A Reptilian Addition to the Kitchen Menagerie

[rp2813]

The little old ladies' thrift store produced yet another item I couldn't pass up.

 

It's Dominion's iteration of a HB product.  The name alone is what sold me, and is worth every penny of the $3 I paid.  For those who share my appreciation, I've attached a picture.

 

I've wiped it down but it needs further cleaning and scratches touched up.  It begs to be used, simply for the ability to say how dinner got cooked.

 

 

 

 

 

[rp2813]

Apologies for the double post.  The first attempt didn't want to post so I hit "stop," edited, previewed, successfully posted, then found the first one actually did post.

 

[whirlcool]

How is this reptilian? I thought you were going to bake an eel.

 

[retropia]

Yes, I agree that a silly product name was worth the $3 spent, all by itself. Your friends and family will all want their very own Crock-A-Dial, but alas, you have the only one left!

This Dominion product has a non-removable crock, correct? That was the only thing I didn't really like about my old Rival Crock Pot, as it made cleanup more work.

I wonder how the Auto Shift feature operates?

 

[rp2813]

Auto-Shift

Yes, it's the old school non-removable crock, which is a drawback, but a forgivable one.  I only own 6-quart size slow cookers currently, an 80's HB round one in rather plain white with Auto-Shift and removable crock, and a late model Farberware oval one in stainless with black crock.  The Crock-A-Dial will be good for smaller amounts, so that has earned it a place on the basement shelf with other small appliances that don't see regular use.

 

The Auto-Shift feature was, I believe, a HB exclusive in the beginning, so being a Scovill subsidiary, Dominion also offered it.  The Auto-Shift provides the convenience of starting the cooking process on high heat to get things going, then bumps down to low heat for the remainder of the cooking time.  I've never seen a four-quart size from this period with Auto-Shift, so the Crock-A-Dial had more than enough selling points for me to grab it.

 

Pretty as it may be, the recently acquired Penncrest fryer/slow cooker contraption will be getting the boot.  It never made it into the house.  We don't deep fry ever (and it's missing its basket) and I discovered a hairline crack in the bottom of the crock.

 

Allen, I don't know what to tell you.  If they called it an alligator I'd probably be asking your same question.

 

[petek]

I've never seen a Dominion variant either and I'd certainly have grabbed that for $3 as well.. We had a HB with auto shift and non removable crock years ago but I can't recall what ever became of it. It must have stopped working and got tossed is all I can think of and I never replaced it until a year or so back when I bought a new HB 6 qt set and forget model.

 

[yogitunes]

Turtle Soup.....and make it snappy!

cute as hell.....yeah I would have grabbed it too!....

after all, they could have left the "R" out of the name....and have every guy here clutching his pearls...

and there may have been a market for slow cooked crocodile/aligator in the everglades!....who knew!

and if you order Frog Leg's in a French Restaurant, what do they do with the rest of the Frog?

 

[norgeway]

I have..

The Hamilton Beach version with removable liner, the auto shift is great.

 

[xraytech]

That's indeed an interesting name Ralph
I have two 4 quart models of that era from Hamilton Beach
One is a non removable crock the other is a removable crock and they both have the automatic shift.

The Hamilton Beach cookers are nice but I far prefer the vintage rival slow cookers I have

 

[whirlcool]

Ah, I see the problem with the name, it didn't register with me when I first read it. Crock a dial! Ah, I got it now.

There is a pizza place in Miami that serves a pizza with alligator and boa constrictor meat on it. The Boa is imported from Viet Nam. But I imagine with all the problems they are having with Boa's in the everglades they could source that meat locally. They call the pizza "The Everglades Pizza".

Personally, it's not my cup or tea, ever.

 

[sudsmaster]

Well, I've eaten (and enjoyed) frog's legs (although the French neighbor who gave them to me had them rather undercooked) and rabbit, so I don't think I'd turn down a well prepared dish just because it had snake or alligator meat in it. Escargot is another matter... not enough garlic and oil in the world to cover up that thing.

Ralph, now I'm thinking I need to visit your "little old lady thrift shop" the next time I'm down in San Jose. We have a similar one up here in town but they never seem to have anything much of interest.

 

[rp2813]

Rabbit, snake, frog, alligator, eel, armadillo, escargot and mmmmm -- sweetbreads (which I got a fellow member hooked on a while back), pretty much name it and I'll eat it or at least give it at try, with perhaps the exception of certain Japanese delicacies that I simply can't even imagine as food, and the slimy clear cold noodles that are often paired with them.

 

Rich, the store is in Los Gatos.  Be advised that I walk out of there empty handed as often as not, and the store is tiny.  It is, however, the same store where I found the fixture for the front porch, so you never know what you might find there. 

 

Here's a link with info (note the Saturday hours):

 

 

Los Gatos, CA Patch - Breaking News, Local News, Events, Schools, Weather, Sports and Shopping

Los Gatos Latest Headlines: Inmate’s Death Identified By Coroner In San Mateo County: Police; 🌱 Patch AM: Spicy lawsuit heats up in Los Gatos; How Much Money Do I Need for a Financial Advisor?

losgatos.patch.com

 

[firedome]

Equally corny name...

is used on out Hamilton Beach version...channelling "clock watcher" perhaps?

However the Auto Shift version is very handy, and overall it works great... plus just LOVE the tacky faux bricks!!

 

[rp2813]

Nice Crock-Watcher.  Yogi, I'm way ahead of you . . .  

 

 

 

[frigilux]

Crock-A-Dial/Crock Watcher: Didn't realize the slow cooking arena was so full of puns! I have a delicious batch of sloppy Joes in my slow cooker as we speak. Unfortunately, mine doesn't have a fun, punning name---or faux brickwork.

 

[xraytech]

Cant forget the Sears badged version, the Simmer-On

 

[yogitunes]

anyone up for 'seconds' of Sloppy Joe?........oh yeah, we can go there!

 

[rp2813]

Or sloppy seconds of a regular Joe . . .

 

The Simmer-On looks so sim-ilar that it must be a HB product as well.  Maybe an earlier model since it has no Auto Shift option.  Seems like HB's marketing department felt that one of the dullest appliances in the kitchen needed a catchy name.  IMO, out of the three badges, Dominion's play on words ran away with it.

 

 

 

[sudsmaster]

Thanks, Ralph. I'll file that info for future reference. I may just pay a visit to my local LOL thrift shop this week. Also... and this may be a little known secret... but there's a thrift shop on the edge of Nob Hill in SF that has great stuff. At least that's what I noticed about 20 years ago. Don't know if it's still there, though. And I couldn't tell you exactly where it is... I simply happened upon it while walking back to my car one day. It did give me a clue that the best thrift shops tend to be on the borders of wealthier communities. It's where the better quality items tend to be found.

Never seen a crock pot with the "auto shift" feature before. It makes sense. Even my new-fangled HB computer controlled crock with temp probe makes you select high or low before it starts cooking. It will, however, auto switch to warm once the preset probe temp is reached. There are probably advantages to using high anyway, since it will help get the contents past the temperature "danger zone" quicker to reduce bacterial growth.