HomeSmall AppliancesToaster Ovens / ToastersCuisinart PSC-350 3-1/2-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker |
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392 of 399 found the following review helpful:
Not really programmable, but better than average quality. Aug 08, 2009
By Midwest birdwatcher
This cooker has a digital timer that you can set to cook at your chosen setting (Simmer, Low, High) for any time up to 24 hours. At the end of the set cooking time, it automatically switches to Warm, and then switches itself off after another eight hours. IMO, a truly "Programmable" cooker would change heat settings during cooking, and perhaps have a delayed start function; this unit does neither.
On the other hand, the Simmer setting is what's missing from some other slow cookers, and perhaps that's why foods get burned. This cooker heats to 185°F on Simmer, 200°F on Low, 212°F on High, and 165°F on Warm. Some cook books, including Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook, assume that Low is 180°. 180°F is the oven temperature I've always used for slow cooking a leg of lamb, London broil, and other roasts, so the lower Simmer setting is something I appreciate.
The stainless steel housing, glass lid, control panel, and ceramic pot are all nicely constructed and finished - nothing's cheap-looking or flimsy - and looks like they'll last for years. The 3-1/2qt oval pot holds a 2-1/2lb chuck roast without the meat touching the sides, and there's enough room for a layer of vegetables (a couple of cups chopped) a layer a meat a couple inches thick, and new potatoes on top. You could cook a complete meal in this for three or four people. Mine is a one-person household and this is the ideal size for me; anything smaller wouldn't make enough leftovers.
The included cookbook has nutritional information - number of servings, calories, carbs, fat, protein, sodium, and more - for all 50 recipes. I gave it four stars instead of five because it's not what I consider programmable, but I'm very pleased with it for the price.
172 of 173 found the following review helpful:
 Love it! May 24, 2009
By Vickie Deangelis
"Vickie D."
I absolutely love this slow cooker! If this was available a few years ago I could have saved tons of money trying to find a slow cooker that didn't overcook everything! I've not had it very long but have made 3 dishes already and each turned out perfect,not boiled beyond recognition. I have purchased at least 3 Rival slow cookers and either took them back or sold them at my garage sale. Each of them boiled everything even on low,not to mention had issues with water dripping onto the countertop from under the lid! The one that seemed to work the best prior to purchasing the Cuisinart was the Corelle 4qt slow cooker, but it did not give me the option of setting the exact time...anything set under 7 hrs automatically cooked on high. I also have the Kitchenaid which is a great slow cooker but is 7qts...now they say you can make smaller recipes with no problems, but almost all recipes sized for a 3-4 qt slow cooker overcooked when I tried to use it. I probably could have tried adjusting the cooking time or something but just didn't want to go to the bother. If you're making a large amount then it's awesome. It was very expensive also. So as you can see, I have tried a number of them. The Cuisinart is the perfect size for the two of us, with leftovers to boot. I have not had problems with over cooking. I would highly recommend it!
123 of 124 found the following review helpful:
Great slow cooker!! Mar 28, 2009
By Audrey R.
I love cooking and this slow cooker is a huge plus! I was looking for a small-size slow cooker between 3qt and 4qt with a timer. As far as I know, Cuisinart is the only brand that clears my requirements. The stainless steel finish makes it modern and clean looking.
This slow cooker is very easy to use. Just plug in, turn on, set the cooking time (+- by 30 min)and choose the heat setting. I made beef goulash and the meat was cooked so tender. The 3.5qt oval size pot is perfect for 2-4 people. You can easily cook large meat or a small portion of food. My only concern is that the surface gets very hot while cooking. You don't want to put anything flammable around it.
Overall, I love this slow cooker!!
65 of 65 found the following review helpful:
Best Slow Cooker out of my 9 Nov 05, 2010
By Kathy Hester
I am working on a slow cooker cookbook and I have 10 slow cookers. This is my favorite slow cooker of all of the ones I own because of the elusive third cooking temperature choice - simmer. New slow cookers cook about twice as hot as the old ones. So if you are cooking a recipe from an old cookbook it will most likely burn on low in any new slow cooker. The simmer setting on this slow cooker mimics the old low and that alone id amazing.
For the people who think it is not programmable any slow cooker that says it's programmable will mean it's switching to a warm setting after the amount of time you enter in. If it waited that 4 hours before starting you could get food poisoning, so you won't be seeing that as a feature anytime soon. But be aware that changing to warm can save your food if you come home late, so it's still a great function.
The 3 1/2 quart size is perfect for 2 or 3 people. If you are looking for a larger family you may want to get the 4 or 6 quart one.
51 of 51 found the following review helpful:
Easy to use and very convenient! Sep 21, 2009
By Mirna Mora
My daughter is a first time in college student and she had been begging me to get her a slow cooker for college. I shopped around and this slow cooker was the smallest digital one I could find. I thought it was too big for her needs, but bought it for her anyway and she could not be more happy! She loves it to death. She says that cleaning it is very simple since you can remove the black pot, it is very easy to choose the amount of heat and time you want to cook the food for, and that the food she makes comes out absolutely delicious and lasts her for days! One thing she finds particularly helpful is the automatic warm feature. Once the food is done cooking she doesn't have to worry about it burning, she can go to class and come back for dinner! It is not too heavy and while it does take up quite a bit of space the usefulness of it far outweighs that small disadvantage. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who has very little time on their hands to cook.
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