I read somewhere it really depends on the dog, like @anderson.henry's good experience. For some pups it causes more stress than comfort, though. Their personality is the biggest factor.
Seen that with a friend's dog, actually. They tried the slow method with treats like @anderson.henry mentioned, but their pup never settled. It really comes down to the individual dog's comfort level.
My labrador, Max, actually took to his crate pretty well after a slow start... it became his safe space during storms. I found that starting slow, with lots of treats, made all the difference.