The Black & Decker SC2007D offers seven quarts of space so you can cook a meal for a large dinner party. It also comes in three different styles. Even though it offered the second largest capacity of all of the slow cookers we tested, it was still less expensive than most of the others, which makes it a great choice for a large family on a budget.
Our taste testers liked the beef stew this slow cooker produced, with one tester summing it up by stating that the beef was tender while the broth and vegetables offered a lot of individual flavor that melded together well.
In our evaporation tests, this device lost 16 percent of its water when left on high for four hours, which was the second largest loss for the high setting. When on low, it only lost 9 percent, which was still on the high side, but not the worst we recorded. This means that you will want to place a little more liquid in the pot in order to keep your meals from drying out.
We also measured the exterior temperature of this device after it had been left on high for four hours. Most devices will have a pretty warm exterior, so you'll want to make sure you get a device that won't burn your fingers when near the normal handling areas. Above the settings knob, we recorded the temperature at 144 degrees, which was one of the hottest temperatures we recorded. Just below the handles on the sides of the device, the temperature came in at 172 degrees, which is somewhat high but not nearly as hot as some of the other devices. You'll want to make sure to keep your hands on the side handles, which stay relatively cool to the touch.
The seven-quart capacity allows you to cook for six to eight people at once. At the time of this review, we found this slow cooker on Amazon for only $30, which is less expensive than some of the smaller-capacity devices in this comparison. If you're looking for a less expensive device that can feed a decent amount of people, you might be interested in KitchenSmith by BELLA.
Black & Decker was the heaviest slow cooker we compared, weighing 13 pounds. The device is much wider than others and much shorter. This shape makes it easier for you to place turkey breasts, pot roasts or other large meats inside and, perhaps more importantly, makes it easier for you to dish them out when they are done cooking.
Black & Decker covers this slow cooker with a two-year warranty, which is longer than the average one year of coverage. Since this device works manually, it does not include a digital timer. This also means that in order to use the warming setting, you will need to turn the switch when its done cooking.
You will find six recipes in the instruction manual to get you started. Should you lose the manual, you can also find it on Black & Decker's website.
Both the lid and the bowl are dishwasher safe, which will help you save time when cleaning up afterwards.
