Elite Gourmet MST-250XS Electric Slow Cooker Ceramic Pot, Adjustable Temp, Entrees, Sauces, Stews & Dips, Dishwasher Safe Glass Lid & Crock, 1.5 Quart, Stainless Steel

I ordered 2 of these crockpots last minute for a Christmas party as I had 2 Queso dips I wanted to keep warm but my 2 large crockpots were way too big. These smaller crockpots were perfect. They heated up well and has 4 settings. I appreciated the "warm" was actually what it said and not too hot. The bowl cleaned up great. I rinsed the excess and put the bowl and lid in the dishwasher no issues. The only downside I found was the cord was a bit short but perfectly adequate for 95% of counter placements. The crockpots also stood up to cat inspection and were not easily pushed or nudged around. Do be aware the outside of the crockpot gets warm just like any other crockpot but the lid handle never became warm which was good. In addition, there is no utensil holder or prop.

I love this lil crockpot. It did have a little chunk missing on the ceramic inner pot but not big enough to affect functionality and not visible since it sets inside the outer pot. It works great and is perfect for one or two people. Please be advised though that because it's more compact, cooking time is much faster than a standard crockpot so adjust that when using recipes for regular size crockpots. My first dish was a cabbage & chicken recipe and it was pure mush after 3 hours even though the recipe called for a 4 hour cooking time. I now cut all cooking times in half and food comes out perfect. The keep warm function is really nice too. I got the metallic red pot and it's so pretty which is a bonus feature.

As a profession, I make and restore antique toys and metal mechanical models and opted NOT to purchase an industrial pickle pot. I simply could not justify the cost for what little they do for $200 to $300. This 1.5 quart crock pot from Amazon will do the job just the same for much less money. To help others with the same intentions, I am providing the temperatures for each setting. To do these tests, I simply filled to about 80% with water, covered with the lid, and checked with a quality cooking thermometer 30 minutes after switching the various settings on. Starting at room temperature for each setting (with lid on), after 30 minutes the temperatures were the following: Low setting - 102° Fahrenheit (38.8° Celsius) High setting - 130° Fahrenheit (54.4° Celsius) Keep warm setting - 82° Fahrenheit (27.7° Celsius) Maximum temperatures were attained after 1.5 hours (with lid off) Low setting - 130° Fahrenheit (about 54.4° Celsius) High setting - 130° Fahrenheit (about 54.4° Celsius) Keep warm setting - 101° Fahrenheit (38.3° Celsius) Maximum temperatures were attained after 1.5 hours (with lid on) Low setting - 160° Fahrenheit (71.1° Celsius) High setting - 200° Fahrenheit (93.3° Celsius) Keep warm setting - 125° Fahrenheit (51.6° Celsius) So basically if you want to get your pickling solution to a working temperature of around 130° Fahrenheit as fast as possible, you would want to fill to about 80% capacity then put the lid on, turn it to the high setting for 15 to 20 minutes, then set it to low and get to work! Should you find that pickling your work in a higher temperature yields better results using a specific pickle compound, you should leave the lid on between dips and you can have anywhere from 150° to 200° Fahrenheit with this pot depending on time and heat setting. Temperatures will drop if lid stays off (as stated above). Remember not to let the pickle solution boil! Boiling is possible if you leave the high setting on for a very long time (probably unattended with the lid on and switched to the high setting for over 2 hours). Something I noticed was that the power cord was not warm to the touch at all after being on for 5 hours (low setting) during some lengthy work, that's good thing. White interior ceramic pot, works just fine with caustic pickling compounds commonly available to jewelers. I chose this version over others that came with a black pot. If you are finding yourself having to change your pickle solution in the middle of work, ALWAYS let the temperature of the pot cool down. You risk cracking or breaking the ceramic insert pot when you pour a much cooler solution into a hot pot, the temperature difference between hot and cold materials can cause cracking of the ceramic. The fastener to the center knob for the lid is actually an aluminum alloy, so I replaced that with a piece made of 316 stainless. The caustic fumes from the pickle compound would corrode that aluminum alloy fastener in quick order. The fastener is M6x1 and length is 18mm (McMaster-Carr part #94500A316). The photo I uploaded to this review is of the original aluminum fastener showing the discoloration to the head and early evidence of oxidation. Down the road, I anticipate the supposedly stainless ring that lines the edge of the lid to corrode. I had originally thought about cutting this ring with a thin cut off abrasive blade, possibly replacing it with a silicone band, but have not gotten around to doing that. The only other modification I would add to this would be a "power on" indicator lamp. One could either modify the housing itself and tap into the wiring for a cleaner look, or simply use a heavy-duty power strip that has its own power indicator lamp. I like it, it's larger than most jeweler-type pickle pots which is a huge advantage for my shop. Yes, it's just a simple kitchen crock pot used in a light industrial setting, and it doesn't look at home among all the other machines and tools, but it WORKS. If one doesn't like the aesthetics, simply take it apart and give the outer housing a coat of engine or stove enamel paint. A previous reviewer has stated that the exterior housing for the 6 quart version is made of plastic. The two 1.5 quart Elite Gourmet slow cookers (model MST-250XW) which I ordered are not made of plastic and have a thin steel sheet metal housing instead. Don't forget to work in a well-ventilated area, wear a proper respirator mask, and always wear your goggles! Hope this helps, Jason Old Foundry Toy Works

I purchased 2 of these for a different reason other than Chili or Stew. I use them exclusively for my Hobbies. Mostly for heating various solutions in a double-broiler type setup. The Rheostat switch for control the different Heat selection levels is erratic & all over the place. I took numerous temperature tests every 5 minutes for hours. I had the water filled to the upper level of the Pot & Had “WARM” setting temps as high as 209°. While I had High temp settings that were 140-165° ranges. But other than the inconsistent temperature readings, everything else about these Mini-Crockpots was ABSOLUTELY PERFECT for the average cost of $10 paid for Each unit. Got 1 listed as used for $8 (looked Brand New) FREE SHIPPING for both. These would be great for a University student living in a Dorm room. It’s a Very SMALL POT! Those Temperature #’s listed on each unit are from my Label maker after i averaged the temps from 24-hours of tests. *They have very short electrical cords (safety feature. * Each unit has the following parts: 1: A removable White Clay type Pot, of decent craftsmanship & quality. 2: A Clear Glass lid that has a small round knob type handle. It comes apart to clean with a quality silicone type bushing to seal it & a stainless bolt that tighten. I was impressed with the craftsmanship for the inexpensive price point! 3: The Aluminum Base that contains the heating element & control switch for the x4 Settings of OFF / LOW / HIGH / WARM. This was the area that most likely required the manufacturer to sell it so cheap. Due to the erratic inconsistent temperatures for each sitting. For my purposes I give it a 5-Star-Rating. And that’s exclusively for my hobby. ***if I were to rate it just for its intended use of Slow Cooking Food I’d give it 3 1/2 Stars. Hope this helps! Cheers ZenModeling

Good size cookpot to make a meal for two. It didn’t take up much room for storage. I have used it many times to make beef and pork cooked perfectly. It has a temperature control -low, high, and warm settings. It works great. Easy to clean. I have big ones, but I like this one the most. Good quality product. Highly recommend

This product is extremely disappointing. The handles melted during the first use, producing smoke and triggering the fire alarm. Additionally, the electrical socket is a North American standard, which is incompatible with the outlets in my apartment. There is also no indicator light to show whether the slow cooker is on or off. Overall, it was a complete waste of time and money. If there were an option to give less than one star, I would rate it a zero.

Horrible product. The outer part of the cooker melted away. Dangerous to use. Can’t even return it as the returned window closed day before.

De muy buen tamaño, gran poder de calentamiento, muy practica y funcional

Very good product