Proctor Silex 33116Y Portable Oval Slow Cooker 1 5-Quart

For the price this is a wonderful little cooker. I had bought the "Not Your Mothers Slow Cooker for Two", and decided to get this little 1.5 quart oval cooker as my first crock pot. I live by myself and didn't want to make huge portions, but didn't want to invest a ton of $$$ if I wound up not using the pot often. I use it at least 2-3 a week for about a month now, and I love it! Construction: The machine is well built for the money, although I do believe in "you get what you pay for". The crock insert does have a couple pin-holes in the glaze around the top, and cosmetic imperfections on the outside (hidden when in the slow cooker). This doesn't effect how it cooks however so I did not take off any stars. The heating element itself is a tad larger than the insert, meaning the insert can shift around a bit. I have noticed if you don't center the insert inside, you can create a hotspot. I have only noticed this when cooking oatmeal however, and its only minor. The warm setting and indicator light are nice additions. The inidcator light can be a little difficult to see for tall people. Its very easy to clean and takes up little space. I have not burned anything, and the lid has a rubber ring which is really nice. Cooking: I have cooked terriffic irish oatmeal. This size is perfect for 2 chicken breasts or two 1" pork chops or 1lb of pork tenderloin. Definately the oval shap is way better than the round for getting meat to fit well. I have used this machine for even lasanga and BBQ pulled pork and it came out terrific. This is a great size for 1-2 people. I am investing however in a 3.5qt cooker for soups and chili's. This is a great starter pot for single people. As far as cooking times go, this unit seems to be done on the early side of the recommended ranges, however I never felt like it was overdone. Although I have not tried it yet, this is a great size for warming dips, appetizers and cooking risotto/side dishes. Read more

Love this little slow cooker! I already had a 5 quart slow cooker that I used for the main part of our meal. This one was on sale for $8 I snached it up. I had never even heard of this brand before (my large one is crockpot brand) but I figured for $8 I would take a chance. Well now I am wishing I had bought 2 to use for side dishes. This little 1.5 quart slow cooker has 4 settings; off, keep warm, low and high. I do wish this one was round so I could do cakes in it, but the oval shape is great for cooking for 1 (maybe 2 people). It is great for making sticky rice, cooking veggies, small sides of pork/chicken and you can do deserts in it. Also can be used to make baby food. This slow cooker states that the stoneware and lid can go in the dishwasher but I only hand wash. My large one I have had for 5 or 6 years and still is like new and I believe it is partily from hand washing only. A slow cooker is something everyone should have in their kitchen because it is great to cook a healthy meal in when you really don't want to cook. Just throw stuff in in, turn in on and leave it. If you think it's too much work, look up some of the recipes (there are 100's) and I am sure you will find some you just can't wait to try! Read more

I bought this to make whole-grain porridge and it works perfectly. One cup of combined whole grains (like steel-cut oats, barley, quinoa, rice) plus four cups of water, cooked overnight (10 hours) on the low setting makes a full pot of perfect porridge, ready to eat. PROS Small, but not too small. Easy to clean removable ceramic liner - bright white. Oval shape fits into my cupboard better Rubber gasket on the lid keeps even more liquid from escaping during cooking. Three heat settings, not just one. Warm is very convenient if the food is going to sit for a while, for instance if several people eat breakfast at different times. Does NOT get too hot on low setting Came with a thick rubber band for securing the lid during storage or transport. Great idea, easy to use. CONS Like all crock pots, the aluminum rim at the top gets quite hot. There are printed warnings on the pot about this. I am very pleased with this purchase. Read more

I had one of these before for several years, managed to crack the pot. Bought the Nesco 1.5 quart, it boiled everything even on low--gave it away after two uses. Went back to this little jewel, and once again, it's perfect. It is absolutely hotter than pots were 40 years ago; my understanding is that the public demanded hotter pots. But--it's not so hot, on low or high, that it just burns stuff to death. I like a very slow simmer or boil on high. The lid will prevent all liquids from boiling out. Incidentally, the lid on this cooker has a soft rubber gasket on the rim that's perfect for sealing, and no noisy clanking. It also has an elastic strap for carrying that's also great to keep the lid from falling off in the cabinet. I usually cook for one or two and this cooker is perfect! I own the Instant Pot 3 quart Duo (purchased here at the last Black Friday sale) and the slow cooker is good on it, but it does cook at a lower temp and it's much larger than this. This little cooker is small enough that it resides on a kitchen shelf with my little B&D rice cooker and my mini deep fryer. I'm glad that Proctor Silex still makes this. Perfect for one or two; I just made a beef and broccoli Chinese-type dish for two in it the other evening. I use the slow cooker liners and I really, really prefer a cooker that's white inside rather than black. I own two I-Pots but there is still a place in my kitchen for this very inexpensive tool. Read more