Opinion on slow cooker - Cuisinart Multi-Cooker or others?

[cleobeach]

Last night I dropped the insert to my bare-bones slow cooker, resulting in a spectacular explosion of shards of cockery all over the kitchen.

I rely on my slow cooker for roasts and such during the week and need to replace it.

I have had my eye on a Cuisinart Multi-Cooker and it gets great reviews on W-S's website. Apparently, it has the ability to brown right in the cooker, which appeals to me.

Anyone have an opinion or experience with this or similar models?

[debbypo]

I did a bunch of research deciding between Fagor multi-cooker and Cuisinart. Eventually chose Fagor. I'm very happy with it. I frequently brown aromatics and then add other ingredients, close, set, walk away. No problems.

[moonbeamer]

This unit gets pretty mixed reviews at amazon.com--many returns. Cracks in the control panel and failure of the non-stick coating are the most frequent complaints.

Another problem for me is that while the "roast" function evidently has a true temperature-sensing (thermostat) control, the "slow-cook" function apparently has only a (High-Low-Simmer) wattage control (like all slow-cookers or crockpots), which cannot hold the temperature below 200F. I prefer my beef medium-rare (130F), and fish like salmon even lower (120F), but the only to poach such items in liquid is with a sous-vide-type temperature controller with a temperature-sensing probe.

Another way is to dry-roast at a low temperature and take the roast out when it reaches 128F or so internal temperature; but the "roast" function on the Cuisinart unit only goes down to 250F, whereas my kitchen oven can be set as low as 170F, so works better for slow-roasting.

[dylframeit]

Forgot to mention...the non stick insert is awesome...things cook on and just wipe off. Again...a great, great appliance and well worth the money. I purchased mine through Williams-Sonoma.

[dylframeit]

I purchased the Cuisinart Multi-Cooker in January and I LOVE IT!!! I use it at least 3 or 4 times a week. Roasted chicken in it is tender and moist. Made slow cook lasagna and the family loved it. Still a little learning curve figuring out how long it takes to roast certain foods because it is quicker than roasting in a regular oven. AGAIN...I LOVE IT AND IT IS MY FAVORITE KITCHEN APPLIANCE along with my VitaMix. Good Luck!

[njmarshall55]

Recently purchased the ATK-recommended Crock-Pot Touchscreen. Everything they said in their review was true. Pot Roast DID come out perfect. Don't like to brown in the slow-cooker...prefer to brown on the stovetop, then put it in. Feel like it gives me more control.

[act1966]

That's my second choice (the Crock-Pot Touchscreen) as I've read mostly positive reviews about it but I was intrigued by the Cuisinart Multi-Cooker as I do like the "all-in-one" nature of it. Thanks for the info.

[rasputina]

It's non stick, which means it's going to wear out at some point. Are you going to be able to replace the insert? 200 dollars for a slow cooker with non stick coating? I wouldn't buy it.

[act1966]

I've never had a problem with Cuisinart products (blender, stand mixer, bread maker) and I'm also considering this all-in-one model to replace an ancient Rival slow cooker - did you end up buying it?