Cuisinart CPC-600 1000-Watt 6-Quart Electric Pressure Cooker, Brushed Stainless and Matte Black Review

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(More customer reviews)First, I was a pressure cooker nut from before. I used my mother's 1930/40's Presto's until I couldn't get seals for them. When I saw this digital pressure cooker I bought it instantly. I loved it so much that I gave one to my daughter, my sis and my sis-in-law, (we're all foodies). I was cooking stuff I hadn't made in years. We ate like kings! All of a sudden, caput. I get online and search and right there on Amazon, Bobby Mac "Micronaut101" describes my very own problem! So no more trying to make the bloody thing work! I call the Cuisinart 800 number prepared to go the distance according to the reviews I've read and I describe my problem, how much I love the machine, how I've seen the problem reported on Amazon and therefore it's a known quality issue and I want a new machine. OK, she says, what's your address? No "did you send in a warranty" or anything else. Bingo, 7 - 10 days I'll have a new pressure cooker. How cool is that? Oh, and "We're sorry for the inconvenience. Have a great day." Yehaa! Let's hear it for Amazon and reviews!
[[editing review as of 6/4/09: pressure sensor wouldn't set pressure and pressure cooking wouldn't start. Cooker would get to boiling but pressure wouldn't lock the cooker and begin cooking. Little red button wouldn't come up to close opening. I would wiggle the button with a skewer or knife point to get it to pop up to close pressure hole. Hope this helps.]]
And I'm writing this so that others who may get one of those recalcitrant pressure cookers that slipped through the quality assurance check can know that they will get a new pressure cooker with the press of the number buttons. Cuisinart has decided to stand behind this one product, at least.
BTW, all of us are previous users of pressure cookers so we really appreciated the ability to sear the meat in the cooker. My family has used the Cuisinart cookbook for the pasta e Fagioli, Cuban Black Bean Soup, Chicken with Herb Dumplings and the "outstanding" Creamy Rice Pudding" And, in fact, the Rice pudding cooked so quickly that my sis didn't think it was done when the timer went off and over cooked it! Her second batch was superb. We also like Lorna Sass's "Cooking Under Pressure" and "Pressure Perfect"

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Rival RO180 18-Quart Roaster Oven, White Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought this a couple of years ago to help with the Thanksgiving load on the oven. But now we wouldn't cook a turkey any other way, and I love it for big batches of soup and chili. The turkey cooks in far less time than in an oven, and it's wonderfully moist and flavorful. It makes huge batches of soup that are not possible in my crock pot, so is invaluable for those extra large recipes. And it's very easy to transport.
I really appreciate having the oven available for other dishes when I use my roaster. And when my oven was being repaired ,we used the roaster in it's place, and I was pleasantly surprised at what I could cook in it! I just used it dry, and put my baking pans inside, and my dishes came out just as good as when using the conventional oven. It's large enough to easily accomodate a 9x13 pan.
The one big drawback is you have to really watch the temperature. It gets hotter than you set the dial, so I compensate and cook at a lower temperature. It can be annoying at first, but once you get used to your roaster, it's not so big of a deal. But be prepared until you know what your roaster will do. And the removable pan you cook in is very big and not very nonstick, so can be a pain to wash unless you have an extra large sink. Spraying it down in the sink while it's still hot does help with clean-up, but it's never easy to wash. It does take up a lot of counter space while using it.
I have the buffet inserts, and they work great for taco/nacho parties. I put the hot items in their own compartment (meat, beans, cheese sauce), and they stay hot the entire time. And, again, it's portable, so you can take it to an event to use this way. If we have a big crowd at the holidays and serve family style, I put in the buffet insert after the turkey is done, fill them with the hot sides (potatoes, stuffing, veggies, etc), and it keeps those 3 hot dishes hot through out the entire meal. Very handy!! If you do a web search, you'll find a ton of great ideas and recipes for your roaster. There are very dedicated roaster users out there that have great information that I recommend you look at.
Like I said, I initially got it for holiday meals, but find I'm reaching for it for so many other events. Just watch the temperature!

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Hamilton Beach 33133H 3-in-1 Slow Cooker, White Review

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(More customer reviews)I am very happy with this, but it is enormous. With the handles, it's 15.5" across - i wasn't expecting anything that big. So keep that in mind when you factor in where you plan to store it. But it operates very well, have not had any problem at all with overheating, which seems to be a major complaint of many brands and models, and have tried it with several recipies using the 2- and 4-quart size bowls. On Target site, multiple people complined that it stopped working shortly after purchase. That worried me, but so far I have been lucky, and it's working fine.

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Black & Decker TRO480BS Toast-R-Oven 4-Slice Toaster Oven Review

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(More customer reviews)We looked at a number of ovens and wanted something that did the basic things and didn't take up too much space. No convection (we have a convection oven) and no digital - its just a basic appliance. We looked at the B&D 240 but this just seemed too basic and too flimsy. Then we saw this one. It has all the basics, it's a good, small size and its silver / black which matches our kitchen. It has 3 controls (as compared to the basic model w/ 2) making it easy to select temp, function and time. The handle is securely attached to the glass door -the metal ends wrap around the glass so it won't fall off (a complaint about other ovens). It has a nice slide out crumb tray that has access from the front with the oven door close - this makes it very easy to empty. Nicely toasted our first bagel in just a few minutes and it was very evenly browned, something our regular toaster did not do well at all.
Pros
Gets hot fast
Basic controls work well
Easy access crumb tray
Even toasting and heating
Cons
Not many
The top and sides do get hot so don't store anything on this!


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Hamilton Beach 33135 3-in-1 Slow Cooker with 2-, 4-, and 6-Quart Crocks, Stainless Steel Review

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(More customer reviews)I just got the 3-in-1 a few days ago and have only used it once, but I'm so impressed! I almost got a single-crock six-quart slow cooker before I discovered this one, and I'm so pleased that I purchased this one instead.
Like others, I really appreciate the three crocks, the clever way they nest and that one lid fits all. The two- and four-quart crocks are easier to handle than the six, especially in the sink, so I expect to get a lot more use out of this than if I had gone with a single-crock six. Also, the two smaller crocks fit in my microwave, and the six would not -- very handy for heating the leftovers. I'm glad to have the six-quart crock as well as the other two, though.
The unit seems more sturdily constructed than some I saw in stores. I personally prefer the simple knob over the programmable touchpads. As at least one other reviewer mentioned, the high and low settings really do seem to work.
I wish you could use the lid in the microwave, but you can't, probably because it has a metal rim. A 10-1/4" dinner plate served as a nicely fitting substitute, but it was more difficult to remove from the steaming crock than it would have been using the crock's lid with its knob. This one complaint is a minor one and not important enough to downgrade to four stars in light of the unit's great assets.


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Crock-Pot SCR503UM 5-Quart Round Manual Slow Cooker With Dipper, Stainless Steel Review

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(More customer reviews)This 5 qt crock pot is a terrible buy. It burns everything on high and on low. It does not burn on warm but takes forever to cook. I would not recommend this product to anyone. It is a waste of money.

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VitaClay VF7900-4 Chef Gourmet 8-Cup Rice and Slow Cooker Pro, Brushed Stainless Review

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(More customer reviews)PROs:
- easy to clean and use
- both brown and white rice are cooked perfectly.
- overall design and look is sleek
- rice retains its taste and texture even after a few days
CONs:
- size, occupies to much space
- `rice cooking` indicator light stopped working after 2 weeks
- cooking time is a little bit longer than regular rice cookers
- claypot should be handled with care as it might break
Overall I would recommend this product for its health benefits and quality of cooked rice.


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