A brand that delivers!
Idk what the heck the "lock feature" is supposed to be, but I can review the other features! This is gonna seem like a lot of back story for a crockpot review, but I know there are others like me, who have to do a mountain of research for every little thing because yes, that IS the state of your finances right now. OR, maybe you're just tired of buying stuff that isn't even worth the $25 you put out, or whatever, regardless of your financial situation. If you're like me, you're usually looking for a review from that person who's story is somewhat parallel to your own; so you can feel confident you're indeed choosing the right brand because it was successful, or not, for that person, with that parallel story. This review is for them. I got this because I'm a colossal fan of crockpot stuff (single mom, full-time student!) And my son likes nothing. Literally. Idk how the kid is even still alive. I still had the 6 quart crockpot after his dad and I split. I tried cooking smaller portions, which never went well - literally not once - because I was basically cooking for myself (refer back to the part where I said my son likes nothing). Even with having leftovers or freezing excess, we were wasting so much food and I hated that. I finally concluded I just needed a smaller crockpot if I wanted to use one, but I couldn't justify the expense. It seemed like they were all priced around the same as the large ones! I gave up looking for a long time until recently, when I had had enough of my grueling schedule and decided it would be a worthy expense at this point in my life. I knew I needed small - like, really small - if I wanted to not only cook less food, but have it turn out well. I saw some single-person ones that I knew could work, but they seemed sort of bulky, considering the advertisement was for convenience. I wanted something simpler than that, but with a smidge more volume. I found this little gal on Amazon and was attracted to it because it was pink, and small. Mostly because it was pink (goes real well with all that crap I explained about being super reasonable, huh? I like to make my life complicated, what can I say?) It had good reviews, was super basic, pink, and only $25! I actually sat on the idea for a few days before taking the plunge. When I got it, it was way smaller than even I had originally thought, but so adorable! (I had liners from my 6 quart, which were colossal in comparison, so I tied part of it like cleaning services do with trash bags so they fit snug in the bathroom trash cans, and look "nice". I guess...?) The very first thing I noticed was the cooking temperature. "Low" ACTUALLY means "low"! This is good, in case anyone wonders. Crockpots now cook way too hot, even on low for 10 hrs. I always opted to cook on low for the longest time, whether I was home or not, because it's my experience that cooking crockpot meals slower makes them turn out way better. I made taco meat for my first meal (yeah I'm super lazy, okay?). I threw in a lump of thawed ground beef and walked away. I did check on it often, because the indicator light is really difficult to discern unless you turn your lights off. No big deal, because the switch is right there, but it might be annoying for someone with a different kitchen design. I noticed it warmed very, very slowly, BUT I was shocked at how nicely it was cooking. Yeah, I know, it's just ground beef, but I didn't have to do anything but stir it. It broke up by itself, which may have been because it warmed so slowly - just my opinion! I added the seasonings to make it taste taco-y (this recipe is so stinking simple, I will never buy packaged taco seasoning ever again! Look it up - you have to try it!), then added refried beans which we all know are visually super unappealing from a can and stiff, but they quickly disbursed with the meat. I can't remember how long it took, because it was a weekend and I was home. I know I didn't even start it until like, 2, because I wanted it to cook on low but knew ground beef wouldn't take long. It was seriously so delicious, and the PERFECT amount for us. There were enough eftovers for us both the next evening to have an average portion, and then it was all gone. Clean-up was a breeze with the liners but also because this isn't bulky and heavy. Some stuff always manages to get through the liners, albeit it a very tiny bit. My large one always had residue even after I cleaned it. Always. Maybe from the liners themselves, maybe from food - idk, but it was maddening and would not come clean. This crockpot was so easy - I swiped and rinsed the residue, and it came off easily. And yeah, I held that sucker up to the light because that residue nonsense drove me nuts in my other crockpot. Whatever it was, I didn't want it part of my next meal! I'm super happy with this product. It's small, easily stored, very basic with uncomplicated features, cooks the way it SHOULD - low is low, high is high - is perfect for me and my son, and we aren't wasting food or money. And it's pink!! So there you go. Reasonable price, you're getting great value, does what it says. Really, more businesses should consider such a basic concept. Read more