crock pot that's best for cholent

kinderCK

Sun, Jun 28 2009, 8:40 am

Are you happy with your crock pot? I need to buy a new one.. looking for recommendations

thanks

chocolate moose

Sun, Jun 28 2009, 8:42 am

you need one that doesn't turn off automatically !

Rubber Ducky

Sun, Jun 28 2009, 10:41 am

I am very happy with my Farberware slow cooker. It runs much cooler than others I have owned. My previous crock pot, a Rival, burned cholent even when set on low. I use the Farberware set on high (with lots of water) and the cholent comes out creamy and flavorful.

Here is a link: Farberware slow cooker

mamacita

Sun, Jun 28 2009, 9:26 pm

This is the one I have and it's amaaaaazing!

http://www.amazon.com/Hamilton.....8BT0A

It is one base with 3 different sized carafes. 2qt, 4qt & 6qt.

I can always make just the right amount of cholent instead of eating it all week with my previous large one. Also on YT I can have several dishes for several meals set and jusst swap off which one is in the crockpot.

Mommy3.5

Sun, Jun 28 2009, 11:51 pm

I Have a wesbend. I hate it, But I dropped my hamilton beach one and this was all the store had.

kinderCK

Tue, Jun 30 2009, 1:05 pm

Quote:

This is the one I have and it's amaaaaazing!

http://www.amazon.com/Hamilton.....8BT0A

This one looks great... I have a couple of questions.. what are the settings? does it have a keep warm setting? also, reviews say that the low setting is VERY hot and things cook quicker than other crockpots.. what's your experience? does the cholent get burnt/dried out at all? I like to turn mine on during the week by 8am and not need to worry about it til 5 so not sure it'll be right .. can you let me know? tx

yummydd

Tue, Jun 30 2009, 1:12 pm

Make sure that whatever one you get, its one where the side walls come up all the way, cause they have some like this http://www.slow-cooker.com/ima.....r.jpg and it doesnt cook as good as the other ones its just like a hot plate.

grin

Wed, Dec 29 2010, 9:20 am

I'd like to replace my crock pot now so I'm reviving this thread.

(I posted in the Israel section, but got zilch responses. I guess it's because we didn't have a blizzard to keep us glued to the computer. Rolling Eyes

)

suzyq

Wed, Dec 29 2010, 9:47 am

I have two and I like both of them, have never had a problem. The only thing I don't like is on my smaller one, there is no keep warm setting.

My big one for when I have a full table is this one -
http://www.amazon.com/Hamilton.....r=1-8

My smaller one is this one (I think, I bought mine so long ago it's probably changed a bit by now) -
http://www.amazon.com/Crock-Po.....=1-39

grin

Wed, Dec 29 2010, 11:04 am

I looked online now and it seems that I'm quite limited as to the brands I can buy here in Israel. (I don't think it's feasible to have such a thing shipped from the US and besides, I need to use it with a different electrical current.)

What I see so far for sale here is: neoflam, Graetz , Selmor , Morphy Richard, Kenwood, and Breville. (I assume these are all either European or Chinese, as are all appliances here.)

Is anyone familiar with these brands of crockpots (or slow-cookers, as they call them here)?

Dassie

Fri, Jan 27 2012, 12:39 pm

no question the magic mill crock pot is the best; especially made for the frummer olam. Also the flat cover make sit into a bleck. Very practical.

Mevater

Tue, Apr 24 2012, 2:16 pm

Dassie wrote:

no question the magic mill crock pot is the best; especially made for the frummer olam. Also the flat cover make sit into a bleck. Very practical.

What makes it best?

Ive had the Hamilton Beach 33160 6 quart oval with ceramic insert and love it, but I just cracked the lid.

For Pesach I bought a Pro Chef (rectangular shape) at the Buzz and the non-stick pot is a thin piece of junk that burned a roast. I think a heavy ceramic insert is important for good results.

yksraya

Tue, Apr 24 2012, 2:33 pm

I have the crockpot brand 4.5 qt. I bought it in target for $20. they have a 7 qt.oval for $30. I really like it.

ra_mom

Tue, Apr 24 2012, 2:36 pm

Hamilton Beach or Rival/Crockpot. Hands down.

I love the oval shaped ones. Great for using during the week for laying down chicken pieces.

Mevater

Tue, Apr 24 2012, 6:58 pm

Those who love the Magic Mill, what do you like about it? (I have a friend that says it makes a great Chulent).

smoms

Wed, Apr 25 2012, 12:05 pm

I really like my Magic Mill. That said, I have used a Rival ceramic insert crockpot in the past, and I think the final result between the two is pretty much the same.

What I prefer about the Magic Mill is the heavy weight glass cover, since it heats food up extremely well and it’s so convenient. Overall, the hotplate cooks very evenly and heats up to much higher temperatures than the insert crockpots. I rely on the hotplate for Yom Tov cooking and warming up foods.
Another advantage, you can brown the meat and onions straight in the pot. Although, I sometimes skip that step when using my Rival, and as said before, haven’t noticed much of a difference in the cholent. My Rival cooks very slowly, which I found very annoying when putting up the cholent late on Friday.

Now for the disadvantages:

It’s really not the greatest quality. The non stick interior will wear off with use, but, even though it's not cheap, I keep on buying it again, based on the above reasons.

It takes some trial and error to find the perfect low setting for Shabbos use. And as the non stick interior wears off, you will have to readjust your settings again (otherwise it will burn). The insert crockpots are definitely more foolproof for Shabbos use, since they distribute the heat from all sides, not only from the bottom, it is much less likely to burn. After a while, they become impossible to clean. I guess I burn my cholent often, because I replace mine once a year.

(there are some who hold that the insert crockpots are an issur of hatmanah)

Previously I had a Westbend (similar style-years ago they used to make the heavy glass cover. I think when they discontinued it, the Magic Mill was born.), but it had an annoying hot spot at the center, while the sides of the pot were barely cooked. So when comparing the Magic Mill to the Westbend or others of similar style, Magic Mill is definitely the best. However, compared to the insert crockpots, Magic Mill is definitely inferior in quality, but offers other options that fit my needs.

Mevater

Wed, Apr 25 2012, 2:12 pm

Thanks smoms! That was a real professional sounding, easy to understand review! Since I havent been told I shouldnt use it, Im going to replace mine with another Hamilton Beach with stoneware insert.

Dolly Welsh

Wed, Apr 25 2012, 3:33 pm

I like the Rival Smart Pot because you can tell it to be on High for 4 or 6 hours, and then to turn itself down to Low. It is oval, and has a ceramic insert. I hear you can use Reynolds disposable liner bags, but I never have so far. Put some celery sticks on the bottom; prevents any sticking.

Because it turns itself down, instead of just staying at the initial setting, I can be sketchy about the timing, a great convenience.

blueberrypie

Thu, Jul 05 2018, 8:26 am

Does anyone have an updated recommendation for 2018? TIA!