I love this crock pot.  I have had many.  This one has three settings.  Low  for four hours, low for six hours.  High for eight hours, high for ten hours.  Then there is a warm setting.  When your recipe calls for six hours  cooking time and you are not home in time to shut it off it keeps cooking after the six hours.  This crock pot will cook for six hour and then switch to the warm setting so the food will not keep cooking.  Then the food is not over cooked, which sometimes the crock pots will do .  I hope this will help in your survey.