Cuisinart CPC-900 12-in-1 6-Quart Multicooker review

The Cuisinart CPC-900 is a discontinued six-quart pressure multicooker that also has a separate non-pressure Slow Cook program. That distinction is central: you can choose a pressure preset or choose slow cooking, but pressure cooking is not a special way of running the slow-cook cycle. It makes sense to investigate when both cooking methods matter and you are checking an exact earlier model; it is excessive if all you want is a simple pot that holds High, Low and Warm.

Choose the cooking mode, not just the appliance name

The page calls the CPC-900 a 12-in-1 multicooker and lists 1000 watts, a six-quart nonstick dishwasher-safe pot, a large LCD and maximum pressure of 15 psi. Its named presets span pressure cooking, rice and grains, risotto and beans alongside Slow Cook, Steam, Sauté/Brown, Reduce and Keep Warm. That list is more useful than the “12-in-1” label: each mode is a distinct routine with its own settings and exceptions. If your question is only whether it can slow-cook, the answer is yes. If your plan depends on the pressure mode as well, set aside time to learn the pressure lid, release and fill rules instead of treating it like a standard slow cooker.

The manual describes Slow Cook as non-pressure cooking on Low or High, with a timer from 30 minutes to 20 hours. It gives typical Low durations of eight to 20 hours and High durations of two to six hours, and a default of High for four hours. It also cautions that pressure can rarely build during Slow Cook and directs the user to the Steam Release button if that occurs. So this is not a permanently unpressurized vessel just because the slow-cook setting is selected. Follow the booklet rather than assuming that a pressure multicooker and a traditional glass-lid crock work identically.

Timer and Warm behavior need a little planning

When the cooking timer reaches zero, most CPC-900 functions move to Keep Warm, and the display counts how long Warm has been active. Steam, Reduce and Sauté/Brown are specifically excluded from that automatic handoff. Keep Warm is also a separate program: its default is two hours and the user can adjust that separate program from 30 minutes to four hours. The booklet says not to use Warm for more than 12 hours and notes that food quality or texture starts to change after an hour. Treat that as practical holding guidance—not a promise that a long Warm cycle will preserve the meal exactly as cooked.

For Sauté/Brown, the lid stays open. The instructions describe Low for sautéing and High for browning, recommend a wooden spoon to scrape up browned bits and prohibit metal utensils. This can let you brown ingredients in the cooking pot instead of dirtying a separate skillet, but the manual does not give a temperature range in the passages reviewed, and the separate pot’s stovetop or oven suitability is not established. Do not transfer a pot-safety claim from another Cuisinart Cook Central model.

Fit, care and pressure-cooker limits

The exact product page lists the body as 14.9 inches long, 13.7 wide and 13.5 high. It prints a weight value of “16.4” without a unit. That number cannot establish a pounds limit, so a buyer who must lift below a specific weight should consider it unverified rather than guessing. No open-lid clearance is published either; closed height is not a measurement of how much space the lid needs. Leave a clear countertop area, particularly around the steam-release path. The manual warns against releasing steam beneath hanging cabinets and says not to place the appliance itself in a heated oven or on a stovetop.

The pot is identified as nonstick and dishwasher-safe. The manual warns against damaging its inside coating and says to keep the housing out of water. It does not separately establish whether the removable pot may be placed on a burner, in an oven, or beneath a broiler. Likewise, the appliance’s pressure-locking lid is not a transport-clip system; do not read “locking” as evidence of a spill-proof travel setup. During pressure cooking, never try to force the lid open, and observe the manual’s maximum fill line: 16 cups generally, or 12 cups for foods that expand such as beans and grains. Those pressure limits are not slow-cooker serving recommendations.

Who should compare the CPC-900?

This model is for someone who genuinely values a pressure-cooking option alongside a separate programmable slow-cook cycle, or for an owner identifying an existing CPC-900 and checking its manual and parts. It is not the cleanest match if a manual dial, no-pressure operation, known empty weight, exact shelf clearance or current new-product stock is essential. The linked full booklet is headed CPC-900 SERIES2; the exact page also links a two-page 2019 Quick Reference Guide, which supplements rather than replaces that manual. Confirm the label on the base and the documentation that came with the unit.

Cuisinart lists the CPC-900 as discontinued. No current retailer stock, used-unit condition, repair status or price is established here. The separate CPC-900NAS review covers a different exact code with a closely aligned feature list; the manufacturer does not explain what NAS means. If you do not need pressure cooking, compare the Cuisinart MSC-600NAS Cook Central, which instead emphasizes in-pot Brown/Sauté and a separate Steam function, or a conventional Crock-Pot with the timer routine you prefer. For a code-by-code evidence comparison, see CPC-900 versus CPC-900NAS. If checking a used CPC-900, match its appliance label before ordering a replacement part or relying on an online listing.