I know this sounds like an ad, but I LOVE my Ninja 3-in-1 Slow Cooker!

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It is awesome. I never seared a roast before cooking because I was too damned lazy, but do it now because of the stovetop/oven feature. I have made roasts, chicken, potato/leek soup, a killer chocolate mousse/pot de creme au chocolat, & I am simmering onion soup now, which, with 4 hours to go, looks & smells awesome. Clean up is a breeze & it automatically adjusts to "warm" after the timer goes off. Last weekend I threw a 4# chuck roast in it, seared it in a drop of oil, then carmelized some onions, celery & carrots after removing the seared roast. I put the roast on top of the veggies then poured over the roast a can of cream of mushroom soup, about a cup of red wine, about 1/4 cup water & 3/4 packet of onion soup mix. I set it on low for 6 hours. The smell was amazing. In fact, it was a warm day & I had the front door & windows open. I caught my next door neighbor crouching at the front door, inhaling. She sheepishly asked me "what that maddening smell was". Lol, I've never had a neighbor "smell peeping" before. I gave her & a few other neighbors some of the cooked roast & they said they had a flavor orgasm. I pulled out the roast, thickened the juices with a little corn starch right in the Ninja (stovetop setting) & served with mashed potatoes. Everyone loved it.

The Ninja is pricier than most crockpots, but it's way worth it. Has anyone else used one?

[procon]

1. It looks like a very handy gadget

I'm a diehard pressure cooker aficionado, so I haven't used a slow cooker in maybe 20 years. It would be hard to trade off 40 minutes of cooking time vs 6 hours, but that one sure looks better than the old versions I had. When I was still working it was nice to come home to the smell of dinner ready to eat.

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2. I like this Ninja so much I am thinking about buying the Ninja pressure cooker.

I like pressure cookers too, but with me working all day, the slow cooker is a good option. Dinner is done when I walk in the door. This cooker has an automatic warm feature that keeps food warm without burning the food after the timer goes off. Not working, the pressure cooker is a great choice.

[SheilaT]

3. I don't use my basic crock pot too often,

mainly because I live alone and too often a crock pot makes more food than I want. But they are totally wonderful, and I should use mine more often.

[The empressof all]

4. I have never used Ninja but love my Instapot!

I love that the Instapot gives me multiple appliances in one. I can sear meat in it and it functions as a slow cooker, pressure cooker, or a rice cooker. It has adjustable heat and timing functions as well as one button options. But the big seller for me is the fact that the inner pot is stainless and not non stick which I personally prefer.


http://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-IP-DUO60-Programmable-Generation/dp/B00FLYWNYQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1409692049&sr=1-1&keywords=instapot


This appliance is one I prefer above all others.

What I do like better with the Ninja is the Oval shape. This is such a more versatile shape than the more "popular" cylinder.

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5. That looks like it has almost all of the same features as the Ninja. Looks like a

great appliance! I do like the oblong Ninja--it's worked out really well for all of the recipes I've cooked. Have you checked out this blog? It's a few years old, but the recipes are terrific. Every one I've tried has been really good:

http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/