This mama cannot use a crockpot!

The crockpot/slowcooker is the modern version of the haybox used by our grandparents or great grandparents when they weren't home all day to keep the fire going. Best used for moist and long slow cooking not roasting.

I too have an older style Cp, had an oval one cooked too fast even on low.Teh sunbeam is an an 8 hour on low cooker or 4 on high.I also now have a new pressure cooker/Cp.Really great.The point of a CP is to be able to cook real cheap cuts of meat for a low cost.
Rump would be as good as I would go.
Chicken not so fussed on more like poached, not roasted,,chicken casserole however always turns out well.
So tips are , any old cheap cut ,Blade, Shin Mutton,.With a caserole inch or so squares , whatever vege you have , carrots parsnips ,not greens at least not at the beginning, stock cubes not too much water thicken at end on high.
Never had a dud meal no matter how long over the 8 hours i leave it.
In my opion , if still tough after 8 hours , not cooked long enough or too low , heat escaping.

Every time you take the lid off you lose 20 minutes cooking time too

this was my failing, dont lift the lid

Was there a recipe book that came with the crockpot!That should be the best guide!

O/P here is 3 recipes from alison holsts slow cooker book with temps and times might help you for your S/cooker, if u are still having trouble your one might be overheating, get rid of it and use your old one instead. Not sure what you like but heres some that tick all the boxes with my lot.
Whole Chicken with Spicy Paprika Rub.
2 kg whole chicken, 1 teasp oil, 1 Tablesp curry powder, 1 tablesp flour, 1 tablesp paprika,1 teasp dried oregano, 1 teasp dried thyme, 1 teasp celery salt. Sprigs fresh herbs,parsley,thyme, etc if you have them.
Turn S/C on to heat up on high,coat with non stick spray.Wash and dry chicken inside and out. Trim off excess fat if any. Rub chicken all over with oil in a small bowl mix together next 6 ingredients and coat the chicken all over with it using it all up. Place sprigs herbs in cavity, place chicken into cooker carefully lid on cook on high, well cooked after 6 hours, and falling off the bone after 8 hours. Serve with mashed potatoes and your fav vegs.( you should have a nice moist chicken).
My Grandee's favourites.
Soy Glazed Chicken nibbles.( oftenfind these on special )
¼ cup dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon oil
1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoosn cornflour
2 large cloves garlic crushed and chopped.
1-2 kg bag of chicken nibbles.
Place first 6 ingredients in a bowl and whisk till all mixed.
Put nibbles in cooker pour over mixture in bowl using tongs toss nibbles to coat with sauce. Lid on and cook. High 3-4 hours when cooked toss nibbles again in glaze lift out of cooker with tongs pile on a serving plate sprinkle with sesame seeds grab some paper towels and start munching.
You can add ¼ cup of sherry to sauce mix , little more cornflour, and1-2 tablespoons grated ginger if you have it.for a bit more zing.
Good for winter Devilled Sausages.
About 8 sausages, browned in a frying pan and cut into chunks, 1 tablesp cornflour, 1 teasp dry mustard, 1 teasp celery salt, 1 teasp onion salt, 1 tablesp dark soy sauce, 1 tablesp balsamic vinegar, 1 tablesp worcester sauce, 3 tablesp's tomato paste, 1x 380gr can diced apples, chopped parsley to garnish optional.
Turn cooker onto low and coat with non stick spray.Put everything bar the sausages and can of apples into cooker stir if to thick add 1 tablesp water.Add sausages mix to coat sausages, tip can of apples on top Lid on and cook on low 6-8 hours. If at home stironce, or stir just before serving adding little hot water if to thick as it thickens up with cooking.Serve with mashed potatoes and vegs or on rice.
for the old C/P .
Sweet and Sour Beef. I make a big lot up if you have the beef, and freeze for the non cook days lol just double the sauce mix.
Enough beef for 4 servings, ie stewing,blade etc, 1 onion sliced, 2 carrots sliced thinly, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup vinegar, 1 tablesp worcester sauce, some water. salt/pepper. Chop meat into chunks toss in seasoned flour brown in a hot frying pan with a tablesp oil, little at a time you don't want it to stew but brown up all sides of meat. Put in cooker add sliced onions and carrot slices toss them around in the pan till browned up a bit then throw them on top of meat. Mix sugar,vinegar,sauce, some water s/p together pour over meat, then iusuallyadd a little boiling water to frying pan to de glaze all the bits off for flavour and tip it in to give it all a stir just add more water till meat and vegs are just covered with juice stir well, lid on and cook on high, especially for a large lot. Stir about 1/2 hour before servingif need be add cornflour and water to thicken it up a bit. Usually put this on about 10am, Put on real early if using low.

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Use up the mince in the freezer.
Meatballs. Mince, breadcrumbs, herbs,S/P, dash soy sauce, teasp baking powder(this holds them together) beaten egg. Wet clean hands combine into balls, carefully dust with flour and brown both sides with tablesp oil. Put in cooker.
Can cook as glazed meatballs, Mix 6 tablesp brown sugar,6 tablesp tomato sauce, 3 tablesp soy sauce, S/P good dollop of your fav chutney, OR sweet chilli sauce for a kick. Around 10 tablesp water or enough to blend. Pour over meat balls till they are almost submerged, add more water if necessary lid on and cook. Again i cook on high putting on about lunchtime. Or you can do a spaghetti bol sauce, or sweet and sour sauce, all good for the kids served with noodles. Ones i make in C/P i won't do in my Russell hobbs slow cooker it would dry them out to much,

phew I'm exhausted now ;-)))

i have always stuck to cooking on low or high depending how long i need it to cook for, results come out the same

Soooo glad I've never bought a crock pot/slow cooker. My oven works fine, and never a problem.

Each to their own. I find them brilliant when I'm not home all day. Never had a failure yet.

Three cheers for everybody!

Not a meat-eater, but posting to celebrate diversity of opinion in Recipes.

Me neither. I have had mine since 1983.nothing fandangled, just a simple inner pottery "crock" with a glass lid. Uses far less electricity than an oven any day!

Haven't read all the responses so sorry if I'm repeating what others have already mentioned. I prefer using my oven for casseroles/stews as well as the top of our woodburner :-) but we do use the crockpot over winter as well as we have a lot of venison given to us and I often have the oven cooking something else. I treat any casserole cuts of beef the same as venison. I slice/cube the meat against the grain and place into a bowl in the fridge for an hour (or longer, overnight is all good) to marinate with olive oil salt & any spices I feel like using at the time for the particular flavour dish I'm making. I then remove the bowl from the fridge and leave it to reach almost room temperature. During that time I finely chop onion, celery & carrot and garlic. I fry the meat first in a hot pan (no more oil needed) until nice and brown, sometimes, depending on the amount of meat, I do this in batches so the meat browns in the pan and doesn't stew in its own juices due to the pan being too full. I place the meat into the crock pot and pour over stock or a mix of stock & tinned tomatoes until covered. The crockpot is set to high. I now cook the aromatic veggies in the same pan as I did the meat and add them, as well as any juices from the pan to the crockpot. Stir to mix and then I leave it on high for2-3 hours. After that I taste and adjust any seasoning and leave to cook for a further 2-3 hours on low. At the end, I thicken the liquid if required and add a handfull of fresh herbs depending on the dish as well as, quite often, a splash of cream. The meat doesn't come out tough at all but I do prefer the same type of dish made in the oven and it cooks in half the time!

same mines got the old retro enameled type base with the brown insert and lid, touch wood mum got it for me from some old ducky at the rsa and ive had it for ova 15yrs and its still going strong, its so old i cant even find the maker on google anymore