Rival Crock Pot

This is an oval shaped crock pot with the traditional removable stoneware crock and a glass lid. It is encased in stainless steel and the handles have a silicon stay-cool coating. 

Best of all it is programmable - you have a touchscreen panel, and you punch in how long you want it to cook for, and at the end, it switches to "stay warm" for up to 6 hours.

The removable stoneware crock and the glass lid are dishwasher safe. This crock-pot is big enough to cook a 7 pound chicken.

This crock-pot is a manual version - you turn on the dial to high, low or warm, and then you have to time it yourself to make sure you have cooked it for long enough. 

The stoneware crock is removable and safe in the dishwasher, as is the glass lid.

Some people prefer the manual crock-pots to the programmable ones as they are less likely to burn the food - but it all depends on how careful you are about the timing of your crock-pot recipes.

The 4 quart pot is much more suited to normal family sizes (about four people)- it will cook a four pound roast. 

It looks quite big in the picture, but it is actually just 16 ounces.

It was invented for dips like fondue or melted chocolate - this is great if you are serving chocolate dipped strawberries or making Christmas candy. You can use it to make oatmeal for breakfast.

It has only one setting, warm, and will keep your dips warm for about three hours - the length of a party.

To get the most out of your crock-pot, you need a good recipe book that will advise you on the cooking times (the key to getting the most out of your pot). It's easier to use a crock-pot recipe than to adjust the times on normal recipes.

Of the books listed on the right, the most popular is the Biggest Book of Slow Cooker Recipes by Better Homes and Gardens. It has a staggering 200 recipes for you to try.