If you're in a hurry, cook slow!

Well, it’s now January 3rd, 2008. The holidays are over and it’s back to work for my wife and I. To make the transition easier, she mixed up a ham and corn chowder and put it in the fridge. This morning, she poured it into our Rival Model 3735 Slow Cooker, set it to “Low,” and let it cook all day. When we got home after a rough first day back at work, dinner was waiting for us. You can’t beat that for convenience.

We usually like to prepare dinner in the evening, but we use the slow cooker two or three times a month. It’s a real time-saver for when we’re rushed or just don’t want to cook at night. We use it for stews, soups, casseroles, and it makes a really juicy and tender pot roast.


Description:

Rival was the first company to introduce a slow cooker, which they called the “Crock Pot” in 1971. Today, Rival still dominates the market. The Rival Model 3735 Slow cooker is oval shaped, has a 3 1/2 quart capacity, and a removable, dishwasher-safe, stick-resistant stoneware liner. It is 9.25 inches high, 14 inches wide and 9.25 inches deep. It has two heat settings, “Low,” and “High,” and has a power rating of 190 Watts. For more even cooking it uses a “wrap-around heat” design, meaning the heating elements are in the walls of the appliance, as well as in the bottom. The lid is clear glass with a metal rim all the way around it and a plastic handle in the middle.


Experience:

This slow cooker has been invaluable when we had to be somewhere early in the evening for an appointment or one of the kids’ events. My wife loads it with the fixings for a meal in the morning and we simply eat it when we get home. It just can’t get any easier.

The oval shape is a definite plus because it uses less counter space. Cleanup is a cinch, just lift the liner out and wash it in the sink. The non-stick surface is very easy to clean compared to regular pots and pans. It usually takes only a little scrubbing to remove all of the residue. The lid is a little bit more of a challenge, though. If food gets in the groove around the metal rim of the lid it is hard to get it all out.

Most of the time the food tastes really good, but occasionally it has a bit of a scorched flavor. Not badly scorched, just slightly noticeable. Also, with only a 3 1/2 quart capacity there aren’t a lot of leftovers. With our family of four we sometimes run out of the main dish. It doesn’t make enough for seconds.

This model has had some problems in the past. Rival issued a recall for this and a few other models made between 1999 and 2004. On those slow cookers, the handles would get hot and and break off creating a safety hazard. Rival replaced the base units for those slow cookers. Ours was made after the recall, so we’ve fortunately never had any problems with it.


Final Thoughts:

We have really enjoyed the convenience and versatility of this slow cooker. I think everyone should have one. We will probably replace it in the near future with a larger capacity one, though. Even if we don’t eat all of the food we cook, we can save the leftovers. I would also recommend getting one that has a keep-warm setting.