Slow cookers are just great, especially during those days where you are not home most of the time, or you just want to sit back and relax without having to worry about dinner. The Hamilton Beach 33967 is simply the best programmable slow cooker.

Hamilton Beach 33967 Set 'n Forget 6-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker

This slow cooker is nothing small, it has a 6 quart pot, made of stone, really big, I could cook up extras with this pot, and 1 pound of sliced chicken is not a problem for this large cooker. The pot has an oval shape, so you could get creative, think about leaving a whole chicken in overnight and having it the next day. The thing about this crock is that it’s made of stone, and its heavy, but that’s a good thing, because it’s almost as similar to the ceramic ones which would break really, really easily, it’s also dish washer safe, but I think that this crock is washable by hand just fine, all you have to think about is the weight.

The functions on the Hamilton Beach 33967 is amazing, it’s got almost everything that a slow cooker needs. The program function allows me to set the time and temperature I need, this is really great for simple things like meat, I just set the time to how long I want it to cook and I leave it, after a few hours I return with a ready and always warm meal waiting for me. It has an easy to see LED display, very useful especially at night when you don’t want to turn on the lights in the kitchen.

The handiest feature that comes with this slow cooker is the probe function. This monitors the temperature of the cooking and keeps it at a controlled level. When it reaches to a point where the temperature is suitable it will maintain that temperature by switching itself to keep warm and back to cook again if it were to drop. The reason why they call it probe is because you have to stick the thermometer they gave you into the pot, that’s right, set it to probe and probe the thermometer into the pot and leave it.

The clip on the tempered glass lid is really something, it may be really troublesome to lock and unlock but it’s crucial for a slow cooker, as some ingredients tend to bubble more than other and possibly causing a mess, well I for one do not want to come home to my dinner which is on the floor instead of in the pot. The lid also houses a spoon; I mean the spoon clips itself onto the lid for safe storage.

This slow cooker may be almost perfect, but it does receive some complaints from users about power interruptions. Imagine leaving your food for 7 hours, but the cooker stopped itself during the first 2 hours, that would leave you with uncooked and spoiled food. This is actually a programming error that causes the cooker to stop itself too early, maybe Hamilton Beach should have made the controls easier.

Overall it has a great performance, is easy to move around, just a tad heavy. If you need a programmable slow cooker, Hamilton Beach 33967 is a great buy and comes at an affordable price.

Further Information

• Hamilton Beach 33967

Related Posts:

• Best Slow Cooker – Main
• Hamilton Beach Programmable Slow Cooker
• Cuisinart CSC-400 4-Quart Slow Cooker
• Corningware 6-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker

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Cuisinart has never failed to deliver quality and durability. Now they have made a small slow cooker, well I do say small because my average size of a crock pot is enough to feed at least 6 or 7 people. The Cuisinart PSC-350 is the best small slow cooker for singles and couples who cook. If you have a small family of 3 this might work fine too.

Cuisinart PSC-350

Size and Material
This 3 and a half quart small slow cooker is a better choice than my earlier pick on the best small cooker for a couple of reasons. The unit itself and the pot come in an oval design, this is great for storing and keeping, nothing like a good little pot that conserves more space than others it size, as I myself enjoy a lot of counter space for whenever I have the urge to whip out a quick meal.

The pot is made out of ceramic; it won’t be as heavy as the stone ware ones, but I can’t say that I noticed any difference in between the two so I did a little research. After researching I was taken aback by what I discovered, a slow cooker and a crock pot are not always the same thing, and Crock pot is a generic term like Blanco or Aspirin, but that I shall set aside, since I have been using the term for well over a decade now. The glass lid and the pot are all dishwasher safe, easy cleaning if you ask me.

Controls and Use
The Cuisinart PSC-350 is a programmable slow cooker, simply means they would give you a bunch of buttons to adjust the time, the temperature and which elements you should use, I remember one of my mum’s slow cookers which had these functions; it wasn’t anything famous, since it was made in China.

This slow cooker is very easy to use. It has 3 settings, simmer, low and high. There is not much brain work except deciding what temperature you want your meal to be cooked in. Simmer gives you slightly above 180 degrees Fahrenheit, while Low gives you about 200 degrees Fahrenheit and High is just a bump above that at 212 degrees Fahrenheit.

The buttons looks like the ones I have for those digital photo frames, but a lot sturdier and well made, also that they are touch sensitive, so everything can be done by just running your fingers over the buttons. The LCD display is always on for the duration of the cooking and warming, until it is turned off. This is a useful function especially for the after dark cookers.

Now let’s take a look at the process of cooking with this thing. You are given 4 cooking modes, the 3 mentioned earlier and the keep warm function, so depending on what you are cooking select the mode and set the time, and then the cooker does everything else for you.

On the Safe Side
Well I do admit that there is nothing much to a slow cooker, but to be on the safe side let me list out the safety measures taken by Cuisinart for this cooker. It comes with no slip rubber feet, quite useful, I tried to bump it a few times but it never did budge, unless it was empty. The handles always stay cool even after hours of cooking, but I can’t say the same for the unit itself, but it’s not something to worry about just as long as it far away from the grasps of curious children.

So overall this Cuisinart PSC-350 is a great addition for a newly wed couple or a bachelor’s kitchen for making meals simpler. Even if you can’t or don’t know how to cook, the handy recipe booklet that comes with the unit will be of great service.

Further Information

• Cuisinart PSC-350

Related Posts:

• Best Slow Cooker – Main
• Cuisinart CSC-400 4-Quart Slow Cooker
• Proctor Silex 33015 1.5-Quart Round Slow Cooker
• Hamilton Beach 33967 – Best Slow Cooker

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Usually I would set my crock pot on during the night, I would place some veggies and chicken with some herbs and a dash of wine, this makes a wonderfully healthy soup for breakfast which my family and I enjoy, especially in the cold morning hours. If you were thinking about investing in a crock pot try Hamilton Beach 33135 3-in-1 Slow Cooker because this best value slow cooker comes with not one, but three crock pots.

Hamilton Beach 33135

Most Versatile Slow Cooker – Best Value

More slow cooking action with versatility, that’s the specialty of this slow cooker by Hamilton beach. The most unique looking one so far, not because it has a base which doesn’t cover the entire pot unless you nest them in for packing, but because it has three stone pots, ranging from 2 quarts to 6 quarts. The benefit of having 3 different sizes is that if you are preparing smaller servings it is better to use a smaller pot, this will prevent the food from burning or cooking unevenly. I did have a large slow cooker and cooking just a handful of things seemed very unnatural, and the end result of using a large pot for small servings left me with an awful tasting sticky pile of charred vegetables.

Pros

Another fancy feature which this “Crocker” had was that it only used one lid, well some may want three lids for the three individual pots but for someone who loves to save space like me (because there was no space to begin with) I really do appreciate the ability of using a single lid for all three pots.

Speaking of space saving, the pots fit into the stainless steel base when they are not in use that saves me three pots worth of cabinet space, how nice and compact. And another bonus feature is that the parts that get into contact with food are 100% dishwasher safe.

So that was all the good that I could say about the Hamilton Beach 33135, let’s take a look at the ugly side. For someone like me, the three pots were something I would pride this for, well earlier in the review I did mention of the convenience they gave me in storage and usability, but they are really heavy. There is nothing to be fixed regarding this problem, so all I can say is that you might break your back trying to lift this, I may be over exaggerating a little but it is the only way to tell you how heavy it is.

Cons

This unit might have some flaws when it comes to electronics. A few users have complained that the pot overheats and plastic parts have melted. The materials the buttons were made of are said to be able to disintegrate and break off, I have never experienced it yet but by the looks of it I could see some truth in those bad reviews.

Some users have also mentioned hot spots with the pots and that the bottom of the pot is lined with crusty and burnt foodstuff which is not pleasant at all, but not entirely difficult to clean off.

So the verdict is entirely up to you, I had this Hamilton Beach 33135 and it was good, it might not be great or reliable in the long run but for the price I’d say it gives value for the money.

Further Information

• Hamilton Beach 33135 3-in-1 Slow Cooker with 2-, 4-, and 6-Quart Crocks

Related Posts:

• Best Slow Cooker – Main
• Best Slow Cooker – Top Picks
• Chef Peter’s Guide to Slow Cookers: What do I look for when I want to buy a slow cooker?

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I thought I would buy an extra slow cooker to cook small meals sometimes when only my wife and I are eating at home. I was looking for a cheap but good one. West Bend 84384 was cheap; it only cost me below $30 just to have it shipped to me. It has been a week now and I have used it every single day, it’s something I do when I buy a new appliance, I call it the burning process, where I use something new intensely for a week, just to see if there were any flaws or anything I missed before the warranty ends.

West Bend 84384

Easy Cleaning and Storage
So this is what I found out about this 4 quart oval slow cooker. After using it I always clean it and keep it back in storage, I know this can be a really troublesome thing to do, but its only for a week, so I found that the oval design was easy to store compared to some round ones (and even a square one that I used to have). The size is not too small or too big, it’s just right, and cleaning for this unit is fairly simple since the pot and the lid are dishwasher safe, and yes I used my dishwasher to clean it every single time during that entire week.

The unit has a brushed stainless steel body; this means that no matter how much you smolder or “molest” this slow cooker you won’t be able to find finger prints on it, unless your hands were dirty.

So now let’s see how well this slow cooker cooks shall we? The dial reminds me of those old slow cookers, the ones from Asia, like Phillips and Sanyo, this dial comes with low, high and keep warm settings, above the dial you can see a signature which says “Crockery” that’s sort of amusing since this is a slow cooker, or maybe the manufacturers didn’t realize the difference between the two.

So I tried some extra long slices of meat and vegetables and the pot literally swallowed it up, after a few hours I was met by a complete meal, quite the pleaser I would say. The on and off indicator light lets you know if the unit is safe to touch or not, this is because the body will heat up during cooking, and imagine yourself walking about your kitchen one night to bump into it while it’s turned on, not a good experience I assure you.

The handles remain cool even in the heat of the kitchen, a regular safety measure which all slow cookers should have, but there is one bonus about the see through glass lid which I notice most slow cookers do not have, aside the fact that you can see through it to take a peek at your meal, this glass lid has a knob which does not heat up. That is an amazing add on that I suppose some manufacturers fail to see, now I don’t have to place a thick kitchen towel over the lid or wear a mitten when I want to remove the lid.

After your meal is done you can use the pot itself as a serving dish, it looks great with its ceramic coated in hi temperature black enamel, you won’t be embarrassed to place it out on the table during dinner, just be sure to line the bottom with a towel first.

This West Bend 84384 – Best Budget Slow Cooker slow cooker comes with the regular cook book, there is nothing special about that, but I would definitely urge my friends to buy this slow cooker, especially those who have a small family and are looking for a budget slow cooker.

Related Posts:

• Best Slow Cooker – Main
• Cuisinart PSC-350 – Best Small Slow Cooker
• Cuisinart CSC-400 4-Quart Slow Cooker
• Hamilton Beach 33135 – Best Value Slow Cooker

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To make things easy, I’ve picked out a few good slow cookers in their own categories. To find the suitable slow cooker for yourself, keep in mind the size, shape, settings, and your budget, of course.

My top slow cookers are:

Best Slow Cooker – Hamilton Beach 33967

This 6-quart slow cooker is great for any family. It can make a good sized meal and cooks really well. But you’d have to be experienced enough in cooking to appreciate the programmable settings, the temperature probe and timer. For those who’d like to just switch the on button and cook, this is not the best slow cooker for them. I really like the glass lid and the clip to avoid bubble-overs, and the clear LED display on this slow cooker.

Read my full review of the Hamilton Beach 33967 here.

Best Value Slow Cooker – Hamilton Beach 33135

If you feel the frustration of finding suitable size pots to cook big meals one time and small meals another, this is the slow cooker you should get. The Hamilton Beach 33135 comes with 3 pots of different sizes sharing one lid and one cooker so that you can manage the size and quality of your meal. This slow cooker gives good value for money indeed.

Read my review of Hamilton Beach 33135 here.

Best Small Slow Cooker – Cuisinart PSC-350

This 3-1/2-quart slow cooker is just nice for cooking a meal for 1 – 3 persons. Whether you’re a bachelor staying alone or a couple, the size should be just right to get your dinner ready when you get home. It’s programmable so you can set the temperature and timer, yet is easy enough to use. I also liked the oval design to fit in longer food items.

More on the Cuisinart PSC-350 here.

Best Budget Slow Cooker – West Bend 84384

For those looking for a slow cooker at a cheap price, the West Bend 84384 is a decent one that doesn’t compromise in quality. Although it’s nothing fancy with only low, high and keep warm settings, it still cooks nicely and even has a glass lid. For such a low price, the build isn’t too flimsy and nobody has complained about its durability yet.

My full review of the West Bend 84384 here.

Best Basic Slow Cooker – Corningware 6-Quart Slow Cooker

I’d recommend the Corningware 6-Quart slow cooker to anybody looking to try a slow cooker at a good price but isn’t sure whether they will be using it frequently. Of course, when you buy a kitchen appliance you’d want to use it as much as possible to make the buying of it worthwhile, but when all you really want is a slow cooker to make stew on days when you and yours are craving comfort food, this is the model to get.

Read my Corningware 6-Quart Slow Cooker review here.

Out of all these best slow cooker reviews, I’m sure you can find one that will fit your needs. I have done my research and I’ll tell you what I think you should get if you’re looking for something specific:

I hope I’ve helped you in making your decision. But don’t take my word for it though, why not try out whichever one you see and like and discover the magic of slow cookers for yourself?

Related Posts:

• Best Slow Cooker – Main
• Chef Peter’s Guide to Slow Cookers: What do I look for when I want to buy a slow cooker?
• Best Slow Cooker – Introduction

Tags: Best Slow Cookers // Add Comment »

Best Value Slow Cooker

Hamilton Beach 6-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker

This Hamilton Beach slow cooker review is included in the list because I considered this model before settling on the Kitchenaid model for my personal family use. It was a firm contender, in my opinion, because among slow cooker models, it offers the best value at a very affordable price.

Compared to the 7-quart capacity of the KitchenAid, this 6-quart Hamilton Beach slow cooker is not too bad at all at half the price. It doesn’t skimp on features either, because it has a glass lid, digital timer and a keep warm mode, which helps keep your food warm after you’ve cooked it. I like that it is oval, and can accommodate chicken if I want to cook a full bird.

It is very solidly built and has removable stoneware. I like that it is very programmable, with a manual mode where you can specify exactly how you want your food to be cooked. This helps you fine tune recipes for optimum flavor and taste.

However, I did have my reasons for choosing the Kitchenaid over this model. I tested the handles and found them flimsy and not sturdy enough to my liking. And that was without liquid in the pot! I put safety first, and for this reason, didn’t buy this model as I have children around in the kitchen. But of course, that’s just me and my high standards.

Other people are quite satisfied with it and can overlook its flimsy handles because of its very programmable nature. If you’re looking for a large slow cooker that will do a great job with your food, this is the model to buy at only half the price of a Kitchenaid slow cooker.

Further information:

• Hamilton Beach Programmable 33966

Related Posts:

• Best Slow Cooker – Main
• Corningware 6-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker – Best Basic Slow Cooker
• KitchenAid 7-Quart Stainless Steel Slow Cooker – Best Slow Cooker
• Proctor Silex 33015 1.5-Quart Round Slow Cooker

Tags: Hamilton Beach Slow Cookers // Add Comment »

Rival SCVI600B-SS Crock-Pot 6-Quart Premium VersaWare Slow Cooker

• 6-quart slow cooker for sauteing, cooking, serving, and storing
• Use oval stoneware in heating base, on the stove, or in the oven
• Programmable countdown technology; digital timer; auto keep warm
• Stay-cool handles; dishwasher-safe stoneware pot and lid
• Measures 18 by 11-2/7 by 14-2/5 inches; 1-year warranty

User Feedback :

Pros: Auto warm setting
Cons: Haven’t found one

“This is great. Bought three,one for myself and the others for my two daughters-in-law, last year for Christmas. Love how it switches to the warm setting when time runs out, just in case you are late getting home from work.” – bam1073 from shopping.yahoo.com user feedback.

“I like the versatility of this. Being able to brown on stove top with the difusser, then slow cook, saves time and work. Does a great job and the timer is very handy when it needs to stop before you get home. Handles on this model are much better …” – Cheryl Jorgensen from Amazon.com user feedback.

“We have owned this crockpot for over 6 months now and use it on average once a week. It is a great quality item and we haven’t had any issues. We like the simple programming and have used it to brown meat in the same pan …” – Average Joe from Amazon.com user feedback.

“Being able to brown and cook in the VersaWare slow cooker was the selling point for me. It has it all, dishwasher safe, can be used in the microwave and then to the fridge. No offensive ordors as others have reported with VersaWare crockpots. I call it “my new best friend”.” – L. Pazdernik from Amazon.com user feedback

Further information:

• Rival Crock-Pot 6-Quart Premium SCVI600B-SS

Related Posts:

• Best Slow Cooker – Main
• KitchenAid 7-Quart Stainless Steel Slow Cooker – Best Slow Cooker
• Corningware 6-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker – Best Basic Slow Cooker
• Chef Peter’s Guide to Slow Cookers: What do I look for when I want to buy a slow cooker?

Tags: Rival Slow Cookers // Add Comment »

Proctor Silex 33015 1.5-Quart Round Slow Cooker

• 1.5 quart capacity
• Dishwasher safe stoneware and lid
• Keep warm setting
• Versatile, stain-proof stoneware removes for serving and refrigerator storage

This little slow cooker is the best mini slow cooker and it’s cost less then $20, what a bargain. It’s durable and great for 1-3 people cooking. Design for small family and student ( 1.5 quart ). It’s have 3 setting – high, low, and warm and very easy to use. Dishwasher safe and come with a nice glass lid that allow you to see what is cook inside.

Amazon User Feedback:

This is a terrific little crockpot. It has all the features you need. I would say though it is a little small if you are a healthy eater, even if you are cooking for one person. Well worth less than $20. – Russel

This arrived quickly in perfect condition. It works beautifully–adjustable heat and small size make it just right for the things I like to cook. – Janila

Further information:

• Proctor Silex 330151 1.5 Quart Mini Slow Cooker

Related Posts:

• Best Slow Cooker – Main
• Cuisinart CSC-400 4-Quart Slow Cooker – Best Compact Slow Cooker
• Rival SCVI600B-SS Crock-Pot 6-Quart Premium VersaWare Slow Cooker
• Best Slow Cooker – Top Picks

Tags: Procter Silex Slow Cookers // Add Comment »

This is my most favorite of the lot! KitchenAid 7-Quart Stainless Steel Slow Cooker is the best slow cooker I’ve worked with. This slow cooker review will help you why I think so. In my line of business, food preparation matters. A lot. And I’ve had experience with great slow cookers, and some not so great ones. And when it comes to my family, I’m even pickier because I only want the best for them.

KitchenAid 7-Quart Stainless Steel Slow Cooker

This is simply the best slow cooker of them all. It meets my family’s needs and my own. Whether we’re making beef chili for home consumption or I’m making consommé at the restaurant, this baby performs each and every time. I have a large family, so I like its huge capacity of 7 quarts. The 10-hour programmable timer helps me design the perfect cooking style for specific dishes, e.g. you wouldn’t roast chicken the same way you make beef stew, correct?

My wife loves our KitchenAid 7-Quart Stainless Steel Slow Cooker at home, which is brick red and matches our other kitchen appliances. Women. Go figure, right? The one at the restaurant is the classic steel although there is a black version as well. I personally think it’s very well designed for a slow cooker, which is why I like to use it so much. It is oval, which is great for cooking chicken.

Most slow cookers are round and cannot accommodate a whole chicken. Besides that, there are quart marking on the interior. I like the markings because they help me fill it with liquids accurately. We trust our kids around this model because the large handles and rugged design prevent any damage to it and our children. Large handles always help when you’re carrying a heavy pot of liquid, don’t you think?

Basically, if you need a large capacity slow cooker with good features and performance and don’t mind the hefty price tag, KitchenAid 7-Quart Stainless Steel Slow Cooker is the best slow cooker to get. I can personally attest that it has blown me away! If you’re not sure, check out my other slow cooker reviews to look for another model suitable to your needs.

P.s. The warranty’s good too. If it spoils during your first year of usage, KitchenAid will deliver an identical or comparable replacement free of charge to you. On top of that, there’s a one-year warranty on the replacement unit as well. Now that’s what I call a great warranty.

Further information:

• KitchenAid 7-Quart Stainless Steel Slow Cooker

Related Posts:

• Best Slow Cooker – Main
• Rival SCVI600B-SS Crock-Pot 6-Quart Premium VersaWare Slow Cooker
• Best Slow Cooker – Top Picks
• Chef Peter’s Guide to Slow Cookers: What do I look for when I want to buy a slow cooker?

Tags: KitchenAid Slow Cookers // Add Comment »

Compact slow cooker

Cuisinart CSC-400 4-Quart Slow Cooker

This is another one of my slow cooker reviews. I on occasion, had to use this Cuisinart CSC-400 4-Quart Slow Cooker at a friend’s place. He’s single and we were watching football.

Now football and tacos and beef chili go together like a match made in heaven. This slow cooker fit him really well because of its compact size and basic features. He’s a bachelor and not much of a foodie, so he just throws stuff in the morning, and comes home to a hot dinner whenever he has a night home.

I have noticed that slow cookers work best when they are at least half full of food to ensure that the liquid won’t cook the food to fast, and overcook it. Especially when you’re cooking meat, you don’t want it to be overcooked as it entirely loses its flavor and takes on a “raggy” texture entirely unpleasant to the palate.

This Cuisinart CSC-400 4-Quart Slow Cooker fits the bill for couples or singles living alone because they can’t possibly need such a large capacity slow cooker anyway. The 8-hour timer works a charm and has high, low and warm settings. While it isn’t programmable, it does have a keep warm feature, which will turn itself on automatically when cooking time has ended. It’s easy to clean because you can just put it in your dishwasher when you’re done with it.

The only drawback I can find to this small, basic slow cooker is that it is slightly more expensive in comparison to other slow cookers. Nevertheless, Cuisinart is a highly respected brand in the culinary industry and they have come up with a quality product once again.

I personally recommend this performer of a slow cooker to smaller households looking for a slow cooker that will consistently perform well and produce great food.

Further information:

• Cuisinart CSC-400 4-Quart

Related Posts:

• Best Slow Cooker – Main
• Proctor Silex 33015 1.5-Quart Round Slow Cooker
• Hamilton Beach Programmable Slow Cooker
• Corningware 6-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker – Best Basic Slow Cooker

Tags: Cuisinart Slow Cookers // Add Comment »