The Rival Crock Pot brand: more than just slow cookers(can you say accessories?)

A wide range of Crock Pot brand Accessories and Gadgets, or a few words about
accessorizing the Crock Pot's convenience...

It wasn't long ago that I wasn't any kind of Crock Pot slow cooker enthusiast. In fact, it was probably in the last year that my awareness of the whole discipline of slow cooking really took place. It seems that my wife had owned tbis one CrockPot for years and had got by making do with it; It was brown and round and had many years of cooking in its history. My wife had no complaints about it because it always got the job done. This feeling changed however the moment she set her eyes on her new Crock Pot; Last Summer we received a number of shower gifts for our Wedding, including a brand spanking new shiny brushed steel Crock Pot, complete with a mini dipper accessory. This was most likely a gateway moment for me. I say this because it was not soon after that my curiosity of all things Crock Pot was spawned. Learning about the existence of that shiny new cooking appliance that appeared to make cooking so damn easy, as well as the fact that there were actually accessories out there that assisted one in their endeavours made me want to know more about this whole new world of convenient cooking that had opened up before me...

Considering how easy it is to access information via the internet today, it didn't take me long to find out just how wide and diverse a range of products Rival is offering to Crock Pot devotees these days. This of course was in addition to the interesting tidbits of Rival Crock Pot history that I also uncovered.

I was intrigued to find out that in addition to the regular Crock Pot, there also exists a programmable slow cooker made by Rival, called the Smart Pot. It never would have occured to me that there would even really be a market for such an appliance given the basic nature of the workings of the Crock Pot. Ah, but that just shows that I was limited in my thinking; Who wouldn't want the option of being able to have your slow cooker start cooking at a predetermined time after you have already left home for the day? For example, say you have a recipe that requires you to cook for only a few hours (even on low) but you will be out for a lot longer than that. the obvious answer would be to somehow have the cooking start after you have left, ie. a timer function of some sort. I can pretty much imagine that the day this feature was released on a Crock Pot, there were slow cooker enthusiasts thinking: 'Yes, finally!'

Another Crock Pot variation is the transportable Crock Pot. This slow cooker comes replete with a fastenable lid which is truly invaluable for those that want to take their Crock Pot slow cooked masterpieces on the go with them once they have been prepared, or for those that might have to travel to another location to do the actual cooking. In either case, whether you are coming or going with the food in your slow cooker, it is nice to know that falling/tipping lids are not going to be a concern!

I already mentioned the Rival Mini-Dipper Crock Pot accessory, which I think is a curious and convenient little gadget (if you are into sauces). However, there are a number of other interesting and quite convenient Crock Pot accessories out there (and if you don't believe me, you can see it for yourself by using your computer to make a quick search on the internet for websites advertising a variety of these accessories). One such item is the Double Dipper Crock Pot, that comes complete with a divided decorative crock liner that allows you to prepare two different things at once, or to prepare some heated sauces and then present them to your guests at the table (in the aforementioned decorative divided liner).

Another convenient type of accessory are the meat racks that come in both round and oval designs, and are made available in both small and medium sizes for both the round and oval design.

If you are someone that does have to transport their Crock Pot on a regular basis, then you might be interested in one of the various Crock Pot travel cases that, you guessed it, come in a range of shapes and sizes to suit many of the different Crock Pots out there. If your Crock Pot stays pretty stationary most of the time but you want to keep it covered up and avoid it getting dusty when it is not in use, then one of the varying sizes of Crock Pot dust covers might be up your alley.

Now I was also pleasantly surprised to find that there is a range of official Crock Pot brand heat-resistant silicone stainless steel cooking utensils; Tongs, forks, spatulas, spoons, ladles, and slotted ladles are all available for use specifically with your Crock Pot. Of course you can make use of these utensils while following along with any one of the recipes that you might find in one of the Rival Crock Pot sanctioned cook books that are out on the market.

Did you know that there are even several different potpourri scents available that are Crock Pot sanctioned? That's right, you now can choose from Orange Spice Scent Potpourri, Wildflower Scent Potpourri, or Peach Scent Potpourri. Now that's one that I didn't see coming...

Of course each and every item that I have mentioned above is currently available through both the official Rival Crock Pot website (click the link to see for yourself) or through any one of a number of online merchants and retailers who are easy enough to find through a simple search on the internet.