Cuisinart SM-55 5.5-Qt Stand Mixer

Maybe I'm missing something, but...... Ok, I'm a little confused as to what to do with this product. When I ordered it, I was under the impression it had seperate heat settings for each of the compartments. It doesn't. Apparently, the smaller compartment is used for "side dishes" that cook for the same time and at the same termperature as the food you put in the larger compartment. When you prepare soups, roasts or stews, you can use the smaller compartment for the vegetables, which tend to cook differently than meats. Who wants to cook these seperately...I'm no Emeril, but wouldn't you want to cook everything together to blend the flavors? And the instruction booklet specifies that, under penalty of death, YOU MUST USE THE CROCKPOT WITH BOTH COMPARTMENTS FILLED! Wonderful.The crockpot itself seems to be sturdy as befits a Rival product, and I'm sure it cooks evenly and consistently, but I found the recipe guide that came with it very scanty (IMO).So, like I said, maybe I'm missing something here, but I find the idea of a "duet" crock pot to be little more than an expensive gimmick.

Manufacturer's Customer Service Leaves a Lot to Be Desired. The divided dish cooker would be a great product if the manufacturer would be willing to provide some recipes for how to use it.The model I purchased actually came with a 6-quart crock, and the divided dish was included as a bonus. The cookbook that came along with it had plenty of recipes for the big crock but not a single suggestion for the divided crock. So I visited their website to see if perhaps some companion recipes could be found there. No luck.I then e-mailed their customer service department TWICE to request recipes, mentioning that I had looked at their website and did not find what I was looking for. Both times I was told to go look at the website for recipes.One of the representatives actually claimed that there were lots of recipes for side dishes on the website. Well, there are none. She also suggested that I purchase any of the cookbooks from their e-store. Yeah right. I should take her advice and spend some more money when she couldn't even give me correct information about the recipes on their own website. It was disappointing that their customer service people couldn't do any better than that.So, be warned if you buy this product. If you are comfortable inventing combinations of foods on your own to cook in the divided dish, more power to you - I have no complaint about the product itself. But I would have been vastly more satisfied, had the manufacturer only gone the extra mile and offered some suggestions of companion recipes to get me started, so I'd have a sense of quantities and cooking times. And their customer service left a lot to be desired.

I Like It.. It's a reliable performer. It is well made and attractive, with a very sturdy lid that stays in place. Temps are evenly maintained, and each compartment can be set for a different temp. My only disappointment is that it gets very warm on the outside, enough to cause a burn.

I have had mine for several years and absolutely love it! I make double loaves all the time with out a problem. The only con I have is that it tends to "walk" on the counter so I put a damp tea towel underneath and don't leave it at all when kneading bread. For cookie dough etc.. it is a a workhorse and it makes great cake batter.

Through a set of very unique circumstances I was able to purchase this stand mixer at Sears for $89 back in 2012. My wife loves it