dirt simple: 3 pounds or so of roast. I think this one was 3.2 and I did not have much more room to spare as you will see. I have a 5 Qt crockpot. I used a quart of liquid after I seared the steak in my cast iron. Then I used a two beef bouillion cubes, a bag of Boomer Gold small potatoes and a bag of baby carrots. Super simple, enjoy.