A couple weeks ago I ordered a Rival "Smart Part" to run my crock pots, which tend to run very hot. Today, I am trying it out for the first time.

Pro: Very easy and intuitive to use. It has three different programs that enable it to work for a variety of crock pots; the directions said to turn my pot over to find out the model number, then choose the correct program. I turned over the pot and sure enough, there was the number, which corresponded to the B program. Of course, it probably helped that it's a Rival crock pot (same maker as the Smart Part).

Con: The Smart Part plugs into an electrical outlet and is so big it blocks the whole outlet. I had to figure out a different place to set up my pot, since the part was too large to use the usual countertop outlets (more the fault of the outlet location than the part). It's a little difficult to read, with poor contrast for the settings, and it's supposed to be programmed after plugging it in, so I was hunched and stretched over the counter peering at and deciphering the settings. I don't think this will be a problem once I'm more familiar with the settings. It can only be programmed to 4 different settings, 2 that use high heat (4 hours or 6 hours) and 2 that use low heat (6 hours and 8 hours). However, it's supposed to switch to "keep warm" after the cooking time has passed, so this is probably not a problem, assuming the keep warm setting works well.

Anyway, the pot's loaded up and I'll report back about whether the part seems to do the trick keeping the heat right.

Aderyn

Aderyn,
Yes, please do report back and let us know. I think I may have to invest in a smart part. My crock seems to cook to hot and not true to the instructions for some recipes.
I'm eager to hear your results.
Thanks for the "test run"....LOL

Shelley

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Well, the news isn't good. The problem is not being able to vary the settings. The Smart Part does nothing to make the pot run cooler; it just switches it to "Keep Warm" after a specified cooking time. Unfortunately, the only times I can specify are the ones that already didn't work--8 to 10 hours on low (not 6 and 8 hours, as I originally posted; the 6-hour program is only available on the high setting). When I cook something in my pot on low, it typically takes only 5 to 6 hours because the pot runs so hot, but 5 or 6 hours are not choices on the Smart Part; only 8 and 10.

Moreover, I can't switch the Smart Part to "Keep Warm" by itself, i.e., I can't let something cook for, say, 6 hours, then switch it over to "Keep Warm" for an hour or two. "Keep Warm" can't be accessed by itself; it's just an automatic finishing touch to the pre-programmed settings.

If someone has a pot that cooks just right, this would be a handy gadget because of its ability to keep things warm without continuing to cook. However, it doesn't solve my problem. I'm still stuck having to be home to turn off the pot within a few hours of setting it up. :(

Aderyn

Pssssst...ask Santa for a new programmable crockpot, girlfriend!

Char

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