Rival SCE600 6-Quart Slow Cooker Review

I have owned many crock pots. Cooking for a large family doesn't need to be a big job. I purchased this Rival SCE 600-EF crock pot about a year and a half ago. Beside the fact that the price was great, this is a really attractive appliance with a removable crock for serving purposes.

I use my crock pot at least once a week. There are three heat settings of HIGH, LOW and WARM. Depending on what time of day I am starting my meal, I usually use the LOW setting. With this, I am able to add all the ingredients and go to work or out for the day, only to come back 8 - 10 hours later to a delicious and perfectly cooked meal. The HIGH setting usually cooks the same meals in about half the time, 4 - 6 hours. I really like and use the WARM setting, especially if I am making something that gets done before I can get the French bread heated or the garlic bread toasted.

This crock pot holds six quarts which is big enough to feed the whole crew! I usually make a full crock of whatever I'm making. Six quarts feeds my family of four for dinner with enough leftovers to freeze for a quick and easy lunch on a later date.

The white stoneware crock is beautifully embossed with a vine of leaves. It is oval shaped and removable, making a very nice serving piece. The glass top allows you to look in on your creation during cooking time. It has a white hard plastic loop handle on it. This handle stays cool during the cooking process but the glass gets HOT so care should be taken. The crock also is hot and pot holders or oven mitts should be used when removing it from the heating base. The glass top and crock are both dishwasher safe.

The outer heating element gets pretty warm but doesn't burn you if you brush up against it. The handles on this piece are also hard plastic and cool to the touch. They are thick handles and feel very sturdy even when the crock if full. I think the heating unit is aluminum with a ceramic feeling finish on it. It is also white and usually wipes clean if anything drips on it. This is the only bad part of this Rival SCE 600-EF. If you don't wipe it absolutely clean, anything left behind bakes onto this surface and is very hard to remove. You can't put this part of the crock pot under water to soak it. I suggest wiping it clean with a mild soap or cleanser while it is still warm.

Okay, another annoying thing about this is that the cord is less than two feet long. Not that it makes much difference all the time, but it can be a problem if I am making something in addition to what I am cooking in the crock pot. I have a very small kitchen without much counter space and have wanted to move the crock pot so I could use the counter there. In order to do this, I have to rearrange my kitchen so I can plug into a convenient place. Yes, it's annoying!

Although this is a very attractive appliance, I do not store it on my counter. I do, however, always use it as a serving piece. It keeps the food warm long enough to last throughout the meal. It helps to keep the glass top on when not actually serving the food.

I cook roasts, spaghetti sauce, chili, stews and soups in it. I recently used a recipe for chicken parmesan that was out of this world! One of my family's favorites is pork chops and gravy. I use boneless pork chops that I brown first. I place them in the crock pot, cover them with water and put a few packages of brown gravy into the water. Mix it slightly, put the glass cover on, turn it on LOW and walk away for 6 - 8 hours. The chops are fork tender and the gravy is wonderfully flavored with the pork. I usually serve this with mashed potatoes, broccoli and cheese and applesauce. It's a wonderful, hearty meal with not much work involved .I can honestly say that all my meals turn out rich, tasty and deliciously tender when I use this Rival SCE 600-EF.

I paid $49.99 for it on sale, regularly $59.99. I have had it for almost two years and it is still running strong. Because the crock is so nice to look at, I may just replace this one with another one of the same kind when the time comes. I think that this is one of the best 50 bucks I have ever spent.

All things considered, I highly recommend this Rival SCE 600-EF to anybody who wants to make cooking delicious meals a breeze. Great price, very efficient, time-saving, easy to clean. You can't go wrong!