the not so slow, slow cooker
593530
As others have noted, this particular cooker isn't slow at all.  We use it frequently and have simply learned to adjust the cooking times accordingly.  It works great for us, and we've had many a great meal thanks to this product.  It isn't really what you want if you have the need to put something on before work and leave it for 7 or more hours.  It literally cooked a 3lb roast in less than 4 hours on the LOW setting.  It also does get extremely hot, so have plenty of counter space to set it up on.
1736548
Slow cooked meals you say? Fine. I am in no hurry. Glancing at the cover, I was expecting suggestions for my crock pot, something new, something adventurous. But that is not the case. Slow means just slow cooking in a conventional oven. Really nothing wrong with that, but I wanted some new ideas for my crock pot! And those conversions! I hope this does not upset Anglo-American relations! There are some recopies for some stews and casseroles that sound good and easy to make. Ill give some of those a go.
4305214
I really like this cookbook.  While I like the "typical" American fare, I like to try things that are new, too.

Like other reviewers have mentioned, this is not a dump and go slow cooker cookbook.  You'll have to spend about 30 minutes or so (depending on the recipe) of prep time before you put everything in the slow cooker, but I actually like that.  I think it develops better flavors in these dishes than if you were to just dump everything in and turn the slow cooker on.

So far, I've made 6 or 7 of the recipes and have really liked all of them.  I try to do a slow cooker dinner every week because of our schedules, so this has been a nice change of pace to the typical short ribs, pulled pork or roasts.
1760511
I bought this slow cooker to replace on old, tiny one that I had from way back.  This one has been amazing.  I use it to cook dinner most nights of the week and have really been discovering lots of great slow cooker recipes.  It is very useful for cooking meat to be tender enough so that I can feed it to my (now a toddler) baby.  I debated originally whether to get the 6.5 quart size of the smaller one- I am glad that I got the larger 6.5 size. While it does take up quite a bit of counter space, since I use it so often and since I use it for lots of stews and large batches, it has been worth it.  I like having the flexibility to make large batches so that we can have leftovers for additional meals during the week.  It is very straight-forward in operation.  Just turn it on, and press high or low and set the timer.  That's it!
1040010
As a single person, I really appreciate cookbooks that feature recipes intended to produce 1 or 2 servings.  I've amassed a decent collection of them but had none for my slow cooker.  So I was intrigued when this showed up as a "recommendation" on Amazon based on my purchase history.

First things first:  READ THE INTRODUCTION.  Even if you're no stranger to slow cookery, you'll find valuable information here, especially the fact that the recipes are designed for 1.5- to 2-quart slow cookers.  This tidbit of info is NOT included with the recipes themselves, so if you're used to jumping right into the recipes and making a couple of dishes, you might miss this rather critical instruction.  Introductory sections include info on temperature variability (old vs newer models of slow cookers), buying and repackaging/freezing meats, and specific techniques for cooking meats, veggies, poultry, fish -- techniques that will let you use your imagination to create your own slow-cooker meals that taste great.

My usual practice when I review a cookbook is to prepare 3 recipes.  I used this slow cooker for the first two (<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Crock-Pot-2-Qt-Slow-Cooker-Red/dp/B00G02YIR8/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Crock-Pot 2 Qt Slow Cooker - Red</a>) and this one for the third recipe (<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Autumn-Leaves-Fall-Crock-Pot-Slow-Cooker-Round-2-5-Quart/dp/B01666CI06/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Autumn Leaves Fall Crock Pot Slow Cooker, Round 2.5 Quart</a>):

1.  Beef Stroganoff -- one of my favorite dishes anyway and this slow cooker version works very nicely.  Cubed beef sirloin tip, onion, mushrooms, and seasonings with red wine and beef broth are slow-cooked to tender perfection; then sour cream is added with a little flour to thicken the sauce.  This has a lot of flavor -- the combination of herbs and mustard give it a lot of depth.  I actually got 3 servings of this from the recipe -- served o er cooked noodles.  There's no prep cooking on the stovetop -- everything goes into the slow cooker "raw" so it's super simple.  This is definitely a keeper.

2.  Lasagne Chicken Rollups -- For this one, you pre-cook lasagne noodles (4), then combine ricotta cheese, cream cheese, diced cooked chicken, and seasonings, roll the mixture into the noodles, and cook with pasta sauce in the slow cooker.  I sometimes make my own pasta sauces, but for this one, I used a roasted garlic/tomato jarred sauce.  This cooks for 3-4 hrs on low; then is topped with mozzarella cheese and baked just until the cheese melts.  Good flavor, easy to put together, not a big "wow" factor, but certainly worth doing again.

3.  Peach Crumble -- I don't often make desserts in my slow cooker, so I wanted to try one and see how it worked out.  I'm a huge peach fan, so this one caught my eye immediately.  I used my slightly larger slow cooker for this one (see reference above).  I had to modify the recipe a bit because I used frozen sliced peaches.  When using fresh peaches, everything goes into the slow cooker at the beginning (fruit + topping) and it all cooks together.  Since I was using frozen peaches, I put all the fruit filling ingredients in first, let it cook for an hour or so to thaw the peaches, then added the topping, and cooked per instructions.  YES!  This is definitely a keeper.  I often make peach crisp in the oven, but doing it in the slow cooker is so much easier, and the flavor is perfect.

So there it is -- three recipes, three good results.  There are several other recipes that I have in my planner to make in the not-too-distant future.  I'm liking this a lot.

The main downside is that there are no photos in the book other than the cover.  I'm OK with that -- I'm not as much of a visual cook -- but others may find that's a deal breaker.

So, overall -- I really do like this book.  Solid 4 stars.
2140728
This is a quirky crockpot cookbook.  All about slow food -- slow cooking and lots of time required for prep.  Many of the recipes would fare as well cooked conventionally. If you are looking for a crockpot recipe book that saves you a lot of time, this is not it. That said, the recipes are generally inventive and interesting, and there are some smaller volume ones - nice if you cook for just one or two people.  A solid addition to the slow cooker collection, but by no means a starter book.
4506488
There is nothing better then a slow cooker you can just fix it , set it and forget it. Then you can go about your day as normal and have a fresh hot meal waiting for you when you get home and these recipes are fantastic. Thank you.
2495022
I had a crockpot brand slow cooker and what I hated about it was that after about 4-5 hours on low it would be boiling rather vigorously. This is not what you want when slow cooking. The calphalon  out of the box today was on low for 5 hours after the initial 2 hours on high from the auto mode and never showed any signs of boiling. My chili turned out perfect. In my old cooker it would have been decimated. This cooker is worth the extra money.
449001
I Love it. Still learning how to use it but it is awesome. I packed my slow cooker away. If this keeps up I may have to get a second one.
42375
Our overworked slow cookers became scarcely used backups. Last night, a pork roast that would normally take 6-8 hours took 65 minutes, including pressure build up and release times! Added a little barbecue sauce and it was better than the joint across town. We no longer have to rush to put something together in the slow cooker before work in the morning, or skip it because we would have to run to the store for a missing ingredient.  Chili, soup, rice, mixed vegetables, pasta, chicken breast, chicken wings, roast, meatballs, cocktail wienies, you name it... Everything we've tried so far has turned out amazing. I've since judged restaurants by how much better we've been able to make certain things at home.
247032
I'm a slow cooker guy ... I make meals the night before and then put the "crock" in the fridge and then pop it into the heating unit in the morning so the family comes home to a fully cooked meal. I am, however, not a vegan. That being said, we don't eat meat with every meal and there are more than enough recipes in this book to easily justify the expense for someone who isn't vegan.  At the top of the list of recipes we will be making from this collection from Martha Drummond are: Spinach and Mushroom Vegan Marinara Sauce, Vegan Lentil and Green Chili Slow Cooker Tamales, Tasty Vegan Peanut Butter Satay and Vegan Slow Cooker Pumpkin Pudding Dessert.

PS I also liked Drummond's Sriracha "Hot Sauce Recipes", check it out at http://www.amazon.com/Sriracha-Cookbook-Hot-Sauce-Recipes-ebook/dp/B00I8UPNQK/
2194332
Yes, some recipes require more assembly than others, but spending 5-20 minutes in the morning prepping stuff to throw in the slow cooker is far, far better than cooking 1-2 hours at home after a long commute.  Planning ahead also leaves enough leftovers to bring lunch to work.  This particular slow cooker has been great at handling everything I've tried so far, from soups to stews to chili, both frozen meat (read the booklet that comes with it for additional cooking instructions), fresh, and browned.  The programmable function also means that I can be sure it won't overcook if I make it home later than I need to, while still keeping the food warm.
4973534
Loving it so far!  I used to have a slow cooker which I liked but it would take hours upon hours to really get a roast tender enough to pull off the bone. This pressure cooker did it in just over one hour!  Other things I have cooked took much less time.  I'm super excited to try some of the recipes that came with it!  There are also a couple Facebook forums where people can trade recipes and tips.
1489490
I recieved this item (without the free dipper) over a year ago as a gift, and have been loving it ever since.  I absolutely adore how you can lift the inside out to wash it (but don't do put it in cold water while it is hot, this may be how the cust warning not to buy ended up w/ a crack). I have not found another slow cooker that has this function (there was one that was a pot that sat on a cooking surface but it al Aluminum -yuck.)
3445309
The rice cooker portion of this machine is great. The steamer is okay. The keep warm feature in all modes is also wonderful - whatever you prepare is ready when you need it to be.
However, the slow cooker is VERY UNDERPOWERED. It takes twice as long as any slow cooker recipe. There is no high setting option, and it is just too slow. We have started putting it on steam cook for 20-30 minutes to build up some heat in the machine, then setting it to slow cook for hours. This helps a little.
4670540
This has become my favorite cookbook.  I love casseroles and stews and that's what slow cookers are all about.  I have had this book for some time and have tested about two dozen recipes and would say that 75% of them have been terrific, I don't want to repeat the superlatives other have given it and will just point out three things:
1. These are not simple recipes, it's not a "throw it all in the pot and go away" book.  Some are very simple but most are not.  They are real recipes designed to result in good tasting food.  Most of the recipes require a fare amount of prep time, no more than any other cook book
2. You don't need a slow cooker to make this stuff, you can do it in an oven with equal results.  Here are the temperatures to use and they come from the manufacturer's settings for America's Test Kitchen's highest rated slow cooker from Hamilton Beach (I emailed them to get the temperatures)
Low = 185 F
Medium = 203 F
High = 212 F
3. Certain recopies call for making an aluminum ring of around the inside of the crock to prevent overheating of the part of the crock near the heating element.  I never bother with hit and haven't had a problem.  I don't understand their concern
724739
When I decided to buy a slow cooker from Amazon the geeky part of me wanted to get fancy displays and program capability. Then my practical side kicked-in and I realized all that fancy stuff will not make the food taste better. I saw this Proctor-Silex slow cooker while researching the right crock pot for someone who lives alone. All the excellent ratings and the very low price made this a obvious best value. In short I think it fits that description with some minor points.

The first couple of meals I cooked seemed to take unexpectedly long; up to twice what the times the menus suggested. Recently the cooker begin coming in right on time. I've no explanation why but cooking times fit recipes for the last couple of meals. Maybe there was something that just needed breaking in?

I am completely happy with the P-S 33043. The 4 quart size is right for someone who lives alone or a couple. I can cook a hearty meal and leftovers for several days. Slow cooking infuses spices nicely into what I've cooked so far (a beef roast, turkey wing stew, and a whole chicken with veggies).

Cleanup is very easy and so far no issues like those reported in some other reviews with the finish of the crockery.

I've only had it for a little while so I'll be updating the review as I learn more.

I give it 5 stars as it fits my needs just about perfectly.

Update
It's a little soon for an update but I just took a taste of the boneless leg of lamb with Garlic, Lemon and Rosemary I've been cooking all day. Wow, is it good! The gluten-free recipe is from&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/The-Everything-Gluten-Free-Slow-Cooker-Cookbook/dp/B009POD5Z4/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">The Everything Gluten-Free Slow Cooker Cookbook</a>&nbsp;and it is just about ready. It has taken a little longer than I expected but I allowed for this. Maybe I got one with a less "high" setting for "high".

One thing is certainly true - all those tech bells and whistles and displays that are on some other slow cookers aren't needed. The one thing I would like on the Proctor-Silex 33043 is a light indicating it's turned on. But even that is just a nit. Happy cooking and eating!

Update
I've cooked many delicious meals in my Proctor Silex Slow cooker. When I got the opportunity to try out a high end ($220 list) slow cooker at no charge I was thrilled. Would it be 11 times better than my trusty Proctor Silex?

When I tested the&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/360-Cookware-Gourmet-Slow-Cooker-4-Quart/dp/B00DG08KJO/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">360 Cookware Gourmet Slow Cooker, 4-Quart</a>&nbsp;I realized it wasn't just a slow cooker but a high-end stock pot and heating base. If you are interested in a premium stock pot with a base that makes it a very good slow cooker, and you've got the money to invest it may be worth a look.

I did have meals come out better in the&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/360-Slow-Cooker/dp/B00DG08KJO/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">360 Slow Cooker</a>&nbsp;but I didn't think it was 11 times better. If you are just interested in a slow cooker the Proctor Silex does well at less than 10% of the cost.