Product Description
Family Size 6 quart oval Programmable slow cooker with flat panel digital read-out and stainless steel base for easy storage and clean-up, plus separate temperature probe for large cuts of meat. No more over cooked or under cooked beef or poultry as the probe reads the internal temperature as it cooks and automatically switches to keep warm once set temperature is reached . Operates in three different cook settings including manual cook mode. Easy to read LED digital control panel and timer for setting preferred cooking time. Other features include a clip-on spoon and a clip-tight gasket lid.
Customer Reviews
Hamilton Beech Crock Pot4
I love this crock pot. It has two outstanding features that the others don't--The snap on lid and the "keep warm" feature. In the past I have used crock pots that would cook with the setting of a manual dial. This new Hamilton Beech model cooks for as long as it is programmed and then it will keep the food warm until you are ready to eat. That's a great feature for those days when you're running late for dinner! Plus there's the great new lid that means you can take hot dishes anywhere without a spill or leak. Outstanding product!
Good, but be careful!4
In the past I've had issues with slow cookers running too hot so I decided to test my new HB cooker. I filled the 6 qt unit with 5 qt water and set the unit on WARM for 4 hours, then tested the water temp - 170 degrees. 4 hours later at LOW - temp was 170 degrees, 4 hours later at HIGH - temp was 210 degrees. I guess this is OK. I emailed the mfr for the design temps but received no resopnse.
The rubber feet on the unit did a good job of keeping the unit from sliding around on my granite counter. I've had slow cookers you had to stir with one hand while holding it in place with the other.
I really appreciate the plastic handle on the glass lid. It's so nice to pick up the lid without burning my fingers if I forget to use a potholder!
The WARM setting is very useful - possibly more useful than one might initially imagine.
The "manual" for this appliance includes English, French, and Spanish versions. This is probably why there wasn't any room left for many recipes. We are referred to the company's website but again there weren't many for the slow cooker. I would think after all the years Hamilton Beach has been manufacturing slow cookers they would have accumulated more than they display.
The electronic control panel is typically a modern day blessing/curse. Instead of a simple knob one can turn to a setting, one must push buttons in a specific sequence in order to get the cooker to work. Vary the sequence or skip oe of the steps and you're SOL. The tricky thing about this is sometimes the unit tells you when you screwed up and sometimes it doesn't, thereby enabling you to leave the house expecting the slow cooker to do its job only to return several hours later expecting to find a hot meal waiting for you, only to discover the unit didn't like the way you pushed its buttons so it turned itself off. Don't laugh - this happened to me and it wasn't the least bit funny. If someone uses their slow cooker infrequently, it would be easy to make a mistake while setting the unit. A frequent user will quickly get the hang of it and should be able to avoid any inconvenience - provided they pay attention to what they're doing.
Another problem with the programable feature is if your electricity is interrupted for more than 5 seconds the unit loses its settings and turns itself off. Then the unit sits there waiting for you, probably while growing salmonella. I can't help but recall all the times I've come home to find all the clocks on my electronic equipment flashing because the power went off for a few minutes.
While the programable feature is irritating and problematic, the most dangerous feature on the slow cooker is the stainless steel clip system used to lock the lid in place during transit. For some ridiculous reason, the clips cannot be moved out of the area between the crock and the handle on the base. Attempting to lift the hot crock out of the base while not getting your potholders tangled in the wire clip is nearly impossible, making this an extremely dangerous thing to attempt. I don't think Hamilton Beach would have gone bankrupt if they had made the handles another 1/4" or so longer so the clips could safely drop out of the way.
Better Late than Never5
In viewing Thanksgiving recipes I read that keeping mashed potatoes in a slow cooker was a time saver as well as eliminating items that need to go in the oven. I went online and, believe it or not, there were reviews on slow cookers from Consumer Reports! This Hamilton Beach was the top pick so my search was immediately over! I was distressed since the delivery date was a month away, and I needed it for Thanksgiving. It arrived early and was a big hit. I finally used it last nite for my dinner. What a treat to walk in my door and have my dinner waiting. Sauerkrut and spareribs of all things, but it was very good. Perhaps a little brown suger - from my old cooking days - would enhance the dish. I am very pleased with this product.
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