Cuisinart CSC-650 6.5-Quart Slow Cooker

I'm no expert when it comes to cooking and I'm always looking for shortcuts and other ways to simplify the process of meal preparation. It shouldn't surprise anyone that crock pots are one of my best friends. And when I need to cook up a big batch of food, I reach for my Cuisinart CSC- 650 Slow Cooker, a large crock pot for large meals.

Facts About This Product:

The Cuisinart CSC- 650 Slow Cooker is shaped like a rectangular box with a black, oval, 6.5 quart ceramic pot in the middle that is covered with a glass lid with a small handle in the middle. The dimensions of the "box" are 14 inches (36 cm) in width, 12 inches (30.5 cm) in depth, and 7 inches (18 cm) in height (not counting the handles which add another three inches in width or the ceramic pot and glass top which add another two inches to the height). The body of this slow cooker is made from brushed stainless steel and it has two chrome plated handles- one on each side- that add a sense of strength and security when you need to move the slow cooker from place to place.

Cooking controls on the Cuisinart CSC- 650 Slow Cooker are simple. There is one knob that controls the timing with settings that range from one to eight hours of cooking time. The other knob controls the temperature with settings for low, high, warm, and off. On the top of the unit there are two lights: a yellow light that indicates if the unit is currently keeping food warm and a red/orange light that indicates if the food is cooking.

Cuisinart CSC- 650 Slow Cooker has a steel rack insert for cooking specific foods that need to be elevated above the liquid beneath them. There is also a retractable cord and recipe book. Each Cuisinart CSC- 650 model also comes with a three year warranty.

How to Use:

Cuisinart CSC- 650 works like other slow cookers. You place the food in the ceramic pot, select a heating level (high or low), choose the number of hours you want the food to cook, and then walk away. Cuisinart cooks your food for the number of hours selected and then switches back to warm when the cycle is complete.

Final Thoughts:

Cooking food isn't one of my specialties and because of this, slow cookers are among my favorite kitchen appliances. With my busy schedule and limited free time, I like using slow cookers because I can pour the ingredients into the pot early in the day, set the timer for a good long time, and have fresh, hot food waiting to be served when I come back home. There is less time spent waiting to eat and less time spent preparing food when a slow cooker is the means of food preparation.

I own two slow cookers and my Cuisinart CSC- 650 is my favorite of the two. First, I like the large size of this crock pot. At 6.5 quarts, I can prepare a very large meal and have plenty of leftovers to eat at another time. It also makes a good choice for food preparation when you have a large number of guests to feed. Second, I like the greater amount of control that I have with this crock pot. Rather than have a few hourly settings to choose from in increments of 2 hours, I have complete flexibility with this crock pot. Each individual hour is marked and if I need a fraction of an hour, I can set the knob between two of the hourly settings, for maximum control over the cooking process.

One of the other nice things about this slow cooker is that it automatically switches to warm when it is finished and it has a warm setting so that you can switch directly to warm if you desire. I have another slow cooker that doesn't allow the user to switch directly to warm (see the link at the end of this review). With Cuisinart, I have total control over my cooking. If I think the food is already hot enough, I can turn the bottom knob to warm and discontinue cooking while still keeping the food at a constant temperature until ready to serve.

One thing I have noticed with Cuisinart CSC- 650 Slow Cooker is that you have to be careful when it comes to the temperature setting. As a rule, I avoid using the high setting because it can often get very hot (to the boiling point) and it can overcook some foods. The low setting seems to work best. With the setting on low and the hours set to four or five, food seems to come out just right. You need to experiment a little bit at first to get the temperature and hour settings in sync with each other so that your food is prepared properly. You can also consult the included recipe book as a general guide to follow since it suggests cooking temperatures and times for different meals.

The ceramic pot included with this slow cooker is quite large and I have found it best to bypass the dishwasher and clean it by hand. It is dishwasher safe, of course, but it takes up a good deal of space on the lower dishwasher rack. I have had little trouble cleaning this ceramic pot, even when the food has been cooking for a long period of time. It can get a little burnt, but the food cleans off easily with soap and water.

The appearance of the Cuisinart CSC- 650 is rather utilitarian. It doesn't have the pretty floral patterns or the curvy body that some crock pots offer. Instead, this slow cooker takes on the appearance of a piece of industrial machinery. The square, stainless steel casing makes it look like a piece of equipment to take seriously. Since it isn't the prettiest crock pot I have ever seen, I pack it away when not in use. Unless your kitchen is full of polished stainless steel appliances, this slow cooker won't look right if left permanently on display on your kitchen counter.

Overall, I am happy with the Cuisinart CSC- 650 Slow Cooker and it ranks among my favorite and most practical gifts from over the years. The appearance isn't going to win it any beauty contests but the control it gives you over the cooking process make this a crock pot worth owning. The price is high, but it makes a good choice of crock pot for those who like the flexibility that slow cookers offer and who want a greater degree of control over the heat settings and the length of cook time.




Be sure to click the link below to read my review of my other slow cooker:

Rival 38601 Smart Pot