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

I LOVE this Cook Central 4-Quart Cuisinart! Where have you been all my life? We have lived full time in an RV for 10 years, and there are many space and weight limitations. This product is so versatile that I'm using it almost daily. Since we are still in the warm months, so far I've used it mostly to saute, brown, and make fillings like the chicken pot pie filling I made yesterday. All these tasks can be accomplished without splattering my stove top which is a real time saver in cleanup. Pros 1. The insert does not scratch, is lightweight, and has handles. 2. The browning/saute function has a variety of temperatures to use. 3. The back lite control panel makes it easy to see. 4. The automatic switch to warm when your slow cooking time is done means I don't have to be home when the cooking time is completed. 5. The lightweight pot with handles is a huge asset compared to the heavy, unwieldy old model crock pots. 6. The 4-quart size is perfect for smaller families and a great size for baking a cake. 7. Cleanup is super easy, and I no longer need to stock crock pot liners. 8. I love its versatility...and I haven't even used the steam function yet. 9. The ability to switch functions with a push of a button. 10. Everything that the manufacturer says about this product I have found to be true...no false claims or promises. Cons I can't even say the price because it has been worth every penny. The Cuisinart products are well-engineered and an excellent investment, so I don't mind paying a little more.

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.

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.

I have an older round ceramic 4 qt. slow cooker that i have used for many, many years. If I remember correctly I only paid $10 for it which at that time was considered expensive. I adore it but it was lacking some nice improvements. It is round and deep so it is hard to know how food lower inside is cooking and the lid is a small clear (foggy) plastic that doesn't allow me to really see how items are cooking. I saw this oval non-stick slow cooker with glass lid and decided to bite my tongue and spend the money and get what I hoped was going to be a much nicer, more improved slow cooker. I used it yesterday for the first time and I'm in LOVE!!! Oh my, talk about improvements. I only used it for slow cooking this time and was extremely pleased. The large oval glass lid allowed me to watch as the food cooked. The cooker is wider than my old cooker meaning it was not as deep and more food is seen through the lid. Both are 4 qt cookers so the comparison was able to be exact. There was NO comparison. I cooked two large briskets and because the cooker is wider it allowed me to place both so they could both be seen while cooking. The round one needed the meat cut and stacked for cooking. This cooker has a timer that I set (the old cooker did NOT have a timer, I had to watch the clock) and it beeped 5 times when the time was up. It then switched automatically to a warming setting which per the instruction book will beep when it ends. (I didn't let the warming go through its cycle to hear it.) It also can be set to start later in the day or the next day. I am not sure I would use this because I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving food sitting all day to come on automatically at some specified time. I used a Reynolds liner which I found worked great for my older cooker but it really wasn't necessary as this cooker is non-stick but it fit perfectly (better than in the round cooker) and still made it nice to not have to do a major clean up. The lit controls are great. It literally counts down when you set the timer so you know how much longer till the meal is ready. My older cooker is a green ceramic insert that sits in an aluminum cooking pan that has a pretty pattern on it. It matched most of my kitchens over the years. This one is stainless and is an EXTREMELY attractive appliance. My current kitchen is white and stainless so it fits right in but I can assure you the stainless would fit in ANY kitchen. The unit comes with a steamer rack but I haven't used that part of the cooker yet. I also didn't brown the meat in the cooker when I cooked the brisket because I wanted to use the liner. In the near future I'll make some stew and brown the meat before adding all the other items (not using the liner obviously). This slow cooker can do a LOT more than my old green cooker. I can tell I won't be using the old cooker any more. This appliance is WELL worth the price. Well made, simple instructions and simple to use. It came packaged extremely well. I was really surprised at HOW well it was packaged. I seriously doubt it would be delivered to anyone broken (the glass top is the only thing that could break and it is well secured and wrapped in plastic with cardboard securing it in place. The entire experience from ordering it, to delivery, to unpacking, to setting it up, to using it, was simple. If I could rate this appliance higher than a five believe it or not, I would. This was a perfect purchase. If you are comparing different cookers, this one I highly recommend. Update: I've now used this cooker to make stuffed peppers, meatballs in sauce, and Briskette. I have to say it is awesome! I just purchased a second one that I can't decide whether to keep it for my own use (to have a second cooker for holiday functions) or give it to someone as a gift. I will probably keep it for myself since I love it so much. Highly recommend this if you are undecided. You will NOT be sorry.

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.

This slow cooker is like a Lamborghini without an engine: Expensive, pretty, and useless. After three uses, the aluminum surface underneath the non-stick coating is corroding, causing the coating to blister and peel. And yes, I used only nylon tools in it. Many other reviewers have reported the same problem. (The same problem appears on aluminum automobile parts that are not properly cleaned before painting - shoddy workmanship.) Aluminum is a poor cooking surface for food contact in a slow cooker therefore the non-stick coating must be durable and intact. In operation the MSC-400 is a wonderfully versatile cooker if it has a serviceable insert. The design is great but somehow it lost its reason for being during its trip through the Far East. The coating did not peel during the first 30 days because of light use so it cannot be returned. Readers would be advised to use it heavily during the first month. My decision is whether to pay $46 including tax & shipping for a replacement pot that might again peel, or scrap the $126 cooker. Roll the dice. If a new pot is good, that works out to $15 each for the first three uses after paying $126 for the cooker. If the new pot is bad, the cost is $176 for three meals. If you absolutely must have this item, buy the 3 year protection, you will need it. (You're welcome Amazon.)

Seriously, if you don't have one of these - this specific brand and model - go buy one. Right now. Click the button. You will NOT regret it. I've had multiple crockpots over the years. I always found the constrictions of the temperature and time setting to be very limiting in what I could make while I went off to work for the day... meaning, so many recipes had odd cooking times and or times that my crock pot could not offer, so I'd have to make it while I was home to watch it and manually stop it before it overcooked. They also seem to run hot. This one doesn't have ANY of those problems. It's fully customizable. You can cook something on high for half an hour or you can cook it on low for 2 or 12 hours. So AMAZING. And nothing has burned! And it keeps warm for me, so even if I had to cook it on high for 6 hours, it's still warm and toasty when I get home - AND NOT OVERCOOKED! Plus, total bonus, you can saute your meat and onions or whatever IN THE SAME DISH as you cook it. Less cleanup!! I really hesitated spending the money on this item, but now all I feel is regret that I didn't buy this sooner. I've made dozens of dishes in this from entrees, sides, and even cornbread! All successful. All great. Do yourself a favor. Make your life easier. Buy this!

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!