I bought this on a whim... and as it turns out, I am loving it! Made some awesomely delicious Lentil soup with Chicken Sausage and Kale.. packed some into this little guy, it was piping hot so I was a bit concerned getting it to the office. It arrived without any issues, no the top did not pop off from the steam. Plugged it in 15 minutes before I could eat and it is piping hot once again. I LOVE this little guy!
I have used this nearly every day since purchasing it. I have heated a burger, soup, meatloaf and potatoes, and all kinds of leftovers. It is the best money I have spent in a long time. I am in a 2 person office with no kitchen facilities so this has been perfect for me. I purchased one for my daughter for Christmas and now we're exchanging "lunch" stories about what we've reheated for lunch.
I bought this primarily for my work lunches. I've been using it for a couple of weeks, and I have used it on lunches with a good amount of liquid (baked bean dish) and more of a casserole type (chicken and rice). The sweet spot either way seems to be about 1.5 hours for ready-to-eat now food. Two hours or more will give you hot food. I leave the crockpot at work but take the inner container back and forth from home to work with the food in it. I do put it in a plastic bag for extra protection but have not had any problems yet with spillage or leakage.
Just received my yesterday (I bought both sizes) and put some homemade chili in it this morning. Plugged it in when I got to work at 7:30 am and it was piping hot when I went to have lunch at 11:00 am. I just bought extra pots today, so that I can line them up in my refrigerator for a grab and go. Very cool little Crock-Pot!
The power cord wraps around the unit so when it has hot soup or food in it and you have to transport it to another location you have to tote the cord. A retractable cord would be a better idea. Also, the outer lid should have some sort of rubber gasket so that the liquid doesn't leak and spill out when the inner lid pops off. A small hole in the top to release steam would be nice too as it would help alleviate all the condensation that gathers in the lid. Otherwise, it heats up nicely but does need some serious fixes.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Response from crock-pot.comBy Tori, Consumer Care, December 26, 2015
Thank you for your feedback as it is greatly appreciated. We are constantly working on improving our products and will forward your comments to our product team.
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I got this for a birthday gift in July 2015, I have used it several times no issues. I fill it with 4 oz of protien and 6oz of cooked or steamed veggies and I have a hot meal about a hour after I plug it in at my desk.
This item was in my grandson's school fund raiser. It was the only thing that wasn't just candy so I bought it and am I glad I did! It is so easy to have a delicious hot lunch ready whenever I am. I put left over food in it from the evening before--that makes dinner clean up easier, and then put it in the fridge. The next day I plug it in on my desk at work and I have a hot meal ready whenever I can grab a moment to eat. My job makes a set lunch time very difficult. The warmer warms the food to 165 degrees, which is hot but not so hot that you can't eat it. I can grab a bite or two, or eat the whole mean when I get the chance. Often people are coming to interupt my lunch time so I just put the lid on and wait for the next free minute to continue eating. This is the best lunch product I have ever had for hot lunches and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes warm lunches!