The Lowest-Rated Crock-Pot Got Customers Heated: 'Your Warranty Is Garbage And So Are Your Slow Cookers'

When it comes to star-rated online reviews, how low is too low? Would you think twice about a 3.5-star item? What about a mere 3 stars? Below that, you're probably better off looking for an alternative product. When taking Crock-Pots into consideration, one product in particular — the company's Programmable Choose-a-Crock Slow Cooker in stainless steel — inspired several frustrated comments and a disappointing 2-star average rating on Crock-Pot's website. Even if you tend to be suspicious about the validity of online reviews, that seems like a red flag, and even more so when you read the reasons for the low ratings.

What's more disappointing is that many of the comments come from long-time Crock-Pot fans. As one shopper wrote: "The last Crock-Pot we had lasted 12 years. We bought this one last year to replace that one and it died on us tonight during a pot roast ... Your warranty is garbage and so are your slo cookers." Another reported that their former Crock-Pot had lasted a whopping 20 years, while this one quit working after fewer than 10 uses. To make matters worse, it only came with a one-year warranty.

While several of the best slow cooker models that money can buy are produced by Crock-Pot, this one misses the mark time and again. Other complaints include broken lids, digital displays not working, broken stoneware, and confusing or absent instructions. The confusion mainly comes into play in regards to how to use the divided insert. With this model, you can choose from a 6-quart insert or a divided 2.5-quart insert, which is recommended for dips and appetizers. But how exactly to use this divided insert isn't apparently clear.

While slow cooker cooking may seem simple, something along the lines of "throw it all into the pot and leave it," there are still plenty of tips for you to use your Crock-Pot like a pro. Unfortunately, all the best practices in the world won't help if your Crock-Pot isn't reliable to begin with. Thankfully, Crock-Pot has an array of better reviewed options. 

Sticking with the 6-quart size, Crock-Pot's Programmable 6-Quart Slow Cooker with Sous Vide has a 4.7-star rating with over 200 reviews. And while it looks quite a bit fancier than the Choose-a-Crock model, it only costs about $30 more. Crock-Pot also has a 6-quart Cook & Carry model with a locking lid that comes in an attractive green color, has a 4.1-star rating, and costs roughly the same as the Choose-a-Crock (although you may want to avoid the one-touch control variant, as the reviews for that are hardly better than the Choose-a-Crock, mostly due to it failing to heat properly).

As with most things, it's always possible that user error led to some of the low reviews. From overfilling your slow cooker to using frozen meat rather than thawed, there several common mistakes people make when using a slow cooker. But when so many comments are negative, that's hard to dismiss.