The Crock-Pot SCR450-HX Round Slow Cooker is the best slow cooker mid-size option for the average family who wants to come home to easy home-cooked meals. It’s also brilliant for food prepping in advance, although the lack of digital functionality means that you won’t have the option of setting a timer and coming home to a finished meal which has automatically switched to the keep-warm function. For the price though, we think this is a great and stylish choice which is a groovy addition to any counter-top. A no-frills slow cooker which compromises on size but not on style or value.
Crock-Pot SCR450-HX Round Slow Cooker: Features
- The cooking settings
- No automatic turn off setting
- Round ceramic insert
This slow cooker is a perfect, funky basic for a small family without much counter space or storage. At full price it’s $20, but frequently on sale for $15 or less.
The Crock-Pot Round Slow Cooker has three settings - low, warm, and high - to accommodate various cooking needs. This is pretty standard across all the slow cookers we reviewed, and not bad for a basic, more affordable model.
Manual slow-cookers such as this lack some of the fancier digital features we saw on the Hamilton Beach Stay or Go 6-Quart Slow Cooker, or the Calphalon Digital Sauté. On both of these models, the stay-warm setting automatically turns on when your timer finishes, meaning you don’t have to be home in a hurry, or worrying about overcooking your casserole when caught up at the office. With manual models, you need to be around to turn off your slow cooker or switch to the keep warm setting. This shouldn’t be a huge problem if you’re out all day as you can turn the Crock-Pot Round Slow Cooker onto the ‘low’ setting, which will cook your food more slowly and stands less of a chance of overcooking. If you’re looking to whip up a quick easy meal then the ‘high’ setting should do the job in a jiffy.
This slow cooker has a 4.5-quart capacity, making it a perfect middle ground between some of the bulky 6-quart slow cookers on the market and the smaller Crock-Pot SCR300 3-Quart Manual model we’ve reviewed, which is best suited to households of one or two and college dorms. Crock-pot claims that the Round Slow Cooker will produce around five servings, making it perfect for a medium-to-large family, or a smaller household who likes bulk-cooking for midweek convenience. With dimensions of 8.8 x 12.2 x 12.3 inches, the Crock-Pot promises a great compromise between capacity and bulk, making it reasonably easy to store. Weighing in at 10.4 pounds, however, it’s heavier than some of the larger-capacity slow cookers we tested.
Some say the lead on this model is too short at 24” and we’ve seen a few negative reviews regarding the quality of the ceramic pot, with reports of scratching or even cracking. We wouldn’t expect top-quality ceramics for the price of this model, and although this isn’t a common problem with the Crock-Pot Round Slow Cooker, it’s good that you’re covered by a one year limited warranty in case there are any mishaps.
Compact enough to not take up too much counter-space, Crock-Pot hasn’t held back on design flair in this model
As the name suggests, the Crock-Pot Round Slow Cooker has a round ceramic insert. We prefer oval slow cooker pots as these are more equipped to lay cuts of meat such as chicken and ribs flat. However, a 4.5-quart capacity might be a bit small for these cuts of meat anyway, so this might not be a top priority for smaller models.
Featuring a funky white on black hexagon pattern with black accents and handles, this mid-size slow cooker packs a stylish punch. Compact enough to not take up too much counter-space, Crock-Pot hasn’t held back on design flair in this model. It’s small enough to store away, but why would you want to? Another design feature we love is the glass lid, which lets you easily keep an eye on your food as it cooks. We also like loop handles on a Crock-Pot such as this, as they often stay cooler for longer and make transportation and lifting the lid easier and more secure.
Another convenient feature of the Crock-Pot Round Slow Cooker is its removable dishwasher-safe stoneware and glass lid. Not all of the slow cookers we’ve seen are dishwasher-safe, so this is a real advantage of the Crock-Pot, ensuring speed and ease at every stage of food preparation. The bowl also slides right out of the base to double as a serving dish, with handles at the side to make it easy to transport from your kitchen to dining table. Be careful to make sure the pot isn’t too hot before touching it though, and always wear oven mitts!
Crock-Pot SCR450-HX Round Slow Cooker: Cooking experience
- Perfect for those who are health-conscious
- Comes with a book of recipes
- Easy cook, store and warm dips
Like we said, this is a great mid-size slow cooker to prepare food for the average family, or ideal to prepare food midweek or bulk cook chilli or casserole in advance of a big event. One thing that’s great about having more modestly sized slow cooker is the potential for help with cutting portion sizes and reducing food waste and leftovers. That makes this perfect for those who are health-conscious, especially as one of the main advantages of Crock-Pot slow cookers is the need for less oil.
One downside of this slow cooker is its lack of portability. Unlike some models such as the Hamilton Beach, the Crock-Pot Round Slow Cooker doesn’t have a clip-down lid function to ensure spill-free portability. This won’t be a problem if you’re hosting though, and nothing some good old-fashioned tupperware won’t solve.
Like all Crock-Pots, the Round Slow Cooker comes with a book of recipes meaning you can get started instantly. If you’re looking for more variety, though, there’s also lots of suggestions on the Crock-Pot website. Crock-Pot has a great blog which lists plenty of recipe inspiration based on meal, main ingredient, regional cuisine and flavor. We love the wide range of recipe types, from dessert to vegetarian to seafood.
Another great feature about a slow cooker of this size is that you can cook, store and warm dips such as queso or even fondue for a party and family gathering, meaning you won’t have to worry about reheating.
Crock-Pot SCR450-HX Round Slow Cooker Verdict
Although the Crock-Pot SCR450-HX Round Slow Cooker lacks some of the more innovative features of models such as the Hamilton Stay-or-Go or the Calphalon Digital Sauté, it does everything you want from a slow cooker in style and at an affordable price point. A great option for those with less storage space or smaller households.
