Doesnt look like this Slow cooker is to popular, am i right or wrong on this?

I just purchased a 7 quart All-Clad at WilliamsSonoma. I haven't used yet or even taken it out of the box but I can tell you that I think the shape and size will be great for the 3 lb roasts that I typically use a crockpot for. Also, the women at the store said they use it in the store all the time and love it. I asked if anything ever burned in it because it was too small for the capacity of the crock and they said they never experienced this. It looks well made. Hope this helps somewhat.

I use to have a 6 quart Rival and the handles both cracked. My husband bought me a brandnew Rival and I opened it up and one of the handles was cracked. The All-clad has metal handles with rivets which I think will be less of a problem.

Hi Analytical, you might want to pull that All-clad cooker out of the box and take a look at the lid, its too small to properly cover the pot, it slides around too far and can let the steam out of the cooker, which means you got a problem, I pointed this out to the people at my local Sonoma store. plus the top wobbles and doesnt sit properly I do have a solution to this,and that is using a rubber seal from a pressure cooker and installing it to the top, the lip of the top fits inside the seal, I am still thinking of getting one of these units and trying this, let me know what you found and if your going to keep the cooker, JerryMB

Well i am testing this All-clad slow cooker tonight, first off i noticed the top is a little bigger then the displays top, which is great, well now i am more positive about this unit. I am doing a 9 hour test on high with 16 cups of water. I want to see how the top reacts, if it moves and lets steam out then its back to the store, i am hoping it passes the test, this is one sharp unit, JerryMB

I know this is an old thread, but I received an all-clad slow cooker and the I have no idea if the lid is too small or not. It does ship, maybe 1/8 or 1/6 inch to the side if it slides around, but it doesn't appear like a huge gap. How small was the lid that was too-small? I'd rather just take it back before using it if I need to. Thanks!

OK, but does the All Clad warrant paying 3-5X what a Hamilton costs? In my extensive reviews of the comments of others, Hamilton is the only one that dodges claims of overheating or breakage. With 4 qts at $20 and 7 qts with timer at $50, why spend more, except for the fetish value of the All Clad name? (Funny, I can't even find the All Clad on the manufacturer Web site. Is this a licensing deal?)

Additionally, Waring started the stovetop to crock-pot thing, but did not provide side heating. Does All Clad? If not, it's just a hot plate with an integrated pot, not a true "crock."

I spent a lot of time last year looking for a slow cooker with a lid that fit and didn't leak steam (thus rendering it useless for unattended cooking as well as causing it to make my whole house smell like whatever was cooking.)I found that all except the All Clad had lids that didn't fit properly-- the glass lids were even around the edges but the crockery liner's edges were uneven, aallowing steam to leak out and the liquid to bubble away into my house. The All Clad lid FITS BEAUTIFULLY!! I like the programmability; the sides don't get overly hot, and besides, it looks great on my counter. But function is foremost with me. The only problem I've had is that one of the little rubber feet came off and, not knowing what it was, I threw it away in a fit of kitchen drawer de-cluttering. Next time I used the cooker I figured out what it was, too late. I wrote to All Clad customer service to ask where I could buy one, and received back by return mail 4 little feet!! It was a very nice touch.

I have the $100 version of the All Clad, with the crockery insert. The $200 one has an insert that can go on the stove for browning.

A friend of mine puts her slow cooker in the garage while it's cooking so it doesn't smell up her house. I use my All Clad instead.

I have had the $100 version of the All-clad for over a year. I have no complaints with it. It has cooked everything beautifully for me and I've had no problems with the lid fit.

My DH did crack the first crockery insert one time and we got a replacement for $25. He removed it before it cooled, put cold water in it and bumped it on the farm sink! No fault of the product.

Did the Research....Spent the extra money...What a work of Art!

Yeah, an old thread but sometimes the subject has to come up again for someone else....like me. I'm in the market for a new slow cooker. Like a previous poster, I had the 6 qt Rival - one handle is already gone and the other is cracked. Yet I love the way it cooks. Does Rival make one whose handles are not plastic??

I think my crock-pot is used about once a week -

DonnaR/CA

The insert of my slow cooker (the $250.00 model) 8is starting to peel on the inside. I have used it about 6 times.

I bought an al-clad SC when it first came to WS. The workmanship on mine is bad (the lid doesn't align properly with the lip of the pot)...if I had saved the receipt and the box and noticed the problem earlier on I would have returned it. Months later I stopped into a WS and looked at the Al clad SC to see if they were all made bad and the one that was on display looked perfect. I think I may have gotten one from a bad batch. As to whether it cooks properly or not, it seems to be a little too hot (even on low the liquid boils the whole time). I haven't been that happy with it and since I don't use SC too often I would not spend as much as I did since other cheaper brands have been made for a long time and I believe they are reliable. I don't use for entertaining so would never have a need to bring out the beautiful ceramic inside pot.
My niece has the very expensive WS Al-Clad SC and she loves it. The difference is the inside pot can be used on the stovetop to brown meat prior to cooking in SC.

kraftdee, I just found this thread and wanted to let you know that WS will still take back your slowcooker even without a box or receipt. As long as it's a product that they've carried in their store at one time, they will honor it.

I have the slowcooker with the ceramic insert for a few years now and it hasn't failed me once. I had the earlier model with the lid has the ball handle. I've seen the one with the aluminum insert in action at the WS store. It's a nice machine, but you must be careful when you handle the lid. It gets really hot.

We bought a 7 qt All-Clad slow cooker about 10 months. Used it about 10 times over a 6-month period, then the electric control stopped working.

I hadn't saved the receipt (it's a slow cooker, what could wrong :) ).

Over a 2 month period of emails, All-Clad refused warranty service; verified that the unit was 2 months out of warranty be *manufacture* date, and still refused service even though it was reasonable that the unit had been in the supply chain for 2 months before sale; said there were no recommended repair facilities; and refused to provide specs/spare parts/manufacturer info on the electric control unit.

Based on my experience with lack of reliability of the unit, coupled with All-Clad customer service runaround, I would *not* recommend this unit.

Except perhaps as a nice looking herb planter.

I no longer purchase All-Clad as I have found the company unwilling to respond to warranty issues.

Save your money. I have two electric slow cookers but the setup I use most is my homemade one that was inspired by the latest high-dollar slow cookers. I use a round cast iron casserole (with lid) on top of an electric skillet. I brown the meat in the casserole on top of the stove first then just move the casserole to the electric skillet for long, slow cooking at a bare simmer. I'm using a Zojirushi electric skillet because I had it but any inexpensive skillet or grill that your casserole fits into/onto should work fine. I wondered if there would be any difference because there is no side heat but if that affects anything I can't detect it. Also, the casserole doesn't cover the whole skillet surface so I'm sure some heat is lost but again, that doesn't seem to affect anything and may even make it easier to get the heat down to a bare simmer. You do have to fiddle a little to determine the skillet setting that produces a suitable simmer but that's easy and a one-time thing - just mark the spot.

BTW, if your electric skillet has sides and you can turn the heat down low enough, it's a great place to poach fish. If not, try it in an oval iron casserole on an electric skillet or grill. Once you've poached wild-caught salmon you won't want to fry/bake/broil it again, especially since it's nearly impossible to overcook and dry out the fish. If you like to experiment, try variations on the standard court-bullion as your poaching liquid.

Bought an All Clad SC for my Mom Christmas of 07 and it was still in the box when she returned it to me later in 08. The fourth time I tried to use it, discoloration led me to a crack in the bottom of the black ceramic insert that went all the way through. Googling showed a number of reports of All Clad ceramic inserts cracking, with some who complained being accused of using the ceramic insert on a stovetop, as the aluminum insert is designed to be used.
Not the case here! Still, All Clad pointed out the warranty expiration and offered to sell me another insert!
The darned thing is useless (even as an herb garden) otherwise, but I just can't bring myself to throw good money after bad. All Clad should be ashamed of the way they're handling this problem.

chefjeff42, that's a very interesting idea. Wonder if a portable induction hob would work too?

I have had several All-clad slow cookers, the last one has failed miserably and when I contacted all clad they said "it is out of warranty" -- so much for made in China. I will never, ever buy another all-clad product. Poor, poor customer service.

Just found one in the Garbage! Went home, plugged it in and it just clicks. I turned it upside down while it was clicking. The clicking stopped and it now works. However, I can see anything on the digital readout, i'll just have to guess the temp. This guy had the exact same problem and there are many other stories like this..I personally love all clad and have just about everything they make. But i wouldn't buy this new.

.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3B1_GnjpnAM

The insert on the slow cooker begins to peel over time even with normal use. The company offers a short warranty on this product and they advise you to buy a replacement insert when this happens - which is costly.

Hi, I had the same William Sonoma slow cooker which had the defect of the lining sloughing. I took it back to William Sonoma (had two) they replaced each of the slower cookers without the receipt and without the box, they took 2 minutes to find me in their system and immediately without further delay gave me a replacement slow cooker. I will purchase another slow cooker (last was given away when I moved). Love this slow cooker. If the lining is still a problem I will get the ceramic insert instead. Thanks.