The Proctor-Silex 6 quart slow cooker is the single appliance in my home that I would not wish to part with. When I think about the convenience, affordability, and wide range of uses that this slow cooker embodies, I really regret not having purchased it sooner. Please read on to see why the Proctor-Silex 6 quart slow cooker is a must-have appliance in every household.
I initially purchased this slow cooker for two reasons – one being that I didn’t yet have one and it seemed like the thing to buy at the time. In other words, it was an impulse purchase. The second reason was that I had hoped it would inspire me to make something more for dinner than the pre-packaged convenience foods that I had become rather dependent on.
When I was in the store, I noticed that there were a number of different slow cookers and crock pots to choose from. They came in various sizes and styles, made by a handful of different manufacturers. In order to figure out which one would be best for me, I had to consider that I would be preparing meals for at least 5 people. This is why I opted for the largest size available – 6 quarts. I also needed to take my budget into consideration, which is why I went with the Proctor-Silex model. It was both affordable and made by a company with a trusted name. For just over $30, I was able to add a multi-purpose appliance to my kitchen that really would revolutionize the way I looked at cooking.
Out of the box, the Proctor-Silex slow cooker is a convenient one-pot meal creator. It has four different heat settings – high, low, keep warm, and off. I appreciate the fact that it has a tempered glass lid that allows me to see what’s happening inside without having to remove the lid and let heat escape. The crock itself is great because it is more than big enough to prepare large meals, and cleanup is made easy since the crock is dishwasher safe.
I am not a chef by any means and prior to buying this slow cooker, I had absolutely no food-related creativity whatsoever. To be honest, I had no idea what I was going to do with this appliance. It wasn’t until I searched for slow cooker recipes that I saw just how versatile it can be. I even ended up buying a cookbook devoted entirely to slow cooker recipes so I could make the most of my new slow cooker. It wasn’t until I did my homework that I was truly able to appreciate the benefits of slow cooker cooking.
The best feature is the ability to prep, set, and forget. You would never dream of leaving something cooking on your stove-top all day while you were at work, but the slow cooker enables just that. As a matter of fact, most recipes are long cooking ones that require several hours of cooking time to complete. All you need to do is do your slicing and dicing the night before or the morning of the day you plan to cook. Then combine your ingredients in the slow cooker, put on the lid, turn on the heat, and forget about it until dinner time rolls around.
I have found that the larger size slow cooker that I opted for has given me the opportunity to prepare one meal today, reserve half of it, and use the reserves to create an entirely different meal tomorrow. For example, I may make a 4 pound pork roast with stew vegetables tonight. By reserving half of the roast, I can use it again tomorrow to make pulled pork barbecue sandwiches. By cooking once, I am able to feed my family twice. It’s nice to be able to do that without having to rely on those preservative-filled dinners-in-a-box anymore!
Suffice it to say that my Proctor-Silex slow cooker has been a godsend in my household. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t figure out yet another use for it. It has been a time-saver and has shown me a way to provide myself and, most importantly, my family, with healthier meal options.
