A black cauldron on the Halloween table can do more than hold wrapped candy. Toastmaster’s 4-quart cauldron slow cooker puts a removable stoneware crock inside that rounded silhouette, so the centerpiece can also handle the chili.
The timing fits this year’s search mood. In its October 14 Halloween trends announcement, Google says interest in “cauldron crock pot” is at an all-time high. Toastmaster’s version is listed at $49.99 through Select Brands. It’s a practical direction for a party: put the Halloween detail into something you’re already using to feed people.
Price: $49.99 at Select Brands; Amazon marketplace offer $99.97, sold and shipped by SD Enterprises Co, checked October 22
Where to buy: Select Brands | Amazon: Toastmaster TM-40XSC
The little switch keeps the cauldron look intact
The most appealing detail is easy to miss in the main product photo. Toastmaster puts the controls on the cord, leaving the front of the black pot uninterrupted. The switch has High, Low, Warm and Off positions. You choose the setting manually rather than programming a cooking schedule.
You’ll need to keep track of cooking time and change the setting yourself.
Plan the dish before the decorations
Select Brands lists soups, chili, dips, stews and shredded meats among the cooker’s uses. Its 4-quart capacity gives you a concrete number to compare with your recipe, rather than choosing by how large the pot looks in a photograph. A dip beside other snacks and the main dish for everyone are different serving jobs.
The crock lifts out, and the tempered-glass lid lets you look inside without removing it. Toastmaster specifies 120-volt power and 150 watts. Think through where the pot, cord and serving utensils will go before building the table around it, and follow the supplied instructions for cooking and cleaning.
Buy it for the look you’ll keep using
Would you still enjoy using a cauldron-shaped cooker when the Halloween decorations come down?
If the answer is yes, the plain black finish gives you a way to keep the seasonal joke without a character print or a dated message. If you already have a slow cooker you like and only want a one-night centerpiece, use that appliance for the food and spend your decorating budget elsewhere.
A larger Halloween-themed Amazon alternative: Select Brands’ Disney The Nightmare Before Christmas NBC-71 slow cooker has a 7-quart oval crock and a white-and-black character design rather than the Toastmaster’s 4-quart cauldron shape. It is a different cooker, with more capacity for a larger recipe and Low, High and Warm settings.
Price: $74.99, checked October 22
Where to buy: Amazon: Nightmare Before Christmas NBC-71, 7-quart, white/black (sold by Pattern Direct, shipped by Amazon)
Price: $49.99 at Select Brands; Amazon marketplace offer $99.97, sold and shipped by SD Enterprises Co, checked October 22
Where to buy: Select Brands | Amazon: Toastmaster TM-40XSC
The official listing showed the cooker available on October 22. Check the final shipping charge and delivery estimate for your address before ordering for a party; the listed product price doesn’t establish either.
