Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I have never offered a review here before, but after using this, just felt like i needed to say something. I have had the smart pots, the large 7qt, the next smaller, and then a rival smaller one.....can't remember the exact sizes, but my frustration with all of them is that it didn't matter what setting you put it on, they all "boil". so i really never felt that i had an option except to cook on low for 4 hours, or cook on "warm" by putting it on low for 20 minutes where it would switch over. cleanup is always a pain, dishwashers just bake the stuff on, and you have to soak it before you can easily wash.......so i was ready to take the risk with this new crockpot after handing over the others to my daughter....they worked, i just didn't care for the boiling. THEN, I noticed that the all clad comes in two versions.....the first, generally available anywhere is the ceramic insert version ($149).....NOT to be confused with the aluminum version that costs $249 that can only be ordered through williams-sonoma. i ordered it just prior to thanksgiving from WS, deciding that if i was going to spend 149, may as well spend 249 and see if it really works well.......I am stunned, it's more than i hoped for. it's not only beautiful, it's so easy to cook and clean. you can take the aluminum version and cook right on the stove to brown your roasts, i was worried that the nonstick wouldn't brown well, but it does fine. it's light, and i love the two handles on the sides for ease in moving around. cleaning.....wow.....it practically just rinses out, for that alone it's great.....i'm not sure the ceramic would do the same. as for cooking....that's the first time i opened the lid to see that it was cooking, and NOT boiling. it has a delayed start, the screen to read from is very bright and easy to read. only drawbacks are that the lid is stainless steel and you cant see through it, but since you aren't supposed to take the lid off anyhow, it takes away that temptation. you also need to get some tongs or a large spoon that are made for non stick items.......make ahead mashed potatoes slide around inside instead of sticking and scorching, my roast just slid out, and there is no "burnt" residue ring left on anything i've cooked so far that usually requires scrubbing......alot of money? yep. but when you figure in cost per use, i will probably double the use because it's so kitchen and user friendly. i've also tried smalle batches of things to see if it cooked any different, it doesn't, so one slowcooker is all i need. i was also worried that because it heats from the bottom that it would burn, it doesn't, and the aluminum distributes the heat so evenly, i see no difference in any area of the pot that cooks more or less. being able to go from stove top to crock, saves me one more dirty pan.....if you are considering ditching your old cheap crockpots, save your money and hold out for this one, you wont be disapointed.....it's great.