Hi,

I have A LOT of crock pots because I cannot seem to resist them at garage sales. I did buy my first one new. There are a couple of features that come to mind. First, the one I bought new (Hamilton Beach) has a warm setting, which is good when you are serving a crowd and would like to keep the food hot without scorching. It is the only one I have with that feature but I think if you look at the new ones, you will find it in quite a few. The other thing (something I do not have but would like to) is a removable metal pot which you can put on your kitchen range to brown your food instead of dirtying another pot. I know All-Clad makes one but it is VERY expensive. However, I think there is another brand with this feature.

There are also those that come with different size crocks that will fit into the same outer holder. I do not know how well this works, as I do not have one, but it should help with storage space if you need different sizes as long as you do not need to use them at the same time.

The All-Clad may be different but I have found ALL of the ones I have run hot and I always need to reduce the cooking time and stir to prevent scorching. It does not seem there is much difference in the brands with the possible exception of the All-Clad.

The one I have with the timer--again the Hamilton Beach which I bought new, the timer does not seem to work all that well, so I doubt if it is worth the extra money.

Good luck in your search for a crock pot. Despite the drawbacks, I love mine! Genie

Thank you very much for your informative response. I will pass this along to my daughter. I'm thinking for myself, though, I will search garage sales as you do. That's a really good idea.
Thank you again.

What I look for:
Removable liner (this is usually ceramic)
Secure lid, preferably see-thru
Multiple temperatures: high, low, simmer, warm.
Programmable (timer with auto switch to warm)

Typically the liners that can handle stovetop browning end up making the crockpot very expensive, and the liner is too small on the bottom for effective browning without doing it in batches, which dirties a bowl anyway. If I have a recipe that benefits from browning, then I either use a wide skillet to brown meat for the crockpot or an enameled cast iron dutch oven instead of a crockpot.

I've been very happy with the Cuisinart PSC-350 3.5 qt. programmable slow cooker. It's available from Amazon for $46.

Here is a link that might be useful: Cuisinart PSC-350

I have the kind where you can use the crock on the stove for browning. It also balloons out over the sides of the base. I'm not in love with either feature. The food in the bottom seems to cook differently than what's in the top, and I end up stirring. The browning feature isn't all it's cracked up to be. It's much easier to do in a skillet and transfer.

What I like is a removable cord and different temperature settings (low, med, high, or warm, low, high, though low/high is probably enough for most people). I also like an opaque lid because I think it cooks better, but I like a glass lid because one can see the progress without lifting the lid and letting out the moisture.

Something to be aware of is that you might be happier with a garage sale unit. They have upped the low temperature because of food safety regulations. If you use as directed on the old, lower temp, ones, you're perfectly safe, but it really takes being gone all day at work to develop a high enough internal temperature. The new ones are often done, on low, after 6 hours (and ruined by 9), which does not a workday make. If you have to tend it, you can just as easily get the same results in a low oven.

Cook's Illustrated gave high ratings to the All Clad and Cuisinart came in second. There's a big price difference. I just purchased the Cuisinart 6.5 for my son.

Decide too if you want a round one or an oval. Many posters have said to simply purchase an Oster roaster because it's more versatile. You can slow cook, roast and bake in it.

plllog -- that is why I am hanging on to my ugly Rival crockpot from 1984.

I know several people who bought them recently including my mother -- she basically boiled her oriental chicken recipe for 6 hours and had dried out chicken.

I frankly, would not pay a dime for a new slow cooker these days. They stink.

Been very pleased with the Hamilton Beach slow cooker shown in the link. The different size inserts are wonderfully versatile. We have used each and the cooking performance is very good. It does not overcook or overheat.

I bought this one at Big Lots for $25. It is plain white.

Here is a link that might be useful: Hamilton Beach Slow Cooker

Thank you all very much. I enjoyed reading the wide range of opinions. Now to make a choice!

One more review, if you haven't made your choice yet, seriousmom: I recently looked for a simple slow cooker and bought the Hamilton Beach Stay or Go. It has a lid that clamps tightly, which is useful if you ever have to travel with a hot sloshy finished dish. It's 6 qts, and has high/low/warm settings. I haven't had any problems with the low setting being too hot. In fact, I did a pot roast last week, six hours on high, with only slight simmering bubbles, but no boiling. No complaints here.

Here is a link that might be useful: Hamilton Beach stay or go

I just looked this up this morning because WS was having a one day deal on the All Clad. In August 2010, Cooks Illustrated gave the top ranking to the Rival Crock Pot with Touchscreen. I copied the results below. The Touchscreen is sold for around $80 on Amazon, even though they say $129.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Crock-Pot Touchscreen
The control panel is extremely easy to use, and the timer counted up to 20 hours, even on high. Sunday gravy thickened to the correct consistency, pot roast was tender and sliceable, and onions caramelized perfectly.
â â â â â â $129.99 (really around $80)

RECOMMENDED
All-Clad Slow Cooker with Ceramic Insert
Pot roast and gravy cooked to the correct consistency, and temperatures fell into the right ranges. But we got equally good results from our top-ranked model at a much lower price. The button controls are easy to use, but the timer could not be set for more than six hours on high.
â â â â â $199.95

RECOMMENDED WITH RESERVATIONS
Breville Slow Cooker with EasySear
Although this large cooker ran hot, the tight seal of its metal lid yielded fall-apart meat in Sunday gravy. Pot roast overcooked, though, and onions for the soup burned. We couldn't see the food through the steel lid. For this price, we expected a timer and warm cycle.
â â â â $179.95

RECOMMENDED WITH RESERVATIONS
KitchenAid Slow Cooker
The meat in Sunday gravy was tender, but the pot roast was dry. The onions didn't cook evenly. The heavy insert's square shape made pouring easy. The control panel has five cooking settings, but the timer stops after eight hours on high.
â â â â $129.99

NOT RECOMMENDED
Cuisinart Programmable Slow Cooker
The first model wouldn't turn on; the second struggled to cook the onions evenly. The construction was flimsy, the buttons hard to push. The low setting produced tough meat. Sunday gravy fared better on high.
â â â $99.95

NOT RECOMMENDED
Elite Cuisine by Maxi-Matic Programmable LED Slow Cooker
This cooker produced tender meat but broke after two uses. The second model we ordered barely cooked the onions. The settings were confusing; we thought we'd turned the machine on, but an hour later we found that the timer hadn't begun to count down (the only way to know if it's working).
â â $39.99

NOT RECOMMENDED
Kalorik Slow Cooker
This timer-less machine ran the hottest on high, meaning onions burned, and Sunday gravy was dry. On low, it took almost eight hours to reach its high temperature and failed to reach the food-safe temperature of 140 degrees within two hours.

Thanks very much. You have all been very generous with your time and your advice. We appreciate it. My daughter ended up buying one of the Hamilton Beach models.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all.