“I bought this as I love porridge in the Winter and I thought it would be ideal. So far I have made rice pudding (lovely and creamy) and bolognese sauce. I have found the cooker quite easy to use but it will take a bit of practice to get really used to it. Like most KitchenAid products, it is very sturdy and well made although it is larger than I had imagined. The stir tower is a great idea and is proving a real time saver. I'm not sure I would have bought it at full price but on sale, it's a bargain.”
“Purchased this to replace an old slow cooker, used it 3 times and have to say so far we are impressed. Unlike a slow cooker which has 2 settings low and high, the Kitchenaid can be set anywhere in between, and even lower than the slow cooker. It is still a slow cooker but a lot more adaptable, and if like me, you see it on sale at 50% off, buy it.”
“A very nice piece of equipment for the kitchen. I am still fiddling with it and I cannot do a full review but so far:
On the plus side: it makes the best Spanish style rice pudding, as it allows cooking for long periods at a set chosen temperature with the lid open to facilitate evaporation while stirring continously if required. Excellent for risottos, dulce de leche or a very slow cooked tomato sauce ( it allows cooking for 3-4 hours or as long a needed to achieve a concentrated flavour, and the stirring avoids the risk of sticking and burning).
The slow cook funtion works well and the lid is well designed to avoid the liquids getting lost in evaporation. My wonderful old crockpot is not as good with its lid.
It goes up to 230 centigrade and seals meats very well, avoiding having to do it in a different pan.
The worst of this appliance: The instructions are badly written and in some places misleading. I have had to work out myself how to get the best of the appliance. The machine is far better than the instrucitions imply. A pity that KitchenAid did not get this to their usual standard.”
