Yes, I'm one of those crazy people who went to W-S and paid big bucks for the large oval All-Clad....and I couldn't be happier with it! I gave away the only other crockpot I'd ever owned 15 or 20 years ago. Couldn't stand the mushy texture of meat cooked in it, and it was a PITA to clean. But then I had a couple of important events coming up, and a cp seemed like the only answer to the logistical problems. For one party, I had to transport and keep a large quantity of food warm for 4-5 hours. For the other, it supplemented the meager oven space in my kitchen when serving a crowd. In both cases, it worked like a charm! After hours and hours, nothing was scorched, and nothing was dried out. There are 2 models. I got the super-duper deluxe version. :) I know, I'm a sucker. But the more expensive one has a cooking insert that can be used on the stovetop to brown stuff before you begin the actual slow-cooking process. That makes such a difference in taste and appearance, and without the hassle of browning in one pan and then transferring to the cp. Honestly, I think you'd be wasting your money to buy the one without this feature. Better to buy a $35 or $40 one in that case, because you'll have most of the same limitations. The insert is dishwasher safe. The base is a snap to clean. The digital display is great. And it's just soooo purty!! lol I also find that the recipes available are far superior to the ones I tried a decade or two ago. (No doubt due to all the info available on the internet now.) Although I've actually only used it about 10 times so far, I'd rate 5 or 6 of the dishes a real success. After years of 'making do', I'm gradually replacing the junk with high-quality kitchen tools now that the kids are grown. Although a crockpot wasn't even on my (incredibly long) wish list to begin with, I'm just delighted now that I splurged. sm

Are you fairly certain that your SIL will appreciate this gift? Saying she doesn't have time to cook might mean any number of things - not interested in cooking, doesn't have time to shop, schedule prevents her from knowing when she will have time to cook the chicken breasts she just bought, leftovers tend to go to waste, not enough ingredients stocked in the pantry and frig. These are all reasons why I have at certain times of my life have not spent time in the kitchen. And frozen foods have come a long way over the years. I have about a half-dozen Lean Cuisines in my freezer right now. Maybe the sodium content is high at 590 mg, but overall, they are pretty good. I like to browse cookbooks even though I know I will not be using the recipes, but sometimes helpful gifts can seem like insults.

I LOVE my slow cooker! It's an old Rival, probably from the eighties, given the floral motif in country blue. It has a heavy, ribbed, earthenware insert that holds the heat well, and clean-up is SO easy, no matter what has been in it or for how long (don't need those new inserts!). It just has the two settings, low and high, and has a plastic lid. I can't even remember where I got it. I think maybe my mom found it in a thrift shop, and I think she gave it to me because she thought it was too big just for her. Anyway, I work long hours, and having a hot cooked meal waiting for me when I get home is a godsend. (Has anyone read Barbara Kingsolver's book, Animal Vegetable, Miracle? Her family has named their crock pot, "Betty Crocker," because she stays home and cooks all day for them! Tee hee.) One of my favorite things to make in it are pork roasts (either with teriyaki and pineapple for an Asian flair or with applesauce and onions for a Germanic twist--always browned on the stove first before adding to the crock pot). But recently, I made the BEST chuck roast ever--a Polish recipe with chopped dill pickles in it! Sounds weird, but it was HEAVENLY! Here's a link to the recipe and a picture (from my cooking blog): http://lindseysluscious.blogspot.com/2008/08/big-o.html And finally, the very best thing I make in my crock pot is a pasta sauce with braised short ribs that must be tasted to be believed! It is just FAN-tastic! Here's the link to that one: http://lindseysluscious.blogspot.com/2006/10/short-ribs-long-on-flavor.html I think slow cookers are going to become sexy again. ;-) Enjoy yours--Gina

Nancy, the nice thing about a PC is that you can cook stuff quickly that you ordinarily wouldn't bother to do. I love steamed fresh artichokes, but who has the hour it takes to prep and steam them? A PC has them ready for you in 12-14 minutes after you trim them. Likewise, healthy stuff can be cooked quickly--beans and grains in about a third of the time. If you want to pursue healthy veggie stuff, Lorna Sass has written an excellent book along those lines--see the link. And Lorna has also just released a new book on Whole Grain cooking which I may just have to add to my collection. But it's not just health food. You can make incredibly rich artery-clogging pot roasts and corned beef & cabbage, meat-fallling-off-the-bone ribs, veal shanks...yum. Here is a link that might be useful: vegetarian PC cooking