The Rival Portable Crock-Pot Slow Cooker SCVS600 has a locking lid feature that prevents accidental spills while traveling. This unit is styled in stainless steel with black trim. It comes with a 6-quart capacity crockery insert, which is ideal for preparing extra-large batches of your favorite soups, stews and one-dish meals.

Several features worth noting on the Rival SCVS600 include the two extra-large cool-touch side handles, which let you safely lift and carry the crock; and its hinged lid design, which lets you lift the lid and leave it open while you spoon ingredients into bowls. The hinged lid tilts back slightly and stays ajar, even allowing condensation on the lid to drip into the pot, instead of onto your counter. The only drawback to the design is the fact that the lid does not lock in the upright position, so it has the potential to fall closed if the unit is bumped or moved.

The Rival Portable Crock-Pot Slow Cooker SCVS600 has four temperature settings: Off, Low, High and Warm. A plastic knob clicks in place at each setting. There is no indicator light on this model, so you need to check the dial position to determine whether the unit is turned on or off.

The removable crock is heavy and quite sturdy. Because of the hinged lid design, the stoneware crock cannot be lifted off the base until the lid has been removed. This also ensures that the crock, as well as the lid, remains firmly in position when being transported from one location to another.

The low setting utilizes a gentle heat level, that lets foods slowly simmer in their own juices. A meal cooked on the low setting will be ready in as little as four hours or as many as 12 hours, depending on the size and thickness of the foods. Using the high setting basically cuts the cooking time in half; however, you lose a little of the slow-cooked tenderizing effect you'd get on the low setting. This unit can accommodate roasts up to 5 pounds, while still allowing room for a dozen or so cut up potatoes, carrots and other vegetables. For best results, the crock should be filled at least halfway but no more than three-quarters full.

This unit's hallmark feature, the locking lid, worked well but felt a bit awkward to use. For one thing, the lid has two components -- the locking clasp and the lid hinge -- and both need to be clamped in place. Likewise, both need to be unclamped in order to remove the lid. In addition, the glass lid has no center handle, so when you want to lift it off the base, you need to grasp it by both sides.

Performance-wise, the Rival Portable Crock-Pot excelled at all of the tasks we put to it. We made a beef and barley stew in our first test and a pot of hearty chicken chili in our second. After about an hour the kitchen was filled with the wonderful scents of flavors mingling. We left the pot cooking a bit longer than recommended with no ill effects. The gentle cooking temperature worked its magic, creating a sumptuous meal in about 8 hours. We also reheated the chili in less than an hour on the High setting, and used Warm to retain an ideal serving temperature.


Pros: Hinged lid stays open for serving, locking clamp keeps crock and lid in place for travel
Cons: No indicator light, hinged lid doesn't lock in upright position

Warranty
1 year, limited