Cuisinart MSC-800 7-Quart 4-in-1 Cook Central Multicooker, Stainless Steel/Black

I've had this (6 qt) slow cooker for over two years now, and I easily use it at least weekly if not more. It is definitely one of the most frequently used products in my kitchen. I consider it to be one of the wisest investments I've made for my kitchen. I'd like to give some information to address some of the most frequent questions and concerns I've seen asked about this slow cooker: Yes, you can fit a whole chicken in the cooker, at least in the 6 qt model. I've put a whole chicken in there, ON TOP OF potatoes and carrots, and still had enough clearance to close the lid. If you instead put your other items to the side of your whole chicken, it will fit with room to spare. Yes, the brown/saute feature actually works, and it works as well as your stove would. I've browned ground beef, turkey, pork chops and whole roasts in mine. I've sauteed just about every veggie you can think of, from onions and green peppers to carrots and celery for a roux. I've done multiple roux mixes, start to finish, in mine. I've even made proper sausage gravy in there. Yes, the outside of the unit heats up. I wouldn't say it gets any hotter than any other slow cooker. In fact, I have two other regular slow cookers I still use frequently (a small 4 qt and a huge 8 qt), both with a more traditional ceramic insert... and I'd say those actually get hotter than this unit. With this unit, I like that I can touch the handle of the lid or the handle of the insert without needing a hot pad, unlike the lid/handles of my other two slow cookers. This unit doesn't get any hotter than my toaster however, and again, I'd say my toaster actually gets hotter on the sides. No, I haven't had any trouble with the Teflon coating coming off. Honestly, I suspect that has a great deal to do with the implements people are using in their units. This slow cooker is not the only product I own with a Teflon coating, and it is not the only product I've seen lots of reviews complaining about coatings coming off - in every case, I apparently miraculously have ZERO issue with the coating, whereas so many other reviewers apparently have theirs chipping within weeks. The difference, in my opinion, is that other than grill implements (and of course silverware), I don't own ANY metallic cooking implements. Mine are all either things like the Calphalon nylon spatulas and spoons, or silicone implements, or wood. Every product you buy with a Teflon coating says the same things - no metallic implements of any kind. Yet people ignore this consistently, and then act surprised when their Teflon starts to chip. Until recently, there was a review on this cooker that had a video attached. The video had been made a few weeks after the purchaser bought her slow cooker, and it was a very positive review. Then she came back a few months later and changed her review to be very negative (still with vid attached), complaining that her Teflon chipped. Multiple people pointed out that she had been using a metal spatula in her video - she replied to each of those comments "screaming" (ALL CAPS) that her use of a metal spatula had no bearing on it chipping. Yes, actually, it did - it causes that chipping, which is why Teflon-using manufacturers tell you not to use those sort of implements. Barring any actual defect - and they happen sometimes - so long as you follow the manufacturer's instructions on proper use of this product, I see no reason you can't get years and years of use out of it.

Title: Perfect All-in-One Cooker — I Use It Constantly! Review: I bought this Cuisinart four-mode cooker because I wanted one appliance that could handle multiple cooking tasks without taking up a lot of counter space. It can sauté, steam, slow cook, and roast — and it does all of them really well. First impressions: When it arrived, the first thing I noticed was how solid and well-made it felt. The controls are simple, the inner pot is sturdy, and nothing feels cheap. Performance after real use: After using it often for several different meals, I can say it’s become one of my most reliable kitchen tools. I love being able to sauté meat or vegetables right in the same pot before switching to slow-cook — no extra pans to wash. It cooks evenly, heats up fast, and everything I’ve made has turned out great. Pros: • Very versatile (sauté, steam, roast, slow cook) • Saves time and reduces extra dishes • Easy to clean • Solid build and reliable performance • Great for everyday cooking Cons: • None so far — it’s performed perfectly for everything I’ve used it for Would I buy it again? Absolutely. It’s one of those appliances I reach for constantly, and it has replaced several other gadgets.

Love how versatile this multi-cooker is! The slow cook, sauté, and steam functions all work well, and the 6-quart size is perfect for family meals. Easy to clean and saves me from using multiple pans.

I was kind of worry about spending so much on a cooking appliance. I read as much as I could find about it, but most folks bought the less expensive kind so there wasn't much reviews to go on. I took a leap of faith for those who took the time to put in their perspective and took the plunge. I have had this over a week and already cooked like 4 meals on it. LOVE, LOVE the BROWNING feature. Just that part alone was well worth it. It was easy to heat up, and brown like its suppose to. Afterward, I put whatever vegetables goes in and brown that too. Next it was as simple as returning the meat back in to cook on SLOWCOOK mode. The next thing that I alo LOVE is the pot itself. It's nonstick (yes, you have to be a little more gentle and careful when putting any kind of tools into the pot so as not to scratch the coating), but the ease of cleaning is easy, and the WEIGHT of the pot is soo light (which is extremely helpful as I am currently having problem with some hand pain issue). The only negatives is the learning curve involved and that is on me. I'm use to ceramic crockpot type slow cooker's higher heat setting, so on the first batch it was not enough time. The second batch, too watery. The third batch too over cook, the 4th batch receipe issue. I'm sure I'll keep on trying, but for all my faults, it still did what it's suppose to (plus the food was quite good) only issue is operator inexperience in this type if cooking. By the way, I thought the 6qt would be too big for 2 people, but I like to put extra veggies so the size actually is perfect. The warming feature was awesome -- on the regular crockpots the warm setting was sometimes still to high, but on this the food stay at an edible temperature. Now there is some things to keep in mind, it does take time to heat to desire temperature, and definitely don't open the lid too often or else the temperature does not remain constant. You'll have to learn (for newbes like me) to adjust time and temperature when cooking. Just because the receipe said to cook for this amount of time may not work because this Cuisinart can also cook by temperature setting also. I'm very please to get this, and just hope that it will at least last a couple of years. I think it's funny when I read people's reviews about how after 3 years or so their pot dies etc. If this slow cooker will last almost that long from being used it was well worth it in this electronic age.

EDITED - SEE COMMENTS AT BOTTOM [Now edited again - MORE problems] ************************************************ No more ceramic crocks to break or crack! And unlike some "name brands" with ceramic crocks, you won't have to fill this with a lot of water to cook anything because there's no risk of cracking the insert. Browning and steaming appear to work fine, though we're using it primarily for slow cooking. But be aware that another "name brand" slow cooker with ceramic insert requires the crock to be placed on the stove top for browning, and then put into the cooker for the slow cooking. This does it all, within itself. Additionally, it is very easy to clean, especially with the significantly lower weight of the insert, compared to a ceramic insert, making those much easier to break (if you don't crack it by failing to follow instructions and drown your slow cook project in water). No such issues with this product!. The controls are also very easy to both read and operate. Worth the higher price? Absolutely! Crack a ceramic crock (or two) and you'll have spent the same amount of money, and still have less convenience all around. With a three year warranty, it will be hard to go wrong with this device. ************************************************************************ EDITED 21 November 2015 We have downgraded this from an original 5-star rating (not easy to get from us), to only a 2-star rating. There has never been any utensil used in this cooker except nylon/plastic utensils specifically designed for non-stick coatings. Yet there is bare metal already showing through the bottom of the insert, with scratches also showing as if metal utensils had been scraped along the bottom. The only person to use this has been my wife, so there is no possibility that someone else damaged it. We will be contacting the company about a replacement or return. We do not want non-stick coating in our foods. At the price we paid for this (willingly at the time, in order to get away from a CrockPot product) we expected FAR better quality. Very disappointed, and now the Cuisinart name means nothing more than any store-brand name to us. UPDATE: 23 December 2015 - it's now been a months since the insert was returned to Cuisinart, and they tell me it is still on backorder. At more than $150 for a "quality" slow cooker, I would expect FAR better than that. We couldn't use it for Thanksgiving, now we can't even use it for Christmas with guests coming to stay with us. After verifying that the non-stick insert is still on backorder with no projected date for replacements, the company very admirably offered to send a completely new unit due to the length of time, which I think is a very decent response. However, there are clearly internal problems that make this a product I simply cannot recommend. I have downgraded it to a 1-star rating because under no circumstances would I recommend that a friend buy this product anywhere near the price charged, based on poor quality and the company's inability to properly service problems. I even have to spend money to return the cut power cord to prove I can no longer use the old unit (that doesn't have a cooking insert anyway). ******************************************* EDITED 22 April 2016 Amazing! The replacement unit already has more metal showing in the bottom of the non-stick inner pot than the original did. We have never used any metal objects in these inner pots, either for cooking or cleaning - always plastic, compatible with non-stick coatings. My wife noticed and pointed out to me that the bottom of the replacement inner pot is NOT smooth, but has small raised spots in it, and some of those appear to be where the coating is coming off the metal. Regardless of how it's coming off, however, it's due to some design or coating application flaw, not anything we're doing. The inner pots (original and replacement) have ALWAYS been washed by hand, using a plastic scouring pad suitable for use in a non-stick product (and used with all our other non-stick items without any problem). The cooking utensils are all plastic/nylon type utensils, and at no time as a metal spoon, fork, knife, spatula, etc., been used in the original cooker or this replacement cooker. Our bottom line is that we will contact Cuisinart on Monday and strongly request a complete refund, since this is still under warranty, but beyond the Amazon refund period. Regardless of Cuisinart's response, it is the last purchase we ever plan to make from that brand or any of the other brands owned by the parent company. We bought what we thought was a premium product at a premium price after multiple bad experiences with CrockPot in recent years. We truly thought the Cuisinart would resolve the issue's we've had with CrockPot products. The Cuisinart is no premium product, clearly. ******************************************* EDITED 16 May 2016 The good news is that we received a check for a full refund, plus the return shipping that we previously paid to Conair (Cuisinart owned by them). However, we had no luck with telephone customer service on the first call, but called back and at least got someone to give us the name and address of a senior customer service person in the NJ corporate office. A letter detailing the history was sent, with the statement that we wanted a full refund, or that we would never again purchase a Conair product (which includes Conair, Cuisinart, Waring, and Interplak toothbrush products). Today we received a check without even a note that apologized for the problems or encouraged us to give their companies another try. Given the large number of 1-star ratings based on bad non-stick coating, and the fact that this extends over multiple manufacturing batches of the product, along with the horrible customer service, we chose both options presented to Conair in the letter - depositing the refund check, and deciding we no longer deal with Conair Corporation and all of its subsidiaries. If they can't even include any correspondence in such a negative situation, it is clear that they have no concern for customer customers and their experience - it's only about selling products and avoiding refunds as long as they can. We were on our third insert at the time we sent the letter asking for the full refund - well under a year from initial purchase - all for the same problem (non-stick coating flaking off, exposing bare metal to the food).

This is a great multipurpose cooker. I purchased it primarily because I wanted a crockpot I could also braise meat in before throwing it in the crockpot. This serves that purposes perfectly. I was impressed with how fast the brown/saute function heated up. One last dish to wash during food prep is not a bad thing! There are many features and it is easy to use. I am able to set the heat level, set the time, and come home to a perfectly cooked meal. My big complaint is the insert seems to hold certain food orders. I have a sauerkraut soup recipe I have cooked in my crockpot for years. The insert in my old crockpot cleaned up nicely with no oder. That is not the case with this one. I hand washed the insert multiple times, took the trim off the lid and washed that, put the insert in the dishwasher twice and could still smell the sauerkraut. I even added baking soda hoping the smell would absorb, and it did not. I will say that I did not notice a taste the next time I used it and cooked something different, but I hesitate to use this to make that soup again.

I can't speak to the longevity of this slow cooker as I've only had it for two weeks. In that time, however, it has seen a lot of action. Many years ago my grandmother bought me a cheap slow cooker and gave me a few older used slow-cooker cookbooks. Everything came out tasting like the same chewy rubber, so I gave up and gave the slow cooker away. After a delicious meal at a friend's house recently that was made in a slow cooker I thought I would be willing to give them a try again. I did some research into what kinds of features I would like and what size would be best for our three-person family and hit upon this particular slow cooker. I have several other Cuisinart products in my kitchen and have been happy with their durability and quality so I was happy to purchase this brand again. The best features of the slow cooker, for me, are the timer, the variety of settings, and the size. The time allows you to set the slow cooker in 30 minute increments. After cooking on whatever setting you choose, it automatically switches to warm (not off!). This was a feature missing from my older slow cooker which made it imperative that I was home to turn it off at the correct time. I should also note that you do not have to use the timer. This slow cooker, unlike my other one, also has four heat settings: high, low, warm, and simmer. Although the manual says only to use warm for food that is already prepared, it is still a useful setting. As I said, it switches to this once it is finished cooking and keeps the food warm until you are ready to serve. There are only three people in our household, myself, my husband, and our infant daughter. We did not need an enormous slow cooker. I could see wanting one to make leftovers or feed a crowd, but neither of those were really issues for us. The size is more than adequate and it still makes more than enough for us to feed a few others if we had a party. The biggest perk of having one of these in kitchen is, as I have discovered coming into the hotter months, that I don't have to turn the oven on. I love pulled pork, braised meats, or just generally a hot meal, but having the oven on in the summer is miserable even with the AC blasting. This totally solves that problem! It is also very easy to use and attractive (as compared to some of the 1970s versions I have seen). Long story short, I am happy with this slow cooker. It's the perfect size and I can cook while staying cool.

We did some thermal tests first, using a quart of water, to see if there is a difference between "Low" and "High" slow cooker setting. Interestingly enough, both seem to heat food at the same rate, so I'm guessing that this cooker uses a temperature sensor to distinguish between the two. The unit has what looks like a contact temperature probe in the center of the heating pad, and the manual lists temperatures for each setting (I've measured the temperature, and the listed temperatures are accurate). Unfortunately, the cooker locked up when we left it plugged in after turning it off. Unplugging it for a few minutes resolved the situation, but there was a moment of panic, since we were ready to use this cooker for the first time. Cuisinart's lemon chicken recipe seems to be working exactly as printed in the manual. Browning worked beautifully, switching to slow cooking mode went fine, and we expect a tasty dinner tonight. Update: It was very, very lemony. High altitude slow cooking may require some adjustments -- and this Cuisinart has a very important advantage for us. At our altitude the boiling point is only 198 F, so both Low (200 F) and High (212 F) result in vigorous boiling. Fortunately, this Cuisinart has another temperature setting: Simmer (185 F or 85 C), which we're using to cook Guinness Braised Short Ribs (20 hour cooking time). When that is done, the cooker will switch to Warm setting of 165 F or 74 C. Others have noted that Teflon coating isn't durable, so we'll watch for that, although it's too early to tell. In the meantime, despite the lock-up we experienced, I've upgraded my rating to 5-stars because of the ability to simmer food at high altitudes.

The product never worked right from the beginning. You have to buy a 220/110v converter to run this gadget. The power consumption is 200 w.To be in the safe side I used a 350w converter but the cooker display never came on nor the cooker. Awaiting replacement / refund. Cost of the cooker was Rs.8229.

I’ve only used the Slow Cooker function so far, but it does a great job. It has a good sized capacity for a family of four. It appears to be sturdy and well made so far.

Absolutely shocking product waiting so long for it and it came with no plug other than an American Don’t buy

Me gustó el tamaño y muy buena marca

guys, I feel cheated. I paid 2x the market rate plus got a US appliance with converter?? I was under the impression that I am buying slow cooker for UK market. It's a joke.