It combines the functions of a slow cooker, roaster, rice cooker, food steamer and more in one versatile appliance. To test, we filled each cooker with a pound of cannellini beans and aromatics covered in several inches of water, and cooked them for eight hours on a low setting. Using a probe thermometer, we recorded the cooking temperature every hour. If you want a cooker with manual controls, the Hamilton Beach Stay or Go 6-Quart Slow Cooker may be a good option. Like our pick, the Set & Forget, it has a locking lid with a tight-fitting seal and a ceramic crock, and we’ve been consistently happy with Hamilton Beach’s cookers.
The alarm made it easy for us to program the machine and know that the cooking cycle had actually started. With other cookers, we didn’t know whether the machines had begun cooking until the first minute had counted down on the timer, and we also didn’t know when they had switched to the warm setting. A small green light indicates which setting you’re using on the Set & Forget. A slow cooker is a convenient, simple-to-use kitchen appliance—particularly if you’d like to cook food while you’re out of the house. With a slow cooker, you can prep your food before work and head to the office without worrying about your meal overcooking or cooling into the food temperature danger zone. Marianne Gravely, a senior technical information specialist for the USDA, assured us that cookers heat up to above 140 degrees Fahrenheit quickly enough to be food-safe.
Hamilton Beach® Slow Cookers take the convenience of slow-cooked dishes a giant step further. Several models of slow cookers, such as the Stay or Go® Slow Cooker, address one of your greatest concerns—getting your finished dish to a potluck or party without messy spills. The Highland 3.5 Quart (3.3L) Slow Cooker in stainless steel is an affordable and ideal way to cook food that requires long and slow simmering. Simply put in all the ingredients, select the right setting, and the cooker will do the work for you!
Anna Perling is a former staff writer covering kitchen gear at Wirecutter. During her time at Wirecutter, she reported on various topics including sports bras, board games, and light bulbs. Previously she wrote food and lifestyle pieces for Saveur and Kinfolk magazines. Anna is a mentor at Girls Write Now and a member of the Online News Association. Anna Perling, writer of the most recent update, covered kitchen equipment for Wirecutter for several years and cooks for herself most nights of the week. This guide also builds on research and testing by Wirecutter senior staff writer Lesley Stockton and deputy editor Christine Cyr Clisset, as well as writer Camille Chatterjee.
To bust through stubborn messes, soak the pot in a sink full of hot, soapy water before cleaning; the bloggers at Crock-Pot Ladies also suggest applying baking soda before you scrub. In our tests, the Temp Tracker’s probe came within 1 degree of our favorite probe thermometer in our bean tests, and readings fluctuated between hamilton beach slow cooker 1 and 9 degrees in our roast test. Because the temperature isn’t exactly consistent throughout a large piece of meat, some variation is expected. During cooking, the probe reading clearly displays on the Temp Tracker’s interface so you can check on your meal. When cooking, we took note of each model’s design and interface.
The premium white scallop pattern exterior looks great on any countertop. Plus, the included “Dipper” sauce warmer is perfect for keeping sauce or gravy piping hot at the table or serving a warm dip to please a crowd. We also measured temperatures hamilton beach mixer with a separate probe thermometer, and the Set & Forget’s thermometer was within 9 degrees of our separate probe. Since temperatures aren’t totally consistent throughout a large piece of meat, the difference is understandable.
In comparison, the Crock-Pot ThermoShield Cook and Carry Slow Cooker made a roast that didn’t fall apart as easily and looked and tasted dry. Nothing hamilton beach toaster is quite as yummy as the warm taste of comfort foods. Your slow cooker is just as likely to be needed away from home as it is at home.