Slow cook a feast

West Bend's 5-Quart Oblong Slow Cooker offers more options than many other crockpots. The size of the slow cooker makes it possible to put together dinner for a crowd just as easily as you might start a stew for just two. And if you lift the pot off the heating base, you can use the base as a small griddle, perfect for frying up a little more food to augment whatever's in the pot. The cooking pot is also multiuse: it's safe for use in the oven, freezer, refrigerator, or even on the stovetop. When you add in the thermal carrying case and a lid meant for travel, the Oblong Slow Cooker seems meant for cooking just about anything that will fit in a crockpot.

The 5-Quart Oblong Slow Cooker has a nonstick interior, to keep cleanup as simple as cooking. In addition to its adjustable heating controls, the slow cooker has a Keep Warm setting, so your meals will be warm at least through second helpings. The Keep Warm setting keeps food at a safe temperature until you're ready to eat or store it. The Oblong Slow Cooker is $69.99. Another version is available without the thermal carrying case, priced at $59.99.