This is your basic crock pot and it has everything you need. Great size for large family meal planning, easy to read dial and has a good cook book. It's great for new cooks and busy Moms and Dads preparing meals early in the day, having them ready when you walk in at night. The price is excellent! Time to Heat The heating time is good for a crock pot, the internal pot is thick so it does take a little time to heat and cool down. Cooking Performance You have to remember this is great for stews, soups and chilis - NOT for browning meat. It's great for what it is intended. Ease of Cleaning This would be my only complaint. The interior gets harder to clean the longer you use the crock pot. I have to soak the crock before I can get it clean and your not supposed to use a harsh cleaner or rough sponge to clean it, baking soda doesn't help. Ease of Use Sooo simple. Put the vegetables in, meat on top, add some flavored liquid - Rotel is my favorite with chicken - and turn it on. What could be easier? Tender meat with veggies and gravy, add rice when you get home, easy peasy! Design Simple and easy to read dial for cooking settings. Crock comes out for cleaning. I know they want the electric cord short for safety, but I would like it longer personally. Durability We've only had 3 in 38 years of marriage, that is pretty durable.

ckgreenthumb

USA

We bought this item after having had a round one for years and this one is much more accommodating for foods like pulled pork, large batches of chili, a turkey breast, etc. because of the oval shape. We love to buy things when the prices are right, make a batch and use now as well as freeze for use later and for our family of two, this is an excellent choice. I am now retired so I get to smell the wonderful meals that are coming all day as they cook - great way to spend the day. Time to Heat Never had it take more than 30 minutes to be cooking and that was when some oitems were still a little icy form the freezer. Cooking Performance So far, never a bad experience or anything left under-cooked - also, if it had to sit longer, nothing was ever overdone. Ease of Cleaning This is personal with me - I had a small stroke and my right arm is weaker because of it but if it is a bad day, my husband can always lift the full cooker for me and the crock being separate goes right into the dishwasher after being emptied. Design Love the stainless steel outside view. Fits in with my other appliances perfectly. Durability So far we have had ours more than 5 years and no problems.

nuzlady

Elkridge, MD

Simply wonderful to use, food tastes so good, the settings are accurate, size is perfect, the price was great and this will last a long time. I just can't believe how happy I am with this purchase. I have an older slow cooker and it worked but often had to turn the setting to high in order to eat dinner that day. At that setting it took much of the flavor out of the food and it was ok. I never realized just how much flavor we were missing. First use was a recipe that was made up and included a roast as well as 2 types of sausage, potatoes and some carrots. Lots of garlic and spices and salt and pepper..BUT the amazing thing is when you cook sausage in liquid for a while the flavor leaves the sausage and goes into the juices and when you taste the sausage there isn't much flavor there. The meat and juices soak up that flavor from the sausage. I couldn't believe it. On the slow setting we cooked our dinner for about 7 hours, I took the sausage out and cooked the roast and added beans for another 1/2 hour. Then the meat was so tender but not falling apart. Perfectly cooked. I tasted the sausage and I was in shock. The sausage had all of it's flavor and then some from all the spices added. Everything cooked in this slow cooker for our 1st meal we made with it was edible and full of flavor. I never knew what I was missing out on until I bought this wonderful slow cooker. The size is perfect. Accurate. If you follow a recipe and it says cook on slow for 8 hours, the food is done in 8 hours. I don't have to turn it on high to rush it. Best purchase for cooking aids. I would not hesitate to buy this as a gift for anyone. I still can't believe how tasty everything is and how the food preserves it's integrity and doesn't dry out and allows the seasonings to really penetrate. Once the food is cooked and perfect do set it on warm while you finish everything else you need to do. Clean up is so easy. No need for slow cooker plastic bags. I wash this after the food has been put into it's storage container and the inner cook pot has cooled off. Love the look as well. Don't hesitate to buy this product. Time to Heat Heats up quickly. Cooking Performance Great and accurate and cooks the food to perfection full of flavor. Ease of Cleaning A breeze to clean. Either right after putting the food away or if your tired put water in it with drop of soap, it will wash right up and is so easy to clean. Ease of Use Very easy to use and whether you cook from scratch or follow a slow cooker recipe, it just doesn't get easier then this. Design I love the design. Looks great in any kitchen. Looks like you paid so much more for it. It takes up some room being a 6 quart oval slow cooker but you have to expect that. Durability Very well made and the knob is securely on the unit and the glass lid fits perfectly with a little edge around it that lays inside of the slow cooker making it more secure and less likely that the glass lid will be accidentally knocked off. Suckin on the bottom keeps it in place as well.

myroses

USA

This is my very first crock pot outside of the ancient one my mom used to make meatloaf when I was a kid. I am absolutely in love with this machine and am so glad I read great reviews about it here so I figured I would pay it forward like others did. This machine is safe, easy and allows me to make some seriously delicious meals even while working two jobs and having very little time at home. Set it and forget it is a very accurate slogan for these things. My favorite thing to make is stock and chili, my house smells so amazing all the time now. Time to Heat The only drawback of this, which is somewhat of a given with any crock pot I've been told, is that it takes a little bit of time to bring a full pot full of water and bones to a simmer so if you are making a big batch of stock I would recommend adding almost an hour to your cook time. Cooking Performance Perfect. I never worry about this like I did with a simmering pot on the gas stove, this is safe, easy and so fun to use. Ease of Cleaning Soak it or wipe it down right after use, much easier to clean than my old stock pot. Ease of Use Not too many buttons or confusing settings, just does what you want it to. That being said, it's so incredibly versatile I couldn't list even half the things I use this for. Design Smart lid, easy on the eyes and it fits well enough on my counter. It could have a longer cord but that's not a deal breaker. Durability So far so great! No nicks of dings on the pot or the machine itself.

alnorris23

USA

I received this from a dear friend as a wedding gift. It came with many recipes for the crock pot starter too. It is also really simple to use and to clean. I use my crock pot more than I use any of my other dishes. It's a great way to prepare a meal early. It's also safe enough to leave on for several hours without having to worry about a mess or a safety hazard.

lady6killer

USA

Who doesn't love to fool guests with that "slaved over the stove cooking all day" meal that is so fresh, juicy and delicious that everyone at the table goes back for seconds, maybe even thirds?! This generously large crock pot allows meat, potatoes and vegetables all to be cooked at the same time conveniently. Also convenient, it allows multiple settings for a wonderful range of times. Whether you need something cooked in just a couple hours, or you wanna put dinner on to simmer for a whole eight hour work day, this crock pot is the one to choose. It slowly simmers all day with a tight lid, keeping in natural juices and freshness for the evening meal. Time to Heat There are multiple settings with the obvious low to high range and a good mix of in between! It can cook relatively fast or slowly simmer those precious potatoes all day long for a juicy treat. Cooking Performance It certainly won the viewers choice for a reason! It creates delicously juicy dinners and even reheats leftovers to the same juicy goodness you'd expect from first day dinner. Ease of Cleaning The pot comes out and is dishwasher safe, and is a decent size to actually fit in your dishwasher. It can also be easily handwashed and rinsed out for quicker cleaning. Ease of Use Food cooks at the push of a button and allows you to walk away-no need for supervision while it cooks! Design It has a sleek and attractive design-no longer your grandmothers old hefty applicances that take up precious counter space! Durability It is backed by a warranty as well as a guarantee and appears to last longer than the average crock pot.

pinkpop006

USA

This crock pot makes meals easy! It evenly heats the food so there aren't any burnt spots where you have to scrape the edges. It's big enough for my family of four and then some. Ease of Cleaning Very easy to clean (especially with liners!!) Ease of Use This pot is very easy to use. Design Love the design!

marianne504

USA

Very Good Product. Removable pot is very handy for storing in the fridge. Heats up very well. Doesn't burn food when on high for long time. Very simple to use. No fancy buttons and knobs. Light weight even when full. Cooks larger roasts and has room left for plenty veggies.

TerriHelton

Winston Salem, NC

I've had this Hamilton Beach crockpot a couple of years. I've put it thru the paces, and it's still going strong. I use this at least 2-3 times a month. There are only two of us, so if make something in the crockpot of Sunday, it will feed us all through the week. I'd imagine it would be super helpful for big families too. 6 Quarts is definitely a lot of food! I've used this to make chilli, soups, roasts, pie filling, I even used it to make sweet potatoes on Thanksgiving. So handy when you need to save time. The ceramic pot inside lifts out, and you can just pop the crock and lid in the refrigerator, which is super handy. It's dishwasher safe, so cleanup is easy-- even easier if you use a crock pot liner! This crock pot has four settings, (if you count "off" as a setting) including High, Low, and Warm. This is a great slow cooker if you let it sit for eight hours on Low, but if you need to speed things up, you can cut the cooking time in half by using the High setting. (I still like to finish it off with an hour or so of slow roasting if possible-- makes the food so much more flavorful.) The warm setting is just to keep it heated after it's finished cooking. I don't use it, I find it stays hot enough turned off, but I could see how it would be useful for a party or a buffet. This unit actually does get pretty hot on the outside, so I try to keep it out of the way when I use it. If you brush against it, it doesn't tickle. Definitely a terrific and useful unit. I'd purchase it again in a heartbeat!

wordgirl312

USA

Hamilton Beach 6-Quart Slow Cooker is perfect for my Sunday dinners and holiday meals. I purchased this slow cooker because the one I had previously pooped out on me. I need something reasonably priced but still good enough to get the job done in the kitchen. So I chose this one and i am so glad I did. I enjoy cooking with my Hamilton Beach slow cooker, no matter what i cook in it, it always comes out nice and tender and juicy, literally falling apart. That's just the way I like it and my family loves it to. I have cooked everything from roast to steak, to ham, to vegetables in my Hamilton slow cooker. It all comes out perfect. I love sticking my fork in to check whatever I am cooking and it just fall apart because it's so tender. That's exactly what this slow cooker does. Time to Heat This brand does take a little while to heat. It takes longer than my previous slow cooker but the outcome of the food is worth the extra few minutes it takes it to heat. Cooking Performance I am so satisfied with everything I have made in this slow cooker.

Momintx

USA