The Crock-Pot SCV400 has a four-quart capacity, so it can easily feed a group of about five people. It retains a lot of moisture, so you will be less likely to burn or dry out your meals. Its small size makes it easy to store, and the cute exterior design choices make it an attractive appliance to have in your kitchen.
This slow cooker provided fairly tasty results. As one of our reviewers noted, "the composition and texture of the individual elements [are] more distinct than other slow cookers." The beef was tender and the broth held up well on its own. During our evaporation test, this device lost 13 percent of the water after four hours on the high setting and 1 percent after four hours on the low setting. This means that your food isn't very likely to dry out when using this device.
We also measured the temperature of the device's exterior. Above the settings knob was about 139 degrees Fahrenheit, which is pretty hot, and the sides of the device near the handles measured at 184 degrees, which is the third hottest in our comparison. You'll want to make sure your fingers don't slip off of the handles when carrying it. You'll also want to make sure you keep this device away from small children so they don't accidently burn themselves.
Four quarts is enough to feed roughly 4-5 people at once, which makes this a great device for a small family. Crock-Pot only offers a one-year warranty on this device, which pales next to the five-year warranty of the Hamilton Beach 33182.
Like the other slow cookers in our comparison, the lid and inner pot are dishwasher safe, which can help you save time when cleaning up afterwards. There is no digital display or timer, as the settings are controlled by a manual knob. This means that the device will not automatically turn to the warming setting .You will need to keep an eye on the clock to know when this slow cooker is ready. It comes in three different color options: red, black or black with a floral-heart pattern. All three are stylish and allow you to choose a design that is more than just the standard stainless steel and black.
Crock-Pot gives you 10 recipes to work with, which can be found in the instruction manual. If you happen to lose the manual, you can find the instructions and the recipes on the manufacturer's website.
The cord only measures 25 inches, which is the shortest in our comparison. This might make it a little harder to plug into an outlet if your counter is crowded. It definitely made it harder for us during our testing.
