I am a mech. engr. and I love when you take things apart to show how they work and why they do a good job. Just telling me something is best, but not knowing why, is sometimes a let down. I do appreciate the methods you use to determine the best item.
Happens everyday for me. If I don't understand how it fully works and the functions of the product in detail I start to disengage from the product and think about the interests of retailers and all the chain... I want to fully understand what I have with me and be sure Im getting the best for my needs
I love how she said the buttons were satisfying to click and that the timer started counting down to let you know it’s working. These are the details I’m interested in!
I love the rigorous nature of your testing. I have based quite a few of my kitchen decisions on your videos. I hope you keep making these great videos.
I bought the kitchen aid based on your test, and after over a year with it I love it. It cooks perfectly also I love that after the timer is done it automatically goes to keep warm. Which is nice for when I come home later than intended my food is not cold cause it shut off.
I have a 4qt oval Crock-Pot. The outside of the thing is decorated with ivy and the crock is dark green. It has served me well for many many years. It was made in the US and I bought it at Wall-Mart for 19.95. One knob: High, Low, Off. Works great. It's all I need.
Its worth mentioning that only manual knob style slow cookers will work with seperate temperature controllers. These cheap controls from Inkbird and other brands can easily make a basic slow cooker into a precise Sous Vide water bath. Another use for your plain jane crock pot.
oh my god! This is the BEST review i've ever watched! So detailed, so scientific! Computer monitor? MIT engineer? Hell yea! That's the review i wanna see! Use data to speak the truth!
From what I understand Kitchenaid hires a heck of a lot of engineers who are interested in performance, whereas the other companies (I'm looking at you Hamilton Beach) hire a lot of marketing dweebs to try and 'push' whatever rumbles off their assembly line. It's the difference between trying to understand and meet demand and trying to force demand.
Not really. The difference is in how much they charge. You can just sell better stuff when you charge 2-5 times more. Not everyone can afford really expensive stuff, or they hardly use the item and don't want to pay so much for something they rarely use. But I'll bet Kitchen aid makes a higher percentage of profit per item. If you double the quality of most items, you're really only increasing the cost to actually manufacture it by 10-20 percent max. So when it costs twice as much, most of that extra cost is just going into their pockets. Some of extra money is what they use to hire extra engineers and research more stuff. It has absolutely nothing to do with demand. Each company is servicing a different market. If 90% of your cooking is opening boxes and cans(majority of people), it's retarded to own a KitchenAid, or any other high end kitchen equipment.
Well we been through two kitchen aids and there junk crockpots! First one 4 months quit kitchen aid gladly sent another around 10 months and it quit it also doesn’t seem to be a very hot crockpot had to cook usually longer times compared to other crockpots. The engineers need to find better quality parts and manufacturing because it isn’t there in the kitchen aid.
@@KW-cq4yr, I just left a similar comment. I wish it had come with a guide booklet because it's been an ordeal trying to figure out the cooking times. Everything takes so much longer to cook, and I gave up using the low setting at all. If mine breaks down I won't buy another Kitchenaid.
And yet Kitchenaid has its failures. Silicon potholders... those got way too hot, way too soon to be useful. Some of the attachments that run on the mixers aren't that efficient. People complain that the more recent versions of their coffee grinder have underpowered motors. However.. the slow cooker does look like a win. My point isn't that nothing they do is good. Just that each product still needs to be investigated on it's own, like anything else.
Robert Pruitt I know your comment is old but I agree with you on Hamilton beach. My home had 4 ceiling fans In it 3 Hamilton beach fans went out the first 4 years the 1 hunter fan in the living room is still ticking 12 years later..ridiculous
I have a Hamilton Beach Slow Cooker and I have not had any issues with it. It actually works quite well, I've made Chicken and Rice soup and also I've cooked Turkey Legs and they always came out great.
We have a good old-fashioned Crock Pot oval about 6 quarts with the dial for Off Low High and Warm and it works fine for us. To keep track of cooking time we just set a timer. We are actually using it slightly more often than our oven for meals.
Nice video, you may also want to checkout the review of Winning America Now on my blog here at *gohonestreviews. com/winning-america-now-review/* Thanks, Ginger.
I can't get there from here so I'll post it here on crock pot ribs. If you add a ceramic coffee cup upside down in the crock pot it will produce a vacuum and prevent the ribs from getting soggy even better. Found it by accident trying to keep ribs upright in the crock pot. Love your show, watch often.....even if its reruns!! Best how to cooking show I can find!
A basic one is a must in a kitchen. I am on my second one. If you prepare your vegetables, saute and then add, the flavor is much better. With chowders, add the seafood at the end for the last 10 to 15 minutes. Aged steak floured and sauteed and added again at the end produces the best results. Many thanks for these wonderful videos. Kind regards and greetings from Africa.
Oval Shapes are more versatile as to what you cook in a slow cooker, meaning you can do roasts and loaves. But round allows for more consistent cooking by avoiding cold spots. The cooking occurs from heating elements wrapped around the well that the ceramic bowl sits in; heat travels in from the outer surface of the ceramic bowl, so obviously a stretched (oval) shape will affect the cooking. Six to Eight quarts may allow more versatility by allowing roasts and loaves, but it also means a HUGE appliance footprint that may be impractical or impossible for a small/tiny kitchen. If you have an oven, leave roasts and loaves for baking there. Also, very small kitchens are also usually burdened with very small freezers and refrigerators, so slow-cooking in volume usually results in leftovers difficult to store. One rule of thumb says slow cooker volume should equal 1 quart per person in the household plus 1 quart more; so a 3-person home would need a 4qt slow cooker and someone living alone could get by with a 2 or 2.5 qt slow cooker. The biggest issue for slow cookers is that any slow cooker less than 4qts is unlikely to have a timer or shut-off mechanism. That means you can't risk the fire hazard of leaving a 3qt slow cooker to cook all day while you're at work or in class. Slow cookers under 4qt have just the On/Off, High, Low, Warm settings, requiring you be present to monitor how 'done' the contents become AND manually change the setting (they aren't automatic), to avoid burning the food. Manufacturers are missing an important market of singles (retirees, chronically-ill, students, single parents) who would love AT LEAST the safety feature of an auto-shutoff feature. This would increase the utility and desirability of small-volume slow cookers as well as protect customers (who may upgrade their slow cookers in the future) who had to go out or had fallen asleep while the slow cooker was on. For safety's sake, it's a good idea to always plug your slow cooker into a timing device, to shut the appliance off after a period of your choosing. Outlet-positioned timing devices are marketed to fool potential thieves into believing someone's home because the lights come on (while you're actually away); they can be applied in these instances to provide protection.
looking to replace my 38 year old 4 qt crock pot with a still intact ceramic insert (no one is allowed to touch the insert - guess that is why it is still going strong) and was very glad to see your reviews. My new kitchenaid is on it's way, I will no longer have to cut a roast in half to get it in the crock pot.
joe b I know right 😭 I bought mine 6qt Crock-pot on clearance in the summer of 2007 for 12$ (It's a red 2006 Christmas special model). Simple low/high/warm knob. Never fail a meal. Can't justify buying a new one bc this one keeping on going.
My husband was gifted a $10 or $15 Hamilton Beach slow cooker 3 qt. back in college and we still use it to this day (over 10 years)...granted, the band broke but we've macgivered it with a stretchable keychain band, and sometimes, I wish it was programmable. However, for just us or for a small gathering of 5-6 people, we've made an assortment of beef roasts, beans, meatballs, pulled pork, and chicken recipes. It's turned out to be a very useful, lightweight kitchen appliance for its size, ease of use and durability.
One of the BEST investments in a "crock pot" I ever made was purchasing a small cooker that holds EXACTLY one soup or stew can contents. As a teacher, our contract allows us for a 30-minute DUTY FREE lunch period. There isn't time to go out to get lunch, even at a fast food joint (if one were anywhere near the site). So, I'd get to school at 6 when the gates opened and begin my day's prep with setting up the little crock pot in an area where the students couldn't access it, emptying the soup can into it, turning it on, and, when my lunch time came around (the faculty had staggered lunches), the soup was hot and ready to eat. They are usually sold in places like Big Lots, Kmart, Walmart, and Target during the "Back to School/Back to College" sales in late summer.
I really enjoyed the "dissection" of the various models so we could see their inner workings. Unfortunately, though, the winning KitchenAid model has enough articulate negative reviews on Amazon to warrant a second evaluation and testing. I certainly am not convinced that it's a good buy.
I would like to see them test some of the small sizes of these items for those of us that are only cooking for 1 or 2 people. If I used a slow cooker that large I would be wasting a lot of food even with eating leftovers and freezing extra portions.
Based on this and other reviews I ended up buying the Kitchenaid. It works well, but just know that you have to add a lot more cooking time for almost all recipes. Anything that calls for a low setting I use medium and add up to 2 more hours. Anything on high can take an extra hour or two, as well. The cooker didn't come with a recipe book so it's been a difficult time trying to adjust timing. It took me 10 hours to cook a 3 lb chuck roast and still wasn't as tender as I've seen others. We were famished by then so we just ate it as is. I wish it had come with a guide booklet.
i noticed that the amazon reviews mention missing rubber gaskets and very poorly fitting lids. i bet that's what is messing up the cook times. i was going to get this model because of ATK recommendation but after seeing this type of review im getting very "meh" on this model
Yeah I ordered this model too and it dose not get hot enough to cook anything I put some carrots and water in this crock pot for 15 hours on high and they were still raw
I have the Crock Pot one that's controlled by an app. In addition to app control, there's also ONE manual button on the front of the unit that cycles through high, low, warm and off so it's odd these people had a hard time using it. Timer functions are accessed through the app exclusively which is very basic and lets you control any function of the slow cooker from a remote location. Since most people set these things and then take off, being able to control them remotely is a Godsend. It cooks great too.
Thank you for being the most in-depth and scientific review I've been able to find while I look for a slow cooker to buy. Everything else is just an advertisement.
I have the Ninja 3-1 Cooking System and it is the best slow cooker I have ever used. So good in fact I bought one for my sister-in-law, one for my older brother and a spare for myself. Ninja products are great and the 3-1 system is awesome because you can sear the meat in the same vessel you will be slow cooking so you don’t lose any flavor.
I'm currently frustrated and astounded that there is not a single crockpot for sale on amazon that meets my entirely reasonable standards. I just want something big, with a ceramic insert, which is good enough. Like how Crockpot was thirty years ago. There's literally NOTHING in this space right now. I'm willing to overpay like crazy just to get something good that works, and I LITERALLY can't. There isn't a single option on the market that isn't either crap, or else stuffed with fake and/or bought reviews. I don't understand. Do people just not use slow-cookers anymore? Aren't people turning away from teflon in general?? WHAT IS GOING ON I've tried bestbuy and walmart and so on -- they don't have anything either. All Crockpot or Hamilton Beach or hugely overpriced models by other companies with horrible reviews.
Thank you for your thorough reviews. This is my second time coming to you for an expert comparison review and I don't intend to buy any future appliances without checking in with you all first.
Lots of great information on how slow cookers work. I would also love to see a review of countertop pressure cookers. Whether they are better and/or safer than the stove-top kind.
I have an Instant Pot and I love it. Much better than the old stovetop pressure cookers. I’m 62 so I’ve used several of the old stovetop ones. You have to time them, take great care if letting out steam or transporting to the sink to run cold water on them to cool them down. If you didn’t do it all just right, they could explode. I never had any of them explode but my high school friend had one explode, hit the ceiling, and land on her ankle, fracturing it. The Instant Pot has a digital timer display and a easy to use valve to let steam out. Much better that the old designs.
Since this was done a few years ago, it would be really helpful to get an updated video. Now this model only comes with Alexa, but if that's not something we are interested in, it would be nice to know what non-Alexa/non-app based slow cooker is recommended.
Lisa, Thanks for this review. I like the note about Kitchen Aid's insulated body. The 'deal breaker' detail of my slow cooker (Hamilton Beach) is that the outside gets so hot it's got to be inefficient - both in energy use and heat distribution. I stopped using it, saving it for a garage sale or target practice, and spend more time at the stove with my 6 qt. Lodge dutch oven. We've grown to become good friends!
I just so appreciate the detail and thoroughness of your equipment reviews. You seem to always check out the things that are important to me in addition to details that had never occurred to me. It was really interesting learning how slow cookers work when you "checked under the hood". :)
Loved the way you conducted the testing and the real facts about the different aspect to consider before buying a crock pot. Súper Good Video! Hats off!!
I have always used Rival Crock Pot brand and now have a new digital one oval...and for me it is as reliable as my 30 year old one..(still have still use!) good for smaller batches!
I've got an original crock pot that is decades old, one knob to turn on and either select high or low. The crock doesn't even come out of the pot as it's permanently attached to the housing. I think I've had this 30-40 years,! Maybe more. It still does the job I want, simple, and keeps going and going and going .....At least now when it finally kicks the bucket, I'll know which replacement to buy. I appreciate these to the point thorough reviews. Thank you! I'm curious about these new insta pots, however, and how they differ from these.
Very confused, I love all things Kitchenaid in general and was thrilled to see they won this review, however on reading the reviews by users of this machine they seem far from enamoured by the Kitchenaid slow cooker and it's now unavailbale from Amazon. Whilst ATC do wonderful tests in general, I really feel they should return to their tested machines and see if they're still performing well.
I had that Ninja Cooker and Loved it, the only problem was the non-stick coating like most other appliances flakes off. It heated in saute` mode as quick as a pan on a stove top ,so I don't know why you said it was slow. I used the bake function to cook many things and found it cooked evenly throughout. The other issue with the Ninja is the heating element is large so even tho it was a 6 qt I felt shorted on space, it was not as deep as I would have liked.
The review failed to say what happens to the fancy digital models if there is a momentary power outage - as so often happens in thunderstorms. The Crock-Pots with manual controls turn themselves back on.
@@stephentashiro5177 One possible problem with that is that if you're not home when the power goes out, if the machine turns itself back on you might not know that your food was in the danger zone for an hour or more. If the machine stays off, you'd know to toss the food.
This is a wonderful video but, it is 5 years old. Do you think the new Kitchen Aid slow cooker is still the best? Or would it be best to wait for a new review? Thank you, Jeff
my Kenmore Elite slow cooker is pretty awesome and I'm wondering if it wasn't made by KitchenAid as many Kenmore Elite products are? the lower end Kenmore small appliances are made by Hamilton Beach butt many of the higher-end small appliances are KitchenAid influenced.
One test I would add is if the power goes out briefly and comes back on. Does it resume or does it default back to waiting for instructions? I prefer mechanical over digital for that reason.
That is a very good point. With any luck, that information would be on the outside of the box for the digital cooker. Or on the manufacturer's website.
The problem I have with the digital slow cookers is if the power blinks off just for a moment and the cooker is unattended it cuts off and you come home to raw food. this is not a problem with manual controls.
That's a good point. Power loss, and it's all over. On the other hand, digital cookers will switch down to a "keep warm" mode after their timer countdown has finished. OK to leave the house and return later than intended without an overcooked meal. Ups & downs.
Except slow cookers aren't supposed to get hot enough to over cook your food. It shouldn't bring water to a boil. Simmer (about 185 degrees Fahrenheit) yes, but not a boil. I have a second hand slow cooker that allows you to cook with or without the ceramic liner (allowing it to function as anything from a steamer to a deep fryer). It doesn't have your traditional "low" and "high" settings and instead has a temperature dial. You use 275-300 with the liner (this doesn't reflect the temperature on the inside of the liner). You can let it cook an extra hour or two if you want and it won't make much of a difference.
@@gidget8717 The test recommended by new publications is to set it to low filled half-way with water. After 4 hours, the water should be 185°F. The cheaper low-quality manufacturers (e.g. crockpot) cook too hot just in order to be on the safe side while not having particularly good sensors. Crockpot may have invented the slow cooker, but they no longer have the best slow cookers.
In my experience, the best slow cookers are the vintage original Rival Crock Pots *without* the removable crock. I’ve taken them apart to find out what makes them so good, and the difference actually is that the heating wire in these models is wrapped around and bonded directly to the crock, it actually warms the entire crock evenly all up the sides. It truly makes a serious difference, these are the BEST crock pots. However, the downsides are definitely there. The small typically 3.5qt capacity is limiting and so is the tall cylindrical shape instead of a wide oval one. But if you ever see one in good shape at the thrift shop, it’s DEFINITELY worth picking up!
*@4tun8Nanette:* Hi Nanette, I too asked for a *CROCK POT* update today (Feb 2, 2024) and since they didn't listen to you, I'm sure they won't listen to me either. The more recent reviews for their "winner" are pretty dismal as far a quality control at Kitchen Aid. I'm not willing to take a chance. Let me know if you ever found one you like.❤
Am attempting to learn some cookery. What is difference between a slow cooker and a pressure cooker? Am suspecting a pressure cooker does same as a slow, only fastar. When would you use one instead of the othar?
They recommended the kitchenaid last year and I got it for a gift. Super simple and works great. Even makes crockpot pizza. It does take a lot longer than making a pizza from scratch but if you time it right its super convenient. I love it for Chili, bbq and roasts.
A big "Yes!" to slow-cooker chili! Yum! And I still prefer using my slow cooker for pot roast as opposed to using my Dutch oven or doing it sous vide. I had never thought of doing a pizza in a Crock Pot, but it sounds intriguing.
"So we worked with a mechanical engineer from MIT" Nothing less could've done the job & the dorky glasses because who knows what might fly out and hit you in they face! You guys are so wonderfully extreme.
They use protective goggles and white lab coats so it gives the impression that they’re doing unbiased research when in reality the winners have already paid them for positive reviews.
I nominate America's Test Kitchen to definitively find out if Russia influenced the election, seriously its super sad that this level of journalistic rigor is so rare
Matthew Heinbaugh OMG! I try to watch this stuff to avoid fake news! Left right or center! I don't CARE! I don't drop political narrative on the shows I watch that aren't dam politics!!! So STFU!!!!!!!
I have had no trouble with my 2 4 6 8 10 slow cooker there was also warm that you can set it to as well and then it automatically goes to after cooking time. It is the first Warm setting that isn't so high it keeps cooking the food.
Wondering if you could review vegetable peelers? I'm looking to buy a new one as mine won't peel potatoes and would like to see your thoughts on what brand to get. Your reviews on equipment are always looked forward to.
Just found your review and loved it! I went directly to the Amazon link and many of the reviewers said the the pot doesn't get hot enough to cook certain foods. Can you comment before I buy one, please? Thanks a bunch!
Hi Americas Test Kitchen, we love your channel and base our kitchen purchases on your recommendations. However we live in Ireland and both of your top recommendations for slow cookers (KitchenAid and Cuisinart) are not available! Any runners up you might recommend?!
My mom gave her Ninja with the thin dark insert because she never used it. I made a roast in it and it came out tasting like the metallic material that it’s made of and was nasty. I loved my Hamilton Beach that I used to have. I like the fact that the Kitchen Aid had the extra insulation though. I’ll check that out.
I would have liked to see some numbers. Great that you had a favourite, and it looks good. However I would have liked to know what temperature the settings equated to. 80 degrees C would be ideal for low cooking 100 C for High and just how warm is warm? Is it in the safe zone for keeping hot food on display? In the UK that is 63 C and above.
All well and good...BUT.....!! Which slow cooker has a temperature adjustment? I found slow/medium/high setting may do not tell me the exact temperature. A very annoying problem. especially when I need to lock the temperature at, lets say, 145 degrees. I'd like you to do a 'do-over' and present slow cookers with temperature adjustments. Hint: There aren't many out there!!
ATK, guys have you all done an update to this video, I am in the market for a slow cooker and I only buy products you test and recommend. Great video as always, thanks for taking the time, energy, and costs to brings us the best products on the market.
I'm not surprised the Black & Decker one cooked unevenly. They've been making garbage for years now. I bought a B&D coffee grinder which used to trip the safety switch on the kitchen outlets in my kitchen and stop working. I threw it out. Later I bought one from Krups and it doesn't trigger the outlets to stop working. I like Kitchen Aid, they do make good stuff most of the time. We once rented a house with a Kitchen Aid dish washer in it that was roughly 30 years old and still working fine. I can not say that about a much newer Hot Point dishwasher we had in an apartment that didn't work for beans! It was useless and it just took up space that I wish I could have used for storage in a tiny kitchenette. Hot Point appliances are made by GE, it's their cheap line of products.
FYI to anyone looking at this video, the winning model (or whatever the link goes to) appears to have some quality control issues now or this review was a joke 6 years ago. The one I got came with lid that doesn't cover the entire pot, and the pot itself doesn't fit snuggly into the base. KitchenAid's website doesn't even accept the serial number when filling out a support request, so ended up just returning it.
I am a mech. engr. and I love when you take things apart to show how they work and why they do a good job. Just telling me something is best, but not knowing why, is sometimes a let down. I do appreciate the methods you use to determine the best item.
Happens everyday for me. If I don't understand how it fully works and the functions of the product in detail I start to disengage from the product and think about the interests of retailers and all the chain... I want to fully understand what I have with me and be sure Im getting the best for my needs
I love how she said the buttons were satisfying to click and that the timer started counting down to let you know it’s working. These are the details I’m interested in!
I love the rigorous nature of your testing. I have based quite a few of my kitchen decisions on your videos. I hope you keep making these great videos.
I bought the kitchen aid based on your test, and after over a year with it I love it. It cooks perfectly also I love that after the timer is done it automatically goes to keep warm. Which is nice for when I come home later than intended my food is not cold cause it shut off.
You should ask "Alexa...."cook from your smartphone
Thanks4 Kitchen Aid Comment Buying iT😊, & tttTurn That vvvVoice Listner Of😮.
I have a 4qt oval Crock-Pot. The outside of the thing is decorated with ivy and the crock is dark green. It has served me well for many many years. It was made in the US and I bought it at Wall-Mart for 19.95. One knob: High, Low, Off. Works great. It's all I need.
Hihi!! I have the same one🤭 Also have a bigger one. They were cheap and never failed me👍
Its worth mentioning that only manual knob style slow cookers will work with seperate temperature controllers. These cheap controls from Inkbird and other brands can easily make a basic slow cooker into a precise Sous Vide water bath. Another use for your plain jane crock pot.
oh my god! This is the BEST review i've ever watched! So detailed, so scientific! Computer monitor? MIT engineer? Hell yea! That's the review i wanna see! Use data to speak the truth!
I have the ninja crockpot that I got as a wedding gift 5 years ago and I love it. I use it all the time and it's never let me down.
From what I understand Kitchenaid hires a heck of a lot of engineers who are interested in performance, whereas the other companies (I'm looking at you Hamilton Beach) hire a lot of marketing dweebs to try and 'push' whatever rumbles off their assembly line. It's the difference between trying to understand and meet demand and trying to force demand.
Not really.
The difference is in how much they charge.
You can just sell better stuff when you charge 2-5 times more. Not everyone can afford really expensive stuff, or they hardly use the item and don't want to pay so much for something they rarely use.
But I'll bet Kitchen aid makes a higher percentage of profit per item. If you double the quality of most items, you're really only increasing the cost to actually manufacture it by 10-20 percent max. So when it costs twice as much, most of that extra cost is just going into their pockets.
Some of extra money is what they use to hire extra engineers and research more stuff.
It has absolutely nothing to do with demand. Each company is servicing a different market. If 90% of your cooking is opening boxes and cans(majority of people), it's retarded to own a KitchenAid, or any other high end kitchen equipment.
Well we been through two kitchen aids and there junk crockpots! First one 4 months quit kitchen aid gladly sent another around 10 months and it quit it also doesn’t seem to be a very hot crockpot had to cook usually longer times compared to other crockpots. The engineers need to find better quality parts and manufacturing because it isn’t there in the kitchen aid.
@@KW-cq4yr, I just left a similar comment. I wish it had come with a guide booklet because it's been an ordeal trying to figure out the cooking times. Everything takes so much longer to cook, and I gave up using the low setting at all. If mine breaks down I won't buy another Kitchenaid.
And yet Kitchenaid has its failures. Silicon potholders... those got way too hot, way too soon to be useful. Some of the attachments that run on the mixers aren't that efficient. People complain that the more recent versions of their coffee grinder have underpowered motors. However.. the slow cooker does look like a win. My point isn't that nothing they do is good. Just that each product still needs to be investigated on it's own, like anything else.
Robert Pruitt I know your comment is old but I agree with you on Hamilton beach. My home had 4 ceiling fans In it 3 Hamilton beach fans went out the first 4 years the 1 hunter fan in the living room is still ticking 12 years later..ridiculous
I have a Hamilton Beach Slow Cooker and I have not had any issues with it. It actually works quite well, I've made Chicken and Rice soup and also I've cooked Turkey Legs and they always came out great.
“An engineer from MIT.” I love this channel and the work you all do.
We have a good old-fashioned Crock Pot oval about 6 quarts with the dial for Off Low High and Warm and it works fine for us. To keep track of cooking time we just set a timer. We are actually using it slightly more often than our oven for meals.
Your thoroughness delights me. I love you guys. ♥
Aynge Mackay c
Aynge Mackay c
Aynge Mackay & I was thinking blah blah blah 🙄
Nice video, you may also want to checkout the review of Winning America Now on my blog here at *gohonestreviews. com/winning-america-now-review/* Thanks, Ginger.
Same!
Y'all do such a professional and clear review of each product. I enjoy watching even if I'm not in the market for said item.
I can't get there from here so I'll post it here on crock pot ribs.
If you add a ceramic coffee cup upside down in the crock pot it will produce a vacuum and prevent the ribs from getting soggy even better. Found it by accident trying to keep ribs upright in the crock pot. Love your show, watch often.....even if its reruns!! Best how to cooking show I can find!
A basic one is a must in a kitchen. I am on my second one. If you prepare your vegetables, saute and then add, the flavor is much better. With chowders, add the seafood at the end for the last 10 to 15 minutes. Aged steak floured and sauteed and added again at the end produces the best results. Many thanks for these wonderful videos. Kind regards and greetings from Africa.
Oval Shapes are more versatile as to what you cook in a slow cooker, meaning you can do roasts and loaves. But round allows for more consistent cooking by avoiding cold spots. The cooking occurs from heating elements wrapped around the well that the ceramic bowl sits in; heat travels in from the outer surface of the ceramic bowl, so obviously a stretched (oval) shape will affect the cooking.
Six to Eight quarts may allow more versatility by allowing roasts and loaves, but it also means a HUGE appliance footprint that may be impractical or impossible for a small/tiny kitchen. If you have an oven, leave roasts and loaves for baking there. Also, very small kitchens are also usually burdened with very small freezers and refrigerators, so slow-cooking in volume usually results in leftovers difficult to store. One rule of thumb says slow cooker volume should equal 1 quart per person in the household plus 1 quart more; so a 3-person home would need a 4qt slow cooker and someone living alone could get by with a 2 or 2.5 qt slow cooker.
The biggest issue for slow cookers is that any slow cooker less than 4qts is unlikely to have a timer or shut-off mechanism. That means you can't risk the fire hazard of leaving a 3qt slow cooker to cook all day while you're at work or in class. Slow cookers under 4qt have just the On/Off, High, Low, Warm settings, requiring you be present to monitor how 'done' the contents become AND manually change the setting (they aren't automatic), to avoid burning the food.
Manufacturers are missing an important market of singles (retirees, chronically-ill, students, single parents) who would love AT LEAST the safety feature of an auto-shutoff feature. This would increase the utility and desirability of small-volume slow cookers as well as protect customers (who may upgrade their slow cookers in the future) who had to go out or had fallen asleep while the slow cooker was on.
For safety's sake, it's a good idea to always plug your slow cooker into a timing device, to shut the appliance off after a period of your choosing. Outlet-positioned timing devices are marketed to fool potential thieves into believing someone's home because the lights come on (while you're actually away); they can be applied in these instances to provide protection.
Hear! Hear! You make several valid and important observations.
Thanks for sharing! I learned a lot from this!
looking to replace my 38 year old 4 qt crock pot with a still intact ceramic insert (no one is allowed to touch the insert - guess that is why it is still going strong) and was very glad to see your reviews. My new kitchenaid is on it's way, I will no longer have to cut a roast in half to get it in the crock pot.
I just have a basic 7 qt Crock Pot that I bought on sale. It has one knob and I've never cooked a bad meal in it. $25
joe b I know right 😭 I bought mine 6qt Crock-pot on clearance in the summer of 2007 for 12$ (It's a red 2006 Christmas special model). Simple low/high/warm knob. Never fail a meal. Can't justify buying a new one bc this one keeping on going.
@joe b, yeah, me too. generic crockpot with the one knob. It works perfect.
My husband was gifted a $10 or $15 Hamilton Beach slow cooker 3 qt. back in college and we still use it to this day (over 10 years)...granted, the band broke but we've macgivered it with a stretchable keychain band, and sometimes, I wish it was programmable. However, for just us or for a small gathering of 5-6 people, we've made an assortment of beef roasts, beans, meatballs, pulled pork, and chicken recipes. It's turned out to be a very useful, lightweight kitchen appliance for its size, ease of use and durability.
Finally an equipment review. Can we please start seeing more of these
Subscribe to their Web site and you can see plenty of them.
www.americastestkitchen.com/equipment_reviews
One of the BEST investments in a "crock pot" I ever made was purchasing a small cooker that holds EXACTLY one soup or stew can contents. As a teacher, our contract allows us for a 30-minute DUTY FREE lunch period. There isn't time to go out to get lunch, even at a fast food joint (if one were anywhere near the site). So, I'd get to school at 6 when the gates opened and begin my day's prep with setting up the little crock pot in an area where the students couldn't access it, emptying the soup can into it, turning it on, and, when my lunch time came around (the faculty had staggered lunches), the soup was hot and ready to eat. They are usually sold in places like Big Lots, Kmart, Walmart, and Target during the "Back to School/Back to College" sales in late summer.
I really enjoyed the "dissection" of the various models so we could see their inner workings. Unfortunately, though, the winning KitchenAid model has enough articulate negative reviews on Amazon to warrant a second evaluation and testing. I certainly am not convinced that it's a good buy.
The second she said she brought in an engineer, I was like "I'm going to buy her winning choice no matter what".
because it takes an engineer to remove 4 screws?
@@MSBowen-pk6ww Amazon reviews are more dubious; actually downright scandalous, even from so-called "verified purchasers".
@@MSBowen-pk6ww you are absolutely right!!!
I'm a mechanical engineer. She should have got an electrical engineer.
@@MSBowen-pk6ww America's Test Kitchen prides itself with not doing advertising or taking donations from the companies they test.
I would like to see them test some of the small sizes of these items for those of us that are only cooking for 1 or 2 people. If I used a slow cooker that large I would be wasting a lot of food even with eating leftovers and freezing extra portions.
Nice teardown, that was insightful
Based on this and other reviews I ended up buying the Kitchenaid. It works well, but just know that you have to add a lot more cooking time for almost all recipes. Anything that calls for a low setting I use medium and add up to 2 more hours. Anything on high can take an extra hour or two, as well. The cooker didn't come with a recipe book so it's been a difficult time trying to adjust timing. It took me 10 hours to cook a 3 lb chuck roast and still wasn't as tender as I've seen others. We were famished by then so we just ate it as is. I wish it had come with a guide booklet.
i noticed that the amazon reviews mention missing rubber gaskets and very poorly fitting lids. i bet that's what is messing up the cook times. i was going to get this model because of ATK recommendation but after seeing this type of review im getting very "meh" on this model
Yeah I ordered this model too and it dose not get hot enough to cook anything I put some carrots and water in this crock pot for 15 hours on high and they were still raw
I have the Crock Pot one that's controlled by an app. In addition to app control, there's also ONE manual button on the front of the unit that cycles through high, low, warm and off so it's odd these people had a hard time using it. Timer functions are accessed through the app exclusively which is very basic and lets you control any function of the slow cooker from a remote location. Since most people set these things and then take off, being able to control them remotely is a Godsend. It cooks great too.
Thank you for being the most in-depth and scientific review I've been able to find while I look for a slow cooker to buy. Everything else is just an advertisement.
I have the Ninja 3-1 Cooking System and it is the best slow cooker I have ever used.
So good in fact I bought one for my sister-in-law, one for my older brother and a spare for myself.
Ninja products are great and the 3-1 system is awesome because you can sear the meat in the same vessel you will be slow cooking so you don’t lose any flavor.
I would like to see an updated review on Slow Cookers. This is the most negatively reviewed product on Amazon that's been recommended by ATK.
I'm currently frustrated and astounded that there is not a single crockpot for sale on amazon that meets my entirely reasonable standards. I just want something big, with a ceramic insert, which is good enough. Like how Crockpot was thirty years ago.
There's literally NOTHING in this space right now. I'm willing to overpay like crazy just to get something good that works, and I LITERALLY can't. There isn't a single option on the market that isn't either crap, or else stuffed with fake and/or bought reviews.
I don't understand. Do people just not use slow-cookers anymore? Aren't people turning away from teflon in general?? WHAT IS GOING ON
I've tried bestbuy and walmart and so on -- they don't have anything either. All Crockpot or Hamilton Beach or hugely overpriced models by other companies with horrible reviews.
This. I live in Japan and was prepared to pay double to get hold of it…. Luckily I read the reviews first!! Made me doubt this whole channel…
Thank you for your thorough reviews. This is my second time coming to you for an expert comparison review and I don't intend to buy any future appliances without checking in with you all first.
Lots of great information on how slow cookers work. I would also love to see a review of countertop pressure cookers. Whether they are better and/or safer than the stove-top kind.
I have an Instant Pot and I love it. Much better than the old stovetop pressure cookers. I’m 62 so I’ve used several of the old stovetop ones. You have to time them, take great care if letting out steam or transporting to the sink to run cold water on them to cool them down. If you didn’t do it all just right, they could explode. I never had any of them explode but my high school friend had one explode, hit the ceiling, and land on her ankle, fracturing it. The Instant Pot has a digital timer display and a easy to use valve to let steam out. Much better that the old designs.
I'm happy to hear that the Kitchen Aid won. I got that as a wedding gift in May.
Since this was done a few years ago, it would be really helpful to get an updated video. Now this model only comes with Alexa, but if that's not something we are interested in, it would be nice to know what non-Alexa/non-app based slow cooker is recommended.
Seeing "Alexa" and "slow cooker" in the same sentence is not one I ever thought I'd see.
Lisa, Thanks for this review. I like the note about Kitchen Aid's insulated body. The 'deal breaker' detail of my slow cooker (Hamilton Beach) is that the outside gets so hot it's got to be inefficient - both in energy use and heat distribution. I stopped using it, saving it for a garage sale or target practice, and spend more time at the stove with my 6 qt. Lodge dutch oven. We've grown to become good friends!
I just so appreciate the detail and thoroughness of your equipment reviews. You seem to always check out the things that are important to me in addition to details that had never occurred to me. It was really interesting learning how slow cookers work when you "checked under the hood". :)
Oh thanks so much. I'm in the process of choosing a new one and this sealed the deal.
Loved the way you conducted the testing and the real facts about the different aspect to consider before buying a crock pot. Súper Good Video! Hats off!!
4 quart from walmart cost 6 dollars had about 3 years now works great use it for everything !!!!
I have always used Rival Crock Pot brand and now have a new digital one oval...and for me it is as reliable as my 30 year old one..(still have still use!) good for smaller batches!
Thank you!! This is by far the best review I have ever seen.
Great test, thank you for this video,every time I purchased something you recommend , I never been disapointed.
I would love an update on this! 6 years is a long time in the cooking/tech world.
Ok. This is the best most detailed review I have ever seen. Thanks !
I've got an original crock pot that is decades old, one knob to turn on and either select high or low. The crock doesn't even come out of the pot as it's permanently attached to the housing. I think I've had this 30-40 years,! Maybe more. It still does the job I want, simple, and keeps going and going and going .....At least now when it finally kicks the bucket, I'll know which replacement to buy. I appreciate these to the point thorough reviews. Thank you! I'm curious about these new insta pots, however, and how they differ from these.
Very confused, I love all things Kitchenaid in general and was thrilled to see they won this review, however on reading the reviews by users of this machine they seem far from enamoured by the Kitchenaid slow cooker and it's now unavailbale from Amazon. Whilst ATC do wonderful tests in general, I really feel they should return to their tested machines and see if they're still performing well.
Can you please test affordable programmable kettles or tea maker?
Boiling water in a sauce pot that you already own is pretty cheap.
I had that Ninja Cooker and Loved it, the only problem was the non-stick coating like most other appliances flakes off. It heated in saute` mode as quick as a pan on a stove top ,so I don't know why you said it was slow. I used the bake function to cook many things and found it cooked evenly throughout. The other issue with the Ninja is the heating element is large so even tho it was a 6 qt I felt shorted on space, it was not as deep as I would have liked.
Thanks - we have been looking at these, very useful. Price is down to $70.27 at Amazon at the moment (Prime eligible).
It's funny how a Crock-Pot didn't even win the best Crock-Pot competition.
Yeah, Crock-Pot branded slow cookers came in 4th (Recommended With Reservations) and 6th (Not Recommended) places of the eight slow cookers tested.
The review failed to say what happens to the fancy digital models if there is a momentary power outage - as so often happens in thunderstorms. The Crock-Pots with manual controls turn themselves back on.
Crockpot brand quality has declined over the years.
@@stephentashiro5177 One possible problem with that is that if you're not home when the power goes out, if the machine turns itself back on you might not know that your food was in the danger zone for an hour or more. If the machine stays off, you'd know to toss the food.
@@seikibrian8641 Yeah, I wouldn't WANT me slow cooker to come back on at that point.
Awesome review! Detailed, thorough and thoughtful. Thanks and I'm confident in buying these items when I have the money.
This is a wonderful video but, it is 5 years old.
Do you think the new Kitchen Aid slow cooker
is still the best? Or would it be best to wait for
a new review?
Thank you,
Jeff
my Kenmore Elite slow cooker is pretty awesome and I'm wondering if it wasn't made by KitchenAid as many Kenmore Elite products are? the lower end Kenmore small appliances are made by Hamilton Beach butt many of the higher-end small appliances are KitchenAid influenced.
One test I would add is if the power goes out briefly and comes back on. Does it resume or does it default back to waiting for instructions? I prefer mechanical over digital for that reason.
That is a very good point.
With any luck, that information would be on the outside of the box for the digital cooker. Or on the manufacturer's website.
Hahahhaha they brought in someone from MIT. That is awesome. Awesome video guys, thank you so much!!
Working from home due to covid-19 pandemic. My old Rival Crockpot died. Good time to buy the KitchenAid.
The problem I have with the digital slow cookers is if the power blinks off just for a moment and the cooker is unattended it cuts off and you come home to raw food. this is not a problem with manual controls.
That's a good point. Power loss, and it's all over. On the other hand, digital cookers will switch down to a "keep warm" mode after their timer countdown has finished. OK to leave the house and return later than intended without an overcooked meal. Ups & downs.
Except slow cookers aren't supposed to get hot enough to over cook your food. It shouldn't bring water to a boil. Simmer (about 185 degrees Fahrenheit) yes, but not a boil.
I have a second hand slow cooker that allows you to cook with or without the ceramic liner (allowing it to function as anything from a steamer to a deep fryer). It doesn't have your traditional "low" and "high" settings and instead has a temperature dial. You use 275-300 with the liner (this doesn't reflect the temperature on the inside of the liner). You can let it cook an extra hour or two if you want and it won't make much of a difference.
@@gidget8717 The test recommended by new publications is to set it to low filled half-way with water. After 4 hours, the water should be 185°F. The cheaper low-quality manufacturers (e.g. crockpot) cook too hot just in order to be on the safe side while not having particularly good sensors. Crockpot may have invented the slow cooker, but they no longer have the best slow cookers.
In my experience, the best slow cookers are the vintage original Rival Crock Pots *without* the removable crock. I’ve taken them apart to find out what makes them so good, and the difference actually is that the heating wire in these models is wrapped around and bonded directly to the crock, it actually warms the entire crock evenly all up the sides. It truly makes a serious difference, these are the BEST crock pots. However, the downsides are definitely there. The small typically 3.5qt capacity is limiting and so is the tall cylindrical shape instead of a wide oval one. But if you ever see one in good shape at the thrift shop, it’s DEFINITELY worth picking up!
Ya I bought this Kitchen Aid slow cooker and just love it. It's a well designed and well constructed machine. I love it!
Is there an update to this? Its been 6 years since this review was made.
*@4tun8Nanette:* Hi Nanette, I too asked for a *CROCK POT* update today (Feb 2, 2024) and since they didn't listen to you, I'm sure they won't listen to me either. The more recent reviews for their "winner" are pretty dismal as far a quality control at Kitchen Aid. I'm not willing to take a chance. Let me know if you ever found one you like.❤
@@ginawiggles918 When needed I use my Instant Pot as a slow cooker. Good to have a two for one appliance, also.
Am attempting to learn some cookery. What is difference between a slow cooker and a pressure cooker? Am suspecting a pressure cooker does same as a slow, only fastar. When would you use one instead of the othar?
Awesome Review. Do you have a vid about Air Fryers comparison? If so can you share the Link. Thank you
You can always trust America's Test Kitchens! THANK YOU!!!
They recommended the kitchenaid last year and I got it for a gift. Super simple and works great. Even makes crockpot pizza. It does take a lot longer than making a pizza from scratch but if you time it right its super convenient. I love it for Chili, bbq and roasts.
A big "Yes!" to slow-cooker chili! Yum! And I still prefer using my slow cooker for pot roast as opposed to using my Dutch oven or doing it sous vide. I had never thought of doing a pizza in a Crock Pot, but it sounds intriguing.
Any recommendations for a small but good slow cooker enough for maybe two servings something around 2 quarts?
Love the info. But what are the other top contenders? How about a top 5?????
Is the Kitchen Aid slow cooker STILL the best choice in 2022??
Please do this again in 2019 for the newest ones out. And Instant Pot cookers would be good too.
what about a temperature probe usefulness?
I wish you would do an update video...
"So we worked with a mechanical engineer from MIT"
Nothing less could've done the job & the dorky glasses because who knows what might fly out and hit you in they face!
You guys are so wonderfully extreme.
Maltbrew i
Maltbrew Any engineer worth his salt would wear protective tools. Same as chemist that wear white lab coat even on the office.
They use protective goggles and white lab coats so it gives the impression that they’re doing unbiased research when in reality the winners have already paid them for positive reviews.
Lol for real, the glasses were absolute bs minions level humour. I hope it was intended as such.
Kitchenaid 6 quart slow cooker BEST KIND
I nominate America's Test Kitchen to definitively find out if Russia influenced the election, seriously its super sad that this level of journalistic rigor is so rare
i just laughed out loud hahaha
They did. Crooked Trump is a Russian puppet.
Matthew Heinbaugh OMG! I try to watch this stuff to avoid fake news! Left right or center! I don't CARE! I don't drop political narrative on the shows I watch that aren't dam politics!!! So STFU!!!!!!!
Yes, I voted for Trump because of Russian influence.
I voted for Trump because he sleeps with Putin more often than he does with his wife!
I have had no trouble with my 2 4 6 8 10 slow cooker there was also warm that you can set it to as well and then it automatically goes to after cooking time. It is the first Warm setting that isn't so high it keeps cooking the food.
I have the kitchen Aid 6 qt slow cooker , and am please ATK also chose it as the best slow cooker too.
Wondering if you could review vegetable peelers? I'm looking to buy a new one as mine won't peel potatoes and would like to see your thoughts on what brand to get. Your reviews on equipment are always looked forward to.
Just found your review and loved it! I went directly to the Amazon link and many of the reviewers said the the pot doesn't get hot enough to cook certain foods. Can you comment before I buy one, please? Thanks a bunch!
Will like to see one on electric pressure cooker.thank you.
Hi Americas Test Kitchen, we love your channel and base our kitchen purchases on your recommendations. However we live in Ireland and both of your top recommendations for slow cookers (KitchenAid and Cuisinart) are not available! Any runners up you might recommend?!
Over time, I have purchased several recommended items and have been pleased. Thanks for showing the way.
My mom gave her Ninja with the thin dark insert because she never used it. I made a roast in it and it came out tasting like the metallic material that it’s made of and was nasty. I loved my Hamilton Beach that I used to have. I like the fact that the Kitchen Aid had the extra insulation though. I’ll check that out.
How about an update on slow cookers aka crock pot ? Thanks!
I have a large 6.5 litre slow cooker but I'm looking for a larger model preferably with digital timer
I would have liked to see some numbers. Great that you had a favourite, and it looks good. However I would have liked to know what temperature the settings equated to. 80 degrees C would be ideal for low cooking 100 C for High and just how warm is warm? Is it in the safe zone for keeping hot food on display? In the UK that is 63 C and above.
I have a ninja...a crockpot brand...and a cuisinart. The ninja is great because u can brown and slow cook in it
All well and good...BUT.....!! Which slow cooker has a temperature adjustment? I found slow/medium/high setting may do not tell me the exact temperature. A very annoying problem. especially when I need to lock the temperature at, lets say, 145 degrees.
I'd like you to do a 'do-over' and present slow cookers with temperature adjustments. Hint: There aren't many out there!!
I was reading the reviews and several women commented that the insert cracked. Kitchen Aid does not replace the damaged insert. What do you think?
I think the women didn't follow the directions. ;-)
ATK, guys have you all done an update to this video, I am in the market for a slow cooker and I only buy products you test and recommend. Great video as always, thanks for taking the time, energy, and costs to brings us the best products on the market.
I'm not surprised the Black & Decker one cooked unevenly. They've been making garbage for years now. I bought a B&D coffee grinder which used to trip the safety switch on the kitchen outlets in my kitchen and stop working. I threw it out. Later I bought one from Krups and it doesn't trigger the outlets to stop working.
I like Kitchen Aid, they do make good stuff most of the time. We once rented a house with a Kitchen Aid dish washer in it that was roughly 30 years old and still working fine. I can not say that about a much newer Hot Point dishwasher we had in an apartment that didn't work for beans! It was useless and it just took up space that I wish I could have used for storage in a tiny kitchenette. Hot Point appliances are made by GE, it's their cheap line of products.
What lead in the ceramic glaze. No mention.
Dr C
any more videos with this amazing info about pressure coockers?
Multi cookers?
Instant pot? (Still trying to find out diferences)
Bimbi?
I sure wish ATK would update this research. Six years ago is too long for me to completely trust their recommendation.
The article was updated recently, still the same winner
Please test the Wolf slow cooker. Thank you.
I have the Ninja. Works great.
I wish I had been able to see this a couple weeks ago while shopping. Ended up on the Hamilton beach one because of a sale and the thermometer.
I love the thoroughness of your reviews, but i'll be sticking to my Crock-pot of the time being :)
Could you please review the Instapot craze.
Thank you for the video. I really like the products and methods you test - great job!
FYI to anyone looking at this video, the winning model (or whatever the link goes to) appears to have some quality control issues now or this review was a joke 6 years ago.
The one I got came with lid that doesn't cover the entire pot, and the pot itself doesn't fit snuggly into the base.
KitchenAid's website doesn't even accept the serial number when filling out a support request, so ended up just returning it.