Crock-Pot Express Multi-Cooker CPE300

Unimpressed – Bought the CPE300 to replace a dodgy pressure cooker and a really old Crockpot. As a slow cooker this one is great, and have made some excellent meals in it. As a pressure cooker it has been hit and miss from the start. The seal simply doesn't stay in position when the lid is turned upside down to put it in place. It's a 50-50 guess if we'll have… Read more

a meal or not, as you can't tell if it is right until it fails to come up to pressure. Should I buy a new seal only to find it's as unserviceable as the one it came with? Not tempted. My opinion is the seal itself is too large a diameter for the lid. From some of the other reviews here it seems like a common problem. Fix it, this should embarrass any reputable brand.

Works well...if you follow the few recipes provided – Have followed several of the recipes provided and they work a treat. Where this product could improve is in their guidance for creating your own recipes with their instructions. The information provided is not sufficient to create your own dish. The lack of information makes you worried that you won’t set the correct pressure, time or temperature… Read more

and given the duration of the cooking, the fear of an unsatisfactory dish has is unwilling to try anything other than the 20 provided recipes. The website for the product lists a few extra recipes that may have been created since the release of he product recipe book that accompanied the product, but the rate of new recipes is so far a few per month. Would be great if easier guidance could be provided so I could try a few other items as it’s a great product that is easy to use. One final opportunity is that the recipes say press “brown/sauté” button, but these are two separate buttons and the button says “brown/sear”. Not a deal breaker but makes it slightly confusing when it doesn’t need to be. Overall would give it a go if you are willing to experiment, it’s easy to clean and hasn’t presented any issues so far besides the lack of new recipes.

Best appliance I have purchased in a long time – I am able to cook nutritious flavoursome food in such a short time. I no longer need to cook stews and casseroles for 3 hours plus to get the flavour and tenderness in the meat. Now it's done in less than an hour. Has given me time for other things instead of watching the pot on the stove to prevent it from drying out and burning. Show details

Nice Multi-cooker... failed after two years – Nice device. Failed after two years, and now trips the circuit breaker if turned on. Tested in a second house and trips their too. Anyway, it cooked quite a few nice meals, but I expect an appliance to last at least 5 years. I've picked up a 2nd one on Ebay for half price - opened box, but never used. If that lasts longer, I will revise my… Read more

review to 4 stars in a couple years. There are multi-cookers for half this price, that would last longer.

It is possible I have just been unlucky. If my next one fails early, I'm done with this brand, and will be switching to Phillips, albeit at twice the price.

Very Sad to give this rating - Was working well then had issues – Purchased 12 months ago, have to say I loved it, easy to use and clean. I noticed that the silver was wearing around the control panel. The past few weeks the pressure was taking more than 20mins to build. Then e6 error came up and burnt the bottom of the food. Will be replacing with another brand.  Show details

Product has a poor design – In the first 3 days, I ended up on my third one as they first 2 were faulty. The third one worked twice before the lid seal kept falling out. Taking it back for a refund to go to another brand. Also the extra capacity doesn't seem accurate as it holds exactly the same as the 6L to the max line. Show details

DOESNT DO EVERYTHING WELL – HAVE TRIED A FEW THINGS 1.The vanilla cake was a disaster..didnt rise and inedible 2.Cooking a casserole steak curry required 1 hour on pressure cook mode Would have been simpler and better slow cooking 2.Pea and ham soup good but needed longer cooking than Rx says Have yet to try slow cooking or pressure cooking lentils..hope this is better because I could have bought a standard Sunbeam slow cooker for $39 instead of paying $169 for Express 300 Show details

I love it! – Edit: As you can see from the exchange with customer service, I now have the information that I need. I have thus revised my rating from a 3-star to 5-star. This was the only limitation I had and it has been resolved (left the comments in case someone encounters the same 'issue'). I would add that a clearer manual for newbies like myself would… Read more ·  9

be ideal!

After buying this, I discovered that you can't pressure cook anything for less than 5 minutes. This is a limitation for things like quinoa, which should cook on pressure for 1 minute and then naturally release.

I don't understand why this limitation as been imposed. It's rival the Instant Pot has no such limitation.

Great device for the kitchen but no customer support – Purchased the CPE300 and have cooked several meals and it does the job nicely. Combine this with the many Youtube channels demonstrating mostly the Insta-pot and you will soon wonder how you lived before you had this. The problem arose when I learnt that having a spare sealing ring was a very good idea. I called the number on the back of the… Read more

accompanying book to get told they have no parts and to call this local repair agent near where I live. So I did! To be greeted on the phone by a nice gentleman who told me "I wish they would stop giving out name we have have nothing to do with Sunbeam or Crock-pot Express". So, it seems if you do indeed run into trouble with this device then you are well and truly on your own. My only avenue is to look for parts in the US on Amazon website. Low and behold others are asking the same question as me!!!!! Yeah not impressed.

Great for Soups ! – We have used the pressure cooker 3-4 times and have found it great for 'one pot' meals like soups or meats you may usually slow cook. I'm a very ad hoc cook so I do find it a bit hard to not be able to adjust recipes as I go. It's more, throw it all in, set the timer and hope for the best! which I'm sure a lot of people would love. I will continue to use for stews, soups or any thing else of that nature. Show details ·  1

Versatile, and surprisingly useful. Parts, accessories, and support is lacking though – WARNING: This is a VERY in-depth review. Get yourself a snack and a drink and make yourself comfortable. I won’t go through EVERY mode and function, as that would be a book, but in roughly a month, I have made over 30 different foods (entrees, mains, desserts, drinks, and snacks, with a multitude of associated sauces, reductions, marinades,… Read more ·  2

dips, stock, rice, soup, stew, and simple sautéed vegetables.

You ready? Let’s begin!

Disclaimer 1: Productreview.com.au Ambassador

I have been recently selected to become a “ProductReview.com.au Ambassador”. As an ambassador, I am not paid as such, but I do get to keep the stuff I’ve been sent. As always, I’ll talk about the good, the bad, and the quirky. In the end, the ambassador program just helps in-depth reviewers to write reviews about things they wouldn’t necessarily buy.

Introducing The Crockpot Express Xl:

This review is my first ambassadorial “freebie”. It is a CrockPot Express XL (7.6L) Multifunction Electric Cooker (Model number: CPE300), apparently sent, and available from, CrockPot Australia. Their web site is:

[weblink removed]

When the CrockPot arrived, I was expecting something smaller, but this is actually the biggest model in the range. I’ve never seen a “CrockPot” branded item in person before, I thought of CrockPot as a brand largely sold in the U.S. Wow was I wrong, after a quick Google search later, I’ve found that this CrockPot unit is available from many Australian stores likely to operate in your area like:

- Bing Lee, - The Good Guys, - Harvey Norman, - Myer, - David Jones, - Betta Electrical, - Winning Appliances, - Appliances Online, and - JB Hi-Fi, just to name a few…

Interestingly, CrockPot is somehow affiliated with the Sunbeam brand of appliances. On the bottom of the “retail” box, it says:

“Made in China, to Sunbeam’s Specifications”.

I’ve owned and used Sunbeam slow cookers in the past. I’ve even reviewed one on ProductReview which has lasted 18 months (and counting) with no problems whatsoever. So whether it’s Sunbeam or CrockPot, I entered into this review with high expectations.

Notes About Delivery & Unboxing:

Weight 9.1Kg boxed, 8.7 Kg net. Boxed Dimensions: 37cm x 37 cm x 45cm. (I include this so you can calculate your own shipping online if you want to send it as a gift).

Box contains:

- Recipe booklet - Pressure cooking instruction sheet (I guess it’s for those who don’t read the manual) - Manual - 28 pages long - 50cm power cable (note that this is about as short as they get). This is a standard IEC C13 power cord, which is used on many appliances, ranging from electric kettles, rice cookers. desktop PCs, TVs, Hi-Fi equipment, etc (you probably have one floating around your home if you need a longer cord). - Circular metal rack (Seems to be called a “trivet” on a few sites, it just raises your solid ingredients from the bottom of the cook pot) - Plastic scraper (So you don’t scratch the non stick cook pot. However it is very short, and the pot deep. So it’s not my first choice of implement for the CrockPot) - Multi-cooker with removable non-stick-coated metal cooking pot. - Pressure Cooker Lid - Glass lid (for non-pressure cooking procedures, other models don’t always include this second lid by default.. so that’s nice).

Initial Impressions:

The first thing I noticed was the 8.7Kg weight of the unit. If you intend to put this away in the back of a low cupboard somewhere, the weight of the CrockPot might discourage “pulling it out of the cupboard” as often as you otherwise might. It might also be a bit of an issue for the elderly or those with bad backs or injuries. I’m leaving it on the bench for now to encourage use. If you don’t have to move it, then the overall weight obviously isn’t as big of an issue, but I know many people who don’t have the bench space for permanent appliance storage.

Speaking of weight. The cooking pot itself, being made of non-stick coated sheet metal, is much lighter than your usual slow cooker’s ceramic bowl/insert. If you’re not moving the multi cooker as a whole, and just want to move the bowl, then this is much easier by comparison. However, this is only considering the empty weight. With 7.6L of capacity, the light weight of the pot itself can be offset easily if you fill it up sufficiently. If weight (or size) is an issue, CrockPot makes a smaller model of this device, the CPE200, which has 5.7L of capacity, and the entire device (when empty) weighs a more modest 5.5Kg.

Note: While the metal cook pot is easier to move around than the ceramic kind found in slow cookers, I will be interested in how well the CrockPot does slow cooking. The ceramics typically allow the pot to absorb and then radiate the heat more evenly.

Overview Of Functions:

Now anyone doing research on this multi cooker will read how it can do some traditional things like:

- slow cook - pressure cook - steam - brown/sear - simmer/boil - keep warm - saute

…but it also has pre-defined functions for specific meals such as:

- soups - desserts - yoghurt (it uses the American spelling “yogurt” but I’m sure you know what I’m talking about). - poultry - meat/stew - rice/grains (which I presume might include pearled barley, lentils, etc). I’m waiting for CrockPot to get back to me with some more details on this mode. See support section below for more details. - beans and chilli (which I am sure comes in very handy for Mexican nights).

Going Beyond The Overview - Notes About The Crockpot Express Xl Controls:

This device has an impressive number of buttons for a kitchen appliance. Some may find this intimidating, but in honesty the basic process is:

1. Select your cook mode or function. (For example, rice/grains, pressure cook, etc) 2. Most modes will have the ability to adjust the pressure (high or low) or temperature (high or low). Adjust as necessary if the default isn’t right. 3. Adjust the time. 4. Press Start/Stop button to start. 5. When done, or if you need to stop, hit Start/Stop.

That’s most of it. Not so scary is it? If you get stuck, the manual should help.

If you decide to branch out from the included recipe book, (and you will) you’ll find a lot of recipes online. Most online recipes come from America where multi cookers are far more common. One thing I noticed is that some recipes recommend using the generically termed “manual mode”. Being a tech savvy guy, my idea of manual means that I am in complete control, where time, temperature and pressure can be set without any restriction. On the CPE300, you’ll quickly notice the fact that it is missing a mode with that degree of freedom. However, you can just use the pressure cooking mode (or whatever mode is appropriate) on the CrockPot for most “manual” recipes.

If you’re looking for absolute power in your “manual mode”, know that there are some models of “Instant Pot” (a brand name for similar appliances, that is also used to describe multi-cookers generically in the U.S.) that have that feature… the bad news is that they aren’t sold at all (at the time of writing) in Australia. Sure, you can get them on Amazon.com.au or eBay.com.au but note those $70+ shipping fees, since they’re being sent from the U.S. I’ll talk about the problems with ordering these later.

Temperature OR Pressure, with time restrictions too:

Back to this CrockPot Express, regardless of the function you use, you’re only able to control either the temperature or the pressure, but never both at he same time. Page 14 of the manual has a table which tells us this, along with cooking time ranges you can set for each function. So if you absolutely need a completely manual function, The CrockPot Express is not the model to get. However, after some thought, I think the limitations on the settings are intended to help rather than restrict home-based chefs. It certainly simplifies matters, and removes some of the more dangerous/problematic settings which only advanced chefs should use.

While one-touch preset modes are convenient and can certainly produce some amazing results, some may feel that set time ranges and other restrictions found in the CrockPot Express functions a bit limiting. While it’s true, I’ve found that experimentation is still possible. With a little tinkering and patience, experience will teach you what does and does not, work for your cooking styes and tastes. However, don’t lock yourself in by the mere name of a function. You aren’t limited to using one function to cook your particular ingredients/meal. For example, you don’t have to use the poultry function for all chicken dishes. You might well use brown/sear, slow cook, pressure cook, poultry, even boil or simmer to cook your chicken in the right circumstances. In any case, once you know what the multi-cooker’s limits are, note that there are many functions that may help you to get around them. Simply choose the closest function to your cooking style and tweak to taste.

Timer delay, the good, the bad, and the maths required….

There’s a “timer delay” feature, so you can start heating food after a set number hours and/or minutes delay. Please note that this unit does not have a clock, and setting a specific time of day (say 6pm) directly into the controls is not possible. Most people won’t care if a meal is ready a bit early, as the unit will revert to the “keep warm” mode when done on most functions. In this case, the timer delay is very easy. However, things aren’t so cut and dry when you want a more accurate finishing time, (and that’s important for some meals).

Please remember that when you specify the delay, you’re telling the unit when to START heating up, not when you want it ready. While it’s not a problem as such, it does mean that you need to factor in a few things if you want to time it with your meal:

1. Heat up time: 7-20 minutes. 2. Cooking time: <whatever you set it to> 3. Depressurisation/Natural Release time (If appropriate) - 10 - 20mins 4. Intended serving time.

Now this isn’t advanced maths, but it is a multiple stage calculation, and each stage has potential variables that might not be easy to quantify and adjust for, (especially cooking errors which can set you back substantially) and that’s ignoring simple mathematical mistakes. So there’s a little bit of guessing and maths in there for you to do if you want it reasonably well timed with your meal. If maths isn’t your strong suit, remember that you can use your phone (calculator, calendar, a dedicated cooking app), or go even more “old school” by using the trusty pen and paper to help with the calculations.

Certain modes which require constant attention like Sear/Brown, Sauté, Boil, and Simmer, cannot be used with the timer delay because it’s likely to cause more problems, burned food, and potentially, a fire. Similarly, other modes cannot be used with the timer delay because it’s a food-safety issue. One is the Keep Warm function, and the other is Yoghurt.

Reading The User Manual:

Who honestly reads the manual? I’m betting at least some of you won’t. I think things are a bit confusing as the booklet included is not the same version as the one found on CrockPot Australia’s web site. There are some significant differences. However no version is universally “the best”, as they each have their pros and cons. Regardless of your version, reading the manual is worthwhile. On page 5, under the “Before First Use” section, it says:

“Remove all packaging and place unit on a dry flat surface”.

So I naturally pulled it out of the box, and put the CrockPot Express on the bench, thinking that I’d followed the instructions. But be careful…. there’s more to this story that warrants serious consideration.

On the bottom of page 2, (which is an easy section to skip) it warns:

“Do not operate this unit when placed directly on a bench top, place heat proof mat or chopping board underneath to protect the surface”.

Honestly, that’s… concerning for laminated or wooden bench top/table users, but probably not an issue if you have stone, concrete, tile or steel surfaces. Now I can understand keeping it away from all flammable materials, but this tells me that the insulation on the underside is insufficient, or the legs aren’t tall enough… perhaps both. This is CrockPot’s high end offering (at least in Australia, at the time of writing), and they know it poses a danger to the surface you sit it on? Surely this isn’t clever.

Fair staff members of CrockPot, if you’re reading this, how on Earth did this get past quality control? If that much heat is escaping the bottom, wouldn’t the overall efficiency of the appliance be improved if you bounced that escaping heat back toward the food? This is a ridiculous problem to have.

Obviously, I think that if heat emitted from the bottom is an issue, they’re not recommending that you use a plastic chopping board either. Temporarily, I chose to used an upside-down metal baking tray to sit the unit on, and that has worked well.

The added safety warnings and instruction sheet for the pressure cooking feature is a huge help to people like me who’ve never owned a pressure cooker before. Just know that the valves in the lid need regular checking (It’s not hard). This cooker has way more features than your average slow cooker, and as such requires more maintenance.

At 7.6L of capacity, the CPE300 is pretty big. CrockPot ’s manual claims it’ll feed up to 12 servings/people. Now if you’ve got some bigger appetites to feed, (a bunch of burly menfolk for instance) I’m going to put it somewhere closer to 6-10 people, depending on the meal you are preparing.

Note: Looking through the manual and recipe book, there are times when the cook pot cannot be filled beyond certain levels (like halfway), which may reduce the number of people it can feed in one cook. Fortunately, many of these foods are often combined with ingredients later in the cooking process, so it’s not a complete loss.

The included manual goes into some decent detail for some modes like pressure cooking, steaming, boiling, simmering, and slow cooking. However, the manual lacks detail on several functions.

- Poultry - The “Grains” part of Rice and Grains - Dessert - Soup - Beans & Chilli - Meat & Stew - Yoghurt

So you’re probably going to need to do some online research (and tinkering) to find answers on those. To me, the manual seems incomplete.

Reading The Included Recipe Booklet:

It seems like nothing more than a “nice touch” to add a little recipe book, but I find that it’s almost necessary to demonstrate what this thing can do, and inspire new users to use the device. I honestly wasn’t sure how this thing would fit into my life, or how many of the features I’d actually use. I simply didn’t do desserts, made yoghurt, boiled or specifically simmered anything in my old slow cooker. I can easily imagine that people will get it, and look at it and think “now what?”. So inspiring new users is a big help.

A Sampling Of Meals I Made In The Crockpot Express Xl:

THE FIRST USE - Molten chocolate pudding using the “Dessert” function:

So for a first run, I decided to make the molten chocolate pudding recipe (which is the second last recipe in the included recipe booklet).

Personally, I think the recipe of most molten puddings are somewhat flawed, because they’re fundamentally undercooked to prevent the “molten core” from being lost. In this case, the chocolate pudding was a bit floury for my taste. However, the unit worked exactly as expected with no problems whatsoever.

Pulling the bowls out, and cleaning the cook pot was a breeze, and I just shoved it into the dishwasher. No problems whatsoever.

I did a bit of research online, and found that there’s a general impression that “Instant Pot recipes” are generally compatible with the CrockPot XL (and multi cooker units like it), and can be “better” than the recipes included with the device. Rather than the booklet recipes being flawed as such, I think the sheer range of recipes online means you’re more likely to find something online that will suit a particular taste. In any case, InstaPot models seem to have a huge following of experienced users in the United States, more so than the comparatively small pressure cooking community here in Australia.

Also, I wanted to get a bit more info from CrockPot Australia regarding the specific uses for the grain function since the manual is a little light on the details. I emailed them via their web site yesterday and have not heard back yet.

BREAKFAST: Poached Eggs using Simmer:

Poaching eggs to a softer set using the simmer function worked well. However, I felt that “simmer” was a little closer to boiling than I’d like. In any case, the eggs turned out well. Heating up in Canberra winter (I haven’t put the heater on today) took a little over 12 minutes. Roughly one quarter of the cook pot was filled with water and vinegar. Honestly, this was about 5 minutes slower than doing it in a smaller saucepan on the stove, but it worked and I have no complaints.

Dinner: An Example Of 1 Pot Cooking Using 3 Functions: Large leg of lamb, pressure cooked with red wine reduction as marinade:

This was a good test of using three different functions in rapid succession.

First, prepping the meat:

I browned the 2.2 Kg leg of lamb (bone in) with a splash of olive oil in the CPE300 using the brown/sear function. Since the lamb leg was quite large, it significantly reduced the “space left to work with”. The pot’s depth/high walls limited the “angles of attack” to reach into the pot. With these conditions, I honestly found that manipulating the meat wasn’t easy. In the end, I used two oversized wooden spoons to turn, prop, and hold the meat in various positions to evenly brown the surface. I took my time to do this, and it took somewhere around 10 minutes.

One of the things I don’t necessarily like about the non-stick cook pot is the effect the non-stick surface has on heat transfer. I’d never say that I can’t brown meat with a non-stick pan, but I like the result a little more when the cooking surface is made of seasoned cast iron or stainless steel. The meat browned well, but feel that it would be a little faster/better on a more substantial metal base.

Making the reduction:

Removing the meat and setting it aside, but without cleaning the cook pot, I simply continued “browning” my onions with garlic, with a dash of olive oil until soft. This was easy and worked well. I switched it over to the boil function, adding wine, stock, tomato paste, garlic and herbs to reduce the mix into the red wine reduction. When enough liquid had boiled off, I stopped the boiling function. After a minute or two, I put the meat back in.

Putting it all together “under pressure”:

I switched over to the pressure cooking function, set my time to 35 minutes, put the lid on, and closed the release valve, and hit start. Easy as that! No problems whatsoever,

Impressions and notes based on this meal alone:

I was very impressed by how quickly the pressure function can cook a reasonably large cut of meat. The multi-cooker operated in all three stages/modes without a hitch and the meat was surprisingly tender and flavoursome for such short cooking time. Cleaning was again easy, I emptied the cook pot and washed it in the dish washer. This one pot style of cooking saved me the usual mess of a fry pan for searing, a small saucepan for reductions. I didn’t have the room to cook much in the way of vegetables because the lamb took so much space.

Dinner: Pressure Cooking Quick And Easy: Pressure cooking herbed chicken breast and potatoes.

So this is where I really started looking into these “InstaPot recipes”. I found one online, and gave one of the simplest a go.

Now, I thought I was running far later than I was, and actually cooked the meal nearly two hours early, as I frantically cleaned up the house for our impromptu visitors. So the CPE300 finished the cook, then kept everything warm until the right time. There was no apparent loss in moisture, the meat was very tender, and the potatoes were really tasty, having absorbed the herbs, garlic, salt and pepper flavour. I felt it didn’t need any extra condiments, but the recipe suggested ranch dressing. Wow was that some impressive mix. I’m definitely making it again, and I did all the prep work in under 6 minutes.

I must confess that I cooked some steamed vegetables on the stove. Boiling water and putting some frozen veg in took no time at all. However, I couldn’t put it into the CrockPot at the time as pressure cook setting for the meat was FAR too long for the vegetables.

Notes from this cook: Pressure cooking is fast and very tasty. I’m not sure pressure cooking some smaller vegetables like peas will work.

Afternoon Tea: Home Made Chai Latte Infused For Four Hours In Yoghurt Function:

You don’t have to use the functions only for their intended ingredients. This is where I feel the CrockPot Express (CPE300) truly fails to advertise how awesome it is. Let’s look at an alternative use for that yoghurt function. Note: Always thoroughly sanitise the cook pot AND lid before using the yoghurt function. (Fortunately, the boiling function is handy here ) Also, use the freshest milk you can find.

Note: I found that the yoghurt function runs at roughly 46 degrees Celsius. It’s warm enough to culture some milk products (obviously). It’s too high for most cheeses, but I tried it to make the “low and slow” varieties of milk-based drinks.

To avoid your warmed milk forming a skin, you can:

1. Cut the fat to reduce/stop skin formation: Use a milk with far less (or no) fat content, and it will reduce the amount of skin formed… or if no fat milk is used, it won’t form a skin. 2. Stop evaporation: with almost any milk and it won’t form a skin at all. To do this, use the pressure cooking lid, close the valve, and put the unit onto the yoghurt function.

Now the shortest amount of time you can use the yoghurt function on this CrockPot is 6 hours. If you’re infusing a spiced chai latte, you’ll find that the flavour is much stronger using the pressure cooker mode. I’d strongly urge you to put in less chai mix. I ran mine for only 4 hours, (manually stopped) and the chai latte was very potent. I like a flavoursome chai, but it was strong even for me. In the end, I had to water it down (well… “milk” it down).

If you plan to run the yoghurt function to the full 6 hours or beyond, I’d put in roughly one quarter of the usual chai mix as a starting point, but add the normal amount of sugar. Keeping the mix in some sort of infuser might also be a benefit so you can pull it out earlier if you wish.

Note: that you need to making a lot of chai for this 7.6 L pot. I made a 2L batch for my visitors, which ended up being roughly 3L after the additional milk. I wouldn’t recommend making a chai latte for one person this way. Unless you have a real chai latte fan with large appetites…. or you plan to chill it for iced chai consumption later. Iced chai is usually the first cold drink to go when guests come over.

Dinner: Boil, Saute, Then Pressure Cook - Gnocchi pasta, home made pasta sauce and spiced duck salami:

I used the boil function to cook some potato gnocchi in some salted water, extracted the pasta as it floated, and set it aside. I then used the sauté function with some garlic, onion, and diced salami to caramelise and soften the plant matter and sear the meat. Then I stirred in some home made tomato pasta sauce infused with fresh basil. I mixed it all together, covering the gnocchi, then used the slow cook function on high temp for 30 minutes to infuse the sauce and cook the meal.

It worked quite well, particularly as a winter comfort food. but I see some recipes use pressure cooking instead of pre-boiling the pasta. I find that doing it that way isn’t quite as good. It reduces the amount of moisture in the meal and this affects the pressure. However, your tastes and mileage may vary from my own.

Lunch: Rice/grains Mode Compared To Dedicated Rice Cooker - Sushi & Inari:

Most people will use this to cook your everyday long-grained rice. Sushi requires a slightly different rice recipe, typically using short-grained rice, which is often higher in starch content, and then turned into “sushi rice” by adding some sugar, vinegar, salt, and “sushi flavourings”.

For fun, I cooked equal amounts of sushi rice (without flavourings) in a dedicated rice cooker, and the CrockPot Express using the “rice” function. I found that the CrockPot was faster in cooking the rice, this wasn’t so important in this case as we still had to wait for the rice to cool down enough to make sushi rolls.

Tasting both the CrockPot and the rice cooker’s rice… I could not discern much difference at all in flavour or texture. Both were very good (Although my better half believes that it was slightly overcooked in the CrockPot, so reducing the rice cook time from 8 to 7 minutes seemed to make her happy in the second batch). Overall, I’m very happy to recommend the CrockPot Express as a viable substitute for a rice cooker. Also both, my partner and I found that the non-stick surface in the CrockPot Express to be be easier to clean than the non-stick surface of the rice cooker.

Lunch: Steam Function: Simple steamed vegetables:

Ok, the steaming function is where I find that the CrockPot is a bit of an interesting and sometimes disappointing beast. The pressure cooking should (in theory) reduce the cooking times of food (and it does…in a way) but for short cooks, and simple tasks, the time costs of heating it up and depressurising, along with less convenient ability to stir/add/change ingredients during the cook can start to outweigh the benefits.

The manual has an entire 2 pages (out of 28) dedicated to steaming various vegetables, eggs, and fish. In all honesty, I am not convinced that this is any faster, or better than a standard stove-top steamer basket and pot. Steaming vegetables is perfectly fine on the CrockPot and for the most part, the recommended times in the manual are quite good when done individually. Combinations can become tricky when some vegetables need only 2-3 minutes under pressure while others need 6-8. It’s hard to balance out some frozen vegetables (3 mins) and potato (8 mins) which I often cook together.

In conclusion, the heat up times and depressurising phases for the CrockPot’s steaming mode make it less of a timesaver. However, if you’re in the habit of under or over-cooking your vegetables, then doing each type of vegetable in series in the timed functions of the CrockPot Express will help you to stop that, and you can then toss it all together on the yoghurt function to keep everything warm as you’re finishing up. More steps involved for sure, but you’ll get more consistent results.

Remember how I said you don’t have to use one mode to achieve your particular cooking goals. Personally, I’ve found that using a silicone steamer basket in the cook pot set to boil works more like a standard stove top steamer if you like to go your own way. Or mix it up, cook your spuds using the pressure lid and “steam” function, then simply add smaller vegetables, turn on the boil function, and switch the lid to the glass one.

Dinner: Meat/stew Function: Diced beef in tomato, garlic, & onion sauce.

This was just a quick and easy Instant Pot recipe, that was literally, “throw everything in, dial it in, and hit start”. The meat/stew function did exactly as it was supposed to. However, I felt that the recipe I used suggested a longer cook than was necessary, and the meat seemed a little overdone. I’m not exactly sure, but I think that the CrockPot may run at a slightly higher temperature than the Instant Pot models. So I’ll look into that later.

Dinner: Slow Cooker Function: Roast lamb in tomato, onion and stock:

Slow cooking is perhaps the most controversial function of any multi cooker. I’ve mentioned above that the cook pot is NOT the usual ceramic material. However, that ceramic bowl is a primary feature of slow cookers because the ceramic material stores, and evenly releases the heat for a gentle slow cook. The metal cook pot used in any multi cooker like this CrockPot Express would retain less heat, and release it more quickly so the heating element will have to be turned on more often, and likely have to reach higher peak temperatures to achieve a stable average cooking temperature. This leads to somewhat tougher meat.

Online, there are quite a few mixed reviews of the slow cooking function in multi cookers like the CrockPot. Some even go as far as saying that you should keep your slow cooker around because it will do a better job.

My test:

I started the slow cook at roughly 10am, threw in some (admittedly frozen) lamb, beef stock, onion, tomato and garlic, and set it for a low temperature (8hr) slow cook. I sprinkled some salt, pepper, and herbs on top, and ran it with the glass lid because there are numerous reports online that indicate using the pressure lid does not allow enough moisture to evaporate, compared to most slow cookers. This leaves the sauce particularly watery, so I thought I’d heed their advice.

Now I have to say that the meat was indeed fairly tender and cooked (ok great start) but it was NOT as tender as I’d expect from an 8 hour cycle in a typical slow cooker or my ceramic barbecue. Now it wasn’t bad, I certainly still enjoyed eating it, but it just didn’t have that extra soft, fall-off-the-bone experience. So as far as slow cooking (8hr) I’d honestly put it somewhere about 80-85% as good as a slow cooker. I don’t really use the high temp/speed function on my dedicated slow cooker, but I suspect that the shorter 4 hour cook result in tougher meat again in the CrockPot than a dedicated slow cooker might do in the same time frame. I think that the shorter “slow cook” program is the likely cause of the more negative reviews on many multi cookers… and perhaps unhelpfully, the short (higher temp) cook is the default on the CrockPot Express.

Snacks/dips: Pressure Cooking Function: Hommus/Hummus/Humous/Hommous (whatever the spelling may actually be).

Hummus (I’m choosing this spelling, ok? No one seems to agree on how to spell it as there are multiple ways to translate Arabic into English).

I found a recipe online, (I misplaced the included recipe book which has a recipe for this in it) and used the pressure function to prepare my chickpeas. Instead of my 90 minutes of cooking after 15 hours or more of soaking, this was done in a little over an hour all told. I’ve never made hummus with a pressure cooker before. Having sampled the dip, it seems to have a slight aftertaste that didn’t quite seem right.

I’m honestly not too sure if the recipe just isn’t to my taste, or if there was something that didn’t go quite to plan. Now please don’t misunderstand me, the pressure cook worked as advertised, and the hummus is definitely in the ball-park of the desired flavour, but at this stage, I’m not hugely proficient at using this method. Clearly this needs some work, as far as my tastes are concerned. It’s not that surprising really, as there are a LOT of ways to make this dip, and this is my first attempt using the CrockPot.

DINNER: THE SOUP FUNCTION: Pumpkin soup

This was a quick and easy one. I tossed 1.5kg pumpkin in, and 3 cups of chicken stock. I set the soup function to 40 minutes, and started the cook with the lid OFF. When it had reduced enough, I used a stick blender to puree the soup, and added sour cream, salt and pepper to taste.

The soup function is very easy, and it worked very well. However, I’m not exactly sure how this mode differs from simmer or boil. In any case, the pumpkin soup was delicious, and I have no complaints whatsoever. Cleaning was again, very easy after scraping the last of the soup out with a silicon coated spoon.

Dinner: Sear Then Pressure Cooking: Steak and potatoes:

No review is ever complete without a good steak. (Sorry vegans/vegetarians) Searing marinaded porterhouse steaks, roughly 4cm thick, coated with salt, pepper, thyme, then pressure cooking them for 25 minutes while immersed in 1/4 cup of Worcestershire sauce and 1/4 cup of aged soy sauce (mixed with a dash of onion powder, oregano, and thyme) with herbed potatoes was very easy.

I’ve eaten a lot of steak, and I’m hard pressed to think of a better steak for such little effort. Don’t misunderstand me, I love a good steak, smoked, baked, fried, and barbecued, but I usually have to work harder at it to get this kind of result. The sear followed by pressure cooking in marinade is amazing.

The Next Three Weeks:

Honestly, this was largely more of the same. The cooker didn’t miss a single beat. I did get an error code 5 (because I forgot to leave the steam valve open for non-pressure cooking modes) and it let me know of my mistake. This set me back about an hour, since the CrockPot Express will shut down in an error state.

However, I will discuss a few things that I learned the hard way so you don’t have to.

Not all multi-cookers are equal. The 0.923 rule for Instant Pot recipes:

Noting that my partner felt that the rice in the sushi, and the meat in the stew mentioned above was a little over done. There was a definite trend to overcook across the board, even if it wasn’t by much. I’ve done some digging and it seems that the Instant Pot Ultra (8qt model) runs 1200W of heating. The CrockPot Express XL runs 1300W, so this slight over-cooking is to be expected if we take an InstantPot recipe and follow it verbatim in the hotter CrockPot Express.

Considering the extra 8% of wattage (heat) of the CrockPot generates, you need to reduce the cooking times of all Instant Pot recipes by roughly 8% to compensate. However long the Instant Pot recipe says, you need to multiply that time by 0.923. Rounding it to your nearest minute afterwards should be fine.

This is yet another calculation to do with timer delayed cooks! (Unless you write the adjusted times down in your recipe books).

Interestingly, other manufacturers of multi cookers may use different wattages (I’ve seen a few as low as 925 watts) for their products, and their recipes may need differing amounts of compensation to cook properly in the CrockPot. However, the Instant Pot seems to be gold standard when it comes to recipes online.

Limitations with pressure cooking:

It might seem that cooking food under pressure is great way to impart flavour while reducing cook times. However, that all starts to fall apart when the meat is not fully defrosted. You see, Canberra is quite cold in the winter months and larger cuts of meat sometimes can take more than 7 or even 10 hours to defrost. I tried to cook a pork roast, not realising that it was still frozen in the middle. The short cook times of pressure cooking means heat does not have time to reach the inner parts, and as such, there was some uncooked pork there. Furthermore, if you are pressure cooking, you’ll find the exact point where the meat was frozen, as the infused flavour will suddenly stop at a certain depth. Even if it’s been left on and largely defrosted by the “keep warm” function. So the moral of the story is to make sure you defrost your meat fully before cooking under pressure.

Pressure cooking inherently needs that pressure to be released at some point. This can spray up out of the release valve at funny angles, which means if you have plants on your window sill (like coriander) you can end up steaming them a bit if the cooker is nearby.

Pressure seals quickly build up scents if you aren’t careful. You need to clean the up very well if you have one seal. U.S. sellers on Amazon.com often sell sealing rings in multiple colours for “savoury” and “sweet” meals to avoid cross contamination of smells. However, finding a seller to send something to Australia is not easy. In any event, removing and replacing the seals is very easy, and there are videos online showing how to do that. I just disconnect and wash my seals in the dishwasher once a week, and that seems to work well.

Trying to adjust cook times for smaller/larger batches:

When you’re trying to save time by cutting batch sizes down, there’s no universal solution. The time spent cooking meat can be adjusted to the size and type of the cut of your meaty ingredients, but for pretty much everything else, know that the only thing putting more/less in does is change the heat-up time. To achieve similar results, the food is likely to need just as much time cooking in the CrockPot, and the natural release will still take roughly the same time.

Creative uses of CrockPot Express modes:

Looking around for inspiration/quirky uses for the CrockPot Express, I have tried a few things that are definitely not in the included recipe book.

Sauté Function: Use this for making home made popcorn.

Soup Function: Worked well in making stocks/bone broths.

Yoghurt Mode: Makes hot milk drinks that require long periods of infusion very well. It can also help to keep your bread dough warm at roughly 46 degrees. (Most doughs are ideally proofed at 25-30.. but it’s better than 15 degrees I have during winter).

Keep Warm Mode: Why not create a chocolate fondue or just melt cooking chocolate without worrying about double boilers. People online use this melt beeswax for homemade candles/soaps/cosmetics. I’m not sure I’d cook food in it afterwards, and wax can be difficult to clean.

Pressure Cooking Function: Have you thought about making your own Vanilla Extract?

Simmer Mode: Making/Scenting Potpourri, How about making some jam?

Boil Function: Sterilizing jars, making stewed fruits for pies and tarts

Important Notes About Crockpot Accessories And Support: (Sorry Crockpot Australia, This Isn’t Going To Be Pretty)

My Support Experience:

CrockPot Australia (crockpot.com.au) claims on their web form that they will respond to questions within 3 business days. They did not meet that deadline.. I contacted them on the 2nd of July. I received a response on the 15th. When they eventually responded, the response was not what I expected. Honestly, it wasn’t overly helpful.

Now my question was:

“Could you please tell me what (other than rice) the rice/grain function is best used for? The manual doesn’t say much about it”.

Their response was:

Thank you for contacting Crock Pot.

The multigrain recipes are generally breakfast cereal type meals such as porridge etc. If you Google what multigrains can I cook in a slow cooker there are quite a large number of interesting recipes available which can be easily adapted to the Crock pot.

Hope this helps. Happy Cooking!!

Seriously, CrockPot Australia, your answer is to “Google it?” The manual has some critical flaws, and lacks detail on some functions, and fails to mention other functions at all (like the poultry function). Then when seeking clarification, the website says they’ll respond within 3 business days (not met), and when they do finally respond, it’s kinda hopeless because you’ve probably already given up on them. I have to say, that I was looking for far more. Perhaps a link or two to some helpful sites, perhaps a promise to add descriptions of all the modes/functions into the manual like it should have been in the first place. I would have understood this situation if this was a prototype model in the testing phase, but this is your flagship production model.

So in honesty, I’d already given up on CrockPot Australia’s support after the first week. By the time their response had walked in over a week too late to this metaphorical party, I had already taken their advice by finding it online.

A journey of a thousand leagues… begins with wanting some parts and accessories:

Getting Parts And Accessories:

While I was tinkering and waiting for CrockPot support to get back to me, I wasn’t idle. I’d sought out all sorts of information, and found FAQs online. This is what I found about aftermarket parts and accessories.

When I looked on forums where CrockPot representatives have commented on user’s question regarding parts and accessories, they wrote about how there isn’t a means to buy official CrockPot parts and accessories here in Australia, (and from my research…. anywhere at all) and this honestly concerns me. The longevity of this unit would be substantially improved if easy access to consumables like seals, bobber valves, and release valves became available. I haven’t found anywhere that describes AND sells a known compatible seal yet. What are people are supposed to do when consumables like the seals fail?

CrockPot, I’d love your answer on this one! Honestly, it’s like selling a car where the tyres cannot be replaced, and that is fundamentally insane because it is a safety issue. Searching online has failed in providing a useful outcome. Please help me so I can answer this question for other people.

Accessories would also be a huge benefit to this model, yet they’re also seemingly impossible to find. So I’ve even been looking at generic, or alternate brands to see what (if any) might be close enough to be compatible. Honestly, I haven’t found much so far on eBay, and I haven’t had much luck even on Amazon. (Not the Australian site, as that was a waste of time. I had to go to the source of all things “Instant Pot” in the U.S. Amazon site). Note that if Amazon isn’t the actual seller of a particular item, they probably won’t ship an item to Australia. Despite clearly labelling the product as “eligible for shipping to Australia”. <cue insane amounts of frustration here>. Amazon Australia is not a viable alternative in this case, and has made Amazon.com awful to use… all because Amazon is trying to promote the use of their Australian site. But I digress….

After seeing just how easy it is to scratch the surface of the cook pot, (You didn’t think they included that spoon for fun, did you?) I’d really like to get a second stainless steel cook pot. I’ve been considering getting a second cook pot for the unit, maybe some steaming racks with handles, and definitely some seals, however, finding ANY accessories for this model is proving difficult in the extreme.

From what information I can find online, you CANNOT assume that this 8 quart multi-cooker is compatible with parts and accessories suited to other 8 qt models. I found that the CPE 300 cook pot is 10.25” in diameter, and 7.1” high. (I use imperial because I can’t find anything in metric markets like Australia) This is different from other 8 qt cookers out there. The only 8 quart stainless steel cook pot I could find on Amazon, is 10.4” wide and slightly shorter at 6.9 inches tall. So the available 8qt stainless steel pots and all accessories that would fit into that cook pot…. are probably too wide for the CrockPot and just aren’t compatible. (See my experimental order below for details)

You might be wondering: Can I buy a different model of multi cooker which does have accessories?

Conversely, if you’re considering getting another model of multi cooker, the “Instant Pot” models have a far bigger range of accessories, but aren’t sold in Australia. If you buy one from the US note that it’s likely that it’ll have BOTH the wrong voltage and plug, which means you’d need to get a step-down transformer (not merely a plug adaptor) with sufficient wattage (which is yet another electrical device to sit on the bench). So with most instant pot models being around 1200 watts, you’d need a transformer able to handle at least that much. A quick search online suggests a suitable transformer will be between $80-$160 here in Australia (which if you’re already adding US shipping + exchange rates) on the Instant Pot as well, will be more than double the cost of the CrockPot Express XL cooker overall, and that’s before you add the cost of the accessories you’ve gone to such effort to be compatible with.

In short, Australia is lagging significantly behind in the range of multi cooker models available here compared to the U.S. To make matters worse, the support/accessories available for the models that do get sold here in Australia are difficult if not impossible to find. This leaves the buyer with the question “What are we supposed to do when we need or want to repair, replace, or add something?”.

Frankly, I’d certainly be keeping the receipt and warranty card for the CrockPot. Your only option, (from what I can find from CrockPot Australia) is to simply replace it under the 12 month warranty or buy another unit should anything fail. Despite the fact that the CPE300 works very well, and hasn’t missed a beat so far. This short-sightedness in maintenance is against my personal buying preferences, and in honesty, I would not have normally bought a unit like this.

My Highly Experimental Order Of Parts And Accessories:

Since I didn’t actually pay for this unit, and the fact that this parts and accessories issue is perhaps my biggest concern with the CrockPot Express. I went to Amazon.com and after much searching, I ordered:

- Some silicone stackable steaming/cake tins. Good for both 6 and 8qt models so that should be fine. - A silicone trivet with long handles, again that should be fine, and…. - I’ve gone for broke, ordering (with great difficulty), an 8 qt InstaPot branded pressure lid seal to see it that will work. It clearly states that it won’t work for non InstaPot models, but after pouring over many pictures online, it looks suspiciously similar to what I’m looking for. If it doesn’t work, I’ll sell it on, or give it to one of my American friends. Note that some of the 2 pack/3 pack offerings come in different colours so you use a certain colour for a certain type of meal. However, I couldn’t find a seller of those willing to ship to Australia on the U.S. Amazon site. - I also ordered a stainless steel 8qt Instant Pot branded cook pot. Despite the fact that it clearly states “does not work with other brands of multi cooker”. 10.4” vs 10.25” of diameter, when you convert the 0.16” of difference into metric, is actually only 3.81mm.

The Total cost of the items (excluding shipping): $120 Australian

Note: I could not find bobber valves that could be sent to Australia, nor could I find the pressure relief valve that both suited the CrockPot Express and could be shipped here.

If the ordered stuff arrives before the deadline of this review (It should because I spent an ADDITIONAL $130 Australian on express postage), I’ll post my findings below.

Results of my order:

So my Amazon order arrived in time. I know it’s a gamble, but I’ve been a bit worried as I am ordering things that clearly state that this probably won’t work. I have put my money where my mouth is, to answer a question that CrockPot Australia has failed to answer online. That question is:

What AVAILABLE accessories (to Australians) do in fact work with the CrockPot Express XL, regardless of manufacturer?

Second disclaimer:

Now I know CrockPot won’t recommend this, as they’d only recommend genuine CrockPot accessories, but a faulty genuine CrockPot seal is only a matter of time, and likely to be a bigger risk than using one in good condition, regardless of who makes it. I make no statement beyond what works in the limited time I have to review this stuff. If you decide to use the same parts as I do, then you and you alone, take responsibility for your own actions.

With pressure seals from two different manufacturers, and two makes of cook pots, (and we know that the CrockPot branded inclusions work together), this leaves three remaining combinations of seal and pot that need to be tested.

Test 1: The “Genuine” Instant Pot 8qt Seal (Designed for IP-Duo80 and IP Lux-80 models) tested with CrockPot’s non-stick Cook Pot:

The first thing I did, was try the Instant Pot 8qt seal. Despite being a little different in design (the circumference is roughly 5mm larger than the CrockPot seal, which if my calculations are right is less than 1% difference. That means the seal is 99% the same), so it’s not that surprising that it seems nearly identical in all the ways that matter. Putting practice to this theory, I found that it went into the CrockPot pressure lid without a single hitch. It worked well with CrockPot’s non-stick cook pot, and successfully held high pressure for 30 mins. <cue sigh of relief here>

Test 2: The “Genuine” Instant Pot 8qt Stainless Steel Cook Pot (Model: IP-SS304-80) with Instant Pot Seal from Test 1:

I ran the Instant Pot cook pot with Instant Pot seal, (since both pot and seal should match, I had less concerns about the seal itself). But I WAS worried that the pot wouldn’t fit into the base due to the measurements provided on Amazon. But it fits very well! (It seems the nice folks at Amazon measured the wider RIM diameter and not the pot’s actual inserted diameter…. so it fits just fine… you read it here first! No one seems to have tried this before.

In short, with both an 8qt InstaPot seal and InstaPot stainless steel 8 qt cook pot, the CrockPot Express XL ran with no dramas and successfully held high pressure over a pot of water for 30 mins. (So the pot really DOES work with at least ONE other brand of cooker, despite specific claims to the contrary on Amazon).

Test 3: The CrockPot Seal with Instant Pot Cook Pot:

This is a test to see whether the smaller seal will work on a slightly larger cook pot. Seems to work well too! Again, high pressure was successfully held for 30 mins. However, I found that the seal seemed to stick to the pot a little when removing the lid. Not exactly a big deal, but the only quirk I found.

Now is 30 minutes of testing each combination enough to make an authoritative answer? Honestly… probably not. It’s a good start. I’ve tested this repeatedly since then with other meals, in any number of combinations (dirty pots/seals depending) but I only have a few days remaining of reviewing time before I have to submit this, so it has worked for me so far, but keep these findings in mind for what they are, a last ditch effort to see if I can extend the life of this particular model of cooker. I am somewhat disappointed with CrockPot for forcing me to gamble like this to answer a question about a situation that shouldn’t exist in the first place.

Other accessories:

Genuine Instant Pot Silicone Steamer Set/Gift Set.

I really like this. It has a silicone trivet with long silicone handles, and two rigid stackable silicone pots for pressure cooking. One has a sealed base, while another has holes in the bottom. I wasn’t exactly sure whether the 8qt pot would fit in the CrockPot, and knowing it was also InstaPot branded, I opted to choose the 6qt silicone kit to ensure that it would work, regardless of the outcome with the cook pot. Even the 6qt trays fit two chicken breasts side by side, and it works really well. I made some pressure cooked spuds in the sealed bottom tray, which sat on top of the chicken cooking tray without issue. The long handles on either side is MUCH nicer than the handle-less trivet provided by CrockPot, and the height of the trivet from the bottom of the cook pot is also higher.

Honestly, I ordered a SECOND silicone trivet with long handles. Called an “OXO Good Grips Pressure Cooker Bakeware Sling” on Amazon. I ordered it, unaware that a similar device was included in the silicone set mentioned above. However it’ll be great for sanitising jars for jam production so I’m not too fussed. Love the long handles, and silicone means I won’t scratch the pot.

Pros Of This Cooker:

- Works very well in most cases, probably aimed at newer multi cooker users. - Large capacity bowl for the money, and it’s very light when empty. - Makes a lot of things really well with minimal effort, the range really is quite staggering. - Has made me appreciate pressure cookers for flavour, and speed of cooking. - Easy to clean - Ease of use in most cases - Nice touches of including two lids, (some other models sell the glass lid separately) - I like the recipe book. - Very short cable avoids tangling/wasted bench space. - It makes it harder to make things badly… as long as you follow the basic rules. - Each mode can be used in a variety of different ways… far beyond the instruction manual and recipe book suggestions. - One pot cooking saves cleaning. - Able to use cheaper cuts of meats for meals, which saves money.

Cons Of This Cooker:

- Very short cable (depending on how you look at it, might not be long enough, and need a replacement) - Unit itself is quite heavy. - No complete manual mode/function like some of the competition’s models. - Danger to some bench top surfaces needs addressing! - Utter lack of accessories, after-sales parts and support in Australia is deeply concerning. - User Manual not very well thought out: - Warnings not where they need to be. - Include set temperatures for all modes would be nice. (in the table on page 13 would be ideal) - Details on each cook mode would be greatly beneficial. - Timer delay does not include a clock/set time (that would be handy, especially if it calculated it based on serving time rather than the cooking start time for a given mode) - Cook pot easily scratched, and not quite as good for searing meats as a stainless steel model might be. - Tall/Narrow dimensions of the cook pot makes the use the multi cooker a bit harder stir/manipulate food in some circumstances. - Cook pot gets very heavy when full. - Making smaller meals/drinks/batches can be more challenging in a pot this large. - Lots of misinformation about what is and isn’t compatible with this unit. - Accessories like a silicone trivet would be a huge advantage for a non-stick pot, don’t know why they have a metal one here. - Slow cooking function may not be as great as an actual slow cooker. - Steaming function can be less beneficial AND more inconvenient in some cases.

Features And Other Stuff I’d Really Like To See Added To Future Models:

- Support, parts and accessories here in Australia at AFFORDABLE prices. - Sous Vide mode would be amazing. - Ability to set and hold a temperature between 20-100 degrees celsius with a temperature food probe for accuracy. Having a configurable thermostat mode for culturing cheeses, proofing bread doughs, etc would really extend the use of this unit for me. - Clock function, & timer with alarm. - Stainless steel cook pot to for durability and to get the searing function to work a bit more nicely. Experience, and online comparisons between this CrockPot Express and InstaPot suggest that bare stainless steel will get a bit more flavour out of the searing/browning function. - Better insulation on the bottom.

Conclusion:

This is my first multi-cooker, and as such, I don’t have a lot to compare it to. Initially, I found all the buttons a little confusing, and when the manual didn’t adequately cover them, I wasn’t sure how to use the CrockPot Express. I can easily imagine that all the buttons would intimidate some new users.

I really like this multi cooker for what it can do. It can easily replace many kitchen appliances like a rice cooker, electric frypan, and pressure cooker. Honestly, I think some will think that it is ok for slow cooking, while others might disagree. I don’t think it’s as good as a slow cooker, but it’s certainly possible to get a passable result.

The CrockPot Express is great at a LOT of things, some of them are quite surprising. Some people even use them for crafty things like melting crayons or making candles, but that’s not something I’d use it for. It has really reduced my use of things like cookware, (mostly saucepans, frypans and the like). So if you’ve got a broken stove, you can probably do most stove-top cooks with the CrockPot Express. “One pot” cooking really has cut down on some of the mess made when cooking, all while shortening the longer cook times, and offering simple solutions to common cooking tasks.

Quantitative Analysis:

Cost: 8.5/10 Design: 7/10 Versatility: 9/10 Performance: 7.5/10 Ease of Use: 8/10 Cleaning Ease: 9/10 Warranty: 5/10 Available Parts/Accessories: 1/10 Customer Support: 2/10

Results: Ignoring longer term concerns (first 6 factors): 81.67% Including Warranty: 77.14% Everything BUT Customer Support: 68.75% Overall Score: 63.33%

Addendum - Some Notes On The More Temperature Sensitive Modes So Power Users Can Use Modes More Creatively:

Yoghurt Culturing Mode runs at 46.3 degrees Celsius. Keep Warm Function runs at 73.1 degrees Celsius.

Much more useful than expected – I have always been mildly sceptical when people post reviews they have been asked to do. I was pleasantly surprised when asked to review this product by Product Review, as you will see from my overall reviews I'm as happy to give a critical review as a glowing one. It also occurred to me that I'm more likely to give the product a thorough testing… Read more ·  1

if I'm posting about something I didn't chose to buy.

I have a number of “pantry tools”, kitchen items that we bought and rarely used, such as ice cream makers and electric knives. I secretly expected this to be another, but I have to admit it’s still out and being used one month later.

I used to own a pressure cooker, which I used sometimes for quick cooking but not often. I didn't expect this to be any different, but I was wrong. What makes this different is the computer control of cooking. So you can throw everything in, press start and run away. It takes care of everything else, including coming up to pressure, cooking and keeping warm. This for me was the most powerful function which I used often. It s also notable that the pressure cooker doesn’t hiss and steam like the old ones, presumably the temperature is more accurately controlled. It can even take account of you not whipping off the pressure release which I liked.

The same is true of the slow cooker function. To make a soup, simply throw in a few ingredients, brown them if desired, then set and forget. The results were impressive, with better flavours in my opinion due to the slow cooking.

Because I've been very busy recently, the above set and forget cooking modes were the most useful, and with only one pot to clean the least overall effort for a good result. I bulk cooked and the freezer is now full of mostly slow cooked meals that were left to their own devices for a whole day.

The cooker has a large array of preset buttons which, at the end of the day, are simply pre-programmed cooking times. I found I needed to have some idea of what I was cooking and for how long (which you can easily find on the net) to be able to set the times either manually or with a program.

I cooked several meals and left them on keep warm for many hours. I found the keep warm was slightly below the temperature I like to serve food at. Possibly this is so the food doesn’t spoil or overcook, and it isn’t hard to pop it in the microwave.

As with anything non-stick, it will have a limited life and I expect this to be what determines how long the cooker will survive. I couldn't tell the quality of the non-stick coating although it didn't strike me as particularly thick but that’s quite a subjective opinion and may well prove incorrect.

Aside from an old style pressure cooker from decades ago, and a standard slow cooker with a simple 3 way setting, I have nothing else to compare this cooker with. However this cooker was definitely better than both of those and I've already used it more than both. Most importantly it hasn’t become a “pantry tool” and is unlikely to while I still need fast and easy meals waiting for me when I get home.

Makes some recipes easier and faster, but would not use it for everything – The main advantages for the multi-cooker is that you really can perform multiple functions in one pot. It has the ability to sauté, boil, steam, simmer, (to name a few), which means that a multitude of other pots and pans become superfluous. The pressurised lid means that various dishes can be made a lot faster than compared to on the stove-top… Read more

(e.g. rice for risotto takes approximately 10min). The non-stick quality of the pot and the rapid pressurised cooking also removes the need to constantly stir the food to prevent burning or sticking. The pot is also removable, so it is fairly easy to clean, as the entire unit overall is rather heavy and large. The uni also has multiple functions based on what food is being cooked (e.g. "Poultry", "Soup", "Rice") which means that the user does not have to determine how long to have the cooker set for. There is also an automatic "Keep Warm" function which comes in handy for once the cooking is finished. It is ideal for those who are distracted by other things outside of the kitchen because you literally add all the ingredients, and can then walk away and forget about it. In other words, if your cooking repertoire consists mostly of slow-cooker or "one-pot" recipes, this is an ideal piece of equipment to have in your kitchen. One disadvantage is that prior to using any functions, the cooker needs to heat itself up first. From what I can determine, this takes much longer than compared to pre-heating a pan on the stove-top. Another factor that extends the overall cooking time is the need to depressurise the pot prior to removing the lid. As specified in the instructions, you need the cooker to sit with the valve in the open position for at least 10min before opening. This means that the total cooking time needs to be extended by approximately 20min to give a realistic time-frame. Another disadvantage is that if you were to cook using your stove or oven, you could check on the progress whenever you chose to, as well as add or remove ingredients as required. This is not an option with the cooker as you would have to wait for the cooker to depressurise, check the progress, replace the lid and wait for the cooker to go through its "Heating" function again before it starts cooking for the additional amount of time. One function that seems to take much longer than on stove-top is the "Steam" function. Personally, steaming vegetables on the stove takes 10-15min, whereas I had to repeatedly set the function for a total of 30min (not including all the depressurising/heating times in between). Overall, the quality of food seems quite comparable to using other cooking options, removing the need to wash a multitude of utensils and pans once the cooking is done. This cooker does seem like an ideal solution for those who have tiny kitchens and are looking at reducing the number of pots and pans. However for simple dishes e.g. scrambled eggs or steamed vegetables, I would personally revert back to the stove.