FWIW - I think most people cook it upside down and I never understood that. Chickens, turkeys, all those birds, people put on their backs breast side up and then stick them in the oven. The back is always the juiciest and best part, but there's almost no meat there at all. Cook it breast down for heaven's sake. And don't overcook. If you have a pop-up timer stuck into it, take it out and throw it away. Don't forget - the meat will still cook for a few minutes when it's out of the oven. Who cares what it looks like coming out of the oven??? Do you want it to look like a Norman Rockwell painting AND taste like one? That picture with Grandma taking the bird out of the oven with everyone looking on and imagining the dried out and tasteless dinner that awaits them - I think he was taking artistic license because a turkey butt side up just doesn't look as nice. But it tastes better.

I've tried a number of methods from essentially boiling it when you add a bottle of something or too much liquid and you wind up fishing around in this sludge to find the shrunken tough meat to sauces to other methods. Less liquid is better. The key, as Jim said is the proper meat. I like a chuck roast or a pork shoulder roast. They'll give off plenty of fluid. I like to put some onion on the bottom so it's not all gray on the bottom and it gets some flavor. Some put sacrificial veggies in there as a rack thinking it flavors the gravy, OK, maybe it does. But I like the taters on top in a drier atmosphere so it'll brown those babies and they're delicious. They'll give off moisture too so again, adding liquid is a recipe for soup. I definitely vote to brown the meat. Onions & garlic should be sautéed too if you want it better. People think a "slow cooker" is a magical chef that can make a lousy cook a good cook and eliminate basic cooking techniques a thought with which I don't agree but I digress. If you want it simple, put a can of mushroom soup on top of a piece of roadkill, sprinkle it with onion soup mix, make up some instant mashed potatoes and open a can of gravy. Serve with leftover green bean gasserole. (shudder) And of course if this is what you like, go for it and enjoy it, no need to bother bellyaching about it. I also firmly believe that you can easily overcook things in a slow cooker. You can easily boil/steam all the moisture out of meat, turn the vegetables into mush and I really think it's important to realize it's an appliance that needs to be properly used to achieve best results. I've had delicious meals from slow cookers and I've had what I wouldn't feed as dog food that was made in a slow cooker. Cook's Country this weekend did a show about using a pork roast in a slow cooker. Their emphasis was what I've found. Less moisture is better. Here's an adaptation using a beef roast

I get nervous at any recipe that doesn't get the meat above 120 or so fairly soon....and an ice cold roast at 200 degrees will spend a long time at a dangerous temperature. When I do something long and slow like that, I start it on the stove top or in a hot oven and brown it or get it up to temp....then put it into the oven at low and slow. Linda C

As many know, I've had electric roasters for years, actually decades. I had my mother's Kenmore roaster after she died and my sister borrowed it from me and it was never returned once she experienced the versatility of it. Not a big problem though since that was probably a 20 qt unit, used for BIG turkeys, hams, multiple roasts, etc. I bought a 6 qt Nesco and a 4 qt Nesco. I will take issue with anyone who suggests that it's any sort of a one-trick pony. Far from it. People compare them to slow cookers and that's an insult to the roaster. They are a roaster oven. They will slow cook, they will bake, and I know people who have used them to make pancakes for cryin' out loud, but I do not suggest it's the best unit for that. I personally have baked bread in mine many times. Why heat the big oven for one loaf? More heat loss and more expensive to operate the big oven. For slow cooking chili, soup, stew or what have you it's FAR superior to a slow cooker. It's peoples' own choice but there's no way I'd keep a slow cooker and get rid of my Nesco. The Nesco, and I use that term for all roaster ovens, the roaster oven will do everything a slow cooker will and much more and with less hassle. You get precise temperature control, not just high and low. Cleaning is far easier than a slow cooker. As I've said before I got rid of the slow cookers soon after getting the roaster oven. There's no comparison and no use here for a slow cooker dedicated unit. It was great to take to the cabin to supplement the "Coleman" stove and having an oven really expanded the menu. I've used it for hot cider, keeping hot dogs, brats and burgers warm at picnics and outdoor functions. One of these days I'm going to try using it for no-knead bread. For me, the electric roaster replaces the need for a Dutch Oven. For others it's the other way around. A large unit is often used only at holidays. Admittedly that's when my mother's unit was used. But at the same time there was no substitute for it either. The extra oven was required to feed the family and guests. I agree with the basic idea of the 350 "rule" as an assist to declutter and prioritize and Snidley admitted that there's exceptions to it which there has to be. But, even if I only used my roaster once a year, I'd keep it rather than having a blender or food processor. Turkey from a blender isn't the same as from the roaster! :) And clearly rules are made to be broken or a lot of people would be tearing out the second oven they have built into their houses! FWIW I used to use an electric fry pan more often than the stove. Handy, quick to heat up, easy to clean. Coupled with the Nesco I made a very mean pot roast, batch of chili and other things. I use the roaster to steam things. Sweet corn and other vegetables are great. I didn't realize how well it made baked potatoes until I used it in there when I wanted to just make a couple without firing up the big oven. For the 6 qt size, I can't tell you if it would work well for a whole chicken. i don't do whole chickens. I do use it for a large turkey breast and often there's not a lot of room between the meat and the cookwell, but it still cooks just fine. I do use it for maybe a dozen or so chicken drumsticks. I make up a bunch and have for OAWC, snacks, salads and the like. You might try cutting up the chicken and roasting it. That might work well. That said, it should also be stated that it's a TOOL. It's not going to do everything for you. It's there to help you, not unlike a Dutch Oven, a fry pan, a knife or a can opener. You have to make it work for you. Every pet I've had enjoyed the roaster too and they'd generally lie very close to it when the aromas wafted through the house.