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You don't have to sear the meat even if the recipe calls for it. It does enhance the flavor, but your meal will be fine anyway. I skip that part if I'm feeling lazy. I have a crock pot that is over 30 years old, low and high temps and one piece. It works great. Bit of a hassle to clean, but worth it. Especially in the summer when I don't want to heat up the kitchen with conventional oven! Just look up easy slow cooker meals on the internet. Tons of recipes.