Waring WSC650 Professional 6-1/2-Quart Slow Cooker

This is my first Slow Cooker and I wanted a basic model without too many bells and whistles. This product performs great! Big enough to cook whatever I want and have leftovers for another meal. It is well insulated and the countertop barely gets warm even after 8 hours. I love the removable insert that makes cleaning a breeze. I couldn't be happier with my choice!!!!

This slow cooker gets WAY too hot. Even after trying to adjust for the new temperature regulations, meals are finished in half the recommended time. Half! Per the provided brochure, recommended cook time for a roast is 10 to 12 hours. I was shooting for eight hours but it was ready to eat after five hours. This is the third time I've used this cooker, and the first two times the food was burned and ruined. This time I babysat it to gage its actions. And, no, it is not "operator error." I know how to fill a slow cooker, use poundage recommendations, and follow cook times. The new regulations for slow cookers is a joke! Who allows these Li*&^%*&s to keep making these stupid decisions for everyone else? Over the lifetime of slow cookers I, nor anyone I know, have never heard of anyone getting food poisoning from slow cooked food. As a minimum, the "decision makers" should have been required to actually use and test the new, too-hot "slow" cookers and provide a proper recipe book. I would return this if I still could.UPDATING to say: They need to recall this thing and offer people their $ back. On page 7 of the brochure it shows that the temperature reaches 212 degrees on High setting, AND 212 degrees on Low setting. (Warm setting reaches 165 degrees) That makes no sense at all! Anything you try to cook on low will be done in half the time you expect! And this is false advertising because BOTH THE HIGH AND LOW SETTINGS ARE EXACTLY THE SAME, SO THE UNIT HAS ONLY TWO SETTINGS, NOT THREE! They need to recall this thing!Pros: Love the non-fussy, non-digital timer that switches from cook to warm.

I purchased this slow cooker because it was programmable and all the reviews were positive. I agree - it is an excellent appliance and very simple to use. My previous Rival Crock Pot had a "hot spot" in it and often burned the food in that area. Within 2 years the ceramic insert had a crack in it from this heat build up and had to be replaced. Rival had discontinued the model however but agreed to a very small discount (around $5) when I pressed for one, but only if I bought another one from them online. Naturally I checked out Amazon. All the reviews on Rival Crock pots also reported hot spots and major temperature variations. This Waring one had NO negative reviews. It is simple to use with one dial to set the time desired and other sets the heat (warm, low or high). Two lights tell you if it's cooking or in warm mode. It does not overcook the food and is large enough to prepare a meal for a family or big event. It's the same price (or less) than other cookers with reported problems, but this one WORKS PROPERLY. Definitely worth the money and the shipping was free. I'm sure this one will last for more than 2 years. Goodbye Rival.UPDATE: This slower initially worked great! And it did last for more than 2 years; it last for 3 years. Now the timing option no longer works. The food cooks indefinitely, just like other slow cookers. Disappointing that even the simplest appliance can't get much past the warranty time limit before it no longer functions properly. I'm changing my rating to 3 stars.

Like the overall size, good capacity, nice style, easy to clean, good price. Only problem is that low is kind of hot. It seems to cook much hotter and faster than my previous brand. I've not tried the hot setting, as low is more than I need. Sometimes so hot on low that the lid starts rattling and I turn it down to warm. Food has turned out OK - not burned.

I love this slow cooker because I can choose the time and temperature separately. The other feature that I had been looking for was the ability to set it directly to Warm. This comes in handy for keeping food warm after it is cooked. My last slow cooker would only go to warm after one of the preset cooking times had ended. I like the manual dial switches much better than the electronic ones, because I don't have to click through all the settings to find the one I want. I anticipate that the manual controls will also last longer.I read other reviews about the absence of a countdown for when the cooking cycle would be finished. This is not a problem for me because I just look at my clock when I turn it on so I'll know what time it will finish. I find that when I am using a slow cooker, doneness is variable, so I usually set it to the longest time recommended and then check the doneness when I get ready to serve the food. I can easily set it to warm if the food is ready before we are ready to eat.I also like the bright LEDs that indicate it is on. The LED for the Warm setting is blue instead of red, so it is easy to see when it has switched to warm.This is by far the best slow cooker that I have owned.

I love the size, shape, and features of this cooker, especially the easy-to-grasp handle on the lid and the lack of a rubber gasket around the lid. It does take up a bit of counter space; however, I knew going in what the size was so I was prepared to move things out of the way to accommodate it.Unfortunately, this model runs way too hot for my liking. And by way too hot I mean things that would normally take 4-6 hours on low were done in half that time and at a full, rolling boil. Now this may not be an issue for some (as in, you can just set the time for half that time); however, the five times I used this the food came out overcooked because of the carryover cooking during the warm cycle. I wanted something I could rely on for days I wouldn't be home; sadly, this is not the model for my needs as it cooks too quickly for long days.