West Bend Dba/Focus Electrics 84966 Slow Cooker With Electronic Reviews

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My parents have a West Bend 84716 which I borrowed once to do some slow cooking on the low setting. I loved the result. I picked up this model because I like the fact that it will automatically switch to low when the cooking time is up. Unfortunately low is way too hot. I made the exact same recipe in this model that I made in the 84716 and the meat was all dried and hard. I did a little test with the 84716 and 84966 side by side just heating up 1 quart of water each and here is what I found. All my tests were performed with a Kill-a-watt to measure the power and the low temperature setting was used.

1. Once the 84716 reached it's desired temp, it shut off until it needed to heat again. This appears to be how it maintains it's temperature. The 84966 never shut off which would explain why it gets too hot. Possibly by cooking more in it, the unit won't get as hot as fast, but unless it turns off from time to time to prevent it from overheating, it'll just get way too hot to cook well on low. The only settings on the 84966 that appear to auto shut off are the warm and griddle settings.

2. I started with water that was 65F. The 84966 began boiling in a little under two hours, and by the time 2 hours rolled around, it was a nice boil, not a simmer. The 84716 never reached a boil. It only reached a good simmer and that was only after 5 hours.

3. According to Wikipedia, "A typical slow cooker is designed to heat food to 170°F (77°C) on low, to perhaps 190-200°F (88-93°C) on high." Here are the temperatures of the two slow cooker models I tested for the actual cooking surface using an IR thermometer. Granted that these temperatures represent how hot the heating surface gets and not how hot the food gets, this should just be used as a guideline to show the differences between the two units. If a surface doesn't get close to 212F, then it'll never boil and if it gets to hot then it'll cook too fast or burn.

84966 Warm 200-240F Low 295F* High 340F* Griddle 340-375F

84716 Warm 150-185F Low 210-230F High 245-285F

* The Low and High settings on the 84966 never turned off so the indicated temperature was as hot as the unit could get at the indicated setting.

If anyone is thinking that perhaps I purchased a faulty 84966, I thought the same thing so after cooking with it the first time and having bad results, I picked up a second one. I tested both units at the same time and they both had the same results. Either I got two bad units or they are just too hot.

If you're the type of person who prefers to cook food in a slow cooker on the high setting then you might not experience the same problems I did. I wouldn't be surprised if cooking on the low setting would be equivalent to cooking on the med or high settings so for those of you who don't cook on low, this might work out just fine. But I'm of the belief that a slow cooker should be used on low so things cook "slowly". For that reason I'm going to have to return this one and probably pick up the 84716.

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This is my fourth one of this style of a West Bend slow cooker in 20 or so years. I started with a four quart model. I wore it out after about 6 years of using it at least 4 or 5 times a week all year (I was a working mother then). I bought a second four quart, and passed it on three years ago to my son when he got married. I still have the six quart I purchased as a replacement (I have hidden it from my son so I can have a spare if I need it). I love this new electronic model best of all. I love being able to set the timer and know it will switch to warm when done. The older models did not do that. The digital age has arrived for my FAVORITE slow cooker of all time!! I have given away the oval standard slow cooker I had (not a West Bend). There aren't many dishes I haven't tried in this slow cooker. This is the best West Bend model yet. This model is pricey for a slow cooker, but I would purchase another one, if I found a good sale price.

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I sent this cooker back after only two times of usage. When I received it, it had a scratch where the lid sits on it. I decided to go ahead and keep it because I knew it would happen eventually anyway. After I used it the second time, while hand washing it, I noticed three small spots in the bottom. I kept washing because I thought it was food particles. It wasn't. The coating had already started coming off. I like the size, weight and convenience. Love the digital programming, but at the price, I want it to last longer than it did.

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I bought this to replace my old Westbend slowcooker, the manual version with a little temperature knob. It was a real workhorse...my only complaint with that unit was a loose lid handle.

So, knowing how reliable and convenient the old cooker was, when it finally bit the dust after several years of frequent use, I did not hesitate to replace it with the probrammable model. I am very happy with my decision: it's great to be able to program cooking time in advance.

As with the older version, you can count on consistently reliable results. And, because it features a pot that you can heat on top of the stove or pop into the oven, it lives up to the 'versatility" tag quite well. Also, the lid on the pot handle shows no sign of looseness.

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Very disappointed. Loved my old programmable West-Bend cooker until cover broke and replacement lid wasn't available. Tried a Rival Crock Pot that boiled like crazy on low. Returned and was happy to find the new West-Bend programmable cooker. Unfortunately, it also boils on a low setting. Simmers away on warm too. All my recipes that cooked to perfection in my old West-Bend were dry and overcooked in the new 84966 model.