Crock-Pot 4-1/2-Quart Round Manual Slow Cooker

I've owned Crock Pots since the mid-seventies, starting with one of the originals with the non-removable insert. This one is my latest.

I prefer round Pots, though I've had both. As a single person, my smaller Crock Pot gets the bulk of the cooking (and it's excellent, a $9 purchase at Wal-Mart!)

I've read a pile of complaints from people on here who have had problems with the handles on the sides breaking. Mine haven't yet; I don't haul my pot by the handles anyway and don't care whether there are handles or not. The crock insert has its own carrying tabs. Also, this pot has the type of lid handle that some have had trouble with; again, no problem with mine. I'd rather have a glass knob like the originals but they are more susceptible to slipping and dropping.

An obvious difference between the original Crock Pots and these is that I think all the Rival pots are now made in China. There appears to be a real problem with the...Read more

I replaced a venerable 34 year old Crockpot with this one because I wanted a removable crock. The fancy ones with the timers and probes seem to suffer about 25% disability rate due to bad electronics, according to the reviews. I figured that an "off/hi/lo" rotary switch would be foolproof. Not so much. The outside heats up to from 160 degrees to 200 degrees depending on where on the vessel it is measured with an IR thermometer. The liquid inside will only heat to 133 degrees after an hour and a fiery 168 degrees after three full hours. At this temperature, it is not really an effective slow cooker. (after six full hours, the liquid finally rises to 200 degrees, but the outside is OVER 200, youch!) The outside is honestly dangerously hot. I believe it is probably just a poor design with no insulation outside of the heating element , or it is extremely poor QC. Rival should be ashamed of this junky imported offspring of a classic product. (speaking of, I measured my 34 year old...Read more

I love the looks of this slow cooker with its matte black base and polished black insert. My 25-year old Rival Crock-pot recently died, so this is a replacement for a well-used and well-loved kitchen appliance. There have been some changes: the heating elements now climb the walls of the unit rather than being set in the bottom, which results in the need to fill the cooker at least ¾ full to avoid overcooking. Where there was once a big difference in the temperatures High and Low, they now are both set between 212 & 220 degrees. The Low setting simply cycles on less frequently to keep the food at a lower temp. I always start the pot on High until the lid gets steamy, before turning it down to Low for a long slow-cook. The outside of the unit does get quite warm to touch, but not hot enough to burn, which is different from my older unit which felt only slightly warm when touched. Less soupy meals might stick to the sides of the crock, but this problem is eliminated by lightly...Read more