Slow Cooker Reviews

Rival's name meant I knew the product would be good. I've used a smaller one for years and am completely satisfied. For large family gatherings, it's about time someone came out with a large cooker. Previously I sometimes used two cookers, but there was always a slight difference in taste between the two batches, now that problem is solved. The Chili, Spaghetti Sauce & Gumbo was excellent and I had enough to invite the whole family.

The unit takes up just a little more counter space than the 6.5 quart cooker, but it makes up for that by using only one electrical outlet, (Kitchens never have enough!). The recipes book provided was adequate, but there are many internet sites with excellent recipes.

If you like Crock Pot Cooking and have a large family, or like to invite friends, you'll love the Rival 8 quart Slow Cooker.

We used this crock pot fot the first time yesterday. We cooked a 3 pound chuck shoulder pot roast with carrots, onions and potatoes FOLLOWING EXACTLY THE RECIPE THAT CAME WITH THE INSTRUCTION BOOKLET. It said to slice the potatoes THIN which is a must because after 9 hours cooking on low, they were STILL not done! We sliced the spuds 1/8 inch thick! The carrots, onion and beef were ok. The beef was slightly overdone. I found the pot to cook unevenly. Since you only add 1 cup of liquid, it is not enough to cover everything, so some things cook faster than others. Next time we will try cooking on high and see if it improves.

Chicken, roasts and other longer-than-wide foods fit nicely into this pot. It holds one quart more than the 5 quart cylindrical Rival pot. For large crowds, this may be an added advantage,yet it is still a good size for the average family. So it is more flexible than the cylindrical 5 quart pot in how much it holds and what kinds of foods you can cook in it.

The removable liner is a MUST! Normally to clean a crockpot, you must be careful not to wet the electrical socket or you run the risk of shorting it out the next time it is used. Here, you can remove the liner and clean it separately. A great advantage.

This pot also has an optional insulated carrier. I recommend this option highly. You'll appreciate it the first time you want to take your crockpot to a covered dish dinner or barbecue.

This has everything you'd need in a crock pot. That's why I give it 5 stars.

I bought this crock pot as a replacement for a 4 qt crock that was centuries old. Clean up is a BREEZE! Being able to remove the pot to soak is wonderful. The exterior stays cool to the touch. What more could one ask for?

I purchased the crock-pot on sale at a local store and when it was opened on Christmas morning and set the crock into the heating unit it rocked. The lid fit well, but the crock rocked no matter which way it was placed in the heating unit. When I went to exchange the item, the store did not have any in stock, nor did any other store in the area. Now I loose the $5 I saved on the sale or hope a store receives a shipment in soon.

First i must say that I bought this crock pot on a whim. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT. It's a great size for my family and there is not one dish that i haven't made that hasn't tasted delicious.
I like the design because it is very sleek and i like that it has the print on it, because it matches my kitchen theme. If your looking for something inexpensive,affordable & reliable-this is the pot for you. It is very easy to clean and manage. the warm setting is the best, if you're not going to eat your food immediately when it is done.

I got this crock pot as a wedding gift and love it. I just throw in some frozen chicken (yes, frozen, can you believe it?) in the morning and by the time I come home from work in the evening, dinner is ready. I have used it a few times since we got married only 6 weeks ago. It has made my life much easier since I don't have to work so hard to get dinner ready when I get home from work. Cleanup has been easy so far. A quick hand wash and it is ready to go for the next day. My mom owned one of the original Rival Crock pots and it lasted almost 30 years. She has since purchased another Rival and is very happy yet again. I hope my Rival lasts as long as hers.

I purchased this Crock Pot for my wife for her birthday and we have been very unhappy.

At first I thought we should just wait until we got used to it before being too critical. We have been using it once or twice a week for over 4 months now and I still don't like it.

The lid does not fit well. When the lid is on the pot, there is a gap on both sides that allows steam to escape. Every recipe that we make requires much more liquid than it calls for since most of it evaporates. Even recipes from the Rival cook book require more liquid. Along with the escaping liquid is escaping flavor. Recipes that we have loved for years are much less appetizing than they were with our old pot.

Vegetables are not cooked properly. We cut our vegetables to a reasonable size as we did with our old pot, but even after 10 hours on low, they are not properly cooked.

In short, this pot produces half-cooked, dried out food. Buy at your own risk.

We will be replacing ours as soon as I can find a better one.

I love this crock pot. Loved the fact that it had two seperate crocks, one of which being divided. That was a nice surprise when I opened the box. I also love the fact that it comes with the travel bag. I have had no problems with mine. The glass lid is a bit heavy and cumbersome. But all in all I love it, and will order more if they are available to give as gifts!!

Amazon shipping is amazing. I received this item in 4 days from across the country. I was very impressed and happy with how fast I received it. Thanks so much Amazon.com!!

my crockpot and i have been all around the world. she has cooked many a feast and is still going strong. however, last time i had her out i broke the handle into pieces and i need to purchase a new one. i am having no luck; does anyone have any ideas? like i said i have moved around a lot (thank God for the travel bag) and i seem to have lost my booklet so i am rendered helpless for the time being. any leads would be greatly appreciated. enjoy your crockpots!!!!

Deja vu! I thought I was reading my own words when I read the other customer reviews. Looks great, cooks okay, but the lid doesn't fit. It clanks and drips hot steam all during cooking. To top it off, the outside gets dangerously hot causing the handles to crack and break. Praise the Lord, I was not trying to lift the pot at the time the handles started cracking and breaking off in pieces. It could have been hot wassail all over grandma this Christmas! I'm thinking we may have grounds for a law suit. Reckless endangerment or something.

Rival crock pots are the best you're going to get, based on my experience. Since someone was confused by the negative comments, I'd like to address them.
First, having "just" low and high settings (as a reviewer complained) is the standard, and any slow cooker recipe will give you cooking times based on one or the other (or both).
A reviewer also complained about the Low setting being below a simmer and having to cook recipes on High for 6-8 hours. This has not been my experience with the types of dishes I've made. I've had dishes turn out fine when cooked on Low for 8-10 hrs (again, the norm).
A multitude of factors can effect cooking time and it may have to be increased depending on whether the crock is jammed with ingredients, or filled to full capacity, or your beans are old (old dried beans take longer to cook).
As far as the durability of the crock pot...well, it's not a piece of Le Creuset and it certainly doesn't cost as much! With reasonable care this cooker should last long enough to get you your money's worth in use, at the very least.
I'd also recommend anyone new to slow cooking to get a copy of Lora Brody's "Slow Cooker Cooking".

I love this slow cooker, it's just the right size for a family of 2 or 4. I use it to cook roasts all the time and they turn out excellent. Easy cleanup (except for some stains, which I cannot remove, that appear around the inside where the liquid has cooked all day, but not a big problem). Yes, the outside of the unit gets hot but you just know that from reading the manual and don't touch it with your bare hands!! I also like the lid, it's not as heavy and bulky as some of the other brands so I feel more confident while washing it.

I bought 2 Rival Crockpots (slow cookers) over the last 2 months and I had to bring them all back because they were cooking too hot. A slow cooker should not boil on low and you should be able to cook on low and let it cook for 8 to 10 hours. Also, you should be able to slow cook a tough piece of meat and make it tender by keeping it on low. Your meal should not cook in 2 or 3 hours on low. I will never buy a Rival Product again and it seems that even the Programmable ones are defective.

The size is great. The presentation beautiful. The price was awesome.
On a "low" setting it boils..does not simmer. It is too hot!
Have tested it on 2 recipes and have had to throw one of them out..
I am experienced cook and was replacing a 30 year old crock pot!
Was a wee bit hesitant to do another one today, fortunately I came home early enough to salvage it!
It is definately not a "slow cooker"..6 hours cooks everything!
Am sure that the "wraparound " heat has alot to do with it!
Am in hopes that Rival will arrange a FedEx pickup and replace the unit!
I spent hours shopping for this!
Should have gone with the Farberware!

I have been using crockpots for 25 years. To me they are a must have in the kitchen. For what ever the reasons I have owned 4-5. This crockpot is as good as any I have ever owned. I like the removable crock, it makes cleanup a snap, and I serve the meat from it as well. I also make the meal the night before and put it in the fridge. I also like the high and low settings. If I get a little bit of a late start cooking something I turn it on high for a while, then let it cook on low. I love to make corned beef, red potatos and cabbage, and pot roasts in this crock pot because of its size. I also own a small one I use for beans, the crock is not removable and it is harder to clean. You must be careful not to get the components wet. I have seen the programable units, but I just plug mine in in the morning and dinner is ready when I get home.