I want my house to be the one that people walk into and say "Yummm! It always smells so nice in here!" So I'm always happy to try different methods of freshening the air and diffusing pleasant scents. So a few years back I purchased the Rival Potpourri Crock. This is a ceramic pot into which you can place any liquid or gel. Then plug it in and the pot slowly warms, diffusing the scent of whatever you placed inside.

The pots come in many different colors and patterns. Mine is tan and pink, with pictures of seashells. The pot has thick walls and is very sturdy. It weights over two pounds and sits on three wide, short feet. It is not likely to be knocked or tipped over. The two foot cord is permanently attached.

The pot can easily hold 1.5 Cups of liquid, although the directions caution against using more than one cup at a time. What kinds of things can you place in there? Well, there are liquid and gel potpourris that are designed specifically for simmering. Once such brand is Florasense. It comes in quart-sized bottles, in many different fragrances. I like to make mixtures, so I'll use a little vanilla, and some apples & cinnamon, maybe some berries, and a touch of lilac. You can also use plain water with whatever mixture of spices you like. You can also put a few leaves of dried potpourri inside the liquid. But make sure that the bulk of the contents is a liquid. The pots are not designed to melt wax.

Once you've added your contents, plug it in and wait. A few minutes later, the house will be filled with a wonderful scent. The outside of the pot stays cool so you can easily move it. Just be careful not to spill the contents as they can get to be quite hot. When you're finished, let the remaining contents cool. Then spill them out and simply wipe the pot with a damp cloth.


Good news and bad news

The good news is that the scents diffuse and the house smells wonderful!

The bad news is that there is no way to control the amount of scent diffusion, and most importantly, no automatic shut-off.

If I were to design one of these things, I would give it a lid with holes on top that could be adjusted. So you could leave them fully open for full diffusion, or slightly closed if you want just a little scent to come through. Plus, the lid would add some safety to this product. Less chance of spillage if you move it, and no curious child or pet would be able to stick a finger (or paw) into the contents.

More importantly, I would give this device an automatic shut-off mechanism. Either by amount of time, or a way to detect when the level of liquid in the pot is below a certain point. Because as it is now, if you forget about it, the liquid will eventually evaporate and you'll be left with a mess. Worse, I suppose that if you really forget about it for a long time, eventually the pot might crack, or pose a fire hazard? I really don't know what would happen if you left it plugged in, then went on vacation for a week. And I don't want to know!

So, I like this product for occasional use, but I only use it when I'm sure I'm going to be able to unplug it after a while. I will usually set it right in the middle of my kitchen counter, where I can't really miss seeing it, so that I can keep an eye on the contents. But if you tend to be at all forgetful or careless about this type of situation, I suggest you look for another solution.

I wish the "recommend" field allowed "maybe" but it makes me choose Yes or No. I'll put Yes, but I really mean "Yes, if you can remember to unplug it!"

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 5