‎Crock-Pot ‎CSC080 Slow Cooker - Review

Crock-Pot is a well-known brand in the slow cooker industry, with a long history of manufacturing quality kitchen appliances. The company introduced the first slow cooker in 1971 and since then has become practically synonymous with slow cooking. Slow cookers allow you to prepare meals by cooking food at low temperatures over an extended period. This cooking method tenderizes meats and brings out rich flavors in soups, stews, chilis, and more. Crock-Pot has built a reputation for producing reliable slow cookers that are easy to use, making slow cooking accessible for home cooks. The Crock-Pot CSC080 is one of their newer models, featuring updated technology and design. In this review, we will take a look at the key features and performance of this Crock-Pot to see how it measures up to the brand's legacy.

Overview

The Crock-Pot Slow Cooker CSC080 is a mid-range slow cooker that offers 8L capacity and a variety of useful features. It typically retails for around £39.99.

The full product name is the Crock-Pot Slow Cooker Digital Ceramic Casserole, 8 Litre, Black and Silver. It's model number is CSC080.

This Crock-Pot slow cooker has an oval shape ceramic cooking pot with a 8L capacity, making it a good size for families, meal prepping and entertaining.

It features an intuitive digital control panel with a countdown timer and keep warm function. The black and silver exterior gives it a sleek, modern look that would fit well in most kitchens.

At just under £40, this Crock-Pot represents good value for a mid-sized, digitally programmable slow cooker with ample features. It provides an affordable option for those seeking a multi-functional cooker that can accommodate larger recipes.

With its 8 litre capacity, the CSC080 Crock-Pot is an excellent choice for cooking larger portions and batch meal prepping. The oval ceramic pot can fit larger roasts and poultry pieces with ease. This makes it a great option for feeding groups and having leftovers to freeze. The digital timer and keep warm function allow flexibility in timing and keeping food ready to serve.

Slow cookers like this Crock-Pot are known for producing tender, flavorful dishes with minimal effort. The low gentle heat and covered environment creates a moist cooking environment ideal for less tender cuts of meat. Soups, stews, chilis, and braised dishes are perfect candidates. The hands-off convenience allows home cooks more flexibility to go about their day.

With features like the locking lid, cool touch handles, and dishwasher safe stoneware pot, Crock-Pot slow cookers are designed for safe, simple use. The exterior surface stays cool to the touch as the contents cook. The lid locks down to prevent spills during transport to potlucks or parties. Clean up is easy by simply removing the inner stoneware and washing in the dishwasher.

This mid-range Crock-Pot model offers versatility and functionality for everyday home cooking needs. The size is substantial enough for larger recipes while still being compact for storage. For anyone seeking an affordable cooker with digital settings and decent capacity, the Status SANANTONIO1PKB2 Crock-Pot CSC080 is an excellent option.

Design

The Crock-Pot CSC080 slow cooker has a compact and sleek design perfect for any kitchen. It measures 16.5 x 27.9 x 22.9 cm, so it doesn't take up too much counter space. The oval ceramic vessel has a 3.5 liter capacity and nests nicely in the base unit.

The exterior housing comes in either black or white, featuring an updated modern look. The oval shape fits better on counters compared to round cookers. It has an updated digital display with a simple interface. The lid and handles are black plastic on both color options.

Overall, the shape and size is ideal for families, couples, or single users. The minimalist aesthetics blend seamlessly into any decor. It's an appliance you'll be proud to display on your countertop.

The Crock-Pot brand is known for making high-quality and reliable slow cookers. This model continues that tradition with its durable stoneware insert that heats evenly and is easy to clean. The exterior plastic housing is fingerprint resistant to help keep it looking new.

With a programmable timer, you can start cooking and walk away knowing it will switch to warm automatically. The digital display lets you program cook times from 30 minutes up to 20 hours. You can even set a delay start so you can prep in the morning and have dinner ready when you get home.

This Crock-Pot model has low, high, and warm settings. Low runs at about 190°F and high around 280°F. It's the perfect size for making appetizers, side dishes, entrees, and desserts.

Crock-Pot is the original and most trusted brand for slow cookers. With the CSC080, you get that quality and reliability in a compact, stylish package. It's updated with the latest conveniences but still provides that classic "set-it-and-forget-it" functionality.

One downside is the lid can be tricky to align and fails to seal properly at times. This allows steam and heat to escape. Also, the black housing version shows scratches and scuffs more visibly over time.

However, for the attractive price point, it's a great option for most households. It doesn't have all the bells and whistles of fancier models but gets the job done for basic slow cooking needs. If you want a no-fuss cooker with simple operation, the CSC080 is a solid choice.

With high customer satisfaction and glowing online reviews, it's one of the best entry-level programmable slow cookers. The size is ideal for 1-3 people without occupying too much space. Overall, the Crock-Pot CSC080 combines convenience, quality, and value.

Capacity

The Crock-Pot CSC080 slow cooker has a generous 8 liter capacity, making it ideal for cooking for large gatherings and meal prepping. It can hold around 10 portions of food, so you can easily cook a main dish along with sides for the whole family in one go.

With its large oval ceramic pot, the Crock-Pot CSC080 can fit a whole chicken, large roasts up to 7 pounds, or several pounds of stew meat or veggies. It's great for batch cooking or preparing freezer meals. You'll have plenty of leftovers to reheat during the week.

The size is perfect for bringing dishes to potlucks or parties. It can hold dips, meatballs, wings, and more to serve a crowd. Overall, the spacious 8 liter Crock-Pot CSC080 allows you to make recipes of any size from individual servings up to dishes for the whole family or a party.

Features

The Crock-Pot CSC080 slow cooker has several useful features that make it convenient to use. It has a programmable timer which allows you to set cooking times from 30 minutes up to 20 hours. This means you can have meals ready when you want them. The keep warm function automatically switches to keep food at an ideal serving temperature once the cooking time finishes. This prevents overcooking and drying out.

The removable 6.5L ceramic pot provides a large capacity and makes serving and cleaning easy. It is dishwasher safe for added convenience. The pot also features a secure-fitting lid to lock in heat, moisture, and flavors. The handles on the pot stay cool while cooking to allow for safe handling.

Overall, the key features like the programmable timer, keep warm function, and removable pot add flexibility and ease of use to this Crock-Pot model. These make it well-suited to a variety of recipes and situations where timing and capacity are important factors.

Ease of Use

The Crock-Pot CSC080 slow cooker has intuitive and easy to use controls. There is a simple dial with low, high, and warm settings - making it very straightforward to operate. The ceramic insert detaches from the heating base, allowing you to lift it out and transport the food easily once cooked.

Cleaning up after use is also a breeze with this model. The ceramic cooking pot and tempered glass lid are dishwasher safe, so you can just pop them in the dishwasher after cooking. Alternatively, handwashing is simple since there are no awkward crevices or hard to reach areas on the insert. The exterior housing is also wipe-clean. Overall, the intuitive controls and easy clean features make this an exceptionally user-friendly slow cooker for beginners and experienced users alike.

Performance

The Crock-Pot SCCP800-SS performs very well at slow cooking meals to perfection. It has a sturdy stoneware insert that retains heat and distributes it evenly around the food. This results in food being thoroughly and evenly cooked without any hot or cold spots.

The heating element provides consistent low heat that gently simmers food over long periods of time. It brings stews, roasts, chillis and more up to serving temperature without overcooking or burning. The stoneware insert does an excellent job of retaining moisture as well, keeping food tender and flavorful.

Overall, the performance is exceptional for slow cooking a wide variety of recipes. Meals come out perfectly cooked from edge to edge thanks to the even heating and moisture retention. You can trust this slow cooker to deliver delicious results every time.

Safety

The Crock-Pot CSC080 Slow Cooker has several safety features that make it easy and reliable to use.

One key feature is overheating protection. The cooker has an internal thermostat that helps regulate temperature. If the internal temperature gets too hot, it will automatically shut off to prevent overheating and potential fire hazards. This gives peace of mind, knowing the cooker won't overheat even if accidentally left on for too long.

It also has a cool touch exterior that remains cool to the touch even during extended cooking times. The exterior walls do not get hot like some other models. This prevents burns if accidentally touched while in use. Even young children are less likely to burn themselves if they brush up against the cooker.

Overall, the various safety mechanisms like overheating auto-shutoff and cool exterior make this an ideal cooker for busy households or those with children. You don't have to worry as much about accidentally leaving it on or little hands touching the device.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Large 8L capacity: The Crock-Pot CSC080 has a generous 8 liter capacity, making it suitable for cooking larger quantities of food for families and gatherings. It can hold a whole chicken or large roasts.

• Useful features: This slow cooker has a removable, dishwasher-safe ceramic pot and tempered glass lid. It has high, low and keep warm settings and automatically switches to keep warm when cooking is done.

• Reputable brand: Crock-Pot is a leading brand in slow cookers with over 45 years of experience. Their products are known for reliability and quality.

Cons

• Higher price: At around £50, this Crock-Pot model sits at the higher end of the slow cooker price range. There are more budget-friendly options available.

• Large footprint: With a capacity of 8 liters, this is a fairly large appliance that takes up significant counter space. The size may be inconvenient for some kitchens.

Conclusion

Overall, the Crock-Pot CSC080 8L Slow Cooker is a solid option for those looking for an affordable and user-friendly slow cooker. Its generous 8L capacity can cook for up to 8 people, making it a great choice for families and dinner parties. The attractive obsidian black design will look good on any countertop.

Key features like the digital timer, automatic keep warm function, and removable oval ceramic pot add convenience. The lid locks in place for easy transport to potlucks or picnics. While performance is average, the low price makes up for any shortcomings. Meat and veggies turn out moist and tender after a slow cook.

Compared to more expensive "smart" slow cookers, the CSC080 lacks WiFi connectivity and a companion app. However, its simple manual controls are easy to use. If you want a no-frills slow cooker with ample capacity at a budget-friendly price, the Crock-Pot CSC080 is recommended. More advanced cooks may want a cooker with precise temperature and time settings. But for basic set-it-and-forget-it slow cooking, the CSC080 gets the job done.