Will you be using this "pot" only for bread making? If so I really wouldn't worry too much about it's appearance...just clean it the best you can and consider it "seasoned"...HA! Then continue using it for just your bread. If it's terribly important that it's spotless, try putting water in it and putting it on the base and turn it on and let it go overnight and see if that loosens it all up. Maybe if you do end up getting it good and clean, you may consider finding a "crock pot" at a thrift shop for a couple bucks...I always see the loose pots(crocks) for a couple bucks at thrift shops minus the electric part. I never thought of using them for bread making...now I need one! HAHAHA!

Stew pot is actually closer, Linda. The style we currently call "Dutch oven" is a flat-bottomed kettle with a lid added. And is, of course, with its heavy, heat-holding design, ideal for stewing. Kettles originally were round bottomed (and some had legs), designed primarily to be hung over an open fire; either from a tripod or a crane. They did not have lids. There was a point, measured in gallons, where a kettle became a cauldren, but I misremember it right now. Thirteen comes to mind, but don't take that to the bank. Dutch ovens, of course, had three legs and a deeply recessed lid so you could put coals both under and on top, to provide even, dry heat. They were used on the hearth, not in the firebox. In the first quarter of the 19th century, "portable" cast iron stoves became popular. Initially kettles were still used by removing an eye and setting the pot right in the hole, over the open fire. Eventually they began modifying the pieces, flattening the bottom and adding a domed lid. A chicken fryer has a somewhat different configuration; being relatively wide for it's height (for stability), and with sidewalls that slope more sharply than those of a skillet. Chicken fryers, too, have domed lids; many of which are of the self-basting type. Now, if you really want to know about hearth trivia, ask me nicely and I'll tell you were the term "hob nobbing" comes from.

Slow-Cookers (aka Crock Pots) are designed to cook foods between 170-280°F. If you want to check your cooker for actual temperature, it can be checked by heating the appliance filled with water and testing with a candy thermometer, or an Instant Read thermometer. This is also how you check the temperature to see if the appliance heats to a food-safe temperature. It's important to know the cooking temperatures if you purchase a used cooker, before using it. -Grainlady

i made the brisket in the oven which i turned on earlier today after putting the air on in the kitchen. it's now cooling. i just wanted to know if it was a cut of meat that could be done in the crockpot. i never did before that's why i asked. i followed this recipe since i couldn't find my standard. season with S&P, sear it, lay it over a few onions (although i added a few potatoes and a couple carrots and a diced celery stalk to the mix), add two cups of red wine, 10 oz can chopped tomatoes (although i used fresh from the garden), herbs and let it slow cook. smells great, haven't cut into it yet. it will be either a very late night snack or a midday meal tomorrow. one of these days, maybe i'll try the crock pot and if the meat shreds too much, then i'll make "pulled brisket sandwiches" (or dog food) thanks maryanne