****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
I did quite an extensive search/comparison for a slow cooker and found that this one had the best rating. So I got it, used it, and I love it. The ease of a slow cooker is great, and this one works wonderfully. The lid is great too because it's clear, heavy and fits well. If you're going to have people over for dinner and you know you won't have time to cook, put everything in in the morning, set it on low, and when you come home you've got a perfectly cooked meal that everyone will love. It's not the ne plus ultra of gourmet cooking (well, not yet anyway, beause I'm still tweaking recipes) but the food is down home and delicious. It looks nice on the counter too, if you intend to keep it there. It's big so the capacity is large. You can put a whole chicken in there and the meat always comes out moist and tender.I returned this the day it arrived. I heated the obligatory 4 cups of water as per instructions. Left the room and came back in 20 minutes. The warning light was not lit. I moved the crock to the side to see if I had not properly plugged it in since the light was out. I brushed my hand against the exterior lip and received a first degree burn. Farberwear company customer service said "the light is a little dim" but you should be able to see it. Yes, you can see it if you look up from below the crockpot you will see a faint glow. The crock pot sits very loosely in its container leaving a large gap between the food container and the heater housing.Heat escapes through these gaps which accounts for the overheated exterior. I would advise those with kids, especially, to find another slow cooker.The first time I washed the dial, all the printing came off! I have to take the user manual out what I use it to be sure that I have the dial at the proper setting. I should have returned it right away and gotten my money back, but I just didn't get around to it.I purchased this item as I had an older slow cooker (27 years old to be exact) which was very small and didn't heat so fast. This item was shown on several cooking shows on the Food Network, so I decided to purchase it. It has a very simple dial operation: off, low, high, and auto. The auto setting starts the food out on high and lowers the temp automatically when it reaches a certain temperature. This is a wonderful feature! I really like this slow cooker. It sits very solidly on the counter. It is very fast, big enough to accommodate a full roast & veggies, easy to clean with the removable liner, and the glass lid makes it easy to check on the progress of my meal.When my Rival insert busted, I was unable to locate a replacement. A search for a high rated crock pot kept mentioning this lower end model. I read the reviews here on Amazon and took the plunge. My purchase lives up to its reputation! Excellent temperature control.I use the high setting only when I am home. (My previous experiences with overheating crock pots will not allow me to leave the house, at least for an extended amount of time, while cooking on the high setting.) The auto setting is perfect for when you are away.The only caution - the outside of the cooker does get extremely hot!This slow cooker does everything a slow cooker should do AND it looks great! I have no complaints. I highly recommend it. I've made chili, pork tenderloin, teriyaki steak. I love the size as well. I've entertained with it and it makes entertaining so much easier because I don't have to keep checking on the meat in the oven!We received this crock pot 6 years ago as a wedding gift and we absolutely love it. It is so easy to clean it still looks like new 6 years later and the food we've cooked in it turns out absolutely moist and delicious. We are so happy with this crock pot, we are buying the same item for our sister-in -law this Christmas.I bought this slow cooker about two years ago. After reading the reviews, I'm glad that I'm not the only one that thinks this machine gets too hot! I guess other slow cooker don't get that hot? I'm not sure since this is the only one I've owned.Also, I found that even though I follow the recommended cooking time with all the recipes I've tried, most of the meats finish quick. I've talked to my mom about it, and I honestly think that the low 200-degree setting is higher than 200 degrees. I've never cooked anything on high, but I really think the low setting is messed up.Over all, I've never had disastrous results with this machine. However, since there are other cookers on the market, I won't buy this Farberware one again.
