The Gourmet Mama

I’d wanted a crockpot or slow cooker for a long time when I finally got mine a few months back. I took some time in the store, debating which of four I wanted. Two were too small, one was a little larger than the <a href=”http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00005OTYT?ie=UTF8&tag=thehorrorre0a-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00005OTYT”>Crockpot 3040-BC Slow Cooker</a><img src=”http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thehorrorre0a-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00005OTYT” width=”1″ height=”1″ border=”0″ alt=”" style=”border:none !important; margin:0px !important;” /> which was 4 quarts, but nearly twice the price, so I ended up deciding on this one.

This four quart  slow cooker features two settings, high and low, which is more than enough for my needs. If I’m making something overnight, like oatmeal or beans, I put it on low. For daytime use, like when I want to start dinner at 8 am before heading to the market, I put it on high. It’s never failed me yet!

I like the outer cover which is stainless steel. It looks right at home in any but the most rustic of kitchens and is super easy to wipe down. Which is good, because the Rival Crockpot 3040-BC is fairly big, so I have no room in my minimal cupboards. That means it sits out on the counter all the time and gets spattered from mixing batters. It does it’s fair amount of spitting juices, itself, though.

Now, I live in Guatemala, so I have to prepare beans quite often. Being able to do it overnight was a big time saver. I just put the beans on low from about 8 pm and they were quite ready by noon the next day.

Over the past few months, I’ve made a number of tasty meals in the cooker, including Beef Barley Stew and Curried Chicken. The biggest complaint I have is that the lid tends to rattle once the pot heats up. When it’s on high heat, the steam lifts it and it can be a bit noisy, which I find irritating, but probably doesn’t bother most people.

Rival Crockpot 3040-BC Pros

• Super simple to use
• Doesn’t burn easily (there have been a couple of times that I totally left the food too long and nothing happened)
• Clear lid lets you see the food
• Ceramic cooker lifts out of the metal heater for easier cleaning
• Easy to clean stainless steel exterior

Rival Crockpot 3040-BC Cons

• Despite cleaning thoroughly, the ceramic inner pot gets little lines of mold in the pattern of cracks, it’s easily washed off
• It’s bulky and takes up a lot of counter space
• The lid rattles when left on high for more than a couple of hours

Have you had any experiences with the Rival Crockpot 3040-BC? I’d love to hear about them in the comments.

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