Cuisinart MSC-400 3-In-1 Cook Central 4-Quart Multi-Cooker: Slow Cooker, Brown/Saute, Steamer, Silver

I've owned a multitude of slow cookers and crockpots over the years. This is the first time I can say I love one! I've used this twice already, first for potato soup, browning the onions, etc. first then for a pork roast that I browned before slow cooking. All of its functions worked great. What I love about it: The browning function works perfectly and no extra skillet to clean! Because of the high sides, there was absolutely no splatter to clean up. The functionality. Browning can be set for a full range of temperatures, just like an electric frying pan. Slow cooking has settings for high, low, simmer and warm. You can specify a cooking time and it will automatically switch to warm at the end of the time. The insert's light weight. It's a pleasure to pour soup or a sauce from it instead of from a heavy ceramic crock. Easy to clean. The non-stick finish of the insert rinses clean. No need for cooking spray or scouring. The insert and lid are dishwasher safe. What I've learned so far: The first time I used it I'd just read the instruction book. The second time I used it, it kept shutting itself off before heating at all. First thought, it's already broken; second thought, check the instructions again. Sure enough, a duh moment! After selecting the desired function you need to press the Start button. It looks like it's on so this essential little step is easily overlooked. I wondered how much, if any, difference having the cooker already hot from browning would make in the slow cooking time. Turns out, quite a lot. My three pound roast should have been cooked at least an hour less than in my old crock pot. The large handles on the insert are a joy to use but they do take up extra cabinet space. I wish they'd made them fold down in some way to save space. This unit's a bit pricey but I think it's well worth it! I highly recommend it.

Best crockpot I ever had! You can see her and simmer and switch right to slow cooker without changing pots. The crock itself is lightweight and dishwasher safe and super easy to clean. I am more than happy with my purchase

Such a nice cooker.

We've owned more than our fair share of slow cookers over the last 50+ years. They've come and gone, but this one is definitely a keeper. We actually wore out a couple of them, but many of the predecessors to this one were purchased simply because the offered some new bell or whistle that promised to revolutionize the slow-cooking process. Trouble is, none of them actually delivered any significantly improved (easier, tastier, whatever) food to out table, so each in turn found its way to a thrift shop. As long as this Cuisinart (we got the 4 quart model) continues to perform the way it has so far, it will keep its place in our cookware lineup. The cooker is well made, and has all the usual slow cooker functions, but the thing that sets it apart is its searing performance prior to switching to slow-cook mode. It really does an excellent job. The non-stick aluminum insert conducts heat (up to 400 deg.) very well, and stays hot even after a large roast is placed in the pan to sear. The pan is light in weight but sturdy, and the pan coating makes cleanup easy. Time will tell, but the coating appears to be tougher than the average non-stick, with none of the chip-prone irregularities that some of them have, right out of the box. At this point, I'd give the MSC-400 a solid recommendation.

just got this a few weeks ago, very happy with its functionality. i have one very large slow cooker (ceramic insert) that works when we have a lot of family visiting but is too large for just our 4. originally bought this one for its smaller size, though it still cooks enough for 6 easily. bonus is that it is a multi-cooker, meaning it has 2 other options besides slow cooking: steaming (havent used that) and brown/saute (which basically allows this to function as a frying pan). i can brown/saute onions & garlic, meat, etc in the slow cooker insert in the cooker itself before starting to slow cook -- this eliminates the extra pan on the stove to cook aromatics, the messy splattering of searing large cuts of meat and the awkward transfer of that meat into slow cooker. even better, i have a hard time judging liquid when slow-cooking and often end up with too much liquid. the brown/saute option (that basically turns this slowcooker into a fry pan) enables me to boil away liquid quickly at the end of cooking. as it compares with a low quality slow cooker i bought about 13 years ago and even my highly-rated larger digital slow cooker i bought 3-4 years ago: 1. the pan transfers heat well with no hotspots, and 2. the slow cook is truly low slow heat -- both mean i havent encountered any burned food. i'm very very happy with the quality of the food i've cooked so far (short ribs, turkey broth reduced down for thanksgiving gravy, and an indian red bean curry -- i plan to try pot roast this week, and steaming fish next week). i like this cuisinart model infinitely better and wish i had never bought the other 2. not sure if i would use this to steam vegetables -- microwave or quick dunk in boiling water to parboil might be less involved and faster. left one star off b/c of material and controls. 1. material -- im not too sure of the nonstick material the insert is made of -- its a weird teflon-like material that says its bpa free but in general i dont like cooking in this type of material (i prefer stainless steel, cast iron, or enamel, for health reasons). seems like it would be very easy to damage and scratch, so im trying to be very careful with it. not sure if in 5 years ill get some kind of notice of health concerns from whatever this is made of. 2. controls -- though im pretty savvy with kitchen appliance controls, the controls to this are not as straightforward as they would seem and i sometimes end up turning off after ive set rather than turning on. not a big deal, but you have to watch everything and confirm that youve in fact turned the cooker on and heard it start before walking away for the day.

Hi. I bought the Cuisinart MSC-400 slow cooker about 3 weeks ago and I simply love it. I am a widow and live by myself and wondered if I would use it enough verses the cost. I cook for myself most of the time with a guest for dinner occasionally or once in a while I will invite some of my family. I bought the 4 quart and so far, it’s been a perfect size. I have cooked chicken and noodles, Swiss steak, spaghetti sauce with meatballs, beans, and beef and noodles. All were delish. I can cook just for myself ( with maybe enough leftover for a second meal). Or, I can cook easily for 4-6 people depending on what I’m cooking. The browning setting is absolutely wonderful. You can sauté your garlic and onions or lightly brown your meats or both...... then, add your liquids, veggies or whatever all in the same pot. The ability to fry/ brown than switch temp over to “ slow cook” with heat choices of low, high, simmer, or warm is so convenient. Also, you have a choice of temps for frying or browning. After your cooker has completed the time you set, it automatically switches to warm. It doesn’t over cook your food. On this setting it just keeps your meal nice and warm for serving. As far as scratches, I use plastic or wooden spoons to stir if I need too. I have had no problem with the inside chipping or scratching. It’s a dream to clean. I use it so much I keep it on my counter. I can’t wait to cook lasagna in it ( I found a great slow cook recipe for it ) and also bread pudding !! This pot is so much more convenient than your run of the mill crock pots...... no comparison !! I’m so glad I decided to buy this cooker. I’m even eating healthier because of it.

So I purchased this product BRAND NEW, and the very first time I took it out of the box to use it (after having prepared all my ingredients for chili and placing them in the pot), and found that I couldn't program it to cook at all. The blue lights on the front panel came on but start/stop were the only buttons that worked. I went through the whole trouble shooting manual, only to realize that the inner coil, which appears to be spring loaded and will depress when you put a filled pot on it, allowing you to program your cooking options/times, is loose and won't allow you to start cooking your food. When I called customer service at cuisinart, the "helpful" customer service rep told me that this inner coil is "very, very" sensitive, and advised me to keep adjusting the pot and putting it in different ways. This was a HEAVILY FILLED POT, if the slow cooker can't recognize that there's a weight inside, then IT DOESN'T WORK. I asked if I could return it, and they said their system was down and they couldn't process any return orders at that time. I called back several days later, and was told that if I wanted to return it, I'd have to pay for shipping and handling, or go to the nearest store and return it. This was after I told the rep that I had bought it from Amazon.com....so, what store is that exactly??? When I asked about having it replaced with a different model, she told me they only replace it with the same model, and I'd still have to pay shipping and handling myself if I returned it to Cuisinart. Why would I want a replacement of a model with a defect? No BRAND NEW machine should ever just not work right out of the box. Her next advice was to tell me to call Amazon and discuss it with them. When I asked to speak to a manager, I was told to leave my number and I'd get a call back next week. My whole experience with Cuisinart, from the product to customer service, has been HORRIBLE. I used to love Cuisinart, but now I'll never buy any of their items ever again, after going through this. I also wish I'd read the other customer service reviews first, because it seems like this item has a whole list of problems with it. I did call Amazon who helpfully sent me a free shipping label and are refunding my money. Save yourself some trouble and buy a KitchenAid or something.

For the first time ever, I have found an electric cooking device that actually operates as advertised. My dissatisfaction with numerous crock pot/slow cookers in the past has been two-fold. First and most importantly, I could never regulate the temperature on my previous cookers according to my needs. All settings seemed to be too hot and the setting choices allowed no discretion in actually finding a real temperature (rather than high or low.) My other, less important problem with these devices was that many of my recipes had to be started on the stove top before using the crock pot setting. Now, with this Cuisinart 4-Quart Multi-Cooker, I can actually control the cooking temperatures accurately and I can do all of what previously required a stove top and an extra pot or pan right in the slow cooker, itself. I did test the cooking temperatures before putting real food into the pot and it was very accurate. At this point in time, I have used it for browning and then slow cooking one of those famous little Costco Pork Sirloin Tip roasts. It worked beautifully. Yesterday I made white bean and ham soup without pre-soaking the beans and let it sit for awhile on "warm" after it turned itself off using the timer. Worked perfectly. The only thing the MSC-400 does not do that would make me even happier, is to allow it to be programmed for a certain amount of time at "high" and then automatically switch to a "low "setting" to finish cooking. For some reason I thought it could be programmed that way, but it cannot. I would have purchased the cooker anyway, and I really could not be more pleased with it. Finally, i was a little concerned about whether I should get the 4 quart or the 6 quart and ultimately went with the 4 and it is just right for my needs. I think that It is a great size for a family of three or four.

My partner loves this cooker because she can do everything in one place. We've had it now for over two years and it continues to be a significant part of food prep in our house. Highly recommended!

Reliable , Easy to set the time and temperature . Recipes are ready at mealtime .

Cooks food well

This is a sharp looking crock pot. I like the features and the electronic timer. The actual dish is not as large as my old "Crock Pot" and it's not as hot. I used to make beans in my old crock pot for 8hours on low. With this, I need 10hours on high. I was very surprised by this as I typically love Cuisnart products. I still use it and trust the unit to leave on when at work, it's just everything is on high at all times.

I was hesitant-so glad I got it. A tad smaller than our old slow cooker but awesome in every other aspect!