Cuisinart PSC-350 3-1/2-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker Review. Slow cooking is an art form. And the Cuisinart Programmable 3.5 Quart Slow Cooker perfects it using a precise, convenient 24 hour LCD countdown timer and four cooking modes including a Warm function when the time elapses. It's easy to make comfort foods or try out new gourmet creations-all in a convenient-sized ceramic pot that fits comfortably on any countertop....
"Love it!" 2009-05-24
By Vickie Deangelis (Alabaster, AL United States)
I absolutely love this slow cooker! If this was available a few years ago I could have saved tons of money trying to find a slow cooker that didn't overcook everything! I've not had it very long but have made 3 dishes already and each turned out perfect,not boiled beyond recognition. I have purchased at least 3 Rival slow cookers and either took them back or sold them at my garage sale. Each of them boiled everything even on low,not to mention had issues with water dripping onto the countertop from under the lid! The one that seemed to work the best prior to purchasing the Cuisinart was the Corelle 4qt slow cooker, but it did not give me the option of setting the exact time...anything set under 7 hrs automatically cooked on high. I also have the Kitchenaid which is a great slow cooker but is 7qts...now they say you can make smaller recipes with no problems, but almost all recipes sized for a 3-4 qt slow cooker overcooked when I tried to use it. I probably could have tried adjusting the cooking time or something but just didn't want to go to the bother. If you're making a large amount then it's awesome. It was very expensive also. So as you can see, I have tried a number of them. The Cuisinart is the perfect size for the two of us, with leftovers to boot. I have not had problems with over cooking. I would highly recommend it!
"Great slow cooker!!" 2009-03-28
By Audrey R. (Los Angeles, CA)
I love cooking and this slow cooker is a huge plus! I was looking for a small-size slow cooker between 3qt and 4qt with a timer. As far as I know, Cuisinart is the only brand that clears my requirements. The stainless steel finish makes it modern and clean looking.
This slow cooker is very easy to use. Just plug in, turn on, set the cooking time (+- by 30 min)and choose the heat setting. I made beef goulash and the meat was cooked so tender. The 3.5qt oval size pot is perfect for 2-4 people. You can easily cook large meat or a small portion of food. My only concern is that the surface gets very hot while cooking. You don't want to put anything flammable around it.
Overall, I love this slow cooker!!
"Easy to use and very convenient!" 2009-09-21
By Mirna Mora
My daughter is a first time in college student and she had been begging me to get her a slow cooker for college. I shopped around and this slow cooker was the smallest digital one I could find. I thought it was too big for her needs, but bought it for her anyway and she could not be more happy! She loves it to death. She says that cleaning it is very simple since you can remove the black pot, it is very easy to choose the amount of heat and time you want to cook the food for, and that the food she makes comes out absolutely delicious and lasts her for days! One thing she finds particularly helpful is the automatic warm feature. Once the food is done cooking she doesn't have to worry about it burning, she can go to class and come back for dinner! It is not too heavy and while it does take up quite a bit of space the usefulness of it far outweighs that small disadvantage. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who has very little time on their hands to cook.
"FINALLY.....A KEEPER" 2009-10-07
By vlc (Littleton CO)
I love this slow cooker! You have no idea how many expensive and inexpensive slow cookers I've had to return due to overcooking the food; and/or cooking too hot at the low setting. This Cuisinart has a "simmer" setting which is set lower than the "low" setting. For long-term cooking, this is my preferred heat setting. You can't go wrong with this one, folks!
"Finally a slow cooker that works!" 2010-02-16
By AFS (NY, NY)
I had a Rival 6 qt slow cooker and rarely used it. First, it was too big; when I bought it, there was no available information about the appropriate size for needs. I cook for my husband and myself and a 6 qt crockpot was way too big. Second, it only had 2 heat settings and I couldn't manually enter a time... I had 2 time choices for each heat setting. So, if a recipe said to cook on low for 6 hrs... I couldn't. 8 hrs was the shortest amount of time.
I bought this crockpot hoping it would work out better for us. I work full time, my husband works nights, we have a 20 month old as well. I have about a 1hr window in which to cook dinner... and that cuts into my only available time for the gym and my only time during the week with my son. I needed some way to be able to have home cooked meals without the effort!
I use this crockpot several nights a week. Chicken, soup, pasta sauce, pork, beef... you name it. It all comes out perfect (unless I happen to set the timer to high or too long). Other people have mentioned steam escaping, and rattling of the lid, I have experienced nothing but a perfectly functional life saver!
It is so wonderful to come home to a kitchen that smells like a wonderful home cooked meal, knowing the next 2 hrs before we eat are mine to do with what I will because dinner is ready and waiting!
By Vickie Deangelis (Alabaster, AL United States)
I absolutely love this slow cooker! If this was available a few years ago I could have saved tons of money trying to find a slow cooker that didn't overcook everything! I've not had it very long but have made 3 dishes already and each turned out perfect,not boiled beyond recognition. I have purchased at least 3 Rival slow cookers and either took them back or sold them at my garage sale. Each of them boiled everything even on low,not to mention had issues with water dripping onto the countertop from under the lid! The one that seemed to work the best prior to purchasing the Cuisinart was the Corelle 4qt slow cooker, but it did not give me the option of setting the exact time...anything set under 7 hrs automatically cooked on high. I also have the Kitchenaid which is a great slow cooker but is 7qts...now they say you can make smaller recipes with no problems, but almost all recipes sized for a 3-4 qt slow cooker overcooked when I tried to use it. I probably could have tried adjusting the cooking time or something but just didn't want to go to the bother. If you're making a large amount then it's awesome. It was very expensive also. So as you can see, I have tried a number of them. The Cuisinart is the perfect size for the two of us, with leftovers to boot. I have not had problems with over cooking. I would highly recommend it!
By Audrey R. (Los Angeles, CA)
I love cooking and this slow cooker is a huge plus! I was looking for a small-size slow cooker between 3qt and 4qt with a timer. As far as I know, Cuisinart is the only brand that clears my requirements. The stainless steel finish makes it modern and clean looking.
This slow cooker is very easy to use. Just plug in, turn on, set the cooking time (+- by 30 min)and choose the heat setting. I made beef goulash and the meat was cooked so tender. The 3.5qt oval size pot is perfect for 2-4 people. You can easily cook large meat or a small portion of food. My only concern is that the surface gets very hot while cooking. You don't want to put anything flammable around it.
Overall, I love this slow cooker!!
By Mirna Mora
My daughter is a first time in college student and she had been begging me to get her a slow cooker for college. I shopped around and this slow cooker was the smallest digital one I could find. I thought it was too big for her needs, but bought it for her anyway and she could not be more happy! She loves it to death. She says that cleaning it is very simple since you can remove the black pot, it is very easy to choose the amount of heat and time you want to cook the food for, and that the food she makes comes out absolutely delicious and lasts her for days! One thing she finds particularly helpful is the automatic warm feature. Once the food is done cooking she doesn't have to worry about it burning, she can go to class and come back for dinner! It is not too heavy and while it does take up quite a bit of space the usefulness of it far outweighs that small disadvantage. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who has very little time on their hands to cook.
By vlc (Littleton CO)
I love this slow cooker! You have no idea how many expensive and inexpensive slow cookers I've had to return due to overcooking the food; and/or cooking too hot at the low setting. This Cuisinart has a "simmer" setting which is set lower than the "low" setting. For long-term cooking, this is my preferred heat setting. You can't go wrong with this one, folks!
By AFS (NY, NY)
I had a Rival 6 qt slow cooker and rarely used it. First, it was too big; when I bought it, there was no available information about the appropriate size for needs. I cook for my husband and myself and a 6 qt crockpot was way too big. Second, it only had 2 heat settings and I couldn't manually enter a time... I had 2 time choices for each heat setting. So, if a recipe said to cook on low for 6 hrs... I couldn't. 8 hrs was the shortest amount of time.
I bought this crockpot hoping it would work out better for us. I work full time, my husband works nights, we have a 20 month old as well. I have about a 1hr window in which to cook dinner... and that cuts into my only available time for the gym and my only time during the week with my son. I needed some way to be able to have home cooked meals without the effort!
I use this crockpot several nights a week. Chicken, soup, pasta sauce, pork, beef... you name it. It all comes out perfect (unless I happen to set the timer to high or too long). Other people have mentioned steam escaping, and rattling of the lid, I have experienced nothing but a perfectly functional life saver!
It is so wonderful to come home to a kitchen that smells like a wonderful home cooked meal, knowing the next 2 hrs before we eat are mine to do with what I will because dinner is ready and waiting!
