For many of us, the slow cooker is an essential kitchen item. Especially in the winter when casseroles and stews are made in abundance, Crockpot’s 5.6L Time Select Slow Cooker claims to have a pot large enough to feed seven people and cook a meal. He offers two different methods.
This particular rice cooker also features a special scheduled meal feature that automatically adjusts temperature and timing so it’s ready exactly when you need it. Perfect if you’re short on time or have a set meal time. There is also the option to set the slow cooker up to 12 hours ahead.
The manual function works like most slow cookers with a programmable countdown controller that can be set for as long as you want. There are options for high cook settings and low cook settings.
At £75 RRP, this slow cooker is in the mid-range price range and has most of the features you’d expect.
I put this sleek gray slow cooker to the test during the festive period and tried different recipes with all the different features to see if it deserves a place in our guide to the best slow cookers. Keep reading to see how I rode.
Crockpot 5.6L Time Select Slow Cooker Product Specifications
(Image credit: CrockPot)
- type: slow cooker
- Size: H29.3, W41.2, D25.4cm
- cooking area: 5.6 liter can
- weight: 3.5kg
- Maximum temperature: 230 degrees
- cooking mode: 2 – Manual Settings and Scheduled Meal Features
- Power: 230 volts
- colour: Silver
- material: brushed stainless steel
Yasmin Rufo
Yasmin is a freelance writer. ideal house I have considerable experience in testing products and writing reviews. Her specialty is technology and gadget reviews with a focus on home technology, especially smart technology.
Yasmin previously worked as a shopping writer at Evening Standard, where she rounded up the best tech and homewares on the market. She enjoys staying on top of the latest releases and trends.
Unpacking the product
(Image credit: Future/Yasmin Rufo)
At first glance, the Crockpot is much larger and heavier than expected. The rice cooker was securely wrapped, sandwiched between two plastic cases, but unfortunately it was not recyclable.
Along with the cooker is an individually wrapped lid and clear, easy-to-follow instructions. However, it doesn’t contain recipe information, so you’ll have to find it online yourself.Fortunately, the crockpot website (opens in new tab) From appetizers to desserts to hot beverages, there are endless recipes.
The plug is relatively short, so the rice cooker should be placed very close to the socket. The simple interface was self-explanatory and I was up and running with the casserole within minutes of taking it out of the box.
Minestrone making
(Image credit: Future/Yasmin Rufo)
One of the first things I wanted to try at Crockpot was a hearty hearty soup.
Chopped vegetables such as tomatoes, zucchini and celery. I put a can of black soybeans and 1L of stock.
Thanks to Crockpot’s clever settings, you never have to worry about overcooking or undercooking. Just select the type of food you want to cook (vegetables) and the contents of the pot (half) and the machine will calculate the cooking time (he in this case 3 hours).
After 3 hours the soup is ready. Vegetables are tender and not mushy.
brownie making
(Image credit: Future/Yasmin Rufo)
The rice cooker doesn’t come with recipes, but Crockpot’s website is full of meal ideas, from quick bites to family dinners to sweet treats.
I was curious about the brownie recipe, so I made it. All the ingredients were the same as usual and the method was quick and easy. Place all ingredients in a bowl and pour onto cookie paper in the cooker.
The recipes online just say 2 hours to cook and don’t give details of using a specific feature, so I set the timer manually.
After the cooking time, I took the brownies out of the pan and was surprised to see that they were well cooked. Never used. Not only can I not wait that long, but the cooker used more energy than the oven used to bake brownies for 20 minutes.
Christmas casserole making
(Image credit: Future/Yasmin Rufo)
With plenty of time on hand over the Christmas holidays, I wanted to try Crockpot at its pace.
Despite my best efforts to eat a tremendous amount of celebratory food, there was a lot of turkey left over. I made a lot of turkey sandwiches later, so I thought I’d try making a Christmas casserole by adding the leftover meat to the slow cooker along with the veggies and canned tomatoes.
I had previously cooked the vegetables for another meal, so it took much less time to cook than minestrone. Within an hour the casserole was ready and served with rice for a delicious and hearty meal.
The great thing I’ve found with the slow cooker is that you don’t necessarily have to follow a recipe—you can add meat, vegetables, and liquids to the bowl and it will be cooked perfectly every time.
making roast chicken
One of the Crockpot’s biggest draws is its “Schedule Meal” feature, where the pot automatically calculates when to start cooking.
I used a Crockpot recipe for roast chicken to try this feature out.
The first thing I noticed was that the recipe called for a wire rack. I have not. Luckily there was a wire rack that fits inside the rice cooker.
I followed the instructions to put the chicken in the rice cooker and add mustard, seasoning and 200ml of beer. I set my scheduled meal time to 7pm and chose the 1kg chicken option. The rice cooker calculated that it would take him four hours to cook.
After that time had passed I checked the chicken and was disappointed that it still took a long time to cook.After 45 minutes the chicken was medium cooked but the skin was not crispy. bottom. So I had to grill it for 30 minutes until it was ready to eat.
I had high hopes for the roast chicken, but considering it takes an extra hour to cook, I think cooking it in the oven would be easier and faster. I couldn’t use it.
How does it compare to similar models and their predecessors?
The 5.6L slow cooker is one of the largest models Crockpot sells and has more features than others. The interface is more modern and easy to use, and it’s nice to have the cooker automatically update the cooking time based on the weight and type of food.
However, when compared to other slow cookers such as the similarly priced Russell Hobbs Good to Go 6, the Crockpot has far fewer precise food settings. For example, the Russell Hobbs Pot has specific rice and sous vide features that make it more versatile than the Crockpot.
The Crockpot is one of the sturdiest, best-made cookware I’ve tried. Stainless steel is durable, sleek, and fits well in almost any type of kitchen.
Should I buy Crockpot’s 5.6L Time Select Slow Cooker?
A slow cooker is undoubtedly a useful kitchen appliance that makes cooking easier than ever. Crockpot’s Time Select slow cooker has some great features like a “meal schedule” feature, and a sleek interface that’s easy to use.
The pot looks great and its small size of 5.6L makes it easy to carry and can be placed on any kitchen surface when space is limited. However, if you’re looking for a slow cooker that makes a large amount of meals, we recommend purchasing other larger models for the same price.
The 75-pound Crockpot is good for making soups and casseroles, but I’d love to see more features like a larger cooking pot, various accessories like wire racks, and rice sets.
About this review and this reviewer
Yasmin tested this slow cooker at home for several weeks. ideal house test protocol. She experimented with different recipes, including desserts, to see if it was worth investing in this slow cooker.
Given the cold weather, Yasmin is obsessed with creating hot soups, stews and casseroles that are jam-packed with flavor and deliciousness. Therefore, there is no better product than Crockpot’s Time Select Slow Cooker. Over the past few weeks, she’s experimented with recipes ranging from regular meat casseroles to delicious and simple desserts.
