Rival 3040-VG 4-Quart Slow Cooker

Pros: Simple to use, store and clean

Cons: No On Light, outside can get hot

The Bottom Line: A wonderful basic crock pot that meets this family of 3 needs well.

Review: I am proud to say 2003 is the year my repressed cooking skills blossom. Always too afraid of burning everything or not following a meal correctly, my husband does a lot of the creative cooking -me, I resigned myself to being the "freezer" queen. Now...

Pros: Easy to use; easy clean up; attractive looking

Cons: handles, side get hot; no "keep warm" setting

The Bottom Line: A great crock pot for small families. Reasonably price, attractive, and easy to use.

Review: One of the first appliances my mom bought me when I moved into my own apartment in my 20's was a Crock Pot. Although I appreciated the kind gesture, it didn't get much use from me, who as a single person at the time lived frugally on ramen noodles, mac & ...

Pros: Attractive design and, overall, it does cook well.

Cons: Poor customer service.

The Bottom Line: I'd be hesitant to buy future Rival products based on the poor customer service I encountered.

Review: I received this and another crock pot as gifts a number of years ago. Thankfully I kept both because of their difference in size. Within a year the stoneware insert cracked while cooking food for a party. While the company gladly sent me a replacement, ...

Pros: stoneware basin, glass lid, works properly

Cons: stainless sides bleed heat, no warm setting

The Bottom Line: 4 quart is a bit small, no warm setting, and the stainless sides bleed heat. Go with another model.

Review: The Rival 3040 4-quart Crockpot basically does what it needs to, but not as well as it should. I made the mistake of not researching my purchase and of buying a slow cooker based on style. I ended up with a slow cooker that basically works, but has a ...

Pros: Cooks food conveniently on kitchen counter.

Cons: Does poor job at low setting. Much heat lost through walls of cooker base.

The Bottom Line: Poorly made cooker loses lots of heat through flimsy aluminum walls. This wastes electricity and results in poor performance.

Review: I have had this Rival slow cooker for about 2-3 years. Today at Target I noticed a recall because of the easily-broken plastic handles on the exterior (cooker base). Indeed, one of the handles on my cooker broke partially within the past six months, ...