Cheap Cuisinart 3-In-1 Cook Central Multi-Cooker, Slow Cooker, Steamer

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List Price: $235.00
Sale Price: $129.00
Today's Bonus: 45% Off

UPDATE: Yes it is Made in China

UPDATE: No you cannot use the insert on top of the stove nor in the oven

UPDATE: No there is no delay timer of any sort. You cannot, for instance, set a timer to cook on high for 1 hour, then drop to low for 4 hours then drop to warm to keep the food at a safe temp. Nor can you set a delay timer to start cooking at a future time. The closest there is: you can select high, low or simmer slow cook and set the number of hours. At the end of that time it will automatically down select to warm to stop "cooking" the food but keep it at a safe temp. The warm feature runs for 8 hours (or you can program it on warm up to 24 hours) then the unit shuts itself off. High, low, simmer can be set on a timer up to 24 hours then auto switches to warm for 8 hours. Max cooking time on any timed setting is 24 hours. Every time you open the lid, add 15-20 minutes to the recipe cooking time.

UPDATE: Slow cook temps are HIGH = 212 degrees, LOW = 200 degrees, SIMMER = 185 degrees, WARM = 165 degrees. Food must reach 140 degrees within 3 hours to be safe per USDA recommendations. Saute temps are: default is 350 degrees, programmable from 140 degrees to 400 degrees in 25 degree increments.

UPDATE: The entire instruction & recipe booklet is online at Cusinart's web site in pdf format. Search for manual "MSC-600". I read the instructions and many of the recipes myself before I bought the unit.

UPDATE: Q: "Will this unit really "brown" meat well? (i.e., as in browning meat for a pot roast or browning beef chunks for stew?)". A: Yes, very well. See the saute temps elsewhere in my review. It has a large sort of oval shaped saute heating element underneath the insert which provides more than adequate heat for saute. However, if you put 5 pounds of stew beef in there all at once it is hard to brown it just like a skillet but better temp control in increments of 25 degrees. Many of the recipes tell you to brown large quantities in shifts and remove the browned items before adding more I use a left-to-right (raw-to-brown) rotation method to do that.

UPDATE: Do not cook chicken breasts in a slow cooker it dries out the breasts. Read the manual.

Well, after several months, perhaps a year, here are my observations:

I have not had the problems others have had with the electric panel on the front. I have had no odd things go wrong with the electronics of this item. So far so good.

I have not had the problems others have had with being unable to turn it back on once you turn it off. I have waited a few minutes to let it cool down first then start it back up like advised and have had no problems. I mean I wait maybe two minutes not 30 minutes. Not a problem for me.

This thing takes up space lots of counter space and storage space. Wasn't a surprise though I had visualized it with a tape measure and it is every bit as big as expected on the counter top for sure. But that's how you get the 6 quart capacity.

I am a single guy who can't cook, doesn't like to cook, and I love this slow cooker. Years ago I had the standard 3.5 qt round 'crock pot'. Then branched out to the new stainless steel ones 3 different sizes. Hated them, too hot to touch or move. Gave them all to Goodwill including my old trusty ceramic one (sigh!). I missed my slow cooker so went on the hunt. Decided on this one and I am very pleased with it.

I use this as a slow cooker for sure. But also use it to stir fry, saute, and brown. Really like the fact that you can brown in this and immediately add the other ingredients for slow cooking. I like the depth of this to keep the grease from splattering around the kitchen. Even though it's just for one I like the capacity. Once I got this and started using it I got on Amazon and also ordered the Reditainers for fridge and freezer storage along with the freezer tape. I like having the digital temp on the front for very accurate temperatures. The low heat and high heat temps seem perfect to me on the slow cooker. The super hot stainless steel things I had before were either not hot enough (low) or way too hot (high). I think Cuisinart got this right on this model. Read the manual and understand the temps for high, low, simmer and warm and what they are for (and not for). Duh read the manual!

So far I have made tomato soup (very rich/earthy flavor), hot and sour soup (OMG!), stuffed bell peppers (8 large or 10 small), chicken stir fry, steamed corn on the cob (4 full ears or 8-10 half ears), and a bunch of other stuff I don't remember.

From the Williams-Sonoma "Essentials of Slow Cooking" cookbook I also bought on Amazon, I have made: Beef Stroganoff(!), Italian Braised Short Ribs, Pot Roast w/ veges, Belgian Beef Stew, Asian Braised Short Ribs(!), and Chicken Mole (disaster, tossed this one). I intend to try Jambalaya in it and do something with Mahi Mahi steaks as well but I haven't tried any seafood in it yet.

Ooops: If you fill the thing full it will overflow once it reaches temperature. You must leave space for it to expand do not under estimate this. Also, if you put it on saute to get the heat going it will very quickly overflow with a little explosive force as the expanding juices break the seal around the lid to escape that was a mess to clean up all over the kitchen and had to take the bottom off and clean the insides. One design flaw it seems if it overflows the vents are wide open with no drip line design so it catches all the juices running down and takes them directly inside the unit. Dumb design the vents need a drip line (flared vents) to prevent this. But I haven't made this mistake a second time. Do...not....over....fill! You can make up to 18 cups in this thing.

The 'loose' fitting lid is NOT a problem. Steam goes to the top, drips down the lid and creates a seal all the way around the top of the unit where the lid sits. It works perfectly.

The lid, let alone the pot, is simply too big for the dish washer. I use the dishwasher for everything except for this. It's simply much easier to just wash it by hand and put it in the dry rack.

I have had no problem with the teflon coming off or bubbling I have no scratches yet. I use wooden spoons to stir and move things around, and carefully use metal prongs to turn over the chicken breasts. But I have been very careful to not scratch it so far. I also follow the instructions and do NOT put the insert in the oven nor on a the stove top and my teflon is not coming off nor is it bubbling anywhere. My teflon looks like it the did the day I got it. I also do NOT run cold water into the insert when it is still hot.

I currently have 4 chicken breasts in the slow cooker and after 47 minutes on high (slow cook) the bottle of beer and BBQ sauce was boiling so I turned it down to low. This was after searing the chicken breasts on saute and adding the beer and BBQ sauce. I think it does better with 6 chicken breast than with 4. Almost too big to just do 4. The manual says it should be at least 1/3 full for use I believe them now. I usually have it on high the first hour to get everything to a safe temp as quickly as possible.

I prefer my rice cooker/vege steamer for steaming veges other than corn. I've purchased Risotto and plan to learn how to make it and plan to use this slow cooker on saute to do it. That way I can learn the exact digital temperature that works and repeat the success. Then expand to many different versions of Risotto. I like the digital read out since I don't have that innate cookers sense of temperature. You can up the temp in increments of 25 degrees for saute.

Read the instructions to understand how to use the digital panel couple of things aren't intuitive but easy once you get the point.

Yes I recommend this slow cooker and I have had and used many over the last 30 years. This slow cooker plus the Williams-Sonoma Slow Cooking cook book on Amazon makes me feel like I can cook.

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When I read about this item at Williams Sonoma I wanted to try it.

They had a good price as well.

I always check Amazon before buying anything. Instead of the 7 quart,

i only needed the 6 quart and Amazon had that at a great price.

It came really fast from the retailer-Beach Audio. Sometimes Amazon affiliated

retailers send the cheapest way possible, but Beach Audio did a great job.

When I got it, I used it the next day for beef stew.

It was just as advertised. It worked great.

I followed the instructions and it was the best stew i ever made.

The whole family loved it.

It is not only easy to use, but i can do all the cooking i want in one pot.

I don't have to clean pots and sauce pans.

The clean up is so simple and easy, and it does not take up the whole counter.

What I don't understand is why this wasn't invented decades ago.

It was too simple an idea for big corporations to think up I guess.

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I made a pot roast with this machine...it was my first time every trying this...and it came out wonderful. I love the fact that you can braise/brown...and then slow cook all in one spot. The ability to set your own temps. if desired is a wonderful feature.

The meal was enjoyed by all and clean-up was very simple.

This was my forth crock pot over the years, I alway bought cheap ones...this was so worth the money. I was able to put my hands under the pot while cooking...where other pots had so much heat under them, they started to affect my counters.

Honest reviews on Cuisinart 3-In-1 Cook Central Multi-Cooker, Slow Cooker, Steamer

2nd UPDATE: Amazon issued a full refund and also wrote me that they will be contacting Cuisinart about this issue. Excellent customer service from Amazon, which is why I shop here so often.

UPDATE: After probably four uses the Teflon coating is damaged. As you are probably aware Teflon is poison to humans so I will not use this again.

I never used anything but plastic or wood utensils and washed it carefully by hand after each use.

Although past the return window Amazon are accepting the return. Yay, Amazon for standing by your products and standing up when there was an issue.

In all honesty I can no longer give this slow cooker a good review as I don't know if this was a bad batch of Teflon, or the general quality of the finish an all the slow cookers is the same.

I am deleting the text of my initial review.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Cuisinart 3-In-1 Cook Central Multi-Cooker, Slow Cooker, Steamer

I bought this cooker thinking it would mostly live in my garage and come out now and then to make slow cooker recipes. How wrong I was. I use it several times a week. Although it is a slow cooker that allows for high and low slow cooking temps, it also has a temp control (going up to 400 degrees) which allows you to brown/braise your veggies (or meat, if you eat that stuff) before slow cooking. This temp control allows me basically to cook soups and other items even at boiling temperature. So it's pretty versatile, and I've used it both as a slow cooker, and as a kind of electric pot. It's attractive, and lives on my kitchen counter (not the garage, as I'd anticipated.) The nonstick coating releases food without sticking. The handles don't get hot, and neither does the stainless seal outside (it does get warm). The black rim at the very top where the lid sits does get hot, but that's because its part of the pot insert. And the entire thing cleans very easily as the pot removes for normal washing (and the nonstick coating means food releases very easy, even dried on stuff.) Highly recommend.