magic - and this is true for stuff I've cooked
for many hours, e.g. spaghetti sauce.

Agree, our crockpot has a nice smooth glaze on the liner and cleans up
easily.

Quoted message said:

The crockpot is a GODSEND for making stocks, spaghetti sauce, soups,
etc. You don't have to constantly fiddle with a flame, you can make a
large quantity (I have the 6 - quart model) and clean - up is a snap...

Tonight I'm making chicken/sausage gumbo, this weekend will be cold so
I'm making some nice warm minestrone...I'll have plenty for myself, to
give, and for company.

Needless to say it's real economical too, no need for me to have to buy
canned stock or soup ever again if I don't want to. For the price of a
coupla cans of Progresso I can make *quarts* of soup with the
thing...no more pondering "I wonder what EXACTLY they put in that
canned stock?". I am running out of freezer space in fact, I am
seriously considering buying a small freezer in which to store my
crockpot "bounty"...

I'm a single person and I love mine, they must be a REAL boon for
larger households...

Sheldon said:

Gregory Morrow said:

Sheldon said:

I decided I want to cook a week's worth of steel cut/pin oats without
needing to stir on the stovetop for hours so broke down and ordered a
slow cooker... anyone want to comment on this Rival model?

I recently got the exact same model Sheldon, I think you'll like
it...has worked like a charm for me so far.

Ah, the voice of reason, from someone who actually owns one. Thanks - Greg.

Sheldon, as to the crockpot cooking bags, they're no different than
your standard oven bag. Simply put whatever you're to be slow-cooking
into the bag that then becomes the pot's liner. No real need unless
your cooker is a type that may be difficult to clean. However, a great
use for the liners/oven bags is qwhen you may want to use just the one
cooker for two entirely different foods at the same time; bag each
seperately. I learned this through an unprepared for need to take two
different veggie dishes to a potluck where no heating facility was to
be, and the oven bags worked perfectly.

Picky

Sheldon wrote on 15 Feb 2006 in rec.food.cooking

Quoted message said:

I decided I want to cook a week's worth of steel cut/pin oats without
needing to stir on the stovetop for hours so broke down and ordered a
slow cooker... anyone want to comment on this Rival model? Is it any
good or did I screw up and make a poor choice? I figured I may as
well get a large capacity model in case I want to try it for other
foods.

"Rival 38651-C 6-Quart Countdown Programmable Smart-Pot Slow Cooker,
Stainless"

http://www.rivalproducts.com/eStore/product.aspx?CatalogId=5&CategoryId
=1186&ProductId=89

Actually I bought it from Amazon.com, was on sale for $39.99, w/free
shipping.

Sheldon

I have a similar one an 11 quart job I use for soups mostly. While it is
a nice crock pot, durable and works well. The only con I have is that
while it has a timer it does not have a delay cooking setting or a means
of changing heat settings part way thru cooking, which while not
necessary would be a nice option. For those 6 hour recipes when you're
gone 8-10 hours. Yes I know about the "keep warm" feature.

--
The eyes are the mirrors....
But the ears...Ah the ears.
The ears keep the hat up.

"NancyJaye" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

King's Crown wrote:

Snipped....

...................................................... One
thing to consider with new

Quoted message said:

crockpots is they run hotter than the old ones. Cooking often twice as
fast
as the older models. Make sure you keep that in mind when you
experiment.

Lynen

I made a pot roast last week in my crock pot. It was set on low, and
following directions, I let it cook for 8 hours. When 8 hours had
passed, I found the liquid in the pot to be boiling. A serious boil.
In light of what you've said about newer crock pots running hotter, is
this normal? My crock pot is maybe 5 or 6 years old.

NancyJaye

Yes, when I say newer I mean in the last 10 years or so. My crockpots are
from the 70 and early 80's. I too discovered they were hotter, but placing
a chicken in my new oval crockpot (this was about 5 years ago) after 8 hours
it was cooked to death and boiling... on low. I found out if I came home at
lunch loaded up the crockpot it was good by dinner, but then I thought it
really was more of a nuisance than and time saver having to do that. So, I
took the new one to the cabin and took my old ones out of the Goodwill box
and continue to use them. I thought having an oval shaped one would be
nice. NOT! if it cooks at a higher temp.

Lynne

"Sheldon" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

NancyJaye said:

King's Crown wrote:

Snipped....

...................................................... One
thing to consider with new

Quoted message said:

crockpots is they run hotter than the old ones. Cooking often twice as
fast
as the older models. Make sure you keep that in mind when you
experiment.

Lynen

I made a pot roast last week in my crock pot. It was set on low, and
following directions, I let it cook for 8 hours. When 8 hours had
passed, I found the liquid in the pot to be boiling. A serious boil.
In light of what you've said about newer crock pots running hotter, is
this normal? My crock pot is maybe 5 or 6 years old.

Is 5-6 years new in crock pot lingo? Did they ever work as advertised,
cook slooooow!

Hmm, how come all yoose crock pot touters never mentioned this
overheating thingie in all the many previous crock pot threads??? I'm
beginning to think I should cancel my order and stay with my tried and
true old fogey methods. Doesn't anyone have anything good to say in
defence of this, otherwise I'll take your silence as agreeing with
crock pots being [censored] pots.

Sheldon

I think if you have time to cook something for 4 hours rather than 8 it
could save you some time. If you're looking for something that will cook
for 8 hours on low my experience is the new crockpots will cook it to death.

Lynne

If you're looking for something that will cook

Quoted message said:

for 8 hours on low my experience is the new crockpots will cook it to
death.

Lynne

Agreed; just happened to me --
but, I bought an 'il cheapo.' So what can I say -- you get what you paid
for? But I did read all these warnings in most of the brands and took a
chance. I'm glad I still have the smaller one -- 30 years and working ok --
low is low and high is high.
Dee Dee

Gregory Morrow said:

NancyJaye said:

I made a pot roast last week in my crock pot. It was set on low, and
following directions, I let it cook for 8 hours. When 8 hours had
passed, I found the liquid in the pot to be boiling. A serious boil.
In light of what you've said about newer crock pots running hotter, is
this normal? My crock pot is maybe 5 or 6 years old.

That is normal...

--
Best
Greg

Thanks Greg. I was almost ready to go buy a new one!

Nancy

King's Crown said:

Yes, when I say newer I mean in the last 10 years or so. My crockpots are
from the 70 and early 80's. I too discovered they were hotter, but placing
a chicken in my new oval crockpot (this was about 5 years ago) after 8 hours
it was cooked to death and boiling... on low. I found out if I came home at
lunch loaded up the crockpot it was good by dinner, but then I thought it
really was more of a nuisance than and time saver having to do that. So, I
took the new one to the cabin and took my old ones out of the Goodwill box
and continue to use them. I thought having an oval shaped one would be
nice. NOT! if it cooks at a higher temp.

I'll have to wait until I get mine to see how it's constructed... but
quite possibly wrapping the crock insert exterior in aluminum foil
might act as an insulator/reflector and help keep the temperature down
a bit. But hopefully I'll not have any excessive temperature problem.

Sheldon

"Gregory Morrow" <[email hidden]> hitched up their panties and
posted news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

jillie said:

Sheldon, I have this model and use it a lot. Oatmeal done in the
crockpot is great...and a blessing on the mornings there is no time to
cook.

I think you'll enjoy it for more things than you had anticipated.
Crockpots are great!

The new crockpot liner bags by Reynolds are a real time saver,
too....makes clean up a breeze.

I still think they are a silly affectation...my crock pot cleans up
very easily, almost like magic - and this is true for stuff I've cooked
for many hours, e.g. spaghetti sauce.

The crockpot is a GODSEND for making stocks, spaghetti sauce, soups,
etc. You don't have to constantly fiddle with a flame, you can make a
large quantity (I have the 6 - quart model) and clean - up is a snap...

Tonight I'm making chicken/sausage gumbo, this weekend will be cold so
I'm making some nice warm minestrone...I'll have plenty for myself, to
give, and for company.

Needless to say it's real economical too, no need for me to have to buy
canned stock or soup ever again if I don't want to. For the price of a
coupla cans of Progresso I can make *quarts* of soup with the
thing...no more pondering "I wonder what EXACTLY they put in that
canned stock?". I am running out of freezer space in fact, I am
seriously considering buying a small freezer in which to store my
crockpot "bounty"...

I'm a single person and I love mine, they must be a REAL boon for
larger households...

I like my slow cooker. Actually we have 2 of them. A real small model
which I seldom use except as a warmer for gravys and such. I don't use the
large one much. I've never had good luck in cooking in it but it's great
for caramelized onions, a long cooked sauce etc. Mine is a Rival but must
be long discontinued. We have had it almost 15 years. Sheldon's model
looks great. We also have a slow cooker (newer but won at a charity
auction... brand unknown) I can almost comfortably get a chicken in it. It
works great. All of them clean up beautifully and quickly.

Michael

--
“It requires a certain kind of mind to see beauty in a hamburger bun.”
_Ray Kroc, creator of the McDonald's franchise

biig said:

I use the WestBend metal pan slow cooker that claims the base can be
used as a griddle....not very convenient. I tried it once and didn't
care for it. A frying pan was better. Now on to the subject of crock
pots cooking too hot. My WestBend doesn't overheat. It's about 10 yrs
old though. But overall, I use
them a lot and find them very reliable.......Sharon

Oh, oh, oh, I have the rectangle WestBend slower cooker, too and just
love it!!! Never have used the base as they advertised. The pan has
however been used in the oven a few zillion times. I think Sheldon
will be immensely pleased with his once he tries it out. Meats are
soooo tender.

Sheldon said:

King's Crown said:

Yes, when I say newer I mean in the last 10 years or so. My crockpots are
from the 70 and early 80's. I too discovered they were hotter, but placing
a chicken in my new oval crockpot (this was about 5 years ago) after 8 hours
it was cooked to death and boiling... on low. I found out if I came home at
lunch loaded up the crockpot it was good by dinner, but then I thought it
really was more of a nuisance than and time saver having to do that. So, I
took the new one to the cabin and took my old ones out of the Goodwill box
and continue to use them. I thought having an oval shaped one would be
nice. NOT! if it cooks at a higher temp.

I'll have to wait until I get mine to see how it's constructed... but
quite possibly wrapping the crock insert exterior in aluminum foil
might act as an insulator/reflector and help keep the temperature down
a bit. But hopefully I'll not have any excessive temperature problem.

I've also "cracked" the lid a bit in order to vent some of the steam.
This was when I was making spaghetti sauce and wanted it to thicken
down somewhat...this is not recommended by the manufacturer but it
worked okay for an hour or so. I wouldn' t leave the lid ajar
unattended for an extended period of time, it would probably be okay
but that's just me.

--
Best
Greg

Sheldon said:

I decided I want to cook a week's worth of steel cut/pin oats without
needing to stir on the stovetop for hours so broke down and ordered a
slow cooker... anyone want to comment on this Rival model? Is it any
good or did I screw up and make a poor choice? I figured I may as
well get a large capacity model in case I want to try it for other
foods.

"Rival 38651-C 6-Quart Countdown Programmable Smart-Pot Slow Cooker,
Stainless"

http://www.rivalproducts.com/eStore/product.aspx?CatalogId=5&CategoryId=1186&ProductId=89

Actually I bought it from Amazon.com, was on sale for $39.99, w/free
shipping.

-------

Okie dokie... my slow cooker arrived. I ordered it at 10:20AM of 2/15,
it arrived at 2PM today, 2/17. That was fast, too fast for something
called a slow cooker! hehe

It looks nice. I have no idea how it cooks. I didn't plug it in yet,
I only washed the crock and lid. I read through the instructions,
seems simple enough. I read a few of the recipes they included in the
tiny instruction manual.... why do they make such small instruction
manuals these days, this is like 1/4 the size of a sheet of paper...
the print is ridiculously small. After reading the few recipes I
noticed how this is not my cooking style, don't really think I could
adapt either, nor would I want to.
I honestly don't fathom this business about browning a roast in a
separate pot before placing the roast into the crock... seems utterly
dago dumb, because now I'd have to clean a pot I didn't cook in. Duh
This thing removes all user input. I think it's misnamed... this is
not cooking, not by any stretch of the imagination... should be called
a "Slow Food Processor"... "Slow" as in Low IQ.

But I will try it for processing my steel cut oats.

Sheldon

Sheldon said:

I decided I want to cook a week's worth of steel cut/pin oats without
needing to stir on the stovetop for hours so broke down and ordered a
slow cooker... anyone want to comment on this Rival model? Is it any
good or did I screw up and make a poor choice? I figured I may as
well get a large capacity model in case I want to try it for other
foods.

"Rival 38651-C 6-Quart Countdown Programmable Smart-Pot Slow Cooker,
Stainless"

http://www.rivalproducts.com/eStore/product.aspx?CatalogId=5&CategoryId=1186&ProductId=89

Actually I bought it from Amazon.com, was on sale for $39.99, w/free
shipping.

Found these recipes to try:
http://www.cdkitchen.com/search/search.php?c=&order=1&site=crockerykitchen&q=steel+cut+oats&t=0

http://tinyurl.com/agnlp

Sheldon

Sheldon said:

[snip] I read a few of the recipes they included in the
tiny instruction manual.... .... After reading the few recipes I
noticed how this is not my cooking style, don't really think I could
adapt either, nor would I want to.
I honestly don't fathom this business about browning a roast in a
separate pot before placing the roast into the crock... seems utterly
dago dumb, because now I'd have to clean a pot I didn't cook in. Duh
This thing removes all user input. I think it's misnamed... this is
not cooking, not by any stretch of the imagination... should be called
a "Slow Food Processor"... "Slow" as in Low IQ.

Just curious, do the recipes they print call for canned cream of this
and that soup? Seems like 90% of those that show up here do. I've
thought maybe you need all those preservatives to stand up to the long
cooking times....;-) -aem

aem said:

Sheldon said:

[snip] I read a few of the recipes they included in the
tiny instruction manual.... .... After reading the few recipes I
noticed how this is not my cooking style, don't really think I could
adapt either, nor would I want to.
I honestly don't fathom this business about browning a roast in a
separate pot before placing the roast into the crock... seems utterly
dago dumb, because now I'd have to clean a pot I didn't cook in. Duh
This thing removes all user input. I think it's misnamed... this is
not cooking, not by any stretch of the imagination... should be called
a "Slow Food Processor"... "Slow" as in Low IQ.

Just curious, do the recipes they print call for canned cream of this
and that soup? Seems like 90% of those that show up here do. I've
thought maybe you need all those preservatives to stand up to the long
cooking times....;-)

The accompanying recipes were very basic, but teh pot roast did call
for beef cubes. I really didn't do too much looking on line, just the
breakfast cereals. I am going to try this one tonight, minus the dried
fruit:

Ingredients:
8 cups water
2 cups steel-cut oats (not instant or regular rolled oats)
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup dried apricots, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste

Directions:
Combine water, oats, dried cranberries, dried apricots and salt in 5-
or 6-quart slow cooker. Turn heat to low. Cover. Cook for 7 to 8 hours,
or until oats are tender and creamy.

http://crockpot.cdkitchen.com
---

I really don't like that last instruction, if anyone is thinking I'm
going to turn it back on early in the AM if it needs more cooking
they're nutz. I will set it for 8 hours, it better be cooked... if not
I have left over Chinese take out for breakfast back up.

Thanks all for your help.

Sheldon

Sheldon said:

The accompanying recipes were very basic, but teh pot roast did call
for beef cubes. I really didn't do too much looking on line, just the
breakfast cereals. I am going to try this one tonight, minus the dried
fruit:

Ingredients:
8 cups water
2 cups steel-cut oats (not instant or regular rolled oats)
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup dried apricots, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste

Directions:
Combine water, oats, dried cranberries, dried apricots and salt in 5-
or 6-quart slow cooker. Turn heat to low. Cover. Cook for 7 to 8 hours,
or until oats are tender and creamy.

http://crockpot.cdkitchen.com
---

It's cooking now!

Sheldon

On 17 Feb 2006 14:47:59 -0800, "Sheldon" <[email hidden]> wrote:

Helpful hint:

Whatever the heck it is you are cooking, I'd recommend that you set
the crock pot either on your stove or on a heat pad/cutting board of
some kind.

My crock pot caused a darkish discoloration on my counter after being
left there for a day.

Jo Anne

Sheldon said:

Sheldon said:

The accompanying recipes were very basic, but teh pot roast did call
for beef cubes. I really didn't do too much looking on line, just the
breakfast cereals. I am going to try this one tonight, minus the dried
fruit:

Ingredients:
8 cups water
2 cups steel-cut oats (not instant or regular rolled oats)
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup dried apricots, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste

Directions:
Combine water, oats, dried cranberries, dried apricots and salt in 5-
or 6-quart slow cooker. Turn heat to low. Cover. Cook for 7 to 8 hours,
or until oats are tender and creamy.

http://crockpot.cdkitchen.com
---

It's cooking now!

Sheldon

Do the new crockpots have a shut-off timer?....if so I think I'll
get a new one....Thanks....Sharon