The most versatile device I've found is a Cook's Essential pressure cooker. Midnightbox.com has these refurbished about once per month, month (including today, sunday 9/11/11), 4-5 quart, round or oval for about $40 shipped. They do slow cooking too and have a no-stick pot, so work as well as a crock pot but is easier to clean.. But they also brown, and pressure cooking is how you cook as fast if not faster than a microwave, but things come out juicy, not rubbery. I can put frozen chicken in with a marinate and in 25 minutes get delicious tender chicken out. It has a keep warm feature as well and can do things like steam rice. So you can do the real slow cooking, or get something nearly the same in a fraction of the time. I know someone who does really good pulled pork using one of these.

The most versatile device I've found is a Cook's Essential pressure cooker. Midnightbox.com has these refurbished about once per month, 4-5 quart, round or oval. oval for about $40 shipped. They do slow cooking too and have a no-stick pot. pot, so work as well as a crock pot but is easier to clean.. But they also brown, and pressure cooking is how you cook as fast if not faster than a microwave, but things come out juicy, not rubbery. I can put frozen chicken in with a marinate and in 25 minutes get delicious tender chicken out. It has a keep warm feature as well and can do things like steam rice. So you can do the real slow cooking, or get something nearly the same in a fraction of the time. I know someone who does really good pulled pork using one of these.

The most versatile device I've found is a Cook's Essential pressure cooker. Midnightbox.com has these about once per month, 4-5 quart, round or oval. They do slow cooking too and have a no-stick pot. But they also brown, and pressure cooking is how you