New Crock Pots
New-old-stock slow cookers are readily available on EBay. I bought a Hamilton Beach Simmer-On II a couple of years ago there, with Bicentennial sides! Still in the wrapper, 4 quart. What I wanted was that H-B made this one in two types: crockery insert and white milk glass insert. This was the milk glass. I've since given it away since I bought the Instant Pot and use the function on that. But, go on EBay and you'll be surprised at even brand new vintage ones being available.
So many people complain, and rightfully so, about the newer slow cookers boiling the food. It's known that the makers, around 20 years ago, bumped up the thermostats on their slow cookers because people were worried that they weren't getting hot enough! I've owned slow cookers these days that'll happily boil food on the lowest setting. So, any of you out there dissatisfied with the heat range--this is why.
I have a little Proctor-Silex 1.5 quart slow cooker that I'll use to make overnight oatmeal. It's also great for a pot roast for one (me) because it's oval. I'll buy a roast on special at the store, will cut it into smaller chunks, Foodsaver the chunks until I want to make a pot roast for 1-2 meals.
I'd highly recommend the Hamilton-Beach slow cooker that comes with a meat probe. It works! I made piles of roasts, chickens, Cornish game hens in mine. You could just easily set the temp for the meat, tell it what heat setting to use, and leave. It would shift to warm mode after the probe told it that the meat was cooked. I gave it to some friends at church with little kids after getting and using the I-Pot.
I also own on of those 'casserole' model Crock Pots, the one that's very low and square. I've owned it for a couple of years and have hardly used it. I like small appliances and I thought it was cool, but it really is just good for casseroles. I did learn from one of the ladies in our parish that Stouffer's lasagna and some of their other family-sized frozen casseroles fit perfectly into that 9x13 crock insert! Women will cook those up in that Crock Pot and take it to church that way.
Truly, the I-Pot has worked so well for me. I bought it over some of the other, cheaper brands because I didn't want the damn 'non stick' crap on a flimsy aluminum insert. The I-Pot stainless pot is heavy, beautifully made, and has a really heavy base. I have used that insert on my gas range many, many times now for deep frying; it's basically just a good pot with no handle! I pc my potatoes, I can have pork spare ribs ready to serve in less than 45 minutes, etc. But I probably use the slow cooker function more than any. I like the fact that it has 3 heat options, not just high and low. And unless it's on high, when it gets to a gentle boil, it doesn't overhead the food at all. Because of the very heavy base on the insert, when it cycles on and off the food inside doesn't alternately get hotter and cooler. I bought the glass lid for non-pressure cooker so that I can just look at the food without opening the lid. I like my I-Pot so much that I bought a second s.s. insert. I love the fact that if I saute or sear/brown meat before slow cooking, if I need to I can easily take a Brillo pad to the highly polished inner surface without hurting it. I truly don't understand, after 50+ years, why there is still no truly permanent non stick layer for pots. The only non stick that I own is a skillet for doing eggs.
