Elite Gourmet Slow Cooker Review: Actually Slow?

Most people buy a big slow cooker for one reason. They want to walk out the door in the morning and walk back into a finished dinner at six.

The problem is that budget slow cookers have quietly gotten hotter over the past decade. A “low” setting that simmers hard by hour two will turn chicken breast into string and potatoes into paste.

That is the exact question hanging over the Elite Gourmet 8.5 quart digital slow cooker, a stainless steel jumbo model that sells for roughly a third of what a premium multicooker costs. It promises a 20 hour programmable timer, a removable oval stoneware crock, and enough room for a whole turkey breast.

I cooked in it for six weeks, tracked its temperatures, and read through several hundred owner reviews from Amazon, Best Buy, Home Depot and Walmart. Some of what the box claims holds up beautifully. One thing does not.

Here is the honest breakdown.

In A Nutshell

• Capacity is the headline feature. The 8.5 quart oval crock swallows a five pound pot roast plus carrots, celery and potatoes with room left over. Owners routinely report fitting a whole chicken, a dozen turkey wings, or holiday sides for ten people.
• It runs hot, and that matters. The single most repeated complaint across every retailer is that Low behaves like most brands’ High. Several owners report a full boil inside 90 minutes on the lowest setting.
• The programming is genuinely useful. You set hours in one hour increments up to 20 hours, and the unit drops to Keep Warm automatically when the count ends. There is no delayed start, so it cannot switch on later.
• Cleanup is a real strength. The stoneware crock and tempered glass lid are dishwasher safe, and the brushed stainless housing wipes down with a damp cloth in seconds.
• Build quality is where the price shows. Peeling control panel labels, warped lids after a year, and crumbling rubber feet appear often enough in reviews to count as a pattern rather than bad luck.
• The exterior gets hot. Handles stay cool, but the stainless body does not. Families with pets or curious toddlers should plan counter placement carefully.

Elite Gourmet 8.5 Quart Digital Slow Cooker

Last update on 2026-08-01 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

This is the MST 900D, the programmable sibling of the simpler knob operated model. It carries a 280 watt heating element, a brushed stainless steel housing, and a digital panel across the front.

The footprint is large. Roughly 16.5 inches wide, 12 inches deep and 10.5 inches tall, weighing about 15 pounds fully assembled.

Three heat settings are offered: Low, High and Keep Warm. The timer runs up to 20 hours and defaults to Warm at the end of the cycle.

The oval crock is glazed stoneware, thick and heavy, with two integrated lifting notches rather than proper handles. The lid is clear tempered glass with a metal rim.

Elite Gourmet lists the unit as UL certified and backs it with a one year limited warranty against manufacturing defects. Retail pricing has hovered near $58 on the brand’s own store, with Amazon frequently listing it lower.

There is no sear function, no pressure setting, and no locking lid. This is a single purpose appliance, and it does not pretend otherwise.

Unboxing And First Impressions

The box is plain cardboard with a foam collar around the crock. Nothing about the presentation feels premium, which is fair at this price.

Inside you get the base, the stoneware insert, the glass lid and a thin instruction booklet with a handful of starter recipes. No cookbook, no accessories, no spare seals.

The stainless finish looks better in person than in the listing photos. It is brushed rather than mirrored, which hides fingerprints well on a countertop.

Lift the crock and the weight registers immediately. It is dense stoneware, and carrying it full of stew genuinely requires two hands and a firm grip on those shallow notches.

The first thing I noticed was the smell. A faint factory odor came off the heating element during the first hour, which cleared entirely after one empty water run.

The second thing I noticed was the power cord. It is short, roughly two feet, which several owners flag as an annoyance. Plan for an outlet directly behind the appliance.

The control panel sits behind a printed adhesive overlay. Mine held fine, but peeling overlays are one of the most common durability complaints in owner reviews.

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How It Actually Cooks

This is the section that decides whether you should buy it. The Elite Gourmet cooks well, but it cooks fast.

On Low, my liquid reached a visible simmer at around the two hour mark and held there. Traditional slow cooking guidance expects Low to sit just under boiling for the entire cycle.

That has real consequences. Tough, collagen heavy cuts thrive here. Chuck roast, pork shoulder, short ribs, oxtail and beans all came out excellent, often an hour or two ahead of the recipe timing.

Lean proteins suffer. Chicken breast, turkey tenderloin and fish overcook quickly, and delicate vegetables collapse into the sauce.

Owner reviews echo this consistently. One frequently quoted line reads simply that it is far too hot even on low and boils within ninety minutes.

The practical fix is straightforward. Subtract roughly two hours from any eight hour recipe, fill the crock at least halfway to buffer the heat, and use Keep Warm as a finishing setting rather than a holding setting.

Fill level matters more than usual on this model. A crock filled a quarter of the way scorches at the edges.

The Digital Timer And Controls

The panel is simple. One button cycles the heat setting, two buttons adjust hours up and down, and a start button begins the countdown.

The display shows remaining time in hours and minutes. It is bright enough to read across a kitchen, which the knob based version cannot offer.

The automatic switch to Keep Warm is the feature worth paying extra for. Set eight hours, leave for work, and the appliance protects your dinner instead of destroying it.

What is missing is a delayed start. One Best Buy reviewer put it plainly, wishing it could be programmed to switch on later rather than only counting down from the moment of pressing start.

Programming increments are whole hours only. There is no 30 minute granularity, which is mildly irritating for shorter recipes.

The unit also has no memory. A power flicker resets everything to zero, and it does not resume the previous cycle.

Buttons are membrane style, not tactile clickers. They register reliably but feel cheap under the finger, and this overlay is the part most likely to peel over time.

Build Quality, Crock And Lid

The stoneware itself is the strongest component. Thick, evenly glazed, and it survived six weeks of daily use and dishwasher cycles without crazing.

The glass lid is where opinions split. It sits loose in the crock rim with no silicone gasket and no steam vent, which is standard for this category but worth knowing.

Loose lids rattle when contents boil hard. Because this unit runs warm, mine chattered audibly during long braises.

Several long term owners report lids warping after a year or so and no longer seating tightly. That is a genuine concern for an appliance with no replacement lid readily sold.

The rubber feet are the weakest link. Multiple reviewers describe them crumbling or falling off within months, which leaves the hot metal base sitting directly on the counter.

There is also no lid latch and no travel bag. This is not the model to carry to a potluck in the back seat of a car.

The exterior gets noticeably hot during long cooks. Home Depot reviewers repeatedly mention moving it off wooden counters, and one specifically warns pet owners about leaving it unattended.

Cleanup And Everyday Maintenance

Here the appliance earns back a lot of goodwill. The crock lifts straight out and goes into the dishwasher without ceremony.

The glaze releases food well. Even a scorched chili ring at the waterline came away after a 20 minute soak with no scrubbing pad required.

The glass lid is dishwasher safe as well, though the metal rim collects water on the top rack. Hand drying prevents spotting.

The stainless base must never be submerged. A damp cloth handles it, and the brushed finish resists the fingerprint smudging that plagues polished steel.

One maintenance note that owners learn the hard way. Do not put a cold crock into a preheated base or a hot crock onto a wet counter, because thermal shock cracks stoneware and cracked crocks are not covered by the warranty.

Storage is bulky. At 16.5 inches wide, this does not slide into a standard upper cabinet, and the missing rubber feet issue is often traced back to cabinet storage friction.

Pros And Cons

Pros

• Genuine 8.5 quart capacity that handles a whole chicken, a large roast, or holiday sides for ten people without crowding.
• Dishwasher safe stoneware crock and tempered glass lid make cleanup faster than almost any competing appliance at this price.
• 20 hour programmable timer with automatic Keep Warm protects unattended meals during a full workday.
• Brushed stainless housing looks considerably more expensive than the unit costs and resists fingerprints.
• Cool touch handles and interface stay safe to grip even during long cooks.
• Excellent value for tough cuts, beans, stocks, chili and pulled pork.
• UL certified with a one year limited warranty against manufacturing defects.

Cons

• Runs hot on every setting. Low simmers, and many owners report boiling within 90 minutes.
• Poorly suited to lean proteins and delicate vegetables without significant recipe adjustment.
• The stainless exterior becomes hot to the touch during extended cooking.
• No delayed start function, so it only counts down from the moment you press start.
• Recurring reports of peeling control panel overlays, warping lids and crumbling rubber feet.
• No lid gasket, no steam vent, no locking clamps and no travel case.
• The power cord is short at roughly two feet.
• Scattered reports of thermostat failure where the unit only reaches Warm.

Who Should Buy It

This appliance suits a specific cook, and if that is you the value is hard to beat.

Large households are the obvious fit. If you regularly feed five or more people, the capacity alone justifies the purchase.

Batch cooks and meal preppers get the most out of it. One Sunday session produces a week of lunches, and the crock goes straight from base to dishwasher.

Anyone cooking primarily braises, stews, chili, beans, stocks or pulled pork will love the aggressive heat. Those dishes benefit from a hard simmer and finish faster than the recipe suggests.

Budget conscious buyers replacing a dead crock pot will find the price to performance ratio genuinely strong, especially given the digital timer.

It also works well as a second cooker for holidays. Running mashed potatoes or green beans alongside your main oven dish frees up enormous space.

Occasional users benefit too. A unit used monthly is unlikely to hit the wear issues that appear in heavy daily use reviews.

Who Should Skip It

Be honest about your cooking style before ordering, because this model is genuinely wrong for some kitchens.

Skip it if you cook lean proteins. Chicken breast, turkey tenderloin, pork loin and fish will overcook, and no amount of timer adjustment fully solves it.

Skip it if you need true eight hour unattended cooking with a delicate recipe. The heat profile does not support it.

Small households should look elsewhere. An 8.5 quart crock filled a quarter of the way scorches, so solo cooks and couples are better served by a two or three quart model.

Anyone with pets or small children in an open kitchen should weigh the hot exterior carefully. Several reviewers specifically flagged this as their reason for docking a star.

If you transport food to gatherings regularly, the absence of a locking lid and carry bag rules it out immediately.

Finally, anyone expecting multicooker functions will be disappointed. There is no searing, no pressure cooking and no sous vide.

Final Verdict On The Elite Gourmet 8.5 Quart Slow Cooker

Last update on 2026-08-01 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

The Elite Gourmet answers its own question honestly once you understand it. It is a large capacity braiser with a timer, not a gentle traditional slow cooker.

Judged on that basis, it performs well. The stoneware is solid, the capacity is real, the cleanup is painless, and the programmable Keep Warm is a feature that genuinely earns its place.

Judged as a replacement for a classic low and slow crock pot, it falls short. The temperature calibration is the flaw that no amount of stainless steel finish covers.

Build quality is adequate rather than reassuring. Brand ratings sit around 82 percent at four stars or higher, and the recurring complaints cluster around cosmetic and small part failures rather than catastrophic ones.

My rating is 7 out of 10. It is a strong value buy for large families cooking tough cuts, and a frustrating purchase for anyone cooking delicately.

Buy it for the capacity and the price. Adjust your timings from day one, and it will serve you well.

Expert FAQs

Does the Elite Gourmet slow cooker run hotter than a Crock Pot?

Yes, based on both my testing and consistent owner feedback. The Low setting reaches a simmer within roughly two hours, which is closer to how many Crock Pot models behave on High. Reduce standard recipe times by about 25 percent and check doneness early on your first few cooks.

Is the crock and lid dishwasher safe?

Both are. The removable oval stoneware crock and the tempered glass lid go on the bottom and top racks respectively. The stainless steel heating base must never be submerged and should only be wiped with a damp cloth.

Can you program a delayed start?

No. The timer counts down from the moment you press start, up to a maximum of 20 hours, then switches automatically to Keep Warm. Food should never sit at room temperature in the crock waiting for a later start regardless, so this is a smaller loss than it first appears.

What size household is 8.5 quarts right for?

Roughly five to ten people, or fewer people who batch cook deliberately. Slow cookers work best filled between half and three quarters full, so a household of two will get better results from a two or three quart model.

Does the lid have a steam vent or a seal?

Neither. It is a plain tempered glass lid resting in the crock rim, which means some evaporation during long cooks and occasional rattling when contents boil hard. Reduce added liquid slightly compared to sealed multicooker recipes.

How long does it last?

Owner reports vary widely. Many describe years of reliable weekly use, while others hit peeling control labels, warped lids or degraded rubber feet inside the first year. The one year limited warranty covers manufacturing defects, so register and keep your receipt.

Can you cook a whole chicken in it?

Yes, comfortably, along with vegetables. Because the unit runs hot, a four pound bird typically finishes in about four hours on Low rather than the six to seven a recipe might state. Always confirm poultry reaches a safe internal temperature with a thermometer rather than relying on the timer alone.