The West Bend oblong 5 quart slow cooker is a good versatile cooking machine. I received my slow cooker as a gift years back and enjoyed many years of cooking with it. My absolute favorite aspect of this slow cooker is you can take the slow cooking pot off the bottom heating part and it doubles as a griddle. Many times we enjoyed pancakes on this. It was nonstick so clean up was really easy. The downside was after many uses with the cooking pot on top the griddle began to get scratched and the nonstick coating began to flake off and was eventually unusable. This did not affect the crock pot performance at all though so it was not so bad. However this inside of the crock pot was also coated with a nonstick coating, which did make clean up so easy, as some crock pot foods can really leave a mess. In time, however this coating also began to chip and scratch even though we were careful to use only plastic utensils with it. We now no longer use it, but in the time we did we really did love this crock pot!

jennyh56

Kansas City, MO

I have had this West Bend 5 qt Oblong slow cooker 84905 for about 8 years and I hardly ever use it. I keep it as a back up crock pot in case I have more than one thing to cook in a crock pot but I just don't like it nearly as much as my other one. It doesn't seem to cook as evenly or as fast as my other one. It is ok, which is why I still have it around but I certainly wouldn't choose to buy this again. The one things I do like about this one is that the pot is easy to wash and it is totally separate. This crock pot has 5 heat settings which is probably unnecessary, I would rather just have a warm, low and high since those are the settings that most recipes use. So overall, I think this is ok, not worth getting rid of but definitely not something I would ever choose over other choices.

CouponClippingMama

Hurricane, UT

I received this cooker as a wedding gift. I always wanted a crock pot and this seamed like an awesome cooker. I have used it for years and love how versatile it is. I love how I can simmer a meal in it all day and then take the cooker off and use it to serve the meal also. Less mess and less clean up. The one thing I don't like is it seems either too cool or too hot. I can't find middle ground sometimes and that's frustrating. Time to Heat Like I said above, sometimes it's too hot or too cold. Cooking Performance Like I said above, sometimes it's too hot or too cold. Ease of Cleaning It's dishwasher safe so TOTALLY easy. Ease of Use Put your ingredients in, plug in, and enjoy in a few hours. Easy. Design I like it better than a normal crock pot because it serves as a serving bowl too. Durability No problems here.

jenncutie

USA

I love my West Bend 5-Quart Oblong Slow Cooker! I use it for every pot luck I go to and all the time around the house. I like it because it doesn't cook as "hot" as my Crock Pot brand slow cooker. I tend to use it for things that are already pre-cooked or things like apple cider or dips. I don't usually use it for cooking meat.

annalaas

USA

We had bought this little slow cooker so we could prepare dinner in the morning, set it, forget it, and then eat it when we all arrived back home in the evening! It is a great convenience, especially for busy families....which family is NOT busy nowadays?!   ;)  We love the slow cooker!!  It is a small crock pot, but works very well. It is amazing that it can make an entire dinner for a family of SIX!!! The adjustable settings are a convenience. We also love that this slow cooker is Teflon-coated  and comes with a rack. The WestBend 5 quart slow cooker is very easy to clean and very easy to use. We use it to make chilis, soups, tacos, stews, roasts, and appetizers without a hitch! We have owned this slow cooker for a number of years already, and are very happy with it. However, we wish that it came with a timer or delayed start setting, though. It would be very convenient if it had a timer, so it would automatically shut off after so many hours, or have it so you could set it to start at a certain time.

TVIENO

Manitowoc, WI

We are family of four with busy lives. Isn't everybody! Everyone should own this item. The item I cook most in this crockpot are roasts. We put them in before we leave for work and by the time we get home and prepare the rest of the meal... IT IS DONE! I love coming home from work to the smell of a cooked roast. The item is really easy to wash. You just put it into the dishwasher! AND... the bottom part you can use as a griddle! I love that part! Really nice when you have company over for breakfast. You can cook your pancakes on the griddle and then put them into the pan with the cover to keep them warm! This crockpot is a nice size too. It really does not take up a lot of room compared to some other models out there. And it still fits a nice size roast in it too. It lmay not have a ton of fancy options on it, but for the price and size it is just right for our family. If this one ever dies would buy another one without question.

kanwacker

Hartford, WI

I love this crock pot!  My favorite feature is definitely the adjustable temperature control that has a range instead of just three settings.  I love that it is so easy to clean and is light-weight, but is durable.  I also love that the plug comes out of the base for easy cleaning and storage.  The lid is so tough!  I accidentally dropped it one day while I was cooking and it just hit the floor, no chips or anything.  I think that is thanks to it being bordered with the metal ring, but it's awesome.  I love the convenience of putting something in before I head out to work and having it done when I get home.  It's also perfect for keeping things warm during parties.  The size is perfect for a small family (our family is four).  As another reviewer said, a timer would definitely be a plus, but I wouldn't give up the West Bend quality just for a time.  I love this crock pot and I think it is the perfect kitchen appliance.

mjonesih

Smithfield, UT