I got the Hamilton Beach Set 'n Forget 5 Qt. Programmable Slow Cooker for Christmas this year and I absolutely love it! Mine is red and very sleek looking. My favorite feature is that it is programmable so I can set the number of hours and it will turn off by itself and keep the food warm.

MeghanTighe

USA

I love, love, love this slow cooker. I had actually given up on slow cookers because i couldnt get anything right in them and eventually i learned that it was because I was overcooking even on the low setting. I eventually caved and got the programmable one and I couldn't be happier. i use this bad boy at least once a week! I've got a roast in it right now while i work! I literally set it and forget it! Chicken was my biggest challenge because it would always dry out and be disgusting but with the Hamilton Beach Programmable Cooker I put the chicken in, put the themometer in the thickest piece and it cooks it to temp (programmed) and then switches it to 'warm' so it doesn't over cook. After an 11 hour work (plus travel) day, this is very comforting! You can also do it the old fashioned way and just let it cook without manually setting it, if you want. The only thing i'd recommend is to definitely spray non stick in it before cooking in it or that stuff that sticks and cooks to the sides will take you as long to clean it as it did to cook!

jessicajaeger78

Nederland, TX

While this is the most expensive slow cooker we have purchased, the programmable settings really make things easy for my wife. She does much more slow cooking than I do. Unlike with the earlier, cheaper models, she can set things to turn on and off at will. The removable crock is very handy for cleaning and storage of leftovers. The top is designed in a manner that makes it difficult to clean.

JJames

USA

I had this slow cooker about 2 years and while it worked it was great. It heated well & I loved the lid locking feature. I didn't use it very often so I expected to get more life out of it but one day I came home & instead of smelling a yummy roast I had a dead slow cooker. I never used the thermometer so I can't comment on how that worked. If you don't mind replacing small appliances frequently then it works great if not you may want to look at another slow cooker.

TearraGeetingLeger

USA

I love my slowcooker; it's one of my favorite kitchen appliances :) I've never used the temperature probe with it, but I have used the programmable features. You can either set it to low or high and you can set the amount of hours that it will cook at that temperature. The digital display will show how much time is left for cooking. After the time expires, it will automatically turn to warm. I usually make pot roast in mine and it comes out perfectly (not burnt!) everytime! If you need help with timing, just do it all the night before: put a layer of veggies (potatoes, carrots, onions, & bell peppers work well) in the bottom of the pot, then the roast, then a packet of Lipton Onion Soup Mix, and finally a can of cream of mushroom soup (undiluted). Put the lid on it and stick the pot in the refrigerator. The next morning, take it out and plop it into the slowcooker, set the timer to low for 8 hours and you are good to go.

georgiafreckles

Acworth, GA

I purchased this Hamilton Beach 5-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker about eight months ago. I have used it at least once a week ever since. This crock pot is amazing and as a soup lover it is a must for my kitchen. I love that you can set it and forget about it, since you can program it to shut off when the time is up. I normally set the pot up at night before I go to bed and don't have to set my alarm super early to check on the food. I do agree with other reviewers and wish you could program the pot to reduce the temperature during the cooking process. However, I still love this crock pot and the price can't be beat. This product is the perfect size for cooking for a family of four and easy to clean up. Durability Been using this at least once a week and it still works perfectly. Very easy to use.

missbev4

Augusta, GA

This crockpot was a gift to us over five years ago. It's options are very basic, but it gets the job done. The setting button offers a keep warm, low and high option. High can get very hot really fast, depending on the item. I always add extra liquid to my recipes. The insert is very easy to clean. If I have food stick to the sides I just let it soak for about an hour and it comes right off. I've sometimes had food spill in between the insert and the holder and this tends to bake on really well and be a pain to remove. I do appreciate the large size. We've served soup and other dishes to crowds out of it. I've also used it to make apple butter and a variety of other meals in. It gets used several times a month and it still works great. Someday I will purchase a crockpot with a few more options such as a timer, but for now I'm content using this one.

Nottirb

Spirit Lake, IA

After breaking the last crockpot I had, I purchased a Hamilton Beach crockpot. I wanted a standard crockpot, nothing fancy. Although this is a no frills crockpot, it certainly gets the job done. The crockpout has three settings - high/low/keep warm. I have found this crockpot easy to clean and use. I have brought it along with me on vacations and I use it at least three times a month here at the house. The high setting heats up farily quickly and a roast to feed a family of five takes about 8 hours to cook on a high setting. I love the stay warm feature because sometimes the roast is ready and hour or two before we are reading to eat it so I can just flip the switch to stay warm and not have to worry about it.

lbayern

Medford, NJ

My 'oooooooold' crock pot died a few months ago and this is the third one I've purchased to replace it. I've had prolbems with other crock pots being too hot but so far, this one works like a slow cooker is supposed to work-slow! I love the features like the temperature probe, touch pad controls and locking lid.

companyof1

Eggleston, VA

I have had several different brands of slow cookers throughout my years of cooking.  When I received the Hamilton Beach slow cooker for a Christmas gift, I was excited about the many features this one had (temperature probe, locking lid, warm setting).  My favorite feature of this cooker is the locking lid.  When I used the slow cooker for the first time, I was taking it to work for a special event. As I was driving, a car pulled out in front of me and I had to throw on my brakes.  My first thought was all of the contents were now in the floor.  Not with the locking lid.  With the rubber gasket around the lid and the locking brackets, the food was secure and did not spill. On my second use, I set the timer in the morning and went to work.  That day, I was delayed getting home from work and was an hour late.  With my old slow cooker, my food would have been possibly burned and ruined.  Not with this model!  It automatically goes to the "warm setting" when the cooking time is over.  I love this slow cooker already and I haven't even used the temperature probe yet!  I can't wait to cook my turkey in it this Thanksgiving.

Debby3317

Tulsa, OK