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Here is a link that might be useful: Crockpot source

You may find this summary of reviews for slow cookers helpful. It also cites several magazines that provide reviews. You might be able to find copies in your local library.

I hope this helps,
Carol

Here is a link that might be useful: Summary of Slow Cooker Reviews

I like the ones with a *keep warm* setting. *Low* and *high* are good for cooking but you need *keep warm* too.

For general purpose I would go bigger...something big enough to put a whole chicken in. My biggest one is eight quarts...hard to find.

I can't imagine having one slow cooker. I go for looks (black crock in stainless), size, and three settings. Price is secondary. The ones I like best generally fall at the cheaper end of the spectrum.

The last one I purchased was round six quarts at Walmart for about twenty bucks. I use the six quart and the eight quart pots the most.

The crocks with the programmable feature are all rather ugly IMO and I don't think it adds much value.

Zeuspaul

I know what I want, and I've been shopping online, but I was really hoping for a reliable brand that someone had used and was pleased with.

I have the Corningware programmable 4 quart slow cooker. It was a wedding gift, and even though I didn't pick it out, I am not disappointed. Programming it is easy, and it cooks plenty of food for DH and me for a few meals. I usually make chili, a chicken casserole, or beef stew with it. The container itself is a large French White Corning casserole dish, which is pretty on the table.

I have the rival programmable (its in the link provided). I love it. I got it at Kohls on sale and got one of the little bitty ones as a free gift last year. I think all of the department stores carry them so the key is wait until there is a small appliance sale.~never pay full price. It has high low and warm and you can specify the amount of time you need it to cook. I like the feature because you can forget about it and dont have to worry about coming home if you leave the house. I make tons of stuff in it from pulled pork to spaghetti sauce. I am single as well but it is easy to clean and i prefer the larger size so I can do big things for when i have company and if I only need to make a small amount i still use it.

Good luck!

Dawn

I also have the Rival Programmable Smart-Pot. I bought it at Costco a few years ago, and actually love the timer feature. ItÂs great if youÂre going to be out all day and want to come home to something warm, or if you want to make hot cereal for the morning. The first pot that I got cooked too hot, and the lid didnÂt fit snugly, so I returned it to Costco for a different one of the same model. I have found that it also cooks a bit on the hot side. I have actually scorched a number of things, and didnÂt know it was possible prior to doing so. The lid doesnÂt fit very well either, but I remedy that by putting some wadded up tin foil under the lid to ensure a better seal. Also, if I am cooking for one or two, and the level of food is low, I use tin foil again as a bit of a trick. Placing a large piece under the lid and barely above the level of the food makes it cook better. Just bend it into place and hold it down with the lid. Apparently the crock-pot is designed to be 2/3 full or fuller, and cooks better that way. It works great!

I've read reviews on Amazon complaining that the Rival crock pot cooks too high and too hot, even on a lower setting.

Spikeysmom, good point about the sale. I was thinking about the 4 quart size. Since there's only me, I don't need the bigger size for everyday. If I'm cooking peach butter or pasta sauce, I can do more batches if I have to.

I ended up getting the Hamilton Beach 6-quart programmable slow cooker from Amazon. The price had been cut by several dollars, and shipping was free. It's a bit bigger than I preferred, but seemed like the best one.

Somewhere I have one of those tiny crock pots, if it hasn't gotten lost in the move. I may just not have unpacked enough to find it.