Cuisinart CSC-650 6-1/2-Quart Slow Cooker

I did quite a bit of research before purchasing this slow cooker.

America's Test Kitchen recommends West Bend Versatility slow cooker. It is a truly versatile model, but I didn't like its aluminum insert. As you may know, aluminum can be hazardous to health, so this slow cooker was scratched off my list pretty quickly.

The other models I looked at were All-Clad Stainless Steel Slow Cooker (available from William Sonoma only), Farberware Millennium (also recommended by America's Test Kitchen), Cuisinart CSC-650 and various Rival models ("various Rival models" has an interesting ring to it :) ).

All of the latest slow cookers are made in China, so I was somewhat concerned about the construction quality. One of the main reasons I picked Cuisinart model was a 3-year warranty, compared to just 1 year for the rest of the competition.

Another factor was the generally positive feedback from CSC-650 owners. Cooking.com is probably a better...Read more

I'm getting to pack up my third CSC-650 (in as many weeks) to ship back to Cuisinart. It's apparent from my own experiences and those of several other reviewers that there are serious quality-control issues with this product. I am not bashing Cuisinart here; I have a Griller that may be the best counter-top appliance I've ever owned and worth every penny of the price. I had planned to wait until I had a unit that worked correctly before writing my review, but since it looks like that may never happen, I decided to write now.

The three units I've had do not just get a little too warm at the Low setting, they get boiling hot (literally) within 3-4 hours. The instructions say that the on the Low (timed) setting the unit will heat up above 140 degrees F and then go back down to the low temperature. My experience with all three I've had is that, when set on Low (with timer), they quickly heat up to 140 and then just keep going up, and up, and up.

Once the...Read more

This is the BMW of slow cookers! It's big and formidable with a sturdy ceramic pot insert that transitions to the table nicely.
The sleek, brushed aluminum housing gives it a professional-quality look that will compliment or upgrade any kitchen counter to restaurant-chef status. And such a deal from Amazon! Take it from me, I spent hours researching this product and this is the best place to buy it - especially with free shipping and (when) available discount coupons (do a Google search).

Before writing this review, I wanted to test it out on a variety of recipes. All came out flawless and tasty. This is not a hot pot - on the low or high setting, this unit heats up slowly and evenly - not like some pots I've had that actually scorch food. Using the built-in timer, it actually lowers itself to keep warm only when the cooking phase is done, so handy when the subway is delayed.

What is it about slow-cooking? So many recipes today are geared towards...Read more