It has proven itself to be a true workhorse.
It should really be 4 ½ stars. But since I can’t give it half a star here on Amazon, 5 stars it is, because this slow cooker has proven itself to be a true workhorse. It did not make a great first impression. After I placed the ingredients in the stoneware, I set it on high. It took a long time getting hot. Once it got hot enough, there came from it a funny plastic smell. The handles on the heating unit (slow cooker base) bend slightly upwards when I lift the entire unit. The handle on the glass lid feels flimsy, but worse than that is the latching mechanism that is supposed to secure the lid tight. Not only are the latches flimsy, but they also can’t latch at all. (The latching mechanism on my 10 qt Hamilton Beach is sturdy and secures the lid tight. The handles attached to the heating unit are also sturdy as is the handle on the glass lid.) I just took the metal parts off. They got so annoying, flipping this way and that! They easily came off anyway as evidence to how flimsy the latching mechanism is. The rectangular stoneware takes a little time getting used to. The large notches where I would normally place my hands to lift it often makes me feel like something there is missing. So I sometimes end up grabbing the handles on the heating unit by mistake instead. Other than these flaws, this little casserole slow cooker has proven itself a workhorse. That funny smell is gone after that initial use. My hands still feel like something is missing in the stoneware whenever I pick it up, but it’s not annoying anymore. It’s summer, and I don’t want to turn on the oven or stand in front of a hot stove. Pictures include our favorite family lasagna recipe adapted for this casserole slow cooker and The Magical Slow Cooker Lemon Pepper Chicken. Not pictured but equally successful were Make It Fast, Cook It Slow Apricot Chicken and America’s Test Kitchen Chicken Adobo. (Yes, lots of chicken. Roasts and ribs are slow cooked in my 10 qt.) Next, we’ll try a baked ziti. FYI, I do not place the stoneware under the broiler to brown chicken. I place the chicken in a baking pan to broil for only a couple of minutes. As for the sauce, I reduce it in a saucepan and thicken it with a couple tablespoons of butter. Reducing the liquid doesn’t require me to stir, stir, stir over a hot stove though. The whole process of making the dish presentable (as pictured) is well under fifteen minutes. I’ve also successfully “baked” King Arthur Baking Company’s Whole-Grain Banana Bread using just plain, whole milk yogurt and a scant ⅔ cup of brown sugar. The texture was soft and moist. It browned perfectly on the sides. No wet, gooey bottom! And best of all, the Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate chips were evenly distributed throughout. No chocolate chips settled on the bottom since the batter was spread evenly over the buttered stoneware. I may never bake banana bread in the oven again. The whole prep and bake time make quick work of overly ripe bananas no one in my household would want to eat. We will try “baking” King Arthur’s Quick and Easy Fudge Brownies next. Read more
