When I purchased the West Bend 6-Quart Versatility Slow Cooker I had only planned on using it to cook chicken, rice, and soups, but once I grasped the full capabilities of this crock pot it has become my all purpose cooking machine. This crock pot cooks rice and chicken very well. There is a 1 inch by 1 inch dead spot on the heating surface, but I have learned to cook around this flaw. The temperature knob on this device is very accurate and reaches my desired temperature extremely fast. The best thing about this device is the versatility. I have been able to do a little grilling on the heating surface under the crock pot. I have cooked chicken breast, turkey burgers, eggs, and bacon with ease on this mini grill. Cleaning the grill afterwards is extremely easy in the beginning, but can become a little harder as time goes on. If I decide to clean the debris away right a way it will come off with a basic paper towel. If I wait a couple of hours and let the grill cool down it takes repetitive light scrubbing. The only problem I see with this crock pot is that the nonstick coating isn't too durable. The coating has been slowly coming off after only 5 months of use. Using some sort of cooking spray is a must when I grill on the West Bend 6-Quart Versatility Slow Cooker.

kingoftheink

Westchester, IL

This is one of my favorite slow cookers I own, and I own a couple. The design of it is beautiful. I love the fact that the hot plate and pot separate from one another. I typically start making my meals on the stove while I warm the hot plate to temperature. Once everything is in and ready to go I place it on the hot plate and let it do it's thing. Hours later, when everything is cooked, I take the pot off and place it right on the table for serving. I sometimes turn the temperature on the hot plate down and place the pot back on to keep dinner warm in case anyone wants seconds. It doesn't take too long to come to temperature and cools down fairly quickly too so I can wash it and put it away and not have to leave it out for long after I am done using it. The fact that the pot is the majority of this device and it separates from the hot plate make this extremely easy to clean. I wash it just like I do every other pot and pan I own, in warm soapy water, and it comes out looking great each time. I also love that is matches my other pots and pans that I currently have so that is an added bonus. This slow cooker is big, 6-quarts. If you are making food in it for 1-2 people expect to have left overs. But for a family of 4-5 or a large group of people, it is perfect and will definitely make enough for everyone.

rexyb1213

USA

I bought the Versatility to replace an old and ugly slow cooker and I really love it. If this one ever gives out on me, I'd buy another in a NY minute. I love the way my West Bend Versatility slow cooker cooks. I don t use it often; maybe 3 times a month to make roast beef with veggies or slow cooked spaghetti sauce with pork steak but I love the results. Time to Heat I mostly use the medium and high settings for cooking my roasts and sauces. The pot heats up very quickly using these settings. I usually set the temp to high until I can smell the food throughout the house which takes a few hours. Cooking Performance I can put a roast and veggies in the slow cooker on high at noon and it will be fully cooked, tender, and falling apart by three or four in the afternoon. Sometimes I'll start the cooker up before work in the morning at medium and when I get home around 4pm it's finished so I switch it to between medium and low until my husband gets home and we're ready to eat. Another nice thing is that you can set the temperature between low and medium and medium and high so you re not just stuck with the three settings. This is nice because depending on what you've got cooking in the pot, you can play with the temperature like you can with a gas stove until you find the perfect setting. Ease of Cleaning The Versatility slow cooker is really easy to clean. I have left it out overnight and gone back in the morning to clean it thinking it will be a mucky mess however it washed clean with warm soapy water and a kitchen sponge. I haven t had a need to put it in the dishwasher as it's so easy and quick to clean in the sink. Ease of Use Super easy to use. Just put all the ingredients in, add the lid, plug it in and let it do its thing. Durability I've had my slow cooker for years and it still looks and works as good as new.

Buggheart

Annapolis, MD

The West Bend with its own base is my favorite slow cooker....I received one when I got married 50 years ago and it served me well for 35+ years and I would still be using it except I broke the glass lid......When I replaced it, I made sure to buy the West Bend Versatility and waited until I found one(I was not using the internet to shop at that time).The crock pot is separate from the base and I can use it on the stovetop, on the base or in the oven.This versatility was just like the older one I had and can be used as a basic cooking appliance...

deejay5

Arapaho, OK

I received the West Bend 6-quart slow cooker as a gift and love it. The base (warming unit) and the pot can be seperated which makes it convient when preparing a meal or if you have to add some additional ingredients, but don't want to unplug the unit. At 6 quarts the pot can make more than enough for a large family. The pot is easy to clean and I have never had any problems with food sticking although I have never sprayed non-stick spray on it. I did drop the lid one time and it fell directly on the knob breaking the plastic. The knob is still useable though - there just isn't a seal at the top. Not a big problem and it doesn't affect the slow cooking. The base has four settings - keep warm, low, medium and high. I have used all setttings and in my experience they have all been accurate with the multitude of recipes that I have used. I have also trucked this unit to many houses, so it has been used many times and there are not many scrapes or scratches on the pot or base unit. I recommend the West Bend 6-quart Slow Cooker for families or people who want to make large slow cooker recipes.

dtnorz

Hillsboro, OR