I thought I would buy an extra slow cooker to cook small meals sometimes when only my wife and I are eating at home. I was looking for a cheap but good one. West Bend 84384 was cheap; it only cost me below $30 just to have it shipped to me. It has been a week now and I have used it every single day, it’s something I do when I buy a new appliance, I call it the burning process, where I use something new intensely for a week, just to see if there were any flaws or anything I missed before the warranty ends.

West Bend 84384

Easy Cleaning and Storage
So this is what I found out about this 4 quart oval slow cooker. After using it I always clean it and keep it back in storage, I know this can be a really troublesome thing to do, but its only for a week, so I found that the oval design was easy to store compared to some round ones (and even a square one that I used to have). The size is not too small or too big, it’s just right, and cleaning for this unit is fairly simple since the pot and the lid are dishwasher safe, and yes I used my dishwasher to clean it every single time during that entire week.

The unit has a brushed stainless steel body; this means that no matter how much you smolder or “molest” this slow cooker you won’t be able to find finger prints on it, unless your hands were dirty.

So now let’s see how well this slow cooker cooks shall we? The dial reminds me of those old slow cookers, the ones from Asia, like Phillips and Sanyo, this dial comes with low, high and keep warm settings, above the dial you can see a signature which says “Crockery” that’s sort of amusing since this is a slow cooker, or maybe the manufacturers didn’t realize the difference between the two.

So I tried some extra long slices of meat and vegetables and the pot literally swallowed it up, after a few hours I was met by a complete meal, quite the pleaser I would say. The on and off indicator light lets you know if the unit is safe to touch or not, this is because the body will heat up during cooking, and imagine yourself walking about your kitchen one night to bump into it while it’s turned on, not a good experience I assure you.

The handles remain cool even in the heat of the kitchen, a regular safety measure which all slow cookers should have, but there is one bonus about the see through glass lid which I notice most slow cookers do not have, aside the fact that you can see through it to take a peek at your meal, this glass lid has a knob which does not heat up. That is an amazing add on that I suppose some manufacturers fail to see, now I don’t have to place a thick kitchen towel over the lid or wear a mitten when I want to remove the lid.

After your meal is done you can use the pot itself as a serving dish, it looks great with its ceramic coated in hi temperature black enamel, you won’t be embarrassed to place it out on the table during dinner, just be sure to line the bottom with a towel first.

This West Bend 84384 – Best Budget Slow Cooker slow cooker comes with the regular cook book, there is nothing special about that, but I would definitely urge my friends to buy this slow cooker, especially those who have a small family and are looking for a budget slow cooker.

Related Posts:

• Best Slow Cooker – Main
• Cuisinart PSC-350 – Best Small Slow Cooker
• Cuisinart CSC-400 4-Quart Slow Cooker
• Hamilton Beach 33135 – Best Value Slow Cooker

Tags: West Bend Slow Cookers by Peter
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To make things easy, I’ve picked out a few good slow cookers in their own categories. To find the suitable slow cooker for yourself, keep in mind the size, shape, settings, and your budget, of course.

My top slow cookers are:

Best Slow Cooker – Hamilton Beach 33967

This 6-quart slow cooker is great for any family. It can make a good sized meal and cooks really well. But you’d have to be experienced enough in cooking to appreciate the programmable settings, the temperature probe and timer. For those who’d like to just switch the on button and cook, this is not the best slow cooker for them. I really like the glass lid and the clip to avoid bubble-overs, and the clear LED display on this slow cooker.

Read my full review of the Hamilton Beach 33967 here.

Best Value Slow Cooker – Hamilton Beach 33135

If you feel the frustration of finding suitable size pots to cook big meals one time and small meals another, this is the slow cooker you should get. The Hamilton Beach 33135 comes with 3 pots of different sizes sharing one lid and one cooker so that you can manage the size and quality of your meal. This slow cooker gives good value for money indeed.

Read my review of Hamilton Beach 33135 here.

Best Small Slow Cooker – Cuisinart PSC-350

This 3-1/2-quart slow cooker is just nice for cooking a meal for 1 – 3 persons. Whether you’re a bachelor staying alone or a couple, the size should be just right to get your dinner ready when you get home. It’s programmable so you can set the temperature and timer, yet is easy enough to use. I also liked the oval design to fit in longer food items.

More on the Cuisinart PSC-350 here.

Best Budget Slow Cooker – West Bend 84384

For those looking for a slow cooker at a cheap price, the West Bend 84384 is a decent one that doesn’t compromise in quality. Although it’s nothing fancy with only low, high and keep warm settings, it still cooks nicely and even has a glass lid. For such a low price, the build isn’t too flimsy and nobody has complained about its durability yet.

My full review of the West Bend 84384 here.

Best Basic Slow Cooker – Corningware 6-Quart Slow Cooker

I’d recommend the Corningware 6-Quart slow cooker to anybody looking to try a slow cooker at a good price but isn’t sure whether they will be using it frequently. Of course, when you buy a kitchen appliance you’d want to use it as much as possible to make the buying of it worthwhile, but when all you really want is a slow cooker to make stew on days when you and yours are craving comfort food, this is the model to get.

Read my Corningware 6-Quart Slow Cooker review here.

Out of all these best slow cooker reviews, I’m sure you can find one that will fit your needs. I have done my research and I’ll tell you what I think you should get if you’re looking for something specific:

I hope I’ve helped you in making your decision. But don’t take my word for it though, why not try out whichever one you see and like and discover the magic of slow cookers for yourself?

Related Posts:

• Best Slow Cooker – Main
• Chef Peter’s Guide to Slow Cookers: What do I look for when I want to buy a slow cooker?
• Best Slow Cooker – Introduction

Tags: Best Slow Cookers by Peter
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