I've been looking for a new slow cooker for well over a year. I've looked at Kitchenaid, All-Clad, VersaWare, etc. But didn't purchase one until I saw the Rival Smart-Set Crock-Pot (SCVC601) on a Target end-cap for just $34.98. Couldn't believe the price and the features were great. I loved the idea of starting at high and switching to low without being home, having the option of a probe, the hinged lid, a large digital display, 3 temperatures...it seemed to good to be true. And it was. I did an impulse buy without doing any research.
I've cooked two meals in it using recipes from the book that came with the cooker - so one would think these would perform flawlessly. But, both were terribly dried out and flavorless, partly due to the poorly fitting lid that let lots of steam escape and partly due to the high temp for cooking even when set on low. The stew boiled (we're talking a rolling boil here) even though the pot was set on low. The chicken, which called for 6-8 hours on low, must have been done within 3 based on what I found in the pot when I returned home from work. All the meat had fallen off the bones. What a mess.
I'm not giving up yet though. I so love the features that I want to be sure that there's no way of working around the flaws before I take it back. I may try tricking it by cooking on high for 20 minute and letting it switch over to its warm setting. I’m also trying to figure out how to seal the lid a little better with some type of weight on the lid or a food-safe seal of some sort around the edges of the lid. But if I have to go to this much trouble, is it really worth keeping?
