Cuisinart PSC-350 3-1/2-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker, Silver, 9-1/2 in H x 9.1 in W x 12.67 in L

For the ten years I've been married, I've thought I just didn't have the slow cooker gene. So many people rave about their effortless Crock-Pot dishes, and yet mine always turned out dry, stringy, leathery, and mushy-tasting. I finally accepted it as one of those things I just don't have the talent for, like gift-wrapping and pretty much anything athletic.When I started troubleshooting with friends, I found out a few tips that made me rethink the situation. Our 6-quart (because my then-fiancé insisted it was the necessary size) was actually too big for most of the cooking I did. Then, the slow cookers of today run at much higher temps than the old-school ones we remember our moms using. I finally looked up the Amazon reviews on the specific model we'd received as a wedding gift and discovered that, with several hundred reviews, it had a 2-star rating for the same reasons I'd struggled with. Ah.I finally let go of my loyalty to the wedding gift and decided to try another model. Don't laugh, but this is a GAME-CHANGER. I was concerned that the 3.5 quart slow cooker would be too small, but it's ideal for our family of four. Roasts, whole chickens, soups, all sorts of things are in there, and I find that I have it out on the counter being used more often than I have it in the cabinet! I threw in a whole chicken the first day to make shredded stuff for a soup, and the results were what I always thought it was supposed to be: falling-off-the-bone tender, juicy, perfectly done. I then put the carcass back in with some vegetable scraps I'd been saving, and after setting the slow cooker to 'simmer' for 24 hours, I had a phenomenal organic chicken stock. (If you haven't looked up the health benefits of this stuff, you're in for a pleasant surprise.)There are two features that I won't do without now: the ability to program time in half-hour increments up to 24 hours (yay!) and the four settings: high, low, simmer, and warm. Turns out the 'simmer' setting is almost the same as what 'low' used to be years ago, which is ideal for things like bone broth. Being able to set the temp to 'warm' from the start is also a wonderful feature, and I really enjoy having that flexibility.The insert is remarkably easy to clean, and the exterior just needs a simple wipe-down with a damp cloth. The footprint is reasonably small, so that having it on the counter all day does not eat up the entire space. Much as it pained me to donate a generous wedding gift, I really am wishing I'd bought this particular model years ago!!

I can't speak to the longevity of this slow cooker as I've only had it for two weeks. In that time, however, it has seen a lot of action. Many years ago my grandmother bought me a cheap slow cooker and gave me a few older used slow-cooker cookbooks. Everything came out tasting like the same chewy rubber, so I gave up and gave the slow cooker away. After a delicious meal at a friend's house recently that was made in a slow cooker I thought I would be willing to give them a try again. I did some research into what kinds of features I would like and what size would be best for our three-person family and hit upon this particular slow cooker. I have several other Cuisinart products in my kitchen and have been happy with their durability and quality so I was happy to purchase this brand again.The best features of the slow cooker, for me, are the timer, the variety of settings, and the size. The time allows you to set the slow cooker in 30 minute increments. After cooking on whatever setting you choose, it automatically switches to warm (not off!). This was a feature missing from my older slow cooker which made it imperative that I was home to turn it off at the correct time. I should also note that you do not have to use the timer. This slow cooker, unlike my other one, also has four heat settings: high, low, warm, and simmer. Although the manual says only to use warm for food that is already prepared, it is still a useful setting. As I said, it switches to this once it is finished cooking and keeps the food warm until you are ready to serve. There are only three people in our household, myself, my husband, and our infant daughter. We did not need an enormous slow cooker. I could see wanting one to make leftovers or feed a crowd, but neither of those were really issues for us. The size is more than adequate and it still makes more than enough for us to feed a few others if we had a party.The biggest perk of having one of these in kitchen is, as I have discovered coming into the hotter months, that I don't have to turn the oven on. I love pulled pork, braised meats, or just generally a hot meal, but having the oven on in the summer is miserable even with the AC blasting. This totally solves that problem! It is also very easy to use and attractive (as compared to some of the 1970s versions I have seen).Long story short, I am happy with this slow cooker. It's the perfect size and I can cook while staying cool.