West Bend 84294 The Crockery II 4-Quart Slow Cooker | 
| Brand: West Bend
List Price: $39.99
Buy New: $24.99
You Save: $15.00 (38%)
New (8) Used (1) from $16.86
Rating:  20 reviews
Sales Rank: 21324
Color: White and Blue
Number Of Items: 1
Batteries Included: No
Shipping Weight (lbs): 12
Dimensions (in): 16.4 x 12 x 8.7
Warranty: 1
MPN: 84294
Model: 84294
UPC: 072244842944
EAN: 0072244842944
ASIN: B0000CF8MJ
Release Date: August 1, 2003
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
| |
| Features:
| • | 4-quart oval slow cooker, with dark-blue stoneware insert | | • | 230 watts with three temperature settings | | • | Stay-cool plastic handles and skid-resistant rubber feet | | • | Removable, dishwasher-safe stoneware crock and glass cover | | • | 15-1/2 by 11 by 9 inches; 90-day warranty |
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com Review
West Bend's Oval 4-Quart Crockery Cooker has a country-kitchen look, with clean white curves accented in gold, maroon, and navy blue, with a freehand-style floral motif. Its casual design is well suited to everyday kitchen use, but it's also decorative enough to take its place in a buffet line-up. (During fall and winter, it's great for keeping hot cider or mulled wine warm.) The stoneware insert--also a deep blue--can be used as a serving or baking dish. There are three temperature settings--Hi, Lo, and Keep Warm, and an indicator light underneath the control dial verifies that the heating element is engaged. The domed glass lid helps keep an eye on whatever's cooking. The body of the slow cooker is metal, so exercise caution, as it does heat up along with the contents as they cook. The lid and handles, however, are made of a stay-cool plastic and can be safely touched during the cooking process. Clean-up is very easy; warm soapy water will do the trick. (The base unit is not immersible; just use a soapy rag or cloth.) Do not use scratchy, abrasive cleaners on any part of the slow cooker. The glass lid and stoneware insert are both dishwasher-safe. The slow cooker measures 15-1/2 by 11 by 9 inches (including lid and handles). West Bend products include a 90-day warranty against defects and come with a detailed booklet of instructions, recipes, and tips. --Garland Withers
Product Description
Who wouldn't love to come home and find a robust, delicious dinner ready and waiting? If you no longer live with mom, and can't afford a cook, the slow cooker is the next best thing. Simply load the ingredients into the stoneware crock in the morning (or the night before and keep refrigerated), select the setting, put on the cover and head off to take care of other business. The self-basting, slow cooking produces tender tasty food along the lines of Herbed Pork Roast, Boston Baked Beans, and Chicken Noodle Soup.
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 15 more reviews...
 Perfect fit, perfect size, perfect cook December 17, 2003
David Munson (Mid Illinois, United States)
245 out of 245 found this review helpful
I have used this crock pot for three meals so far without problems. It show great promise of the being the (almost) perfect slow cooker.
I purchased this model because it is as close to the perfect crock pot as you can get. Our other crock pot is a 6 quart round model and too large for normal cooking and "burns" or over-cooks normal meals. This four quart crock pot is the perfect size for our family of four. We can fill it half-way with fixings for a half-gallon of stew (gives leftovers) or make a full pot of spaghetti sauce that will provide for a couple of meals. The three settings (High / Low / Keep Warm) work as you would think. I did note that the `Keep Warm' setting may be a bit too hot for delicate sauces but was just right for the stew and spaghetti. Four quarts (1 gallon) is a lot of food!
Any crock you get should have a dishwasher safe removable crock and lid like this one. An oval crock pot allows you to fit larger cuts of meat in the crock than a round pot. I can not fit my 6-quart crock in the dishwasher but can and do put this one in the dishwasher.
This crock pot does not `loose steam' as some of the others are described but the lid is not sealed like a pressure cooker. As the food is cooked, steam is emitted. It gathers and cools at the (inside) top of the glass lid and drips down to the side of the lid, collecting on the lip of the crock where the lid sits. The lid sits on the lip of the crock easily with a few small dimples to prevent it from sealing (this is good - keep reading). As the steam condenses on the side of the crock the water collecting on the side seals the cooker. It works. Steam is kept in the crock pot but the pot will not become a pressure cooker. The glass lid will not `bubble' or rock on the stone crock as it cooks so it is safer than some older models. It works and works well.
The oval shape of the crock allows for a larger cuts of meat than a round crock pot the same size. The stone crock and glass lid is dishwasher safe and actually fits in the dishwasher. Clean-up is easy. The pot does not take up too much space in the cupboard.
This crock pot has a great price for what you get. A higher price may not get you a better crock pot. Until I see a crock pot with intelligent sensors (senses the temperature of what you are cooking) and digital controls for temperature and time with pre-sets for different types of sauces and meals, this is the one.
March 2006 add-on. I still think this is a great crock pot. Over the years I have perfected a few wonderful recipes. A couple years ago I purchased a Rival Smart-Part device that tunes the temp & time. I set the Rival to "A" for a lower temperature cook. (I think the Rival instructions tell you to use the "C" setting but "A" seems to produce what I think is the perfect low temperature. With the Rival temperature controller separate, you have more control over how it should cook).
October 2007 add-on. Still a great crock pot.
October 2008 add-on. Still a great crock pot. Big enough (whole 6lb chicken / large roast) for our family (the twin boys are now 7). Everything is still in good shape. I still use the rival temperature controller to correct the temperature.
The Platonic Ideal of Crockpottery December 29, 2005
Amadan (NY)
34 out of 34 found this review helpful
What can you say about a crockpot? They're supposed to be no-brainers -- you dump your ingredients into it and let it cook 'em. If you're a lazy cook like me, you want simple, effective, and easy to use. This crockpot is nearly the Platonic ideal of crockpottery. It comes with exactly three pieces: the metal cooker (with a short but adequate electrical cord and plastic dial), the ceramic pot (fits snugly in the cooker), and the metal-rimmed glass lid (fits on the pot).
It's big enough to handle family-sized meals, but not so big that you'll have trouble carrying it, fitting it on your counter or in your sink, or even in your refrigerator. (You can take the pot out of the cooker and put it in your fridge with the lid on, it will fit on most shelves.) It is a simple, pleasing shape. The pot is smooth, round and easy to handle and clean (no awkward corners or crevices that are hard to scrub out), making it ideal for both cooking and placing on the table to serve from. The projections at either end of the pot make it easy to lift and carry. Once removed from the cooker, the pot cools quickly enough that you can carry it bare-handed within minutes, though the contents will stay hot with the lid on.
The cooker works. It has a dial with three settings (besides "Off"): "Low," "High," and "Keep Warm." What else do you need? A child could use it; what kind of crockpot recipe needs more precise controls?
This is an essential, no-frills basic crockpot that just does what a crockpot should, at a great price (I can't imagine what additional value you'd get out of those fancier more expensive models). It's a workhorse in my kitchen. It's given me no problems at all. IF YOU'RE A BACHELOR, you need a crockpot! Buy this one.
 Only good for hot-dog duty October 30, 2005
Sandy Prater (GA United States)
23 out of 27 found this review helpful
I bought this crock-pot a year ago because I commute an hour to the school I teach at and end up exhausted by the time I get home...with grading to do as well. I had to find a way to get meals prepared with minimal muss and fuss and needed an occasional break from microwave meals. A slow cooker seemed ideal.
This model seemed to fit the bill: large capacity, convenient oval shape to hold larger items like roasts, and an affordable price, but I guess you do get what you pay for.
Maybe my particular slow cooker was defective. I'll never know since the 30 day return window expired by the time I noticed the problem, but this unit puts out too much heat. Even on the low setting, I'd come home to food with a decidedly burnt taste to them. At first I thought that the recommended 8 hours on low for most recipes might be too long, so then I started using it only on weekends when I could cut the cooking time down. That didn't work either. Even on the low setting, the food would come to a boil around the edges and that horrid burnt taste would permeate the entire meal. I'd also find that the edges, and sometimes the bottom, would have food stick and burn, leaving a crusty black residue that had to soak overnight before being taken off. Also, I never felt comfortable leaving it on all day because the bottom of the unit became very hot as well.
Now it sits in my closet in my classroom. Every now and then I'll pull it out to boil hotdogs for in-class celebrations, so it's not a total waste of money...but I'd definitely not recommend this unit for anyone else, based on my experience with it.
 HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE February 3, 2005
beetle444@comcast.net
22 out of 27 found this review helpful
I bought 2 of these in the past 4 months..I was happy with the first one but wanted an indicator light so I ordered another and it hums and hisses after a month and a half..I called west bend and was told to send it in at my own expense...thing is that the shipping would almost be as much as the cooker..and I explained this all and I got a supervisor who was still argumentative and unhelpful named candy...she would not even give me the name of the person she reported to and told me she had lodged my complaint but had nothing she could send me to show it had really been recorded do i doubt it ever was..the crockpt is bad workmanship and customer service worsew..I will never buy another west bend again ever!
 Good for starters January 4, 2005
FKC (New York, NY USA)
20 out of 28 found this review helpful
This was a good choice for a first crockpot. The operation is simple, it comes with easy instructions as well as starter recipes. It is definitely a sturdy piece and the crock cleans up easily. My disappointment is that you really can't cook on the high setting, it is too high. As well, the low setting cooks too quickly. My research prior to purchasing this showed that this is apparently a common problem with crockpots, now I know what to look out for.
|
|
|
